Minnesota Forecast: Gloomy
Fri, Jul 7, 2013
by Drew McManus
It shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone if one year from now, the cultural blogging community and the field at large begin asking “how did everyone let things get so bad in Minnesota?” In fact, the overarching discussion is already underway; case in point, the 7/3/2013 edition of MPR News broadcast a segment by
Happy Fourth Of July
Thu, Jul 7, 2013
by Drew McManus
I hope everyone gets a chance today to get out and enjoy time with family and friends and kudos to you if you’re engaged in a concert, making today that much more special for everyone in your community. If you’re home with a bit of extra time to surf the web today and are thinking
Take My Money, Please
Wed, Jul 7, 2013
by Drew McManus
There’s an interesting post by Columbus, Ohio based patron Heather Brown that chronicles her recent experiences donating to arts organizations via their respective websites. The opening narrative describes a frustrating experience where an attempt to make a small, single donation was stymied by a host of hurdles in the online giving process. The impetus for
Autoplay Music On The Homepage? No!
Tue, Jul 7, 2013
by Drew McManus
Old habits die hard; even the ones that deserve a swift death. Case in point, it never ceases amaze how many performing arts organizations still have an audio file set to autoplay when users visit the website’s homepage. For the most part, the online community crossed the autoplay=bad threshold back in 2011 and although most
Another Good Critic Gone
Mon, Jul 7, 2013
by Drew McManus
This post is getting out later than it should but I wanted to take a moment to point out the field has lost yet another first class music critic. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette music critic Andrew Druckenbrod said his official goodbye on 6/23/13 with reflection on his 13 years with the paper and words of advice about
Best. Retort. Ever.
Thu, Jun 6, 2013
by Drew McManus
I could sit and read the article published today by conductor Bill Eddins every hour, on the hour and not get tired of it. It is just that good. Eddins’ post is in response to one of the most egregious acts of an Emperor parading around in the buff in as long of a time
Some Thoughts On Healthcare Costs And Orchestras
Thu, Jun 6, 2013
by Drew McManus
In the wake of a Facebook rant on the increase my healthcare insurance provider proposed this year, just north of 20 percent, a few colleagues wrote to ask my opinion on whether or not the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will have any impact on small to mid size budget orchestras. I can’t claim to be
…And We Didn’t Even Get A Kiss
Wed, Jun 6, 2013
by Drew McManus
The always sharp Joe Patti published an excellent article on 6/24/2013 that examines just little some governments care about culture. In particular, he examines the state of New Jersey’s hate-hate relationship with the arts by way of their decision to pilfer a dedicated arts tax. Instead of providing more funding as more revenue comes in
Way To Go Hawks!
Tue, Jun 6, 2013
by Drew McManus
Even though the NHL strike obliterated most of the season, it’s good to have a hard fought Stanley Cup match featuring my local team, the Chicago Blackhawks. Each game of the playoffs was a roller coaster of excitement and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra decided to get into the spirit by releasing their own version of
Three Things To Watch In Nashville
Mon, Jun 6, 2013
by Drew McManus
Over the weekend, news reports from Nashville indicate a deal between the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (NSO) and Bank of America (BoA) may be announced as early as today. Multiple sources claim long time NSO supporter Martha Ingram maybe the new variable in the equation, nonetheless, here are three things crucial to the NSO’s potential success you need
