Parallels Among Pension Problems
Fri, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
I hope everyone out there who cares about orchestras is taking the time to follow the airline industry pension crisis. It’s been captivating to follow the recent round of Senate Finance Committee hearings which are attempting to gather information so Congress can determine how it should update pension-funding rules. In a nutshell, the problem is
Taking The Spin Out On Tour
Wed, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
In an apparent effort to gear up for their upcoming Washington D.C. conference, the American Symphony Orchestra League has been pounding the pavement and beating up the PR drums in efforts to paint a pleasant picture on the current state of the American orchestra business. Not that this sort of behavior is a bad thing
TAFTO Reader Response: Follow Up
Tue, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
Toward the end of last May’s Take Your Friend to Orchestra month initiative, composer Judd Greenstein wrote in to say he was taking 40 friends to an upcoming concert featuring some he composed for the New York Youth Symphony. True to his word, Judd sent in the following account, As planned, I brought a large
The Business Of Youth Orchestras
Mon, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
Given how much youth orchestras have expanded in recent years you would think that the demand for classical music is going up. Unfortunately, that’s not precisely the case in most cities; nevertheless, youth orchestras are becoming a big business. The biggest budget youth orchestras have budgets larger than a quarter of all ROPA ensembles and
Open Discussion Or Propaganda Laden Drivel
Fri, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
Just a quick pointer to another good piece from Arts journal blog neighbor Andrew Taylor. Andrew touches on a subject discussed here at the end of last April about how arts organizations will need to allow a freely moderated discussion between itself and patrons if it hopes to take full advantage of emerging technologies such
The New Cultural Superpower
Fri, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
In the not too distant past, the Cold War superpowers competed on a number of fronts, including cultural accomplishments. Although classical music functioned in a unique role as a sort of “universal language” spoken by musicians who served as ad hoc ambassadors, both superpowers wanted their ambassador musicians to speak the language a little better
Thanks For the Cash But We’ll Need To See Your ID
Thu, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
There’s a sticky situation surrounding the now incarcerated investing magnate Alberto Vilar’s alleged indiscretions. The U.S. government has charged Mr. Vilar with three fraud related counts including defrauding a client of $5 million and using a high six-figure portion of those funds to make good on several defaulted pledges to performing arts organizations; including high
Lost But Not Forgotten
Wed, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
Several orchestras have gone bankrupt & stopped playing since 2001. Here you can keep track of news relating to their situation: A MUST read.
…Adaptistration
Wed, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
Change is difficult, change is turbulent, and change is painful…
An ICSOM Orchestra In ROPA Clothing
Wed, Jun 6, 2005
by Drew McManus
The Grand Rapids Symphony, perched atop the pile of ROPA organizations for a number of years, has been staring its destiny square in the face. Oddly enough, when compared to organizations at the lower end of the ICSOM budget scale (the next level up from ROPA status), Grand Rapids excels in nearly every category:
