{"id":882,"date":"2014-08-29T17:09:48","date_gmt":"2014-08-29T21:09:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/?p=882"},"modified":"2016-06-29T17:16:27","modified_gmt":"2016-06-29T21:16:27","slug":"sowing-the-wind","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.icsom.org\/senzasordino\/2014\/08\/sowing-the-wind\/","title":{"rendered":"Sowing the Wind"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Photo

Photo credit: Michael Zirkle<\/span><\/p><\/div>\n

W<\/span>e 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\u20132015 season despite several recent profitable years.<\/p>\n

The executive director publicly labeled the profitable years \u201ca fluke.\u201d What other business would do that? Well\u2014no other business. It is just too bizarre. Successful businesses would highlight the profits, knowing that success breeds success. No business would dismiss profits as a fluke, thereby suggesting that their successes had nothing to do with the quality of the product, the excellence of the employees, or the importance of the service to the community.<\/p>\n

The Green Bay Symphony website\u2019s home page currently trumpets \u201cGBSO\u2019s Farewell Season!\u201d That\u2019s right\u2014there really is an exclamation point. The text audaciously goes on to say, \u201cJoin us as we celebrate the tradition of great music!\u201d The management seems pretty excited about giving up on a 100-year legacy where the citizens of the community and the great musicians of the orchestra clearly deserve better. The website also asks, \u201cWhy should a community support an orchestra that\u2019s in its final season?\u201d Actually, that is a pretty good question.<\/p>\n

I want to go a little easy on my criticism, though, as it seems apparent that this orchestra can be saved, and hopefully people with wisdom can be found in the community to recover from this fell proclamation, and the orchestra can be led with vision into its next century. I do not desire that my comments poison that well.<\/p>\n

But in a field where failure it too often accepted, even expected, it seems amazing that so many orchestras can overcome such suppositions and perform so well, especially in these economic times. Such successes are being experienced in places with positive expectations, and in life what you expect is often what you will get. If you find failure to be a reasonable result, and you spread such a message, then negative results are often what your vision will deliver.<\/p>\n

For they sow the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind.<\/p>\n

As we review the orchestral season, it is clear that difficulties remain, and clearer still that there are a few storms ahead. But what is even more apparent is that, if success is a fluke, there certainly have been a lot of \u201cflukey\u201d things going on for orchestras and the arts.<\/p>\n