Blog

A question to which I don't know the answer

Playing an instrument well is really, really hard. Playing together with other people is not much easier. But playing the dynamics on the page is quite easy. So why do so many people in orchestras do so well at the first two and so badly at the last one?

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Time to end the Detroit strike

I am no longer working for the musicians’ union so I am just going to call it like I see it… It is time for the musicians of the DSO to make their best deal and go back to work. Sadly, we have seen this so many times – musicians using brute force to try[…]

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Twilight in Syracuse

The Syracuse Symphony is shutting down after musicians refused to accept $1.3 million in concessions: The decision will bring the 50th anniversary season of the orchestra to an unceremonious end. There were more than 20 Syracuse and regional concerts remaining in the 2010-11 season. The orchestra’s 18 full- and part-time staffers and 61 core and[…]

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Tax Time-1099s and W2s

Let’s assume that anyone reading this knows that the sum total of all the money an individual earns is called the gross. It is reported by your employer to the Federal Government in the form of a wage and tax statement called a W-2, and a copy is sent to you each January for the […]

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Another deadline in Detroit

DSO management has apparently set yet another deadline: The musicians claimed management set an April 1 deadline for a deal or the summer season would be lost and the fall season would be jeopardized. They also said management was unwilling to meet at the bargaining table before the Friday deadline. The two sides have not[…]

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Bloopers

We all know the maxim “The road to Hell is paved with good intentions.” Well I believe this to be inaccurate.  The truism should be: “The road to Hell is paved with good ideas.” Because it is all those brilliant, … Continue reading

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Tax Time–Musical Instruments and Depreciation

Musical Instruments When a musician buys an instrument or equipment that has a useful life of longer than one year, he or she can depreciate it over the tax life of the item—usually seven years. This has the effect of spreading out the deduction over time. An alternate course would be to expense the purchase […]

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More about community engagement

The most important benefit to our field from the Detroit strike will be the ever-necessary reminder that strikes are a sub-optimal method of resolving labor-management disputes. The next most important benefit will be the jump-starting of the discussion about what’s come to be known as “community engagement.” Whether either of those will be worth the[…]

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Duende

I have always made it a policy not to miss an opportunity to hear great artists at the end of their careers. Interestingly, it was a young pianist years ago who crystallized for me the preciousness of artistry enriched by … Continue reading

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Are orchestras really non-profits?

According to the IRS, we are. But according to this article in the Stanford Social Innovation Review, we don’t seem to fit any of the models for how non-profits are funded: What follows are descriptions of the 10 funding models, along with profiles of representative nonprofits for each model. The models are ordered by the[…]

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1
A question to which I don't know the answer
2
Time to end the Detroit strike
3
Twilight in Syracuse
4
Tax Time-1099s and W2s
5
Another deadline in Detroit
6
Bloopers
7
Tax Time–Musical Instruments and Depreciation
8
More about community engagement
9
Duende
10
Are orchestras really non-profits?