Something Special In St. Louis Part 3
Tue, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
In order to round out this series of articles about the uniquely special grand concert in St. Louis on March 13th, 2005 it seems fitting to allow the last voice to come from those who participated in the event as patrons. If you missed the earlier installments, here are Part 1 and Part 2. Karen
BSO Musicians Paid To Stay Out Of Union
Mon, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
Or, that’s how the story went back in the October, 1918 edition of The Etude, A monthly journal for the musician, the music student, and all music lovers. In “The World of Music” column, the journal ran the following bit about labor issues at the Boston Symphony Orchestra, It was reported a few months ago
Staring At The Crossroads In Salt Lake
Fri, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
Executive oversight is an issue which is high on the minds of the Utah Symphony & Opera (US&O) stakeholders. The two Salt Lake organizations officially merged at the beginning of this decade with the promise from their now CEO, Anne Ewers, that the new organization would be greater then the sum of its parts. Prior
Something Special In St. Louis Part 2
Wed, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
Part 1 left off with the promise of examining how the musicians from 14 American orchestras performed a grand concert to thank the St. Louis community for their support over the recent months. The best way to fully understand just how much of an impact this concert had, you will need to hear from the musicians.
Something Special In St. Louis Part 1
Tue, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
On Sunday, March 13, 2005 the musicians of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra along with colleagues from 14 orchestras* joined together to present a free concert to the greater St. Louis community. In all, there were 109 musicians led by Maestro Benjamin Zander in a performance of works by Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, and Elgar**. The
Looking Through Another Business’ Eyes
Mon, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
The Partial Observer published an article of mine today which examines the media industry and how it’s been adapting to fundamental changes in its business. There are some intriguing parallels between that business and orchestras: http://www.partialobserver.com/ArticleDisplay.cfm?ArticleID=1424 I had a fantastic time in St. Louis, the free concert was a HUGE success on a variety of
Meet Me In St. Louis
Fri, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
Thanks to the generosity of some bighearted fans of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, I’ve been offered an opportunity to attend the mass orchestra concert which the musicians of the SLSO organized as a way to say thank you to their supporters. The musicians of the SLSO will be joined by a host of professional
Getting Up To Speed In Utah
Thu, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
Over the past week, there’s been a flurry of media attention in the Salt Lake are about the Utah Symphony & Opera (US&O) organization. Salt Lake Tribune music critic, Celia Baker, has written a few articles about the issues. They’re both excellent examples of reporting the facts; you can read them here, and here. Much
Applying Some Perspective In St. Louis
Tue, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
In a recent article published in the 03/05/05 edition of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the article’s author, Sarah Bryan Miller, challenges one of the basic concepts which have successfully driven the increased artistic and financial accomplishment of orchestras since the early 1960’s. The concept of having musicians set financial goals for the organization via contract
Harvest, Build, And Destroy – Part 3
Mon, Mar 3, 2005
by Drew McManus
Part 2 of this series included examining the goals for developing a system whereby the musicians in any given orchestra can maintain an ongoing active participation in organizational affairs without that work overloading their artistic responsibilities. One astute reader wrote in with a wonderfully concise summary of the goals: “The ultimate goal seems to be
