Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
Who am I kidding? Most of my non-work hours yesterday were focused on election results. As such, I’m taking the day off. Since this is being written well in advance of polls closing, I have zero clue how things will turn out. But now that it’s later* and you know the results (a few expected close-calls notwithstanding), I’m curious to know whether you think state and federal governments are more, or …
It’s election day and if you haven’t already cast ballet vote in early-voting be sure to get out before your polls close. If the weather is bad, you’ve had an awful day, or life has thrown some sadness in your direction, don’t be afraid to reach out to friends and family for encouragement, support, and assistance. While there are no shortages of hot button topics this election cycle, don’t forget to …
The 11/3/2018 edition of The Baltimore Sun published an article by Tim Smith about a new documentary titled R.A.W. – From Destitute to Doctorate by Baltimore filmmakers Darren Durlach and David Larson. It’s a great overview article that introduces the documentary about tubist Richard White, who went from being homeless, eating from trash cans, and abandoned on the streets of Baltimore to earning a position as an orchestral tuba player, one of …
The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with its musicians expired September 9, 2018 and it appears things are headed in a dark direction as negotiations have official gone public in the form of two musician press releases from 10/29/18 and 11/01/18*. The latter press release contained the musicians’ summary of the employer’s current offer: Reduction in weeks from 52 to 40. 17 percent deduction in salary. An undefined …
For whatever reason, I’ve enjoyed a good bit of shop talk with a broader spectrum of colleagues than usual and one topic that came up on several occasions was artist management. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all the individual artists I spoke with felt their representation was underperforming. And while there was no shortage of gripes, there was plenty of silence when I asked about what they did to help define a provider relationship …