Drew McManus on the Orchestra business | est. 2003

Commentary

What Orchestra Musicians Might Learn From The Current UAW Strike

Tue, Oct 10, 2019
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How important is equal pay for equal work in today’s unionized orchestra environment? We examine this issue on a regular basis as it relates to substitute musicians, but the recent Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) work stoppage highlights a growing inequality at living wage orchestras between veteran and new-hire musicians by forcing the latter into a

Will Gelb’s Tenure Survive The Latest Met Scandal?

Fri, Sep 9, 2019
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In case you aren’t already familiar with the PR crisis unfolding in real-time at Metropolitan Opera, here’s a quick overview: Singer Plácido Domingo, who is facing multiple accusations of sexual misconduct, was scheduled to appear as part of the company’s Macbeth In response to internal and external concerns, Met general manager, Peter Gelb, confirmed Domingo

Do We Really Want To Find Out How Much Is Too Much?

Mon, Sep 9, 2019
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William Blake wrote “you never know what is enough unless you know what is more than enough” and while that packs plenty of good, it isn’t something you should want when thinking about how far you can push employees beyond a breaking point. Joe Patti published a thought-provoking post last week about the discouraging earning

Tomorrow Is Baltimore’s Next Waypoint

Tue, Sep 9, 2019
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Update: 9:10am CT: BSO musicians file unfair labor practice. Wednesday, 9/11/19, is the next threshold in the ongoing Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) work stoppage. Technically, the employer has ended their lockout and is offering musicians work but that seemingly simple term has a gargantuan asterisk attached. The problem is there’s still no new contract nor

Patron Service, Patron Experience, and Patron Care

Thu, Sep 9, 2019
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Last year, I cancelled a membership at one of Chicago’s premier art museums due to an issue with promised member benefits. In this case, the museum designed a benefit to help sidestep a well-known pain point in the form of long entrance lines. It was simple: members receive expedited entry. It is an effective benefit
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