
Would you invest in that orchestra?
by:
Holly Mulcahy
Several years ago, I won a position in an orchestra that was closer to my family. While the job was a slightly better paying job which had a longer concert season and many other pluses than the job I had at the time, I hesitated. My aunt, who lived in this city and was a very successful businesswoman, was trying to help me decide whether to uproot and move or keep my current position and continue auditioning for work elsewhere. Her advice came in the form of a question: “If you could, ... Continue Reading

Your Bio Is Still Boring
by:
Holly Mulcahy
A couple of months ago I wrote a bit about how so many professional musicians’ bios tend to be boring and predictable. Apparently, I’m not alone as a number of readers sent private emails summing up people’s opinions on the topic. So in a very informal fashion, I’d like to take a few of these observations and create a “list of sins”:

Sage Advice Worth Remembering
by:
Holly Mulcahy
When I was a teenager I would occasionally wonder if my desire to play music professionally would ever come to fruition. Growing up in Denver, CO meant watching The Denver Symphony dissolve in 1989. In May, 1990 the Denver Symphony Association merged with the newly formed Colorado Symphony Association, a new and initially smaller orchestra employing many of the Denver Symphony musicians. The new orchestra continually endured cuts and budget adjustments. Watching it was unsettling, and as teenager, it was always fresh on my mind as conversations with fellow teen musicians would ... Continue Reading

Your Bio is Boring (and so is mine)
by:
Holly Mulcahy
Listening to a live concert can be a truly special thing. Hearing and feeling music first hand, performed right before your eyes can never be replaced. But let’s face it; there are moments, mostly the slow movements, where some audience members check out. I watch them, flipping through their programs, reading notes, bios, the advertisements; anything to pass the time until something exciting starts up again. On a few occasions where I’m not playing and actually get to attend a concert, I have been grateful there was a program book to flip ... Continue Reading

So You Want To Be Liked
by:
Holly Mulcahy
For arts organizations, the era of Facebook is here. Nearly every day I get invited to “Like” an organization such as symphony orchestra, chamber group or individual artist. If I decide to Like the group, I’ll get updates on concerts and events in my newsfeed. At first, it was kind of fun to see what groups were playing and doing. Following how different groups approached and used their representative Facebook tool was interesting at first but after the first year I started noticing distinct patterns; some of which produced a steady stream ... Continue Reading