When Was the Last Time You Reviewed Your Emergency Preparedness Plans?
Thu, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
After experiencing the high-rise building I call home and office suffer the results of not having up to date emergency planning and procedures, it made me think that now is an excellent time to remind readers that annual reviews are a good idea. My colleague, Joe Patti, has written about this topic on a few
It Was The Best Of Times, It Was The Worst Of Times: Board Recruitment In The Age Of COVID
Tue, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
Recruiting board members is a big enough challenge even when all things are equal. During a pandemic, it’s exponentially more challenging. If that weren’t enough, you can layer in all the equity and diversity considerations that keep nipping at the heels of performing arts orgs that they’ve been politely eyeing, but avoiding, for years. But
Why Orchestras Plan So Far In Advance
Mon, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
During my unexpected week off, Joshua Kosman published an article at datebook.sfchronicle.com that cast an eye toward the way orchestras approach programming at the onset of the last century. In a nutshell, seasons weren’t planned years in advance and programming choices happened within the current season. Kosman suggested this is exactly the approach organizations should
Shop Talk; Last Call: Nothing A Little Property Damage Can’t Fix
Fri, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
When I invited guests David MacDonald and Sam Merciers to do the show I knew we had to set aside some time to talk about their groundbreaking SoundNotion podcast series, which ran from 2010-2016. It’s the perfect topic for Last Call in that it’s loaded with just the right amount of fun and meta that
The Latest In The Met’s Labor Problems
Thu, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
Just a quick pointer today to Norm Lebrechet’s Slippedisc where he published a letter from Metropolitan Opera General Manager Peter Gelb to the union orchestra musicians. Along with Gelb’s letter is a reply from the Local union president Adam Krauthammer. We’ll examine both early next week.
Gelb’s Puzzling Threshold For “Best Relationships”
Wed, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
The Associated Press published an article on 1/28/2021 by Ronald Blum that examines The Metropolitan Opera’s finances. Nutshell: they saw the same drop in earned income other groups are experiencing but offset that in part by increased unearned income. In and of itself, there’s nothing remarkable there but what should catch your eye is the
Shop Talk S01E13: Composers In Academia
Tue, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
Guests David MacDonald and Sam Merciers swing by the pod to talk about composers and academia. A fast paced conversation, we cover the intersection of technology and music, how career paths for composers are evolving, ethical concerns around accepting students into composing degree programs, and more. We wrap up the episode with a bit of visioning
Gaining Insights From The EU On Rebuilding The US Cultural Sector
Mon, Feb 2, 2021
by Drew McManus
Back in the saddle and one of the first things I wanted to jump into is a report by EY Consulting about the cultural and creative economy in the European Union (EU) before and after COVID-19 (h/t Rainer Glaap). This is one of the first reports I’ve seen that focuses on concrete before/after impact on
Taking A Week Off
Mon, Jan 1, 2021
by Drew McManus
After a few unexpected curve balls over the weekend, I decided to take a week off of blogging but if anything big happens by way of the brewing labor disputes, I’ll likely pop back in for an overview. Having said that, I would be remiss if I didn’t point out an article by Joshua Kosman
What Should We Expect From A Biden NEA?