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.

Reader Response: Super Managers

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Super Theatre Manager, Joe Patti, took the time to write in with some observations and questions about the idea of using executive managers for smaller budget orchestras (below $1 million annual budget) only when they are needed. [Regarding] timing; since there is a general portion of the calendar which constitutes the period when audiences are more likely to attend, how easy will it be to find a manager during the time …

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Concert Hall Conundrums

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If you ever wondered whether or not a concert hall can influence an orchestra’s future then the round of concert hall related events this past season may help you draw some conclusions.  Building, maintaining, and refurbishing concert halls are already a big business and it continues to grow on a regular basis.  A concert hall isn’t just an acoustic chamber where you sit and listen to your local orchestra, it’s also …

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Mobile Managers: Super Managers For Tomorrow

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One of the fastest growing problems in this business is the degree to which smaller budget orchestras are patterning their operational model after the big budget organizations.  When referring to “smaller budget orchestras” I mean all of those ensembles in the $250,000 to $1 million range who typically present between three and eight concerts per season. Many of these organizations start life as a community based ensemble and, over time, grows …

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The Value Of Contemporary Music

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The argument of old music vs. new music has been raging for decades and in recent years it’s taken a severe turn as orchestras scramble to keep their audiences.  As a result, some artistic managers are pushing to program standard repertoire and other works they believe will be the most “audience friendly”. In the end, this strategy will only be self defeating as the real value of classical music is how …

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More Change In Store For New Jersey

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I received a press release this morning from the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra announcing that their president & CEO, Simon Woods, has accepted a position as the Chief Executive of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra and will leave the organization by July 1st, 2005. The press release goes on to state that the orchestra’s board chair, Dr. Victor Parsonnet, will be assuming the executive role in a supervisory position until a …

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