A Tangled Web Indeed
Tue, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
If you haven’t read it yet, Ron Spigelman posted an excellent article on 3/22/2008 at Sticks and Drones about some recent changes made to the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra (SSO) website. Although the ongoing situation in Columbus has had a great deal of attention, there is an equally significant series of events developing in Shreveport between
As Negotiations Continue, Columbus Eyes Cash Flow
Mon, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
On Tuesday, 3/18/2008 the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) held their first official bargaining session with the musicians to discuss a new contract to replace the current agreement which expires on August 31, 2008. According to spokespersons from the CSO and the CSO musicians, the initial meeting was amicable and productive with both parties agreeing to
A Commanding Grasp Of The Obvious
Fri, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
Ever since it released earlier this week, the topic of The Economic Environment of American Symphony Orchestras by Robert Flanagan occupies a good 30% of my incoming email. Admittedly, I’m only about half way through the report and won’t post anything comprehensive until I’m finished reading it. Nevertheless, after some good advice from more than
Addressing The Heath Care Quagmire Head-On
Thu, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
Ron Spigelman posted an excellent article over at Sticks and Drones on 3/17/2008 which examines the frustrating issue of heath care benefits. The article is particularly thought provoking in that Ron examines the issue of health care benefits from the long tail perspective by focusing on the mid to smaller budget professional ensembles. In particular,
Columbus Travels Around The Blogosphere
Wed, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
All of the recent Chicken Little oriented news reported in the Columbus Dispatch has prompted a considerable response throughout the cultural blogosphere. Some of it has been somewhat plaintive while other posts have been red-hot over how the situation is unfolding. In a related issue, although the Dispatch published an editorial in support of the
Dynamic Consequences Taking Shape In Columbus
Tue, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
The 3/12/2008 edition of the Columbus Dispatch published an article by Barbara Carmen that reports Franklin County, the county where the Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) is located, approved a $1.2 million matching grant for area arts groups and the CSO will receive a considerable share of those resources if they successfully raise the matching funds.
In Columbus, The War Of The Rhetoric Begins
Mon, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
Updated 10:30 a.m. CT: The 3/14/2008 edition of the Columbus Dispatch published an article by Michael Grossberg which included some of the first volleys of traditional rhetoric usually reserved for contentious labor negotiations. In particular, the article reports that Tony Beadle, Columbus Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Executive Director, accused the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Musicians’ Association of
A Viral Marketer, An Orchestra, And A Brewmaster Walk Into A Bar…
Fri, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
Thanks to the seemingly endless creativity among the folks who marketing beer, Victoria Bitter (a brand in the Fosters chain commonly referred to as VB) launched a viral ad campaign toward the end of 2007 that featured 95 musicians from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and Orchestra Victoria performing solely on 451 VB bottles and 6
Another Take On Orchestral Microsites
Thu, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
As an interesting continuation to the topic of orchestral microsites a reader sent along a link to the Berlin Philharmonic Cello Challenge, a microsite of the Berlin Philharmonic website. The microsite is designed entirely in Flash and although it is apparent that they spent a great deal of time on the microsite’s aesthetic quality, it
Windows Vista, How Do I Hate Thee? Let Me Count The Ways.
Wed, Mar 3, 2008
by Drew McManus
Actually, I only need to list one big reason right now. As it turns out, windows vista decided to install a major upgrade last night and in the process it destroyed all copies of everything created via Microsoft Word saved to my hard drive, including the article which would have been published this morning. As
