Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
At the end of week two, Chicago Symphony Orchestra is no closer to resolving the strike than they since it started. While both sides have engaged in bargaining and there appears to have been some progress, it was limited to non-showstopper level terms. Both sides continue to hammer away at their existing talking points. The bulk of musician press statements have been focusing on highlighting support and while there’s plenty of …
Do you know what a HiPPO is? I bet you’ve encountered one in a meeting whether you knew it or now. For those unfamiliar with the acronym, HiPPO stands for Highest Paid Person’s Opinion. HiPPo’s can be a real challenge to work with, especially if your goal is to create a data driven culture. To help turn the tide of HiPPO driven conventional wisdom, I published an article at ArtsHacker yesterday …
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association held its second teleconference press conference on Monday, 3/18/19 and as luck would have it, I’ve been unable to attend both. Nonetheless, Chicago Tribune reporter Howard Reich authored an article for the paper’s 3/18/19 edition that includes his overview of the conversion. While most of the conversation seems unremarkable, one comment stood out. For those unaware, Chicago is amidst an historic mayoral election where the two …
Just a quick post today as I’m still playing catch-up after being away for part of last week. Fortunately, quick doesn’t mean insignificant as the topic I want to toss out is related to pensions. In light of the ongoing Chicago Symphony Orchestra work stoppage that hinges on the orchestra’s pension plan, I wanted to point out there is an alternative to traditional defined benefit and defined contribution pension plans: the …
The Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s (CSO) musicians have been on strike for one week and over that time, both sides have spent as much, if not more, time waging PR battles than actively bargaining. As of now, the employer, Chicago Symphony Orchestra Association (CSOA), has been cancelling events on a day-by-day basis. On a broader perspective, this can be a positive as it provides as much time as possible to reach an …