Editorial Cartoon: Brusilow’s Big Top

It seems that the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) situation is catching the attention of a diverse cross section of readers including none other than Dixon, the ever-sharp mind behind the hit orchestra biz comic strip, Who’s Minding The Score? Apparently, the entire to-do has him so inspired that he went out and bought a box of crayons in order to draw an editorial cartoon in blazing techknowcolor*…

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Artistic Quality And Dynamic Consequences

It is no secret that the field as a whole is working day by day to manage debt and maintain stability. At the same time, maintaining artistic quality in light of necessary budget cuts is a tight rope no one enjoys walking but it gets a little easier if everyone works together. Failing that, decisions with the best intentions and under the greatest pressures can produce dynamic consequences that end up making the cure worse than the disease…

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In Richardson, The Battle Begins

It seems that the board of the Richardson Symphony Orchestra (RSO) has decided to discontinue bargaining with their musicians in advance of the current collective bargaining agreement expiration date of August 31, 2010. They also informed patrons in a letter dated 7/1/2010 that in addition to suspending negotiations, they “will not be renegotiating a collective bargaining agreement with the American Federation of Musician.” UPDATE: 4:00pm CT,  7/2/2010 – AFM places Richardson Symphony Orchestra on their International Unfair List…

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Take My Blog, Please

Just imagine it: having hundreds of readers pour pore over every word you write about on an orchestra business topic of your choice. I’m giving away Adaptistration for one day at the end of the month to someone who wants it. All you have to do is write in and let me know who you are (if I don’t know you already), what you want to write about, and I’ll select one person to join the other guest bloggers I’ve already invited…

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Orchestra Nightmares

If you’ve never seen an episode of Kitchen Nightmares, starring iconic chef Gordon Ramsay, you’re missing out. The program’s self described premise is quite straightforward: “Ramsay steps…into some of the country’s most unsanitary and unsuccessful restaurants to help them turn their businesses around or close their doors forever.” It’s hard to avoid thinking about how this business would make a suitable surrogate for the restaurants Ramsay visits…

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