About Adaptistration

Change is difficult, change is turbulent, and change is painful... Nevertheless, change is necessary for survival. During recent years, the environment of orchestra management has fundamentally changed. The task ahead is survival, and that survival will be based on how well orchestra management is able to adapt and evolve. This weblog is designed to present ideas and create a forum to help accelerate that evolutionary process.

To most, the inner workings of an orchestra are a mystery, but how an orchestra (symphonic, chamber, and opera) manages itself is linked directly to the artistic success of that organization. With the current round of difficult times, many organizations are finding themselves at a financial and operational impasse. The result has ranged form budget cuts to organizational collapse. The industry of orchestral management is in serious need of reform. Orchestra management has grown stale, reactionary, and in extreme cases, exploitative.

The ideas and proposals presented in these writings may arguably be considered unconventional. They are designed to problem solve by identifying “what’s wrong” and present solutions about “how to fix it” based on my experience and work in this field as a consultant. Much like the title of this blog, I expect this “manifesto” to evolve over time. With your input, it will grow into something meaningful. Please feel free to send along any ideas, comments, or criticisms. I plan to post them on a regular basis.

In order to ensure accuracy and that every side to each issue is explored in detail, I allow any individual or person officially representing an organization featured here in Adaptistration to submit a response which I will be happy to publish, unedited. Responses are limited to 200 words and must address the issues at hand and the individuals and/or organizations must also be willing to maintain an open dialog for continued discussion.