Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Why Can’t Someone Just Tell Me What To Do?!?

Wed, Nov 11, 2020
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Full disclosure: I wrote today’s post well in advance of the election just to be sure to resist any temptation to publish anything overtly political. Having said that, today’s post will hopefully help you avoid a bear trap that has inadvertently snagged a few of my clients in the form of upgrading to Google’s big

Scheduling Election Night Sanity

Tue, Nov 11, 2020
While it should come as no surprise that we won’t know who won the presidential election this evening, that doesn’t mean you have to sit on pins and needles all night. There’s an excellent article at fivethirtyeight.com that provides a clear schedule on when you can expect election updates for each state. And while the

Labor Tensions Continue To Rise In Colorado Springs As Orchestra Goes Dark

Mon, Nov 11, 2020
At the beginning of last month, labor relations at the Colorado Springs Philharmonic (CSPhil) were on the brink of all out war. After publishing feedback from employer and musician representatives, the orchestra’s president and CEO, Nathan Newbrough, wrote to say he thought things were moving in a positive direction. While that’s a good sign, follow-up

Is There Humor Darker Than Black?

Fri, Oct 10, 2020
I was planning to publish an update on the Colorado Springs Philharmonic labor dispute today but time got away, but it will go up Monday. In the interim, I can across the following satirical tweet from @OrchestraSay that’s so black, it may well qualify as a quantum singularity. Oprah's handing out new CBAs to ICSOM

Internalizing The Concept Of Equity

Thu, Oct 10, 2020
The more a work can reflect society from the time it was written and provoke thoughtful contemplation, the better. If the musicality and topic keep the piece on my mind for more than a week after hearing it, that’s a win. The more polarizing current events are, the more potential exists for a work to
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