Ever since the Berlin Philharmonic launched their digital concert hall feature last season, subscribers to the complete season of webcasts have been steadily growing. Adaptistration reader Michael Brewer provided a first-hand review of the Philharmonic’s initial offerings back in January, 2009 and based on that perspective it seems like the folks in Berlin might be on to something. It will be interesting to see how several months of planning have helped iron out technical wrinkles but I find myself wondering more about the business plan behind the venture…
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That’s Good Soup
Thanks to blogging compadre Joe Patti, I discovered an enormously useful resource called TechSoup.com. The organization describes itself as offering “nonprofits a one-stop resource for technology needs by providing free information, resources, and support. In addition to online information and resources, we offer a product philanthropy service called TechSoup Stock. Here, nonprofits can access donated and discounted technology products, generously provided by corporate and nonprofit technology partners. At Joe’s suggestion, I spent some time digging through the site and although the interface is a bit dated the content is useful for a wide variety of budget size nonprofits…
Why Performing Arts Organization Blogs Suck
Well, not all of them; in fact, some are downright terrific. But the reality is far too many are terrible simply because they fall victim to some of the most common blogging bear traps. I’ve been writing about these traps and how to avoid them for years now but sometimes it just seems to stick better when you hear the same advice from someone else. As such, I want to point out a wonderful blog post by Paul Boag, a UK Web designer, which was featured at smashingmagazine.com on 9/9/2009…
What’s Old Is New Again
The latest issue of Senza Sordino, the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) newsletter, included an article from ICSOM chair, Bruce Ridge that I found intriguing. Ridge’s article, The New Apocalypticism, examines the impact of the economic downturn and how the orchestra business has responded. Written from his perspective as an orchestra musician and governance activist, Ridge refutes the notion (and subsequent buzz words) that we’re in a “new economy” and uses detailed historical perspective to support his position…
Indianapolis’ Forces Of Attraction
I had an intriguing conversation with a colleague over the weekend about the ongoing situation at the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (ISO) regarding the pros and cons of attracting a new music director. In particular, we were talking about the article by Kathleen McLaughlin in the 8/15/09 edition of the Indiana Business Journal. The article’s tag line purports “Symphony likely to have abundance of candidates” and it was that point that fueled our discussion. In particular, we were wondering whether or not an abundance of candidates means the right candidate will come knocking…