Adaptistration

BREAKING NEWS FROM SAN ANTONIO

6:16p.m. ET: According to sources inside the negotiations, the San Antonio Symphony Society and Musicians have reached a tentative agreement. Details will be released as they are made available but(see update below) the musicians are planning to meet on Monday morning, September 3, 2007 to conduct a ratification meeting. As such, it looks like both sides have come together to find enough middle ground to avert a strike. According to one inside source the proposed agreement is a "good contract."

Update: 8:21p.m. ET: details surrounding the agreement have been released...

New Opportunities To Advertise At Adaptistration

In addition to purchasing banner advertisement space, you can now promote your organization or event in the Adaptistration Weekly Email Summary...

SAS Update

With less than 48 hours until their contract expires, the San Antonio Symphony (SAS) musicians issued a press release today announcing that they need "a new agreement in order to continue working after the contract expires."...

Pre-Deadline Picketing

The musicians and management of the San Antonio Symphony are heading into the home stretch with three days remaining until their current collective bargaining agreement expires, but what happens after the deadline passes...

A Whole Lotta Typing Going On

It seems the topics from the past several days have encouraged a number of readers to weigh-in with their own thoughts. More than 30 comments have been posted since last week so if you don't regularly review recent articles for new comments, you're missing out...

I Worry About The Staffers

Whenever the potential for a work stoppage enters the stage of public debate it becomes troublesome to see senior executives comment on how many opportunities their musicians have to supplement their income outside the ensemble or how much less some other supposedly peer orchestra pays their musicians. Not only do those tactics (or perspectives if you prefer) send a disturbing message to the musicians and patrons, many executives fail to realize that it sends an equally dismal message to their own staffers...

Domino Effect

Detroit, Omaha, San Antonio, and now Pacific Symphony (am I missing anyone?) are all standing on the precipice of a work stoppage...

The Fragile Powerhouse

Hot on the heels of developments in San Antonio the labor situation in Detroit seem to be building pressure...

Looks Like The Gloves Are Coming Off At San Antonio

At the very end of last week, the San Antonio Symphony Association began distributing an email message to donors from President and CEO David Green entitled "San Antonio Symphony - Labor Negotiations Update." Green uses the lengthy email message to present some of the Association's bargaining positions as well as soliciting recipients "thoughts and feedback on the enclosed presentation...at (210) 554-1000 x111 or greend@sasymphony.org"...

Not Your Everyday Attendance Woes In Cincinnati

At least, that's the picture depicted in the Cincinnati Enquirer from an article written by Janelle Gelfand and Cliff Peale...

Where Are The Business Cards?

Among the litany of routine industry rituals is the business card exchange. In fact, I feel safe proclaiming that most administrators in this business take having business cards for granted and one of the most prolific environments for exchanging business cards is at a convention. Nevertheless, my time at last week's International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) conference made me realize that orchestra musicians were not provided with business cards issued by their respective ensembles...

ICSOM Presentation Summary

Yesterday's presentation at the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) convention went very well and for all of the delegates who requested a copy of the presentation, downloadable copies of the PowerPoint presentation are available here in a few different formats...

What The Heck Is iGAMP?

So long as the gods of travel smile on my journey, I'll arrive in Minneapolis this morning in time for my presentation later in the afternoon detailing eight months worth of effort on a project I've been working on for the Musicians of the Phoenix Symphony...

The Answers To Yesterday's Quiz

Based on the flood of email, it seems that more than a few readers enjoyed the "Simpsonized" versions of famous classical music composers and one education director wrote in wondering if they could incorporate the characters into an education program...

Guess The Composer

Have you ever wondered what your favorite composers would look like if they lived in the The Simpsons universe? Me too...

Catch-Up Day & Looking Ahead

The past few days have been consumed with finishing up a very exciting project with a players' association from an ICSOM ensemble. Before the work is coming to a close at the beginning of next month, I'll be joining members from the group's orchestra committee and their Local AFM president to present an outline of the project at next week's ICSOM conference in Minneapolis, MN. All of the details about the program and which group I'm working with will be published here at Adaptistration following the conference but suffice to say, it has been a fantastic project; one which will help establish the requirements for a healthy working environment between musicians, managers, and board members. There's much more to share but you'll have to wait until next week (although with a little creative digging on your part, you'll likely find more details before then).

Critics Are Noting More Than Just Music

The August 5, 2007 edition of the Louisville Courier-Journal published an article by music critic, Andrew Adler, where he remarks on the local performing arts organization's websites...

Sorting Out Pension Issues In Seattle

Over the past few weeks, the Seattle newspapers have been reporting on growing labor tensions between the Seattle Symphony and their musicians over the status of their pension fund. So far, details have been slim but the issue of orchestras and pension funding should be of the highest priority for every professional ensemble. Granted, it may not be a very sexy topic but left unattended, an underfunded pension plan can wreck long term havoc on an institution. As such, this article takes a closer look into Seattle's issues...

This Is What I'm Talking About

The benefits of getting players in contact with listeners isn't a one way street. The trick is finding ways to foster interaction that doesn't make players talk at patrons. Instead, sincerity is the key and if you're fortunate you'll get a happier, more satisfied player as well as a happier, more involved listener. If you're really fortunate, you'll even end up with happy cows...

Keeping The Cows Happy by Holly Mulcahy

It's High Time For a Smile

Before heading into some serious discussion about pension plans and other such non-funny topics, everyone deserves a good smile first. In this case, not every crossover idea is a good one...

Concentrated-Dose Strength Adaptistration

Before he became president and CEO of the Philadelphia Orchestra, Jim Undercoffler was Dean of the Eastman School of Music. And before he moved from one position to the other, the folks at Polyphonic.org had Jim sit down with me to host a video interview. Although the interview actually took place almost two years ago, I recall the discussion being frank and invigorating not to mention I had a great time. In short, Jim was a great interview host.

That 38 minute interview is now available at the Polyphonic.org website in nice bite-sized chunks, each focusing on a wide range of topics from labor relations, what's good and what's not-so-good in the business, instinctual behavior, the real value of collective bargaining agreements, the politics inside the business, my overall impression of American orchestras, and much, much more...

Everyone Has Their Price

As the old adage goes, "everyone has their price" and thanks to a pointer from Joe Patti (a.k.a Butts In The Seats blogmaster), blogs are no exception. In fact, the folks over at the Business Opportunities Weblog Network have an applet they say will tell you exactly how much they think your blog is worth...

And Then There's That Pension Thing...

It is hard to believe it has been more than two years since the topic of pensions has been discussed here at Adaptistration, nevertheless, recent events in Seattle have brought the "P" word front and center...