Discoveries
Ever since I arrived in the U.S. in the 1990’s, I have been a subscriber to The New Yorker, which, at its best, is one of the most fascinating reads of the week. The magazine has been the vehicle for … Continue reading →
What a crisis looks like
Anne Midgette at the Washington Post points us to a country where the orchestra industry is shedding jobs at a pace über alles: According to the book Musical Life in Germany, an informational publication put out by the German Music Information Center (MIZ) that just landed on my desk, there were 168 publicly financed[…]
Read MoreA cautionary fable
One fine day, a sailboat (not the M/V Minnow, although their experience was relevant) set sail from port with its trusty crew for a nice sustainable sail across the ocean. The weather was beautiful. As the crew gained confidence in their ship and the conditions, they raised more sail until their trusty S/V AmericanOrchestra was[…]
Read MoreA crisis of analysis
Tony Woodcock gave us a classic example of the “dinosaurs falling from the sky” genre of industry analysis on this blog last week. Before I try to dismantle his analysis, I should say that I don’t think he’s entirely wrong. Certainly the field has faced an unprecedented challenge since the beginning of recession in 2008.[…]
Read MoreArts Entrepreneurship Class Progress
–following up on my promise to keep interested readers up-to-date on my class, Arts Entrepreneurship. Recall that I posed 2 major assignments. The first of these was to identify an existing arts organization, study it deeply, then pose one…
Read MoreFlash Mob of Bach's B Minor Mass at Union Station, New Haven CT
Shout out to Hartford and New Haven!
This YouTube video features several of my colleagues from the New Haven and Hartford Symphonies as they participate in a “flash mob” at the train station in New Haven on Friday afternoon, April 29th at 6:10. The purpose was to advertise the upcoming performance of Bach’s Mass in B Minor in late April by the[…]
Read MoreAmerican Orchestras: Yes, it's a crisis
“I am convinced that if the rate of change within an organization is less than the rate of change outside, the end is near.” – Jack Welch In the last twelve months the Honolulu, Syracuse, and New Mexico Symphonies have … Continue reading →
Using the L3C Organizational Model
This past week I realized that I really could have used the L3C model in each of my professional leadership positions, and that in doing so, i would have alleviated pressure on the annual balance sheet. I must admit to feeling a bit “slow” when I…
Read MoreRethinking Music: A Solutions Focused Conference
An interesting conference for musicians will take place on April 26-27, 2011. The presenters call it, “Rethink Music: Creativity, Commerce, and Policy in the 21st Century.” It’s billed as a “solutions-focused conference,” and the presenters are the Berklee College of Music and MIDEM in association with the Harvard Business School. Get more information here. Allen […]
Read MoreGetting displaced by an orchestra that doesn't exist
This business about cheap Russian touring orchestras is getting out of hand: The Web site photograph depicted an elegant array of orchestra musicians in a glowing hall. A video clip showed an earnest young conductor leading players in a Tchaikovsky symphony. Below the picture, an official biography described the “Tschaikowski” St. Petersburg State Orchestra as[…]
Read More
No comments yet.
Add your comment