Those who are not fans of the original Star Trek do not realize what a gift to our society that show was. It gave us our first interracial kiss on TV (Plato’s Stepchildren), a searing look at racism (Let That Be Your Last Battlefield), and profound episodes dealing with what it means to be “human” (Miri, Amok Time, Turnabout Intruder, The Corbomite Maneuver, and a host of others). But my favorite episode has always been “The Conscience of the King,” a terrific look at the aftereffects of dictatorship/fascism on society and on individual lives, with a little Hamlet thrown in for good measure. Some of my colleagues should sit down and watch this.
Current Events
Kicking the Dependency, Part 1 – Saving the Past
There is a petition circulating on causes.com that should be a no-brainer – “President Obama, save the house that Ives built.” I hereby officially state that I am against this petition. Read on.
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…
The Sinking of the Minnesota
Great orchestras are like great ships of the line. They cruise regally above the waves, guns/brass blaring, a mighty vision of sight and sound to all who bear witness. But it’s below decks where trouble starts, and no amount of noise on deck can stop a leaking hull.
NEC Races For A Cure
The last couple of weeks has given us an interesting contrast in crisis management. We have seen two institutions make missteps that have significantly enraged their constituencies, and once the backlash turned into a frontlash (so to speak) these situations have been managed in polar opposite ways. It’s a pity that the music world continues to learn nothing from the real world when it comes to PR/Crisis Management.
The 2011 Report Card
Good Morning! It’s time for the Year in Review, where orchestras that were in the news in 2011 receive their year-end grades from SticksandDrones. In the Biz we would call them “Mid-Term Juries,” and I’m sure that expression just put a shiver up the spine of the two musicians who actually read this blog. “B” is considered a passing grade. Anything below that is suspect. A “B+” or above, in this day and age, is considered a miracle near the level of the loaves and fishes. So, in no particular order:
Flogging the Wrong Horse
It has been an interesting couple of weeks on the orchestral front. New ED in Colorado, pissing match between a top soloist and a top conductor. Oh, and an orchestra that has lost it’s mind. Same as it ever was.
Thus Thought Zarathustra….
It’s time to get up on my high horse again. This time I’m inspired by an article on Sir Colin Davis, and a very particular idea at the front of it.