Twilight in Syracuse
March 30, 2011The Syracuse Symphony is shutting down after musicians refused to accept $1.3 million in concessions: The decision will bring the 50th anniversary season of the orchestra to an unceremonious end. There were more than 20 Syracuse and regional concerts remaining in the 2010-11 season. The orchestra’s 18 full- and part-time staffers and 61 core and […]
Another deadline in Detroit
March 29, 2011DSO management has apparently set yet another deadline: The musicians claimed management set an April 1 deadline for a deal or the summer season would be lost and the fall season would be jeopardized. They also said management was unwilling to meet at the bargaining table before the Friday deadline. The two sides have not […]
Arts Entrepreneurship — Policy Opportunity?
March 10, 2011I don’t think anyone would argue that we’re in a period of policy transition in the arts and culture sector. I would even characterize it as the most significant period of policy reexamination since the 1960’s. The difference is huge, of co…
Questions? Answers.
March 8, 2011Back in January, I posted a blog about Musical America’s exciting new partnership with Edna Landau – “Ask Edna.” Since starting her new blog, Edna has addressed some excellent career-related questions by young musicians, and she has provided some insightful guidance and ideas to consider. Recently, I figured I would throw a question into the […]
Community outreach – ideas for guidelines
March 2, 2011It appears that a big reason that the Detroit Symphony potential settlement fell apart was a dispute over $2 million for community outreach. I am sure there is more to it than that but if there is still a spark of hope embedded in that concept it is worth taking a closer look. The term […]
Orchestras and the union movement
March 1, 2011Milwaukee is not quite equidistant from Madison and Detroit, but it does sit precisely on the line between them that a crow (or a Boeing) would fly. So it’s fitting that events in Detroit and Madison resonate so loudly with this member of the Milwaukee Symphony – an orchestra in the Rust Belt that’s had […]
Make Friends – Your Peers Are Your Best Resource
February 28, 2011Think about it. It’s only human nature to recommend a friend for a job. Putting aside the fact that if you recommend him or her, he or she may reciprocate one day, it just feels good to help out a friend, provided they are a good fit for the job. Even though music is a […]
The worst is yet to come
If you think that the Detroit Symphony labor dispute has been hard to watch, steel yourselves because the worst is yet to come. If the parties can’t find their way to a settlement in very short order, it will be even harder to watch the orchestra disintegrate. The recent “farewell” posting by the entire DSO […]
Don't try this at home
February 24, 2011We’re having an interesting couple of weeks here in Wisconsin, as has been reported not only by the usual suspects but by the BBC and Al-Jazeera as well. Here was my favorite sign from my visit to Madison on Saturday: Today appeared a life lesson in the form of some frank talk by our Governor […]
WTF was that all about?
February 22, 2011That’s also the punch line to a very funny story David Sedaris tells about a slug going door-to-door selling magazine subscriptions, but I digress. Sunday’s story in the Detroit News gave the distinct impression that the DSO management was prepared to: …move forward with a newly assembled group of players that would include only those […]