Commentary – Page 38 – Adaptistration

When It Comes To Sexual Misconduct, Are We Treating Symptoms Or Trying To Cure The Disease?

Monday, October 29th, 2018Monday, October 29th, 2018 by Drew McManus

The 10/27/2018 edition of the Cleveland Plain Dealer published an article by Zachary Lewis that begins to examine some of the more profound questions following their decision to dismiss William Preucil and Massimo La Rosa for sexual misconduct. According to statements from the Cleveland Orchestra, the organization has adopted two measures from the investigation’s report: They established a telephone number “operated by an independent party to enable anyone associated with the …

Boston Symphony Pushes Back Against Allegations Of Sex-Based Pay Discrimination

Wednesday, December 12th, 2018Tuesday, October 9th, 2018 by Drew McManus

The 10/5/2018 edition of the Boston Globe published an article by Zoë Madonna that reports the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO) has decided to play hard ball and push back against principal flutist, Elizabeth Rowe and her lawsuit alleging sex-based pay discrimination. You’ll find a detailed breakdown of Rowe’s complaint in an article from 7/13/2018, so if you aren’t already familiar with the allegations, that’s a good place to begin. Breaking Down …

The Orchestra Musician Job Offer: “No” Is An Option

Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018Wednesday, October 3rd, 2018 by Drew McManus

It’s no secret that orchestra musician positions are highly competitive, even at ensembles that pay less than living wage. The statistical likelihood of becoming the finalist and receiving a job offer is, at best, dubious. Nonetheless, just because you end up with an offer doesn’t mean you should automatically accept. I’ve lost track of how many musicians I’ve worked with over the years who ended up regretting a decision to accept …

The Arts Admin Job Offer: Know When To Walk Away…And Know When To Run

Tuesday, October 2nd, 2018 by Drew McManus

If I had a nickel every time I’ve seen a good manager leave the field because s/he walked into a toxic environment that burned their spirit to a crisp, I could have retired by now. Simply put, that fire under your current frying pan may be hotter than you think. As a result, it’s a job seeker’s responsibility to do their own due diligence before deciding. Nothing Replaces Due Diligence At …

No One Really “Wins” A Job

Monday, October 1st, 2018Monday, October 1st, 2018 by Drew McManus

It’s funny to see which habits I internalized from my academic years as a music performance major stick with my vocabulary decades past the decision to pivot away from that career path. For example, it doesn’t matter if we’re talking about an arts administrator being the finalist for a new position or a musician being the finalist in an audition, I often refer to that scenario as “winning a job.” The …