Is There Ever A Time Where Two Wrongs Make A Right?
Wed, Jun 6, 2018
by Drew McManus
Every now and then, we get to watch a “don’t do it this way” scenario unfold in real-time. Case in point, the recent Twitter spat between Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) music director, Bramwell Tovey, and American University Associate Professor CAS – Performing Arts and author of The Artful Manager culture blog, Andrew Taylor. What Happened
Red Pill/Blue Pill: Effective Data Driven Decision Making
Tue, Jun 6, 2018
by Drew McManus
I’m back from Houston and the 37th Annual Association of Arts Administration Educators Conference. It was a great deal of fun and the Red Pill/Blue Pill: Effective Data Driven Decision Making session was well received. If the conference solicits session feedback from attendees, I’ll be curious to see what comes in. As a newbie at this conference,
The Composer Diversity Database
Mon, Jun 6, 2018
by Rob Deemer
Six months ago, I wrote about a new online database that made it easier for anyone to discover women composers and their music. At the end of that article, I expressed my intentions: to create a similar database focusing on composers of color and “a potential transformation from the current shared spreadsheet to a more
Off To Houston For #AAAE18
Fri, Jun 6, 2018
by Drew McManus
I’m in Houston today for the 37th Annual Association of Arts Administration Educators Conference and am scheduled to give a presentation about building data-driven cultures on Saturday, June 2 from 10:30am – 12:00noon. This will actually be my first time in Houston and other than bracing for heat and humidity, I’m looking forward to learning more about
#TBT Diversity Boomerang
Thu, May 5, 2018
by Drew McManus
In response to yesterday’s post about the Canadian Opera Company (COC) and Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) losing city funding due to a lack of diversity, I noticed some intriguing conversations across social media. One of the overriding themes was a sense that orchestras are genuinely trying as hard as they can to address diversity and
In Toronto, There’s No More Snooze Bar On The Diversity Alarm
Wed, May 5, 2018
by Drew McManus
There’s a wonderful article in the 5/25/2018 edition of Ludwig-van.com that serves as a sort of cautionary tale about the disconnect between what an organization says is important and its quantifiable actions on the matter. The article, by Michael Vincent, reports the Canadian Opera Company (COC) and Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) will see $100,000 CAD
A Quick Update On The Upcoming Seattle Pension Article
Tue, May 5, 2018
by Drew McManus
A number of readers have written in to ask about the deep dive into Seattle Symphony Orchestra’s (SSO) new musician retirement plan and the process used for the migration. Thanks to some fortuitous scheduling, I’ll have the opportunity to sit down with some of the SSO’s stakeholders face to face for an interview. To take
Happy Memorial Day!
Mon, May 5, 2018
by Drew McManus
Whether you’re home all day enjoying the holiday with family and friends or your orchestra is putting on a performance today, try to take a few moments to remember the reason for the holiday. Band Facts
Top-Tier Musician Compensation 2018
Fri, May 5, 2018
by Drew McManus
It’s time to revisit base musician compensation levels at the top eight highest paying orchestras. For a number of these orchestras, the 2017/18 season marks the end of their existing collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and they have yet to ratify a new contract. In each of those instances, the outcomes will have a large impact
#TBT Commencement Season
Thu, May 5, 2018
by Drew McManus
It’s that time of year when colleges are sending their recent crop of graduates into the great unknown and that means commencement speeches. Based on experience, I try to avoid commencement speeches but every now and then, something really special turns up. Case in point, I posted something back in 2012 about Neil Gaiman’s Commencement
