In case you missed it, the 2011 Tony Awards offered up a fabulous opening number featuring Neil Patrick Harris that takes a “different approach” to dealing with the audience development and financial challenges that stalk performing arts orgs. But unlike the Debbie Downer style “straight talk” adopted by some service organizations, the theater field seems to have remembered that they are filled with creative, artistic, entertaining folks…
Current Events
You Need To Do Three Things Today
I’m just coming out of a series of project deadlines so today’s post will get right to the point with three things you need to do…
Everything That's Wrong With This Business (and how to fix it)
Thank goodness for the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. On 6/1/2011 Stewart’s guest was Bill Moyers and their discussion about the current failings of journalism in response to an increasingly obfuscation oriented environment might as well have been about the orchestra business. In short, Moyers doesn’t like to interview politicians because their language is designed to conceal. Hopefully, this should strike a chord with you…
Rep. Betty McCollum Pushes Through 37.5% Cut For Military Bands
The 5/26/2011 edition of the Shoreview Post reports that a mere four days before Memorial Day, Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN) successfully pushed through an amendment in the House of Representatives to cut funding for the US Armed Forces music programs by 37.5%… Rep. McCollumn’s initial target for funding cuts was Defense Department sponsorships of NASCAR events but in the wake of that failure, she determined that the world’s largest employer of …
Detroit Concertmaster Leaves For Dallas
Breaking News: Long time Detroit Symphony Orchestra concertmaster Emmanuelle Boisver announced today that she will be leaving her position for the Dallas Symphony Orchestra where she will serve as associate concertmaster. Her reasons are clearly stated in her full press statement (available below) and her decisions could be construed as a very public vote of no confidence in the Detroit Symphony’s executive committee leadership …