The 12/5/2008 edition of the Virginian-Pilot published an article by Teresa Annas which reports on the current cash-crunch at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra (VSO). Although the article does a fine job at reporting on some of the VSO’s current financial positions and some wonderful efforts by local politicians, there are a few inaccuracies about the orchestra business in general that require correction…
Finance
Cultural Confidence Update
The latest cycle in the ongoing Cultural Confidence poll finished up this weekend and the Cultural Confidence Indicator has been updated accordingly. Results from that poll cycle indicate the current mood toward cultural institution’s finances is an uneasy wait-and-see whereas the economic outlook is bordering on organized panic…
“What Should I Do?”
Throughout any given season I get a regular stream of messages from musicians and managers asking if they should take an audition or apply for a job at some orchestra. They are all anxious to learn if that particular group is financially stable enough to warrant their attention. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the frequency of these requests over the past several weeks has shot up considerably and now includes concerned messages from employees wondering if there is some way they can tell whether or not their organization is secure…
How Much Did That Meeting (Or Rehearsal Error) Really Cost?
Does it seem like more and more of your time is consumed with staff meetings? Does your department head enjoy scheduling meetings that seem to be designed to prevent you from completing your work? Thankfully, you now have a quick and easy way to calculate labor costs for all of the time spent in meetings thanks to a fun little webapp called Meeting Miser, from payscale.com. Featured in 11/7/07 edition of …
Sorting Out Pension Issues In Seattle
Over the past few weeks, the Seattle newspapers have been reporting on growing labor tensions between the Seattle Symphony and their musicians over the status of their pension fund. So far, details have been slim but the issue of orchestras and pension funding should be of the highest priority for every professional ensemble. Granted, it may not be a very sexy topic but left unattended, an underfunded pension plan can wreck long term havoc on an institution. As such, this article takes a closer look into Seattle’s issues…