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.

TAFTO Reader Response: I Took Myself

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Joe Patti, theatre manager and host of the always educational blog, Butts In The Seats, decided to take part in TAFTO in an unusual way; he took himself.  In an unusual turn of events, Joe crossed paths with some of the musicians shortly after the concert.  But I won’t spoil the surprise, read all about what happened in Joe’s own words: I really have to congratulate you and tell you how …

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What Sticky Floors And Orchestras Have In Common

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Arts Journal weblog neighbor, Martha Bayles, published a great little article the other day about how the atmosphere at a typical Cineplex is one of the predominant factors in the declining attendance figures for that industry.  Says Martha, “[Will] the new “Star Wars” prequel will reverse the overall decline in theater-going. Surely not! Long before we humble consumers figured out that we were not alone in preferring to watch DVDs at …

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TAFTO Contribution: Lynn Sislo

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Rounding out this week’s contributions is Lynn Sislo, a classical music enthusiast who also hosts the very popular culture blog, "Reflections in d minor".   It’s easy for people who are intertwined deeply in the creation of live classical music to get overwhelmed by their surroundings.  As such, Lynn’s contribution is refreshing and quite poignant.

Not only does Lynn offer a sincerely unique perception with her contribution, but hands down, she provides all of us some of the best advice offered when it comes to inviting uninitiated friends.  I won’t spoil the surprise, but I’ll tease you with the fact that it’s about misconceptions – make sure you take the time to read down to the third paragraph from the end!

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Reader Response: There Goes Joe

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Last week’s article entitled There Goes Joe elicited several very passionate responses from readers.  Although the issue of executive compensation has been examined here before, it’s certainly a subject worth continued discussion. First, was a response from a senior manager at an ICSOM level orchestra who takes issue with what I wrote in that article as well as several other articles which were published over the recent round of contract negotiations. …

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TAFTO Contribution: Blair Tindall

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"Walking a mile in another man’s shoes" is the theme for oboist, journalist, and author Blair Tindall’s Take a Friend to Orchestra contribution.  Helping patrons over any anxiety or self consciousness issues are critical elements in building tomorrow’s audience today.

Blair’s first book, Mozart in the Jungle, comes out in late June. Composer William Bolcom says "Blair Tindall’s book combines a personal memoir of her years as a gigging oboist in New York’s Upper West Side musicians’ ghetto with a trenchant analysis of what’s wrong with classical music today." 

With a review like that, how can you not be interested in what Blair has to say about bringing your friends to an orchestra concert? (Yes, I realize Blair is the second contributor who is also a professional oboist. Maybe it’s just a double reed thing; perhaps all of that back pressure helps stimulate neural activity.)

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