You May Be Guilty Of Using Dark Pattern Tactics But Not Even Know It
Tue, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
Dark Patterns are features of interface design crafted to trick your users into doing things they might not want to do, but which benefit your organization. There are 12 types of Dark Patterns and some are as straightforward as making it next to impossible to cancel a user account or making the unsubscribe link on
Finally, Some Positive News On Music Licensing
Mon, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
On 9/18/18, the Us Senate passed the Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018, S.2334, with unanimous consent. That’s not a typo, the Senate passed legislation with unanimous support, moreover, it was legislation addressing the way mechanical licensing works. In English, that’s the process used to make sure songwriters, producers, and engineers are paid royalties, how
Counting The Costs Article Has A Dedicated Home
Fri, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
Ever since the updated version was published in March, 2017 Count The Costs; career cost of ownership for orchestra string musicians has been an enormously popular blog post. So much so, that I decided to convert it to a dedicated microsite at countingcosts.adaptistration.com. The microsite format provides a number of new user experience enhancements, not the least
The Music Of Star Trek Podcast Is On Its Way To Becoming A Thing
Thu, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
Good news everybody! After a thorough round of due diligence, it looks like the costs related to making the Music of Star Trek podcast a regular series is something that falls well within reasonable crowd sourcing goals. Among the larger expenses are those related to licensing and let’s face it, a podcast about the music
Women Pioneers Among On-Stage Musicians
Wed, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
Recently, I read an essay by Nancy Fako that recounted her experiences as one of the early women to win a position in the Boys Club brass sections of 1960 era large budget orchestras. It’s a great essay (something I hope will be published here soon) but it made me wonder about similar women musicians
Show Of Hands: Who Hates Scheduling Meetings?
Tue, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
Finding meeting times when only two attendees are involved is enough of a hassle but each person you add to the mix makes things exponentially more frustrating. Fortunately, there’s an app for that, it’s called Doodle. Granted, a doodle doesn’t really have much to do with scheduling but don’t dwell; we live in an era
Classical Music News Can Show Up In The Strangest Of Places
Fri, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
While reading an article in the 9/12/18 edition of the Washington Post about South Korean military service evasion crime, I was surprised to see that topic intersect classical music. As an example, the article cited an attempt by 12 conservatory students to evade conscription. This week, South Korea’s Military Manpower Administration said that a group
Here’s Some Creative Design Inspiration To Recharge Your Week
Thu, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
In a sea of stock photos and artist headshots, it’s always a treat to see a performing arts organization approach graphic design with an eye toward narrative. Case in point, the Adrian Symphony’s 2018/19 season artwork is a real standout. I reached out to the project’s creative director, Larry Williams from larrywilliamscreative.com, for some insight
Off To SUNY Fredonia
Wed, Sep 9, 2018
by Drew McManus
I’m off to Fredonia, NY where I’ll be speaking to the students and members of the Ethos New Music Society about building a career without going broke and how to approach related challenges without letting them drain inspiration. Originally scheduled for last year, I had to cancel due to the flu and am very happy
How Much Longer Will The Field Enable Rampant Sexual Misconduct?