Issue: October 2015
From the first moment of my conscious memory, I have struggled with depression. In the decade that I have spent traveling to meet with musicians, I have often seen a look in the eyes of those in the back of the room that I recognize all too well. Sometimes I understand that it is situational; after all I am often meeting with people fighting for the survival of their orchestras and their careers. … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2015
Each season, ICSOM maintains a list of positive news articles and studies that demonstrate the resiliency of our orchestras, and the sustainability of artistic organizations. This information can be used to demonstrate that success is occurring for many orchestras, and that success is achievable for organizations that are portrayed as being in a troubled position. The latest Giving USA study, … [Read more...]
Issue: July 2015
ICSOM has both a Chairperson and a President. Our bylaws identify the Chair as “chief executive officer” and state that “the President shall be responsible for the supervision of the operation of the organization.” Even with those distinctions, there is occasional confusion in the field over just what the titles mean. But in practice there has been no confusion at all—at least since I became Chair … [Read more...]
Issue: May 2015
A recent article posted on the Daily Beast website reported on how “Music Shields a Child’s Psyche in a Time of War”. The article describes a moment when Palestinian music students reach a road block assembled by Israeli soldiers, and in the midst of the tensions inherent in the conflict of the region, a student and a soldier each learn that the other can play the violin and they play for each … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2015
Recent days have seen an intense escalation of the conflict in Ukraine, which began in 2013 and led to a revolt that ousted President Viktor Yanukovich in early 2014. When Russia subsequently annexed Crimea, a war ensued between pro-Russian factions and the government established in Ukraine following Yanukovich’s removal from office. The city of Donetsk has taken the brunt of the conflict, with … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
On August 25, 2012, the management of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Board of the Woodruff Arts Center locked out the musicians of the Atlanta Symphony. On September 7, 2014, the management of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Board of the Woodruff Arts Center locked out the musicians of the Atlanta Symphony. In an often misattributed and perhaps apocryphal quote, it has been … [Read more...]
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...]
