Bill’s Rules for the Industry

Wow.  We seem to have hit a low point when it comes to either ethics or morals (or both) in the classical music industry, and that’s really saying something.  How about we start out 2013 with a short list of dos and don’ts for Boards, Adminstrations, and Musicians.  Submissions welcome.

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Thanks for the Memories – the Musical Cliff

I would hate to start 2013 off on a contrarian note, but since that’s the way I ended 2012 why change now?  Matter of fact, why not up the ante?  Start the year on a high note?  So my first target of 2013 is……. the New York Times. No, seriously, I don’t really have a beef with the NYT, although I did just hear that the Culture Editor is stepping down, and that makes me a little nervous.  However, there has been one article that has made the rounds the last few … Continue Reading

Coda

“It was 20 years ago today, Sargeant Pepper taught the band to play!” Yes, those were the lyrics running through my mind Friday night as I watched the locked-out Minnesota Orchestra, under the direction of Edo de Waart, rehearse the 9th symphony of Beethoven.  Uplifting, and depressing.

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The Fiscal CLEF!

I was fully prepared to leave the Minnesota Orchestra posts to my partner in Blog Bill, and Drew at Adaptistration, but something I read really ticked me off!…..this is about attitude….

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Minnesota – A Calamity in One Tragic Act

For weeks I have meant to sit down and write this particular blog.  I have had the red line proposals from the Minnesota Orchestra administration for two months, and I have promised my blog mate Drew that I would be a part of a detailed analysis on the impact of these proposals and the implications for the future health of the M.O.  But I have to admit the truth – I give up.

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Late Seating

It has been a couple of weeks since a copy of the red-line contract proposal from the Minnesota Orchestra admin to the players was given to me.  Since then I’ve been busy with my own night job, various and sundry, and quite honestly it has taken this long for me to read some sections of it without having my jaw drop wide open.  I was all set to start analyzing it but realized that there is some unfinished business that needs to be attended to.  So, for those of you who missed the Overture ……….

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