Juilliard Students to Admin: We’re Not Gonna Take It
Wed, Jun 6, 2021
by Drew McManus
Getting a music degree from a name brand conservatory or school of music is mind-numbingly expensive. Investing in this type of career carries more risk now than I can remember and given the amount of debt students absorb chasing those degrees, it wasn’t unusual to see them do the comparative math and opt to take
More On The Dynamic Impact Of COIVD
Tue, Jun 6, 2021
by Drew McManus
Usually, these posts focus on how the pandemic generates dynamic expenses and considerations for the organization but today we’re going to focus on musicians; specifically, string musicians. This dynamic cost consideration is really more of a double-edged sword. On one hand, if a string musician was playing considerably less over the pandemic, the need for
Another New SBA Funding Program You Should Be Aware Of (With A Bonus Resource Hidden Gem)
Mon, Jun 6, 2021
by Drew McManus
In early April, 2021 the U.S. Small Business Administration announced it was expanding the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and EIDL Advance program and as this last weekend, they announced another program that might help some arts and culture organizations. The new programs are called the Targeted EIDL Advance and Supplemental Targeted Advance. Compared to the
Happy Memorial Day
Mon, May 5, 2021
by Drew McManus
Even though I’m taking the week off, that doesn’t mean we’re skipping the annual Memorial Day post. So whether you’re home all day staying safe and healthy 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
Time For A Little Milestone R&R
Mon, May 5, 2021
by Drew McManus
I’m turning 50 this week and as a little gift to myself, I decided to take the week off. I’m not much into birthdays but they do serve as a nice reminder to step back and take a look around. For instance: Just over 4,500 posts have been published. I was 32 when this blog
A Post-Pandemic Tip: Disconnect From Distractions
Fri, May 5, 2021
by Drew McManus
Holly Mulcahy recently published an article at Neo Classical that references a long-standing crisis management guideline from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that stresses the importance of fundamental priorities. Here’s an excerpt from the FAA’s advice that came to fruition after a December 1972 crash of Eastern Airlines Flight 401. The entire cockpit crew was
#TBT Thinking Ahead On Overscale
Thu, May 5, 2021
by Drew McManus
While the post-pandemic environment may not seem like an opportune time for musician stakeholders to think about overscale, rest assured, it is. If you aren’t familiar with individual overscale agreements, these are the contracts that certain orchestra musicians utilize to negotiate terms above and beyond those set forth in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA). They
Good Problems To Have
Wed, May 5, 2021
by Drew McManus
The more attention we focus on the processes used to enter the post-pandemic period of concert activity, the better. Case in point, there’s an excellent article from Jim Farber in the 5/24/2021 edition of San Francisco Classical Voice that includes interviews with the CEOs from New York Philharmonic and San Francisco Symphony about how both
If San Diego’s New Outdoor Venue Sounds Half As Good As It Looks
Tue, May 5, 2021
by Drew McManus
I’ve been meaning to find the time to do a deep dive into San Diego Symphony’s (SDS) new outdoor venue, The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. As of now, finding info online beyond surface level promotional material is hard to come by but that will likely change as we approach the inaugural event on 8/6/2021.
Colorado Springs Discord Continues