Great orchestras are like great ships of the line. They cruise regally above the waves, guns/brass blaring, a mighty vision of sight and sound to all who bear witness. But it’s below decks where trouble starts, and no amount of noise on deck can stop a leaking hull.
Bill Eddins
The Death of the Learnéd Musician
I’ve noticed a very disturbing trend in musicians that must be rectified. It is a problem that might not be immediately noticed by the general public but, none-the-less, promises to cheapen our art to the point where live performances will become irrelevant. It can be summed up in three words – “Think for yourself.”
NEC Races For A Cure
The last couple of weeks has given us an interesting contrast in crisis management. We have seen two institutions make missteps that have significantly enraged their constituencies, and once the backlash turned into a frontlash (so to speak) these situations have been managed in polar opposite ways. It’s a pity that the music world continues to learn nothing from the real world when it comes to PR/Crisis Management.
Kumbaya, Richmond, Kumbaya
It is puzzling – the tendency of an organization to shoot itself in the foot. After so many obvious examples of what not to do there is, more often than not, that institutional moment which causes one to quote that great American Philosopher Homer Simpson – “D’OH!!!” These days Homer is speaking in a mid-Atlantic accent.
Enough Already!
Stop it. It happens. Get over it.
The 2011 Report Card
Good Morning! It’s time for the Year in Review, where orchestras that were in the news in 2011 receive their year-end grades from SticksandDrones. In the Biz we would call them “Mid-Term Juries,” and I’m sure that expression just put a shiver up the spine of the two musicians who actually read this blog. “B” is considered a passing grade. Anything below that is suspect. A “B+” or above, in this day and age, is considered a miracle near the level of the loaves and fishes. So, in no particular order:
Minnesota Not-So-Nice
In the Great White North the other shoe has dropped. Those of us who were expecting it can officially say……. well, we can’t say anything nasty, of course, because we live in Minnesota. So…… how ’bout dem Vikings?
An Ode To Jeremy
The most interesting conversations about Classical Music never happen in the Board Room, or after a concert, or in any venue that one would connect with the art form. My friend Jeremy reminded me of that on Thanksgiving Day.