Month: September 2020

Virginia Symphony Furloughs Make San Fran Opera Cuts Look Marginally Attractive

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Hopefully, the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO) will have an opportunity to relive what would have been their 100th anniversary because as of now, they have cancelled all concert activity through February 2021. While the group managed to secure a Paycheck Protection Program loan, those funds ran out at the end of summer and as a result, furloughed musician employees through February 9, 2021. Assuming the group is back up and running …

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Early Reports From San Francisco Opera Orchestra Settlement Look Rough

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It appears the San Francisco Opera (SFO) and its orchestra musicians have reached an agreement for a new collective bargaining agreement. Janos Gereben was first to report on the newly ratified deal along with some key details in an article for the 9/20/2020 edition of sfexaminer.com. It appears to be a two-year deal with a 50 percent cut in weekly salary over the course of the fall season.  While a musician …

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Why Are Conductors Exempt From Wearing Masks Onstage?

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If you’ve been watching any of the early efforts from orchestras experimenting with socially distanced concerts, you’ve probably noticed that on-stage musicians are wearing masks, even wind players when they aren’t actively playing. In the handful of indoor events, audience members are wearing masks as well. So why are some conductors going without masks or walking out wearing a mask, but removing it while conducting? Holly Mulcahy was wondering the same …

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The Various Paths Of COVID Era Bargaining

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As shutdowns continue, orchestras with regularly scheduled collective bargaining agreement (CBA) renewals are finding themselves thrust into bargaining during less than ideal conditions. Add those with need reopen existing CBAs into the mix and we’re just starting to see how all of this is unfolding. The Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) announced a new multi-year agreement that includes cuts, although it’s a bit uncertain exactly how much and over what period. We’ll …

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Just The Sort Of Thing To Help You Stay On Track

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Visit ArtsHacker.com

I published an article at ArtsHacker yesterday pointing to something written by researcher Victor Yocco that provides exactly the sort of thing arts marketers need right now: effectively design to gain and hold attention for digital products. He had me at an overview of transient and sustained attention. The ArtsHacker articles covers some the highlights that are particularly applicable to arts marketers but you should absolutely check out the full post. …

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