More On Musician Temperament
Thu, Dec 12, 2008
by Drew McManus
The ever sharp Sam Bergman published a fascinating post on 12/3/08 in response to the satirical article published by Holly Mulcahy about how musician behavior can alienate audiences (you have to love cross blog blogging). Sam does a wonderful job at expanding on Holly’s original premise, especially with regard to root causes which unintentionally develop
The One-Two Punch Of Inflated Ticket Prices
Wed, Dec 12, 2008
by Drew McManus
Last week I pointed readers to an article written by Mark Stryker in the 11/26/08 edition of the Detroit Free Press which examined the current state of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra finances. In that article, Mark reports that the organization is experiencing a decline in ticket sales and a recent sudden drop in financial support
Orchestra Musicians Can Be Temperamental?
Tue, Dec 12, 2008
by Drew McManus
Continuing in her series of articles entitled “How To Alienate Your Audience In 10 Easy Steps” Holly Mulcahy published the second installment which focuses on musician behavior. Although orchestra musicians don’t have as much direct contact with concertgoers or board members as music directors, there are plenty of points where poor conduct and a sloppy
Grim Outlook On Cultural Confidence
Mon, Dec 12, 2008
by Drew McManus
The latest Cultural Confidence update indicates that the slight upturn in the economic outlook for cultural institutions experienced around the national elections was short lived. Results from the most recent polling cycle indicate that not only do more people feel that their institution’s current economic situation is degrading but their economic outlook sank to a
Start Thinking About Ticket Prices
Fri, Nov 11, 2008
by Drew McManus
The11/26/08 edition of the Detroit Free Press published an article by Mark Stryker that examines some current events in the Detroit Symphony finances. Although the entire article is well written, the part that should catch your eye is about tickets sales. We’re going to explore this issue in more detail next week but take some
Thankful thoughts For 2008
Thu, Nov 11, 2008
by Drew McManus
I hope everyone has the opportunity to enjoy Thanksgiving with family and friends. Although the 2008/09 season is shaping up to be a trying time for many organizations, one positive aspect is that difficult times help us recognize that which deserves thanks.
Don’t Do What Donny Don’t Does
Wed, Nov 11, 2008
by Drew McManus
Over the past few weeks I’ve been inundated with promotional email messages from specialty PR firms pushing a micro-site designed by one of the big budget orchestras in conjunction with the tenure of a key artistic leader. On one hand, I’m very happy to see groups designing and promoting micro-sites but the topic I wanted
Things That Make you Go “Buh?” Conductors
Tue, Nov 11, 2008
by Drew McManus
Does anyone else notice that conductors seem to be a bit more, shall we say, “artistically tempered” than usual? A few weeks ago, Ricardo Muti made headlines when he walked away from a gig for the Queen of England because he reportedly took issue with her programming suggestions and now the Boston Globe reports that
Website Update
Mon, Nov 11, 2008
by Drew McManus
I spent a portion of the weekend updating my converting my consulting website from a hand coded html platform over to the same blogging platform I use for blogging. Although I required some detailed coding the long-term benefits are many, including simplified updating expanded offerings via the WordPress platform. In addition to the new platform
“Culture Palaces For Air-Kiss Orgies Among The Superrich”
Fri, Nov 11, 2008
by Drew McManus
Or so goes the vivid imagery from Matt Smith’s 11/18/2008 article in the San Francisco Weekly about what he categorizes as excessive compensation for individuals like Michael Tilson Thomas who he describes as the “baton-waving tycoon at the head of the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra.” Smith doesn’t hold back as he rails against what he
