Honolulu Update: Hurry Up And Wait
Thu, Nov 11, 2009
by Drew McManus
Honolulu Symphony Orchestra (HSO) board chair, Peter Shaindlin, postponed a scheduled announcement about the organization’s immediate future as well as a meeting with city officials to discuss the orchestra’s economic position. An article in the 11/4/09 edition of the Honolulu Adviser reported city officials saying they found the cancellation “…frustrating and disappointing.” Furthermore, KITZ.com reports
Honolulu’s Paint Isn’t Even Dry But It’s Starting To Peel
Wed, Nov 11, 2009
by Drew McManus
Not even two months after the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra (HSO) appointed Majken Mechling as Executive Director and reports are already flying around that the organization may file bankruptcy as early as today. According to a report in the 11/3/09 edition of the Honolulu Adviser by Rick Daysog the “symphony’s board of directors held a special
Adaptistration Turns Six
Tue, Nov 11, 2009
by Drew McManus
Although 2009 has endured its fair share of economic downturn related turmoil, traffic and interactivity at Adaptistration have never been better. Today marks Adaptistration’s sixth anniversary and after more than 1,600 posts and 2,000 comments, blogging is more fun and relevant than ever…
When High Standards Collide With Low Expectations
Mon, Nov 11, 2009
by Drew McManus
Last week’s poll asking readers “how many orchestras will take advantage of having the direct link to their respective financial reports page at GuideStar.org and post it on their webpage by the end of November” and if “institutional transparency in the form of posting financial and annual reports matter” generated just over 100 responses. The
Next Time Try Something Besides Show Tunes
Fri, Oct 10, 2009
by Drew McManus
The Daily Show with Jon Stewart is always good for a smile and the 10/28/2009 show was no exception. Toward the beginning of the program, Stewart examined how “liberal protesters sing show tunes to pressure Harry Reid into putting the public option back into health care reform.” The segment includes a few clips from the
Guess The Transparency Jelly Beans
Thu, Oct 10, 2009
by Drew McManus
I received an intriguing question via email in response to yesterday’s article which provided a reference list making it easier than ever for 77 professional U.S. orchestras to improve institutional transparency: “How many do you think will take you up on it?” I thought about how best to respond and decided that unfiltered candor was
The Transparency Two-Step
Wed, Oct 10, 2009
by Drew McManus
As promised in yesterday’s article, today’s post includes some direct support with helping U.S. orchestras improve institutional transparency. All that’s required to take a giant step forward in improving institutional transparency across the entire field is something that is “cut and paste” simple…
Examining Transparency Amidst The Economic Downturn
Tue, Oct 10, 2009
by Drew McManus
Regular readers know that institutional transparency is an important topic here at Adaptistration as it impacts nearly every aspect of a performing arts organization. Nonetheless, the majority of orchestral institutions don’t embrace institutional transparency as it applies to financial disclosure and up until a year ago, that didn’t have much impact on operations. But since
Orchestral Acoustics 102: Orchestra vs. Hall
Mon, Oct 10, 2009
In a recent blog post, Washington Post music critic, Ann Midgette, posed questions concerning: what influence a hall’s acoustic response has on orchestral performance technique, and what effect the 1997 renovation of the Kennedy Center Concert Hall had in improving acoustics onstage and in the audience. In response to the first, I can report conclusively
Rethinking The Music Director Search Process
Fri, Oct 10, 2009
by Drew McManus
Since the unofficial theme for posts this week seems to be innovation (or lack thereof in some cases), it seems fitting to round things out by pointing over to a recent post from Ron Spigelman over at Sticks and Drones that proposes some interesting ideas about how to re-think the process of searching for a
