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…….
Concert Snapshots: Dr. Piano Man’s Circus
Wow, last week was a busy week. Between the massive practicing I’m doing (recording projects in the future) and doing the parental thing I managed to catch three concerts, two of which I was directly involved with. They have caused me to muse out loud……
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!…
Bravo, you’re making it up as you go along, let us accredit you!
Having read the recent postings by Drew, and Joe regarding the booming music/arts school enrollments, I decided to do some digging. There is a body that is at least partially responsible for this, an association that accredits schools to be completely autonomous i.e accreditation for proving that you are doing whatever you want to do……the ultimate “unregulatory” body (apart from the SEC!)……
Taking a bow and then shooting across it!….
On our summer trip last year, I was amused when we drove across “Nameless Creek” Indiana because by calling it that, it actually gave it a name! Just as ironic was to read that the CEO and President of the Grand Rapids Symphony Peter Kjome had “no comment” when asked a pertinent question relating to their staff salary cuts and how it would impact the musician’s agreement, and then he promptly commented!……
Speed Dating BSO style and “I see Old people!”….
Is there still a school of thought that says just get them to the hall, you know the young ones and they will be hooked forever? Seems like the Boston Symphony marketing folks are doing their best to prove Einstein’s theory of insanity:
……..doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results…….
SCHUBERT!!! WE SHOULD BE PLAYING SCHUBERT!!!
Strangely, I have lately run across a certain mentality in the orchestra business that I thought was heading into extinction. Silly me.
To bring back a memory is greater than any compliment….
As a music director I believe that my position is one of privilege more than one of power. The true power lies in the opportunity to uplift and to lift up through the music we perform. All of us at one time or another wait for a letter, message or email to let us know what the next step in our own personal journey or career path will be. A letter I received recently though, put into even sharper focus that it’s about the next step in our audience’s journey and the privilege of being able to take it with them that defines success for me……