Negotiations

Oh, for crying out loud, guys, that FICTIONAL example was simplistic so I didn’t have to write “War and Peace” and exceed my word count! Let’s lighten up here!

Several themes run through all the posts: ongoing communication and the need for musician participation in order to enhance potential points of influence between the negotiating processes. Before elaborating, naturally, I have observations

For the most part the participants in this VDP, the managers and musicians, and to a lesser extent, the negotiators, are associated with smaller- or medium-budget orchestras in smaller metropolitan areas. This means the following in terms of the circumstances which color our opinions:

1) As professionals we make less money for the same amount of time and essentially the same jobs as our counterparts in larger-budget and maybe more-established orchestras. This creates a challenge to recruit and retain the best and the brightest musicians and staff, and it probably means multiple employers for the musicians.

2) Our markets are smaller, so we may have to travel more to make the same revenue, which is way more time consuming than a one-concert-hall job.

3) Our pool of major donors and board members is smaller, perhaps (and this is a BIG perhaps) less sophisticated than some larger markets, and they most certainly serve all of the not-for-profits in the community.

So, we attract inexperienced staff, we cannot keep our players, our lives are filled with unpredictable schedules and driving, and some of our board members not only do not speak the Industry Language, they may not want to speak it. OK, there it is, let’s proceed.

What can musicians do outside of the negotiating setting to create an environment in which communication flourishes so they influence the direction of the orchestra? Build relationships (I offer this suggestion to all the constituencies, but the list for managers is much longer.) This is my short list (simplistic? You make the call.); I am sure the participants and our readers have additional suggestions from their experiences (but I sincerely hope someone out there has a success story.)

1) Take time to “mentor” a new staff person. I am deeply grateful to many musicians in the Seattle and Saint Louis Symphonies who took the time to tell me the Orchestra Stories, the Old Problems, their aspirations for the orchestra and what staff might do to “move things forward” when I was new to their orchestras. I learned things by listening that did not get taught in any classroom, and a happy by-product is the lasting relationships.

2) Have lunch with a Board member (they’ll pay, of course.) I mentioned this in an earlier post. If Board Members only hear about orchestra members as “the Musicians”, they will not appreciate the complexity of the work of making music. There is nothing like a personal relationship for an exchange of knowledge, and it can change people’s outlook, perceptions, and motivation.

3) Create an informal relationship with the executive director. A lot of us like musicians. Orchestra leadership gets to know the Administration in formal settings, but sometimes if you can start by talking about baseball or the kids, it gets a little easier.

Finally, a word about musician participation on committees and task forces: It appears that participating in orchestra politics, as any politics, is not for the faint-hearted or uncommitted. Committee members volunteer their long hours for the good of the cause, and in my orchestra they only last about a year. This means there is a tremendous turn-over and annual steep learning curves. It also means there is not much of a “bench”. Perhaps there is a way for committees to have leadership “succession” plans, much as we do for board leadership. And perhaps both management and musicians should find ways to thank committee members for their service when they have completed their terms, because they are an integral part of the communication process.