AFM-EPF Drops the Hammer
Thu, Jan 1, 2020
by Drew McManus
While it comes as no surprise, the recent announcement from the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) heralding massive cuts to member benefits is sure to bring more than its fair share of angst among AFM members who are part of the plan. While the plan has to be approved by the
Examining The LA Opera’s Pilot Program To Put Opera Into Popular Media Culture Part 2
Tue, Jan 1, 2020
by Drew McManus
Over the 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons, the Los Angeles (LA) Opera implemented a program to promote opera to the general public by placing opera and opera-related stories and images in popular television, film, and other entertainment media. The program came about thanks to an Opera America’s Building Opera Audiences grant. Part 1 in this series
Examining The LA Opera’s Pilot Program To Put Opera Into Popular Media Culture Part 1
Mon, Jan 1, 2020
by Drew McManus
In 2014, I served as an adjudicator for an Opera America grant panel. One of the grant recipients was the Los Angeles (LA) Opera, which used the funding to initiate a pilot program to put opera into popular media culture. At the time, it was an ambitious and intriguing program. Here’s how the organization described
Talking About 2019 With Rachel Katz From A Tempo
Fri, Jan 1, 2020
by Drew McManus
I had the pleasure of talking to WWFM’s Rachel Katz for her program, A Tempo via a retrospective of 2019. Granted, there was a lot of ground to cover but she did a good job at keeping me in-line and on track with topics that covered labor disputes, diversity, discrimination, and quite a bit more. The
An Orchestra Stakeholder’s Guide To New Year’s Resolutions
Wed, Jan 1, 2020
by Drew McManus
It’s that time of year and even though we’re eyeball deep in the age of anxiety, one odd byproduct is it makes the whole resolution thing that much more straightforward. To that end, one simple thing all stakeholders can resolve is making a conscious effort to be more empathetic to one another. Now, let’s look
Do You Want More Earned Income Revenue In 2020? Then Here’s What You Should Expect From Your Ticketing Providers
Tue, Dec 12, 2019
by Drew McManus
Regular readers have heard me complain over the years about artificial limitations ticketing and customer relationship management (CRM) platforms place on earned income potential. One of the more popular posts on the topic was from 2015 where we examined how limitations in ticketing functionality were synthetically influencing discussions on earned income strategy. To Subscribe, Or
The Coming Arms Race That Is Robot Driven Handwritten Notes
Mon, Dec 12, 2019
by Drew McManus
There’s a great article in the 12/21/2019 edition of The Washington Post by Abha Bhattarai that examines the booming business of robots that craft handwritten cards and letters. While the technology has been around for a few years, vast improvements in quality and lowered price points have conspired to attract a wide range of businesses,
Happy Holidays From Adaptistration
Mon, Dec 12, 2019
by Drew McManus
For the first time in a very long time, I am taking the week off from blogging and will be back in the saddle on Monday, 12/30. Until then, I hope everyone enjoys a safe and relaxing holiday! If you plan on seeing the new Star Wars film, be on the lookout for a prominent
Your Tour Has Daddy Issues
Fri, Dec 12, 2019
by Drew McManus
The 12/16/2019 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an article written by Jeremy Reynolds that takes a hard look at the pros and cons of international touring. As a conduit for discussion, the article uses recent Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO) excursions. Regular readers know this was a popular topic in the blog’s early years and
What Good Is Cultural Diplomacy If We’re Willing To Target Culture?