A Bunch Of Racist Nonsense
Wed, Oct 10, 2004
by Drew McManus
A recent article in the San Antonio Express-News inspired me to write about an issue that’s been steadily growing in my mind. I’ve been bothered to see an increasing trend in this industry by some to explain away the declining audience base for classical music: that some immigrant and minority communities aren’t interested in classical
Concert Companion or ORBIT Part 2
Tue, Oct 10, 2004
by Drew McManus
Continuing from where things left off in Part 1, this installment will examine the new Concert Companion and ORBIT products in further detail. Both products are technology based solutions designed to help develop a new audience for live orchestral classical music. The Concert Companion is a proprietary palm driven device and ORBIT is a web
Reader Response: Concert Companion or ORBIT
Mon, Oct 10, 2004
by Drew McManus
After publishing Concert Companion or ORBIT Part 1 I received an email from Andrew Yarosh, Madison Symphony Orchestra’s Development Director. He was looking at the situation from a small orchestra point of view and that of a patron: It seems these tools are, in the best of all possible worlds (i.e. when all orchestras have
National Arts Journalism Program
Sun, Oct 10, 2004
by Drew McManus
The idea behind long term planning requires an organization to look at their past, examine their present, and visualize their future. But what if your organization isn’t a single entity such as an orchestra? Is it possible for a loose confederation of individuals with a common tie to engage in long term planning? The Music
Eastman Students Negotiate Their Future Part 2
Fri, Oct 10, 2004
by Drew McManus
When we left off in yesterday’s article, the students of Eastman’s “Realities of Orchestral Life” were just beginning a simulated orchestra contract negotiation. The students of the class represent the musicians in the orchestra and five of their members were designated to serve as their negotiation committee. I represented management and the course professor, Ray
Eastman Students Negotiate Their Future Part 1
Thu, Sep 9, 2004
by Drew McManus
Last Monday, September 27th, 2004 I had the honor of serving as a guest speaker for the “Realities of Orchestral Life” course offered by Eastman School of Music’s Institute for Music Leadership. I had a wonderful time working with the students and was an honor to open their minds to issues they may not have
Saving Or Selling Out Their Future In Baltimore?
Wed, Sep 9, 2004
by Drew McManus
Last Sunday, the Baltimore Sun published an article by Paul Adams and Tim Smith which reports that in order to manage their planned $12 million deficit, the Baltimore Symphony is considering selling their performance venue; Meyerhoff Symphony Hall. According to the Sun article, here are the details for the plan: “Under the scenario presented, [a]
Sex, Drugs, And Classical Music?
Mon, Sep 9, 2004
by Drew McManus
A few weeks ago I published an article at The Partial Observer about some of the ways classical music uses sex to sell itself. This week I’m following up on that idea by discussing the growing drug use debate (no, not that kind of drug use). The article, Performance Enhancing Drugs for Musicians?, will be
Concert Companion or ORBIT Part 1
Thu, Sep 9, 2004
by Drew McManus
It’s time for an exercise in thinking like an orchestra manager. Here’s the setup: Your orchestra is loosing its audience and you’re considering the benefits of using a technology based product to help build it back up again. Like all orchestras your marketing dollars are limited and the man-hours you can use for writing grant proposals
Keeping Their Heads Above Water
Wed, Sep 9, 2004
by Drew McManus
There’s been a great deal of national attention devoted to contract negotiations and musician salary these past several weeks – from this column and many others across the country. And the majority of those discussions focus on how much players earn in the “Big 5” as well as examining other types of benchmarks used to
