Hey, I’ve Emerged. Where’s My Cake?

Adaptistration People 115

ArtsHacker Samantha Teter published a post on 3/18/2015 that has been extraordinarily popular post that harnesses her post-emerging professional arts manager knowledge on how other post-emerging professional arts managers can stay sharp and acquire new skills. It doesn’t take long in this field to wake up one day and realize you’re no longer the shiny new entry level staffer and that’s just about the same time you realize that most resources out …

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Well Worth Your Time

Adaptistration People 133

If you haven’t taken the time to read James B. Stewart’s missive in the 3/23/2015 edition of The New Yorker about the Metropolitan Opera’s recent labor dispute and related political rapids, then you’re missing out. Yes, it is nearly 9000 words, but you’ll be glad you allocated the time. Even if you’re already quite familiar with The Met’s recent rumble, the article goes a long way toward filling in some of …

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Audience Development Blues

TAKE MY WIFE'S SEAT PLEASE

There’s an interesting article by Elizabeth Bloom in the 3/15/2015 edition of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that reports on audience development woes at the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO). In a nutshell, the PSO’s $100,000 study produced results that aren’t exactly earth shattering and the tiny focus groups of non-ticket buyers incorporated an equally myopic cross section of individuals; according to Bloom’s article, only 45 people were involved, all participants were ages 40 …

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MN Patron Group Mute On Substitute Equal Pay For Equal Work Topic

Last week’s pair of articles (part 1 and part 2) examining the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) musicians’ decision to go public with concerns over artistic integrity in the wake of extended austerity measures produced an intriguing byproduct related to the topic of equal pay for equal work. On one hand, BSO president and CEO, Paul Meecham, proclaimed that the orchestra has managed to “attract high quality substitute players without any difficulty” …

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Day Off

It is rare to take a day off but today is a special exception thanks to spending an entire day building up to my wife, violinist Holly Mulcahy, performing Jennifer Higdon’s Violin Concerto with the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera.  It was a fantastic performance with the orcheatra and music director Kayoko Dan rising to the challenge on such a demanding piece.  Having Ms. Higdon in town all week to work with …

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