Get Ready for Labor Day Madness

I start writing this blog on the anniversary of the March on Washington. I have a direct connection to this historic moment because my father, along with 250,000 of his closest friends, was on the National Mall 50 years ago. It was a seminal moment in his life, something he always spoke about with pride and reverence.

Although the lockout at the Minnesota Orchestra does not have nearly the sociological import as the March on Washington, it is still the most important struggle in modern orchestral history, eclipsing the Detroit Symphony labor dispute and the Philadelphia Orchestra bankruptcy proceedings by a country mile.

Throughout the past two years of the struggle one thing has remained consistent – the Board and administration of the orchestra have continually, and blindly, insisted that they are the only ones with a workable plan for the future of the Minnesota Orchestra. Notice the flurry of action today (Friday morning) as they abandoned the framework proposed by their own mediator. Obviously the idea that others might have good ideas to end this debacle have been dismissed out of hand… at least those suggestions that haven’t just been summarily ignored.

But then there are us gadflies….

From the moment that Sticks&Drones broke the news of the struggles at the Minnesota Orchestra the tools of today’s internet have been crucial to the development of this story. Unfortunately for the “company line” the most potent tool has been the blog, and if there’s one thing that companies don’t seem to be very good at it’s blogging. Also rather unfortunately for that “company line” the supporters of the musician’s point of view have used the blog tool extremely effectively.

Evidently this has not been appreciated by the administration. Rumor has reached our ears that the President and CEO of the Minnesota Orchestra, Mr. Michael Henson, has gone so far as to say that “blogs are senseless and must be ignored.”

Well, we shall see about that.

Announcing the 2013 Labor Day Minnesota Orchestra Blog Fest. Sticks&Drones has organized 15 people, all of whom have kept abreast of the Minnesota Orchestra mess, to write and publish a blog about the M.O. on Labor Day. Those of you who have followed the struggle will recognize a few of these bloggers, for these gadflies have already caused some fitful nights within the M.O. administration. Others are newcomers to the blogging world, but they have particular insights because of their unique perspectives. All the blogs will be hosted or linked to by Inside The Arts.

Together we hope to push the conversation forward. Our blogs alone will not miraculously create a solution for this crisis, but our voices do matter. The Board and administration of the Minnesota Orchestra are not the only ones with a stake in this, and they are definitely not the only ones with ideas about the future of the orchestra.

I invite everyone else out there to blog about the Minnesota Orchestra on Labor Day as well. Help us spread our words and ideas, and promote what we are doing to save this once mighty orchestra. Raise your voices until our words roll down like water and our ideas like a mighty stream! (That one’s for you, Dad.)

Mr. Henson – we will be heard.

2 thoughts on “Get Ready for Labor Day Madness”

  1. I’m spending Sunday at the State Fair leafletting – might as well stay home Monday and comment!! There will be no ignoring these blogs!!

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