Detroit Update 1/23/2011
January 24, 2011 In: Labor relations, Orchestra Economics, What They Think About UsAccording to the Detroit Free Press, there were negotiations today: The musicians and management of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra returned to the bargaining table this afternoon to try to settle the contentious strike that enters its 17th week on Monday. DSO board members received an e-mail from management today saying that talks had resumed, said […]
More Detroit
January 22, 2011 In: Labor relations, Orchestra Economics, What They Think About UsThe war of words heated up during the time I was writing the previous post: Musicians’ spokesman Greg Bowens disputed the $40.1 million figure, saying, “That must be another example of the fuzzy math that got the orchestra into the deficits it’s in now.”… Bowens declined to address most other issues in management’s Saturday morning […]
A press blackout with a very short lifespan
In: Labor relations, Orchestra EconomicsDetroit Symphony management and musicians met all day Thursday under a press blackout: The status of contract talks between the musicians and management of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra remained unclear early this afternoon in the midst of a news blackout by both sides in the dispute. The parties met all day Thursday in an effort […]
Are we figments of Mahler's imagination?
January 21, 2011 In: HistoryNorman thinks that Mahler invented the American symphony orchestra. He makes a good case: Mahler split the Carnegie season into four subscription blocs, each with a thematic base, something no conductor had tried before. As well as a Regular Series, he put in a Beethoven cycle “for the education of lovers of classical music, for […]
Unions Are a Musician’s Friend
January 19, 2011 In: ProfessionalismThis past spring I received an email signed by a dozen or so Eastman students. It was sent to Eastman School jazz students and faculty. This group had met out of frustration. It seems that within the student jazz community at Eastman, there has not been much discussion or communication between them about how to […]
AFM wins in court; won't matter much
In: Electronic media, Labor law, Labor relations, Orchestra EconomicsThe AFM (or at least its lawyers) had a good win in labor law land the other day: The AFM has won a significant victory affecting orchestra media negotiations. The AFM has consistently taken the position that orchestra managements who are signatory to AFM media agreements (such as the Symphony, Opera or Ballet Audio Visual […]
An orchestra of 300 million
January 18, 2011 In: What They Think About UsLast Saturday I was on my way to New York, which in practice is pretty much an all-day business. So I saw almost nothing about the Tucson shootings until I heard about them during the League seminar I was helping out with on Sunday. What I heard then caught me off-guard; apparently one of the […]
Devastating Impact
January 17, 2011 In: UncategorizedI recently purchased an Internet radio, so am now about to access (without charge) my favorite public radio stations from throughout the US. One theme that I hear on all of them is that proposed public (government) funding cuts will have a devast…
Musicians Can Now Sell Directly on Facebook With This New App
January 15, 2011 In: UncategorizedIf you have a band and are trying to get your name around, Moontoast might be something to consider. They’ve come up with an app that allows musicians to connect with their fans and sell directly on Facebook. Check out the article here:
http://ma…
What's the difference between practicing and child abuse?
January 14, 2011 In: UncategorizedIt’s not very often that practice techniques make the Wall Street Journal. It’s even less often that they become the stuff of vitriolic debate, but that’s what’s happened in response to this: A lot of people wonder how Chinese parents raise such stereotypically successful kids. They wonder what these parents do to produce so many […]