Taking A Week Off, But First, Let’s Geek Out On Some Data
Mon, Aug 8, 2021
by Drew McManus
For the first time since the pandemic, I’ll be traveling for work so when combined with an already deadline filled week, I decided to play it safe and take the week off. Having said that, if anything big transpires, I’m sure to write something. In the meantime, I’ll step up on posting items of interest
When Was The Last Time You Trusted An Organization To Pick Your “Best Seats Available”
Fri, Aug 8, 2021
by Drew McManus
Anyone who has purchased a choose-your-own seat ticket to a performing arts event has probably seen the obligatory “Best Seats Available” option. In theory, its purpose is to assist ticket buyers who aren’t familiar with the venue to select good seats, but the reality is it’s a way to push seats an organization wants to
The Latest In Actions And Consequences
Thu, Aug 8, 2021
by Drew McManus
The 8/3/21 edition of The Baltimore Sun published an article by Mary Carole McCauley that reports on the orchestra’s decision to dismiss Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) principal flutist Emily Skala. This situation appears to be one of those rare instances where a musician employee is dismissed for non-artistic reasons. Skala has made headlines a few
More Of This Would Be A Good Thing
Wed, Aug 8, 2021
by Drew McManus
While it’s heartening to see nonprofit performing arts organizations demonstrate an ability to roll with the punches throughout the pandemic, it’s good to see municipalities begin to step in and provide guidance in the wake of the latest variant,. New York City will become the first city to require vaccinations for indoor activities, which include
You Might Think This Wouldn’t Be A Problem Anymore…But You’d Be Wrong
Tue, Aug 8, 2021
by Drew McManus
July, 2021 saw three articles in traditional media outlets that examine how Asian classical musicians face discrimination at various points in their career. The New York Times published two articles on July 21, 2021. The article by Javier C. Hernández chronicles how David Kim, a violist in the San Francisco Symphony faces what he describes
Academia Continues To Get Called Out By Their Own Stakeholders
Mon, Aug 8, 2021
by Drew McManus
We’ve been talking a lot about academia this summer and there’s another must-read entry that should go on your reading list. This one is from concert saxophonist and educator Lois Hicks-Wozniak, who recently wrote about her decision to resign from all three of her adjunct faculty positions. The reason was simple: lousy pay, lousy prospects,
Humanizing The Impact Of The Pandemic On Musicians
Fri, Jul 7, 2021
by Drew McManus
While it shouldn’t come as a surprise to learn that the pandemic has seen numerous arts administrators and musicians leave the field entirely, it’s one thing to look at it as a statistic and something else entirely to humanize it. To that end, Jeremey Reynolds wrote an excellent article for the 7/22/21 edition of the
The Classical Music Podcast You Didn’t Know You Wanted And Doesn’t Yet Exist
Wed, Jul 7, 2021
by Drew McManus
Recently, a colleague turned me onto the Song Exploder podcast, which is produced and edited by host and creator Hrishikesh Hirway. The show premise is straightforward: Where musicians take apart their songs, and piece by piece, tell the story of how they were made. Hirway takes a deep dive into a single song and often
Shop Talk S02E01: Navigating COVID Era Agreements
Tue, Jul 7, 2021
by Drew McManus
Season 2 comes out of the gate at full speed and my captivating guests include a group of stakeholders from the Toledo Symphony Orchestra who were brave enough to talk about one of my absolute favorite topics: contracts. More to the point we talked about how this orchestra went about navigating the waters of COVID
Now Is The Time To Address The Arts Admin Pay Gap