Commentary – Page 32 – Adaptistration

Curtis’ Latest Efforts In Crisis Management Feel “Really Hollow”

Tuesday, August 6th, 2019 by Drew McManus

After a wave of public push back against how it has been handling allegations of sexual abuse and impropriety, the Curtis Institute continues to work their crisis management skills toward changing public opinion and shift the narrative. Earlier attempts to assert control over the narrative were met with displeasure from alumni, one of which (Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra cellist Bronwyn Banerdt, Curtis, ’08), wrote a scathing opinion piece for the Inquirer’s 8/2/19 …

Stop Spoiling The Newbie Concert Experience

Monday, August 5th, 2019 by Drew McManus

It should come as no secret that we can be our own worst enemies when it comes to turning off new concertgoers and no stakeholder is immune. Moreover, it never hurts to remind ourselves what we can do to avoid these bear traps and to that end, violinist Holly Mulcahy recently published an article that touches on some of the more common ways stakeholders can make new concertgoers feel like their …

Tim Smith Couldn’t Be More Right

Friday, August 2nd, 2019 by Drew McManus

Veteran music critic and cultural reporter Tim Smith published an article at his personal blog on 7/29/2019 that examined the conspicuous silence from Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) music director Marin Alsop when it comes to the summer season squashing, gala gouging lockout. I think there’s one person who can cause a major shift in the BSO’s fate, the one person who stands to lose a heckuva lot (not just a hefty …

The Best Part Of Shooting Yourself In The Foot Is It’s Tough To Miss

Tuesday, July 30th, 2019 by Drew McManus

While I wish we had brighter Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) news, that’s not in the cards. In fact, things seem to be moving toward a self-fulfilling prophecy stage. Last week, the BSO announced it was cancelling their season opening gala that would have featured Renee Fleming. While it’s definitely a good thing to offer patrons plenty of advance notice for cancellations, eight weeks is jumping the gun. Especially for one of …

The Latest #MeToo Accusation Turns Into A Lesson On How Not To #PR

Monday, July 29th, 2019 by Drew McManus

The 7/25/2019 edition of the Philadelphia Inquirer published an investigative article by Tricia L. Nadolny and Peter Dobrin that reports on alleged sexual assault at the Curtis Institute against a minor by a renowned violin teacher. To make matters worse, the victim alleges the school’s leadership actively buried her allegations then belittled the accuser. The Inquirer sums it up in one of the most concise and descriptive headlines I’ve seen on …