The Big Five, er, Seven, er, Six
Tue, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
In anticipation of June’s annual Orchestra Compensation Report update, it is always fun to take a look at some of the issues that don’t usually make it into those reports. One item of particular interest is related to the practice of projected base musician salary levels. For those unfamiliar, orchestras negotiate collective bargaining agreements (CBA)
Happy Anniversary NewMusicBox!
Mon, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
When it comes to online pioneers, the folks over at NewMusicBox (or NMBx if you’re hip) were already ahead of the curve before most even figured out there was something there. This month marks NMBx’s 10 year anniversary, which is the equivalent to at least 50 years in real business time (or 350 years for
Ning Off Already
Fri, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
On Wednesday, May 6, 2009 the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (SFS) launched a boutique social networking site based on the Ning platform. If you aren’t already familiar with Ning, it is an enterprise solution that allows users to create their own social networking sites, think of it like a do-it-yourself facebook…
Details from the WCO Settlement
Thu, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
Over the course of 2009 Take A Friend To Orchestra month, the Wisconsin Chamber Orchestra (WCO) reached a settlement; however, news reports have not focused on the agreement’s details. But since this is a negotiation we’ve been following for several months, it seems appropriate to examine some of those details, especially those sticking points that
Honolulu Lays It On The Line
Wed, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
The Sunday, 5/3/2009 edition of the Honolulu Advertiser published an article by Ruth Bingham that reports on the Honolulu Symphony’s latest fundraising effort to stave off financial insolvency. According to the article, the orchestra’s stakeholders have not been paid in nearly three months and although it isn’t mentioned in the article, some stakeholders have stopped
Assessing Cultural Confidence As Seasons’ End Approaches
Mon, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
The latest polling cycle indicates cultural confidence levels are sinking slowly as the percentage of respondents indicating they believe economic conditions by the end of the season will be poor increased by the largest percentage since early February. Nevertheless, it is interesting to note that with only several weeks left in most orchestra’s 2008/09 season,
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Oh Snap!
Fri, May 5, 2009
by Drew McManus
It was bound to happen sometime and it looks like the 2009 Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) month will have to come up one contribution short. My apologies to everyone stopping by for today’s contribution from Andrew Patner but due to a series of wacky events, we’ll have to leave you hanging. Nonetheless, you’ll
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Philip Paschke
Thu, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
It’s always a pleasure to see orchestras get involved with Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) month and it’s equally thrilling to see the idea spread across the border to Canada. In today’s contribution, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra (ESO) New Media Specialist (I like how orchestras are defining these new positions), Philip Paschke, chronicles his organization’s
TAFTO 2009 Contribution: Curt Long
Wed, Apr 4, 2009
by Drew McManus
Curt Long is a perfect example of the sort of fantastic orchestra executives you don’t hear enough about. After a long and successful tenure as Dayton Philharmonic’s executive director, he recently assumed the same duties with the Alabama Symphony. Curt’s Take A Friend To Orchestra (TAFTO) contribution focuses on how orchestras need to get outside
Additional Fallout From The IMG Artists Scandal