You Can Always Find A Distraction If You’re Looking For One
Wed, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
Amid the Sarah Chang/Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) drama, it can be easy to forget that it’s a smaller part of a bigger issue; specifically, the ongoing DSO work stoppage. To be certain, any messages sent to Sarah Chang that were threatening and/or intimidating have hopefully been passed along to authorities. Clearly, those are sober issues
A Taste of Honolulu’s Grand Plan
Tue, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
Let’s see if you can answer today’s orchestra management question: Q: What do you call an orchestral association that doesn’t employ orchestra musicians? A: A presenter… According to reports in an article by Marisa Yamane in the 10/10/2010 edition of Hawaii’s KHON2.com, the impending Chapter 11 re-organization plan from the current Honolulu Symphony leadership would
A Bad Situation Ends Badly In Detroit
Mon, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
The brouhaha sounding violinist Sarah Chang’s recital at Orchestra Hall in Detroit came to an end when the soloist announced that she was cancelling due to private email messages that she characterized as crossing a line into physical threats and career intimidation. The Detroit Free Press reported the news in an article by Mark Stryker
Chang Exchanges Solo For Recital In Detroit
Fri, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) issued a press release, late in the afternoon of Thursday, 10/7/2010 to announce they “will host violinist Sarah Chang and pianist Robert Koenig on Orchestra Hall stage on Monday, Oct. 11 at 7:30 p.m. in a special recital…” Chang was scheduled to appear with the DSO this weekend as the
What You Should Be Reading About Groupon
Thu, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
Ever since my article about Joffrey Ballet’s Groupon success, there has been a good bit of discussion about the topic throughout the culture blogosphere. Tara George over at Technology in the Arts did some fascinating Q&A about Groupon with arts groups, Chad Bauman at Arts Marketing poked a few holes in the Groupon strategy, and
Detroit Press Conference
Wed, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
The Detroit Symphony Orchestra announced that it will conduct a press conference today, Wednesday, October 6, 2010 at 10:30am ET. According to a press release, the purpose of the event is “to provide an update on the status of upcoming concerts and patron services.” What makes this a little bit different is they plan on
Strike Day +1
Tue, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
The musicians of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) officially went on strike yesterday and the event was covered in all of the local traditional media outlets. Among those, Mark Stryker at the Detroit Free Press published what has to be one of the most useful articles about the dynamic impact of work stoppages I’ve ever
Calling All Marketing And Web Managers
Mon, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
The 2010 Orchestra Website Review survey notices went out via email today but we all know that email is not the most reliable form of communication. As such, I need your help to make sure everyone included in the review has an opportunity to complete the survey. If you work in your orchestra’s marketing or
To Strike Or Not To Strike
Fri, Oct 10, 2010
by Drew McManus
When the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) mess started to unfold, it seemed as though we wouldn’t have to have some of the rudimentary conversations that typically accompany work stoppages, such as the purpose of strikes and lockouts within the context of the orchestra business. As it turns out, we do…
Workplace Satisfaction Poll Results
Thu, Sep 9, 2010
by Drew McManus
Last Friday’s casual poll asking readers to rate the level of importance of employee satisfaction within orchestral organizations has determined that things aren’t as happy as they could be. At the time this post was written, there were just over 400 responses and 2/3 of respondents indicated they don’t have a positive outlook on how
