Drew McManus on the orchestra business.
During a recent concert intermission, I struck up a conversation with an orchestra patron newbie. I always enjoy talking to patrons about their experiences and observations and this conversation was no exception, save for one small question. Toward the end of our talk he asked a question about the musicians: “So what do these guys do for a day job” Unfortunately, the house lights were flickering and we had to get …
Well after being away from the computer for a few days, I’m glad to be back. Stay tuned because after I get caught back up, we’ll discuss accountability, salary issues, finding a new audience, continue earlier discussions about education, and more from reader responses. In the meantime, there is some great content in the October issue of Harmony at the Symphony Orchestra Institute. There are several articles related to orchestra management, …
More than half of the ROPA and ICSOM orchestras in this country employ a music director that does not reside in the community where the orchestra performs. Although that may strike you as staggering statistic, it has been the norm for over a decade. Part of the trouble is that the role of the music director is inconsistent across the country. Most music directors only focus on the artistic output of …
I was pleased to see the well-written response on Andrew’s page with regard to my earlier blog about artistic administration programs. Having been an avid reader of Andrew’s blog for some time now, I agree with his statement “One frustration is that I tend to agree with Drew that there are problems with the way we have traditionally taught management leaders in Arts Administration.” I agree that between Andrew and myself …
No, this isn’t a blog about who’s in charge; rather, it’s a blog about lack of communication. This lack of communication is centered on uniforms . Here’s the firsthand account of a situation from a female member of a notable Northeast orchestra whose name rhymes with "Muffalo": The management decided that it would institute a new uniform for some of our casual concerts. This uniform would be worn by all …