Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down
Mon, Jan 1, 2013
by Drew McManus
There’s a terrific article by Brian Wise (with accompanying video by WQXR’s Kim Nowacki) published on 1/3/2012 at WQXR.com that reports on an ongoing project at the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) and Parsons The New School for Design in New York City to study new designs for musician concert attire. And although I’m one who feels that
A Governance Review
Fri, Jan 1, 2013
by Drew McManus
In the process of writing an article about governance and ethics, it became clear that it would be useful to first provide a precursor article with an overview of who’s who within orchestra governance. One of the odd byproducts of increased public exposure by way of labor disputes is an increase in those on the
The Unfriendly Skies Can Be A Funny Place
Thu, Jan 1, 2013
by Drew McManus
It looks like Inside The Arts author and celebrated cellist Lynn Harrell’s no holds barred account of his encounter with Delta Airlines and their decision to pilfer all of his, and his cello’s, frequent flier miles continues to garner attention. The 12/27/2012 edition of the LA Times published an article by Donna Perlmutter that features
More Info From Jacksonville
Wed, Jan 1, 2013
by Drew McManus
On 12/24/2012, I published an article that linked over to a pair of letters related to the ongoing Jacksonville Symphony (JAX) labor dispute that were published in the Florida times-Union. One was from the JAX board chair elect and the other was from the JAX musicians’ negotiating committee. As it turns out, the paper apparently
2012 Blogging Year In Review
Mon, Dec 12, 2012
by Drew McManus
2012 was a stellar year for Adaptistration. Once again, new readers grew by leaps and bounds while overall readership continued its nearly decade long steady increase. One new area of growth was a spike in non-North American readers with big gains in Australia, Germany, Japan, and New Zealand. Popular Content Instead of spouting off a
Some Graphic Inspiration For The New Year
Fri, Dec 12, 2012
by Drew McManus
Norman Lebrecht published an article at his blog Slipped Disc that focuses on some tremendous San Diego Opera (SDO) posters from artist R Black. Personally, I adore neo-constructivist style and Black’s SDO work is something everyone in the field should be paying attention to. So head on over to Lebrecht’s post to peruse all of the posters
Fiscal Shenanigans: Relevant Now More Than Ever
Thu, Dec 12, 2012
by Drew McManus
Following the recent decision by 14 Minnesota state legislators to conduct hearings into their concerns over whether or not the Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) misled lawmakers about the orchestra’s financial condition when it applied for, and received, millions of dollars in state assistance for the current hall renovations and subsequent operating fund endowment, it seems
Here It Is, Your Moment Of Holiday Zen
Tue, Dec 12, 2012
by Drew McManus
You know it, you love, it, and it just isn’t the holiday season without it: The Messiah Organist On Crack. If this holiday classic is new to you, give it moment and hang in there until the end; I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s 0:43 of unfiltered Messiah goodness.
So Much For Tidings Of Comfort And Joy
Mon, Dec 12, 2012
by Drew McManus
Even through the holiday season is typically characterized by humanity and compassion, it doesn’t seem to be catching on at some of the brighter hotspots throughout the Season of Discontent. For example, the Minnesota Orchestra Association (MOA) announced additional cancellations through February 10, 2013 on the same day they posted public statements indicating a desire
Getting Bitch Slapped By Self Fulfilling Prophecy
Fri, Dec 12, 2012
by Drew McManus
Prophecy seems to be all the rage right now. All the cool kids are doing it and perhaps one shouldn’t be too cynical; after all, focusing on the future isn’t all that terrible of a defense mechanism during tough times. On the other hand, it can just as easily fuel paranoia to a point where
