Off To Nashville
Fri, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
I’m in Nashville today for the Nashville Symphony Orchestra’s (NSO) big Grand Re-Opening concert that begins tonight at 9:00pm CT and as of now, the concert is sold out so it promises to be an exciting affair. I’m touring the facilities today to get a firsthand look at the $42 million dollars in repairs and
Purpose
Thu, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
If nothing else, this season has been one of reflection but one of the more tiring discussions is whether or not the arts add value to society. Of course they do, but it seems that a society which enjoys a high standard of living can forget all too easily just how important the arts are
Enough With the Music Metaphors
Wed, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
Although the situation at the Louisville Orchestra is in stasis until the initial bankruptcy hearing on 1/6/2011, that apparently hasn’t stopped some of the local television outlets from having a field day with clichéd music metaphors when reporting on the situation. Case in point, the local Fox news outlet broadcast a segment on 12/27/2010 that
Detroit; In Their Own Words Part 2
Tue, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
On December 13 and 20, 2010, Detroit’s WRCJ 90.9 FM broadcast interviews with Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) Executive Director, Anne Parsons, and DSO musician spokesperson and cellist, Haden McKay. Program host, Chris Felcyn, set the tone by asking a single, straightforward question: “If you had a magic wand that could bring a settlement to this
Back In The Saddle
Mon, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
I’m back from Nepal but enduring a nasty flu strain I picked up toward the end of the trip. As such, today’s post will be brief but I wanted to take a moment to examine one of the more critical Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) developments that transpired while I was away…
Home For The Holidays
Thu, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
I’m heading home today from Nepal and although I’m looking forward to getting back to Chicago, there’s no way to deny that working with the Unatti House and surrounding Bhaktapur children was an emotionally fulfilling experience. Clearly, there is ample need and opportunity for the HEARTbeats Foundation to implement an ongoing and sustainable program to
I’d Like To A/B That!
Thu, Dec 12, 2010
by Drew McManus
Philanthropy.com published an article on 12/10/2010 by Raymund Flandez that reports nonprofit orgs raise more money directly through their own websites as opposed to third party portals. At the same time, the article indicates that donation pages and shopping carts managed by a third party provider that maintain the organization’s branding and/or display the name
How Did We Get Here?
Tue, Dec 12, 2010
by peyrebrune
In a recent post, Drew highlights a remark by author Joseph Horowitz suggesting that musicians should no longer expect that orchestras owe them a living wage, i.e., a full-time salary. I thought I would use my brief stint as a guest blogger to elaborate on some of the history that led us to today’s paradigm
Never Let A Good Crisis Go To Waste
Mon, Dec 12, 2010
I arrived at my new job on June 1, 2008, ready to delve into the standard industry-wide issues plaguing Orchestra Iowa: plummeting ticket sales, strained relations with the musicians, immense debt, and no cash to pay bills. Although I had spent several months before my arrival creating a first year outline, that plan literally got
Building Concert Halls, Part 3: How to ensure success
Fri, Dec 12, 2010
In contrast to the “outside in approach” discussed in my last installment, great concert hall design starts with accommodating the essential requirements of both performers and audience, then moving outward in its architectural expression for support areas and public spaces….an “inside out approach”. There is an old expression: “form follows function” which today’s designers of
