Issue: Chairperson's Reports
One of my most moving moments of last season came on January 14, while in Tampa. I walked into a meeting of the committees of the Florida Orchestra, and they handed me a check for $800 to send to the Minnesota Orchestra musicians. What I knew at that time, but couldn’t quite reveal for another hour or so, was on that day the most egregious lockout in the history of orchestras had finally ended. … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2014
We have often marveled (and occasionally despaired) at the fact that we work in a field where all too often organizational failure is accepted, and all too often such failure is even expected. This has never been more strikingly illustrated than in the recent announcement from the management of the Green Bay Symphony that it would close following the 2014–2015 season despite several recent … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
Recently I was speaking with a group of young musicians preparing to embark upon their professional careers. We were covering many of the issues that symphonic musicians must confront and exploring the important role that advocacy will play for the next generation of orchestral players. Of course, the musicians were interested in the recent, well-publicized difficulties in the field, such as last … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
In February of 1979, I joined my first professional orchestra at the age of fifteen. I remember everything about the night of my first concert, and I still have the program as if to prove it really happened. I remember how my 100% polyester tuxedo didn’t fit all that well, and how my giant bow tie was probably more appropriate for those awkward senior prom photographs than for the orchestra’s … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
When Congress began its session on September 9, the members returned to Washington to address many pressing issues for our nation. Of course, whether or not they have any real intention of addressing any of those issues is a matter of debate, and we can leave that shouting match to the circus currently on 24-hour display on the various cable news outlets. But one issue in the budget debate is of … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
In a time when we all are confronted with a daily onslaught of pessimism, some good news could be found in the release of the BCA (Business Committee for the Arts) National Survey of Business Support for the Arts, conducted by our friends at Americans for the Arts. The survey, which can be obtained here, found that arts contributions continue to recover from the depths of the recession. From … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
On New Year’s morning, I rolled over as my clock radio turned on to NPR’s Morning Edition, as it does every morning far earlier than I ever expect. This day I was surprised to hear my own voice during a feature on the state of orchestras in America from a phone interview I had done some weeks earlier. The reporter introduced me as a bassist “with the South Carolina Symphony,” a fact I found even … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
I really should know better by now. I should know not to read the comments section on any article anywhere, whether it is about a sporting event or a political campaign or (perhaps especially) an orchestra. Far too often these comments provide an unedited forum for hatred and resentment often spewed by isolated people who find themselves irresistibly offered a vast Internet of readers they … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2012
In San Antonio on June 8, the non-profit arts advocacy group Americans for the Arts released its new extensive study on the economic impact of the arts. Arts and Economic Prosperity IV is the first such comprehensive study done since the onset of the recession. While the numbers are down from the 2007 study (Arts and Economic Prosperity III), the new report demonstrates clearly that the non-profit … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
As ICSOM prepares to celebrate our 50th anniversary this August in Chicago, I have been studying the lives and work of the musicians who have held the position of ICSOM chairperson before me, and I am humbled and inspired by their accomplishments. I suspect, though, that many of our current members are unfamiliar with the names and accomplishments of the leaders who are so responsible for the … [Read more...]
