Expecting A Check From The NEA? Think Again.

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Whether it’s grant disbursements, processing applications, or answering questions, you’ll need to hurry up and wait on anything related to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The ongoing government shutdown means NEA staffers are furloughed, their website isn’t being updated, and all phone and electronic communication is going unanswered. While the website isn’t being updated, it’s still up. That means you can access the NEA’s policy for operations during something …

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Some Early Details About San Francisco Symphony’s New Real Estate Equity Sharing Clause

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Back in November, 2018 we first heard about a new component in the recently ratified San Francisco Symphony collective bargaining agreement (CBA) designed to offset the cost of housing in San Francisco. According to inside sources, the exact language for that term were to be worked out post-negotiation. At the time, details were scarce but we’re starting to see some information emerge, such as this description from the musicians’ settlement bulletin (a …

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The Conductor Who Knew Too Much

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As a follow-up to yesterday’s post examining the music director’s role in determining a musician’s overscale, a few readers reached out pushing about my “the stories I could tell” remark. After giving it some thought, there is one anecdote worth sharing. In this instance, I’m comfortable sharing the experience because everyone else directly involved is either out of the business, long retired, or passed away. I was hired by a principal …

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What Role Do Music Directors Play In Determining Overscale?

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Who determines how much a musician earns in overscale, the part of a musician’s individual agreement that deals with extra wages paid over and above the minimums guaranteed by the collective bargaining agreement? Is it the CEO, music director, the board, a combination, or none of the above? If nothing else, Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) principal flute Elizabeth Rowe’s lawsuit alleging sex-based pay discrimination is providing ample pretext for learning more …

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Helping Service Organizations Do More For Their Members

Performing arts service organizations have always been among the most intriguing and engaging clients because they always bring a wealth of projects to the table that require creative solutions. Case in point, one of my newest clients is the League of Chicago Theatres (LoCT), which serves more than 200 theatres in what for my money is the most vibrant theatre community in the country: Chicago. In their own words: The League …

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