Growing Pains
Tue, Jul 7, 2011
by Drew McManus
Regardless how much we hate it, pain is our friend. It keeps us on our toes and at times, it’s the only benchmark we have to know we’re doing something the right way. Case in point, since the onset of the 2010/11 season, Adaptistration’s readership has grown by leaps and bounds. As a result, traffic
Who Doesn't Hate Putting Together An RFP?
Fri, Jul 7, 2011
by Drew McManus
Is there anything more tedious than putting together an RFP (Request For Proposal)? It’s even worse when you have to compile an RFP about a topic you don’t know much about. Granted, it’s a good way to learn and it certainly helps getting organized, but wouldn’t it be nice to have someone else do all
Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin Your Orchestra's Website
Thu, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
There’s a wonderful article at Smashing Magazine by Bradd Shorr entitled Five Copywriting Errors That Can Ruin a Company’s Website. Although geared toward more of a geek crowd there’s quite a bit for orchestra professionals to benefit from so to that end, I’m going to highlight some of Shorr’s points within the context of our
Philadelphia Pensions: Then And Now
Wed, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
Hopefully, you caught Peter Dobrin’s article in the 6/27/2011 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer which examines the Philadelphia Orchestra Association’s (POA) request to be relieved from their musician pension obligations via their bankruptcy petition. Dobrin provides an enormous amount of insight into current events an additional item worth considering here is the POA’s historic position
Knowledge Is Power
Tue, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
One of the biggest requests during the Orchestra Compensation Reports is from readers who are interested in seeing more than a single season worth of data so as to build a more comprehensive frame of reference. I couldn’t agree more and that content is available exclusively via subscription at Adaptistration Premium. To that end, I’m
"Failure Begins At The Top"
Mon, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
Today’s headline is an excerpt from a piece by San Francisco Chronicle music critic, Joshua Kosman, in an article that was published on 6/19/2011. Kosman’s article is the latest in a growing chorus of voices within the extended field that are taking a much harder look at the root of problems among performing arts organizations
2011 Compensation Reports: Summary
Fri, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
Although there’s no denying the tabloid nature surrounding salary reviews, that’s not what the annual Orchestra Compensation Reports are all about. Instead, one of the cornerstones is to get people thinking about accountability and to that end the data, in and of itself, tells no tales but it should generate some questions… For example, an
2011 Compensation Reports: Concertmasters
Thu, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
The 2008/09 season was an odd year for concertmaster compensation. Changes to the IRS Form 990 practically decimated the number of concertmasters reported (more on that after the break) so determining an average increase/decrease is far from a precise science nor does it represent a comprehensive comparison to previous seasons. Nonetheless, based strictly on the
2011 Compensation Reports: Music Directors
Wed, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
We all know that the 2008/09 season was the first to endure the brunt of the economic downturn but that doesn’t mean the average music director didn’t enjoy at least a small bump in compensation just under two percent. At the same time, compared to executives, and to a lesser degree base musician compensation, music
2011 Compensation Reports: Executives
Tue, Jun 6, 2011
by Drew McManus
Although the 2008/09 season was the first to endure the economic downturn, the average orchestra executive didn’t experience an adverse impact on their compensation. In fact, the average compensation level increased 5.43 percent… WHAT’S NEW FOR THE 2011 REPORTS Thanks to the use of dynamic sorting tables, the 2001 Orchestra Compensation Reports can combine and
