The More Things Change, The More They Stay The Same
Mon, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
There’s a superb video from violinists Brett Yang and Eddy Chen of TwoSet Violin where the duo takes the bold step of calling out a pair of dubious practices inside the world of string instrument dealers. Yang and Chen deserve a great deal of credit for speaking out on this topic and while issues run
A Year Wiser With Remote Working
Fri, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
Joe Patti beat me to the punch with his blog post yesterday that references an article by Rani Molla in the 3/23/21 edition of vox.com that reports on some research from various academic and corporate sources. What really jumps out at me are the way data is used to confirm or refute assumptions, such as
Candidate Resumes Are Officially A Thing At Arts Admin Jobs
Thu, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
Thanks to the very strong response from everyone about the idea of including job seeker resumes at Arts Admin Jobs, I decided to get that out sooner than later. There were some fabulous ideas in the feedback survey that ultimately made it into the final cut, such as the option of including a video and
Donate Like Capitalism Depended On It! (spoiler: because it does)
Wed, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
We live in a time where the Top 0.1% own more than the bottom 80% but we hear more and more about donor burnout. US nonprofit performing arts organizations, and by extension artists, rely on the largess of these large donors so why are they not stepping up to strengthen safety nets to similar levels
Shop Talk S01E15: Musician Injuries Could Soar After COVID: Musician Perspective
Tue, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
This is the second in a series of podcasts focusing on the topic of what orchestras of all budget size should be considering when planning for post-COVID concert activity. This installment focuses on what musicians think so I invited a trio from each major section of an orchestra: strings, brass, and winds. Guests Jon Boen,
The Risk Of Physical Injury Is Only Half Of The Equation
Mon, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
Everyone is in for such a treat with tomorrow’s Shop Talk episode on the topic of what orchestras of all budget size should be considering when planning for post-COVID concert activity. This installment features a panel of musician stakeholders and one of them, Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra Principal Bassoon Catherine Chen, proposed one of the most
The Next Level For Arts Admin Jobs: Candidate Resumes
Thu, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
UPDATE FRIDAY 3/19: the response to this news has been so strong I decided to leave the survey up as the top post for a second day in a row. There have been a number of excellent suggestions coming in with responses, thank you and keep them coming! Now that job postings are returning to
When “Repressed Joy” Is Your Brand
Tue, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
There’s an absolutely fabulous video making the rounds at Instagram featuring comedian Kimberly Clark in a segment about orchestras…and Gustavo Dudamel. She has quite the fan-crush on Dudamel and while her set is pure gold, there’s more going on that should get your attention. Clark explains how much concerts move her and there’s real sincerity
Colorado Springs Philharmonic Finds Itself On The AFM’s Unfair List
Mon, Mar 3, 2021
by Drew McManus
On 3/11/21 the musicians of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic (CSPhil) issued a press statement announcing the orchestra has been placed on the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) International Unfair List. This decision is the latest waypoint following the employer’s decision to use force majeure to cancel the union contract. Perhaps unsurprisingly, this went over like
There Are No Toxic Avengers