Scheduling Election Night Sanity
Tue, Nov 11, 2020
by Drew McManus
While it should come as no surprise that we won’t know who won the presidential election this evening, that doesn’t mean you have to sit on pins and needles all night. There’s an excellent article at fivethirtyeight.com that provides a clear schedule on when you can expect election updates for each state. And while the
Labor Tensions Continue To Rise In Colorado Springs As Orchestra Goes Dark
Mon, Nov 11, 2020
by Drew McManus
At the beginning of last month, labor relations at the Colorado Springs Philharmonic (CSPhil) were on the brink of all out war. After publishing feedback from employer and musician representatives, the orchestra’s president and CEO, Nathan Newbrough, wrote to say he thought things were moving in a positive direction. While that’s a good sign, follow-up
Is There Humor Darker Than Black?
Fri, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
I was planning to publish an update on the Colorado Springs Philharmonic labor dispute today but time got away, but it will go up Monday. In the interim, I can across the following satirical tweet from @OrchestraSay that’s so black, it may well qualify as a quantum singularity. Oprah's handing out new CBAs to ICSOM
More Data (And Good News) On Streaming Concert Activity
Wed, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
The 10/26/2020 edition of the Seattle Times published an article by Melinda Bargreen that reports the Seattle Chamber Music Society (SCMS) is discovering their 2020 Virtual Summer Festival produced positive results. While SCMS doesn’t appear to have released any financial data, you can still see the results are encouraging: 389 new ticket purchasers which comprised
Shop Talk S01E06: The Need For Expertise
Tue, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
This episode’s topic is based on Jason’s blog post, The Most Teachable Era In Human History For The Necessity of Expertise. Questions of expertise are particularly relevant here an now when considering whether the field has leaders with what we need for these unique challenges. But can that expertise be clearly defined? Do we know
Not That You Need Another Reason To Vote
Mon, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
Americans for the Arts recently released their 2020 Congressional Arts Report card, which provides a detailed summary of congressional voting records on key arts legislation. Another useful feature is an overview of which Senators and Representatives are active in cultural focused caucuses. One of the best reasons I’ve seen that reinforces why this report matters
The Lyric Opera Of Chicago Fires the First Shot In A Labor War
Fri, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
The latest entry in the round of COVID triggered labor disputes is from The Lyric Opera of Chicago. The organization released a 14:38 video that says it is intended for company members that features General Director, Anthony Freud, and Board Chair, Sylvia Neil. I say intended because it really seems designed more for donors and
#TBT UK Adds Injury To Insult For Artists Suffering Under COVID Job Losses
Thu, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
The 10/12/2020 edition of The Guardian published an article by Lanre Bakare that examines a tone-deaf media campaign from the UK government pushing citizens toward careers in cybersecurity. The reason why is pretty straightforward: This isn’t the first time a career in the arts has been a punching bag for “real jobs.” Do you remember
If You’re A G Suite User, Google Voice May Be The Solution To Your Remote Workforce Telephone Problems
Wed, Oct 10, 2020
by Drew McManus
Among the myriad of operations-oriented problems orchestras are facing are how to handle telephone connectivity for office staff that now work remotely. Sure, you can forward calls but there may be a much better option at your fingertips in the form of Google Voice. If your organization already has a G Suite for Nonprofits account,
Internalizing The Concept Of Equity