Vitriol, court actions and labor disputes abound in the orchestra world. Every situation is complicated, different and/or unique in many ways. There is one constant that links them all and that is a failure to communicate directly. Unscrambled eggs anyone…….
Media
Putting the Unity in CommUnity! – Part 1: Arts in Action!
In August last year the Community Foundation of the Ozarks formed a committee of arts leaders (including yours truly) and gave us a challenge with funding attached:
Come up with a program that sustains the arts in Springfield. Part one went into effect on March 14….and it’s big!…
To Laugh? To Cry?
It’s a sign of the times, and in any other economic situation I would declare it the rebirth of Reason in the World. Instead it’s just kinda depressing.
The two sides to our “face”…
More and more I read about the new media and the great opportunities they represent for orchestras enabling them to reach many by creating an on-line community of supporters and the potential for personal connections. Not just between the orchestra and their supporters, but between the supporters also. In Springfield we have discussed this without making any firm decisions, and then something wonderful happened, a true audience connection……..
Sticking it in the (buck)eye!……
I want to piggy back onto what Bill wrote. I completely agree with him and want to add that even when a conductor moves to their orchestra’s community, that alone wont guarantee an orchestra’s success! I moved to Springfield but I wasn’t required to, I made a personal choice. The board of an orchestra can negotiate the terms of employment and my guess is that Columbus didn’t require Junichi to be a resident….so it’s his fault that he didn’t move there, and that’s why they are in their current situation? Please!
Columbus: Chicken Soup for the Symphony (and it’s not a gimmick!)
Something is simmering in Columbus, but it’s not the usual recipe! I wrote here and here about the initial reactions to what essentially amounts to a gutting of an orchestra. Sure there is anger, but there is also bravery and dignity. The audience from the beginning were empowered and now they are speaking out officially with a web-site that doesn’t sit on the fence…..it is the fence!
Jacksonville Music Director Fabio Mechetti responds to the settlement
During the Jacksonville lockout, I posted an opinion on December 19, 2007 regarding the music director’s role during such times. To read it click here. It is great news that the lockout is over and today, I received a letter from Fabio Mechetti. I am posting it below unedited:
Jacksonville – Partners in a Business?..or..Partners for a Lifetime?
Drew’s post regarding ownership of a Symphony got me thinking. Those involved with a Symphony in any way be it managers, musicians, board members or audience members are in essence caretakers charged with delivering the orchestra to the next generation and beyond. Also, whilst there is not equal pay, there should however be equal say…..