Cutting to the chase, the bottom line with the 4000 + words of “thesaurial” prowess from Philip Kennicott, is that we should stop doing what isn’t working now, and go back to what wasn’t working before…Huh?
Media
The search for the perfect (Cease) Business Model!
It seems that there is a lot of energy being put into finding ways to either shut an orchestra down or seriously compromise it’s existence. I don’t remember receiving an invitation to the “20,000 (Orchestra) Leagues Under the Sea” conference. The plans range from bankruptcy (Syracuse), canceling a season (Delaware), to trying to hire “new” musicians (Louisville). They all have one thing in common though…
Kumbaya, Richmond, Kumbaya
It is puzzling – the tendency of an organization to shoot itself in the foot. After so many obvious examples of what not to do there is, more often than not, that institutional moment which causes one to quote that great American Philosopher Homer Simpson – “D’OH!!!” These days Homer is speaking in a mid-Atlantic accent.
But Nigel, This One Goes to 11 …
I was trolling through The Internets yesterday and stumbled upon a little controversy brewing in the world of classical violinistry. I’m shocked (shocked!) that it hasn’t already kicked the economic crisis off of the front page of the New York Times so I thought I’d give it a little boost. This one, as they say, goes to eleven.
Mirror Mirror
A funny thing happened on the way through SocialMediaLand. I ran smack dab into the difference between what professional musicians perceive and what “normal” people perceive. If this doesn’t prove a disconnect then I don’t know what does.
Just When You Thought It Might Be Safe….
Or, alternatively, I could title this post “Another One Bites The Dust.” Whatever, I’m bloody tired of writing these kind of blog posts but it has to be done. Let’s talk Syracuse.
Bernstein – An Appreciation
The most overused word in the orchestra business is “masterpiece.” We throw it around so often that it has long since lost all meaning, and now most often serves as a code for “we promise you won’t be offended by this piece.” That having been said …
And You May Ask Yourself – How Did We Get Here?
It’s D-day. Not in Egypt, nor Bahrain, or Tunisia. It’s D-day in Detroit, and I, for one, am not optimistic.