American symphony orchestras: talent vs management - my take

[Rick Denney]

Musicians are no less subject to resume and interview BS than are non-musician directors, but perhaps they are less likely to pick a golf-club buddy.

My niece is part of the management team for a per-service professional chamber orchestra in Columbus. She is also a gigging professional bassoonist and teacher (private and college) in the area, though she does not perform in the chamber orchestra she works for. I suspect many management team members of good orchestras have a strong musical background.

The military bands are largely run by musicians who transitioned to administrative jobs or who do them in addition to their musical duties.

So, is the issue that the staff is non-musical, or that the staff is not part of the ensemble and therefore non-responsive to the needs of the musicians?

Note that "executive director" does not equal "sales guy", and the two skill sets may be miles apart.

Even amateur ensembles run into these issues, but are more likely for members to volunteer their management skills. Our band has put on some big programs recently (Canadian Brass, Boston Brass) that required significant executive ability, including the ability to negotiate and review contracts with outside artists, maintain the accounting necessary to provide transparency necessary for a tax-exempt charitable organization, manage front-of-house ticket sales, manage back-of-house artist accommodations, manage donations and memberships, manage outreach, and manage the musicians themselves, who often have real disagreements amongst themselves. Even when musicians are part of the management, they can lose sight of why the organization exists, and need frequent reminders. But amateur groups are more likely to have actual executives, lawyers, accountants, sales people, and others with specifically helpful skills. Musicians with a minor in business might help, but there is also the issue of motivation, aptitude, and experience. You started out saying that these roles could be filled by musicians or their spouses, but then you are limiting your pool of expertise. Then, you added the option of hiring an executive director, but in the end, you might need more than that.

Rick "suspecting that when good people are in charge, good things happen, no matter what their resume, and the issue is too few good people" Denney

[Three Valves]

(sidebar): It also didn't help that 85% of the orchestra's budget came straight from govt. subsidies; an annual, guaranteed "gravy train" that ran for decades. Since there was virtually no chance this would ever be cut, program directors created seasons that no-one would ever want to attend, because it was ugly, unlistenable, supposedly "important" music. Many times there were more people on stage than in the hall. The voters finally found their voices and slashed the subsidy.

There's a moral in there somewhere.

I listened to my last unlistenable concert decades ago.

No more!!