Drew McManus

"I hear that every time you show up to work with an orchestra, people get fired." Those were the first words out of an executive's mouth after her board chair introduced us. That executive is now a dear colleague and friend but the day that consulting contract began with her orchestra, she was convinced I was a hatchet-man brought in by the board to clean house. I understand where the trepidation comes from as a great deal of my consulting and technology provider work for arts organizations involves due diligence, separating fact from fiction, interpreting spin, as well as performance review and oversight. So yes, sometimes that work results in one or two individuals "aggressively embracing career change" but far more often than not, it reinforces and clarifies exactly what works and why. In short, it doesn't matter if you know where all the bodies are buried if you can't keep your own clients out of the ground, and I'm fortunate enough to say that for more than 15 years, I've done exactly that for groups of all budget size from Qatar to Kathmandu. For fun, I write a daily blog about the orchestra business, provide a platform for arts insiders to speak their mind, keep track of what people in this business get paid, help write a satirical cartoon about orchestra life, hack the arts, and love a good coffee drink.

Too Cool For Words: Moo MiniCards

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008 by Drew McManus

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Just in time for the National Performing Arts Convention this week, my new Moo MiniCards arrived and I can’t wait to start handing them out. If you aren’t already familiar with Moo’s MiniCards all you need to know is that they are "it" when it comes to the latest trend in business card design. London based Moo takes business card customization to insane levels by allowing users to print a full-bleed graphic on one side with up to six lines of text on the other. But wait, I can hear you saying "that’s no big deal, a lot of printers allow you to do that already. Here’s the catch: you can print each one of your minimum 100 order cards with a completely different image if you so desire…

Things That Make You Go “Buh?” – Columbus

Friday, June 29th, 2018Monday, June 9th, 2008 by Drew McManus

Although the 2008 Orchestra Compensation Reports were a big hit this year, they meant a week without reflecting on some significant developments in the field. In particular, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) crossed the self-imposed line in the sand for cancelling operations last Sunday, June 1^st. Since then, the organization has dismissed all but the executive staff and according to the Columbus Dispatch, CSO Board President Robert “Buzz” Trafford terminated the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with the organization’s musicians although the contract does not expire until August 31, 2008. This isn’t the first time this executive board implemented a short sighted decision but the real head-scratcher is Trafford’s comment to the Dispatch where he was quoted as saying that cancelling the CBA “has no impact on the negotiations” with musicians. Although I tend to avoid arguing with an idiot out of fear that they’ll drag me down to their level then beat me with experience, this foolish statement deserves some attention…

2008 Compensation Report: Concertmasters

Sunday, September 10th, 2017Friday, June 6th, 2008 by Drew McManus

The final installment of the 2008 Orchestra Compensation Reports will examine compensation levels for concertmasters… WHO IS THIS CONCERTMASTER PERSON? For those not already familiar with the concertmaster position, this is the title reserved for the principal seat within the 1st violin section. More often than not, this is the musician you see walking out on stage at the beginning of the concert to initiate the orchestra’s tuning process before the …

2008 Compensation Report: ROPA Music Directors

Sunday, September 10th, 2017Thursday, June 5th, 2008 by Drew McManus

The 2005/06 season was a very lucrative season for most Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA) music directors, on average they experienced one of the highest percentage increase in compensation over the past seven seasons… WHERE THE NUMBERS COME FROM In order to provide information that is as accurate as possible, data from the 2005/06 season is gathered from the following sources: Music Director Compensation figures were obtained from their respective orchestra’s …

2008 Compensation Report: ROPA Executive Directors

Sunday, September 10th, 2017Wednesday, June 4th, 2008 by Drew McManus

Although the average Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA) executive director earned more than ever before during the 2005/06 season, the percent increase in average compensation slowed to its lowest point in the past seven years… WHERE THE NUMBERS COME FROM In order to provide information that is as accurate as possible, data from the 2005/06 season is gathered from the following sources: Executive Director Compensation figures were obtained from their respective …