A Few Odds And Ends Plus Translating Some Spin

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I just received word that the Philadelphia Orchestra musicians have posted a web site designed to offer their side of the negotiation story.  I’m told that it’s a work in progress and new information is being added almost daily. You can find the new site at: http://www.philadelphiaorchestramusicians.org/ I also wanted to point out that I published an article at the Partial observer earlier this week.  It is a reprint of an …

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Reader Response: Controversy Over Commissions

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Several orchestra managers and industry insiders wrote in with concerns about my ideas surrounding the use of commission based compensation in the orchestra industry.

In general, they all took issue over my suggestion that commissions should be included as a portion of some executive and staff member compensation. All of the emails I received were well thought out and articulate, but I began to pick up on one consistent theme: everyone was assuming that the commission structure was universal and all encompassing.

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Reader Response: “More POO At The POA*”

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Ok, the catchy title for today’s article isn’t my idea.  It was the subject line from an email I received from a Philadelphia Orchestra patron, Eric Bruskin.  Eric wrote in to ask a few poignant questions and offer some of his observations about how the POA board of directors has decided to use the orchestra’s website as a venue for the ongoing negotiations with the musicians. “I live in Philly and …

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A Quick Pointer To Some Recent Developments

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I just received word that in today’s Philadelphia paper featured competing Op-Ed pieces about the situation in Philly.  One view represents management the other represents the players: Management’s piece Musician’s piece Both are worth taking the time to read and I’ll decipher the spin here in the near future.

How Tuba Players Are Going To Save Classical Music

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Step 3, the final step in the series How To Save Classical Music, will focus on changing the internal attitudes among the stakeholders in an orchestra.  In order for orchestras to become financially and artistically healthy places that facilitate an exciting atmosphere for creating music, there needs to exist an exciting internal culture they can build from.  And as of now, many orchestras don’t enjoy such an environment.  Perhaps I could …

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