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I don't really think this belongs on the main page, since it is is about music but more about money, so I am starting a topic here so that those of us who are interested can converse and those who are not can ignore.

I just read an article concerning Stanley Romanstein's bonus that I'd like to post. Here is the link.
http://songofthelark.wordpress.com/2014 ... e-bonuses/" target="_blank" target="_blank

As I said Joe, those who don't want to talk about it can just not open the post. For me this is not about the color of the collar but whether I am going to get to enjoy my symphony this year. I am certainly not going to drive to Memphis or Jackson to hear yours. I would like to be kept up to date as to the goings on in case I miss something. Of course if you want to make it about the politics you certainly have that right. I really don't care about the politics, I just selfishly want my music back.

Yeah, that was a one sided link. The only reason I linked it was because it detailed the management's callous bonus right before the last lockout. That was something that I had not heard before and it was substantiated and documented with the 909's. I really don't intend to post on this topic again unless I find something that someone else who is interested in this situation might want to see. In the meantime I'll check in to see if someone else has a tidbit I might want to know about. Quite frankly I hope it all goes away quickly so I can go to a concert with my daughter. The quicker the better. The last thing I want is for this post to go more than one page.

I fear this is getting worse. It seems that the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra auditions have been postponed indefinitely. The ASO management sent an email to all the parents telling them it was due to the union banning players from attending when in fact the players have been refused access to the audition site by ASO management themselves.

http://maskoftheflowerprince.wordpress. ... got-worse/" target="_blank

Just got the following email from Dr. Romanstein.

To our valued patrons —

Today we regretfully announced the cancellation of all orchestral concerts through
November 8, 2014, including the opening performance of the 2014-15 season on
September 25, due to negotiations between ASO management and the Atlanta
Symphony Orchestra Players’ Association (ASOPA) over a new collective
bargaining agreement.

If an agreement is reached between ASO management and ASOPA before
November 8, the classical season will be re-launched as soon as possible.
We are encouraging all of our patrons to keep their tickets until a new agreement
can be reached.

We deeply appreciate your patronage and look forward to continuing to make
music in Symphony Hall.

Best regards,
Stanley E. Romanstein, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Well, it would be nice if issues like this could be followed here without the apparently inevitable simplistic ideological analysis, but I guess then it wouldn't be Tubenet.

In what might be an unprecedented position for a conductor, Donald Runnicles, the Principal Guest Conductor of the ASO has spoken out again. This time he is even harsher in his criticism of management. I really wasn't expecting this, thinking that the conductors had already overstepped the boundries with their last statement. Here is a quote. Bridges may have been burned.

"The lockout is essentially the board and management punishing the orchestra: it means they have no access to the place where they work, where they make music; it means their health costs are not going to be paid. And what on earth has that punishment got to do with two invested parties in a discussion-finding consensus? It’s a one-sided attempt to force the orchestra to its collective knees. It also paints the orchestra as this intransigent group of musicians. But in fact they have shown extraordinary willingness to come to a common agreement, as what happened two years ago proves. The fact that it should have come to a lockout again is simply devastating.”

And yes Joe, "My farts do stick, but I reserve the right to let them"

tbn.al wrote:In what might be an unprecedented position for a conductor, Donald Runnicles, the Principal Guest Conductor of the ASO has spoken out again. This time he is even harsher in his criticism of management. I really wasn't expecting this, thinking that the conductors had already overstepped the boundries with their last statement. Here is a quote. Bridges may have been burned.

You may be right. It's a shame when it gets down to this. There is a line where once you cross it you have landed on the point of no return. With lockouts there are no winners - only losers - including the orchestra, management, the community and most importantly the patrons. No matter what happens they have probably lost some of their customers permanently regardless of the outcome. That's hard especially when customers were already tough to come by. Airing dirty laundry in public is never a good tactic. Good negotiations should be a win win for both sides - not a I win - you lose. Attacking people in public only results in long lasting simmering anger that will come back to bite you in the butt.

The demographics of the US has drastically changed over the last few decades. The "high arts" like symphony orchestras are generally not as well-supported as they used to be, mostly because of the changes in demographics/culture. It doesn't help that the US economy (and world, for that matter) is still quite fragile. On top of that, most symphony orchestras have done a poor job appealing/reaching out to broader audiences.
Symphony orchestras who do more "Pops" and "kiddie/educational" concerts tend to fare better.

The situation in Atlanta is sad, but not unique.....it has happened (and will continue to happen) all over the country.

tbn.al wrote: And yes Joe, "My farts do stick, but I reserve the right to let them"

That has got to be one of the most unfortunate typos of all time. At any rate, I hope you've invested in an industrial-strength washing machine.

Thursday night, which was supposed to be opening night for the 2014 season, was instead a silent protest in front of the hall by symphony musicians. Not really newsworthy except for the fact that seen in a picture in this link is conductor Spano smack in the middle of the gathering hugging a violinist. Also pictured is a member of this forum with his tuba on his back.

http://artsculture.blog.ajc.com/2014/09 ... ing-night/" target="_blank

Romanstein resigns! With the chief antagonist gone maybe we can get back to music in Atlanta.

http://artsculture.blog.ajc.com/2014/09 ... im-leader/" target="_blank

That is great news! Now the orchestra world needs to keep this guy from landing another job--he needs to 'go away' permanently.
I bet a deal can get struck now! Here's hoping!
Mark

If you agree with the text I invite you to sign the online petition to end the lockout in Atlanta.

https://www.change.org/p/woodruff-arts- ... ns-lockout" target="_blank

tbn.al wrote:If you agree with the text I invite you to sign the online petition to end the lockout in Atlanta.

https://www.change.org/p/woodruff-arts- ... ns-lockout" target="_blank" target="_blank

This petition is clearly one-sided. If the musicians would agree to not strike and continue negotiations while playing, I would sign it.

Mark wrote:

tbn.al wrote:If you agree with the text I invite you to sign the online petition to end the lockout in Atlanta.

https://www.change.org/p/woodruff-arts- ... ns-lockout" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

This petition is clearly one-sided. If the musicians would agree to not strike and continue negotiations while playing, I would sign it.

Uh, the lockout is by definition one-sided... and the Board has not even accepted arbitration!

The musicians are not a party to the petition. It was started by a patron who like me is not as interested in the political stuff as the missing music. I just want to hear the music again. If the lockout was ended then hopefully the music could continue while the negotiations proceeded. Of course there is no guarantee that would happen given the political situation. I just miss the music.

windshieldbug wrote:

Mark wrote:

tbn.al wrote:If you agree with the text I invite you to sign the online petition to end the lockout in Atlanta.

https://www.change.org/p/woodruff-arts- ... ns-lockout" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank" target="_blank

This petition is clearly one-sided. If the musicians would agree to not strike and continue negotiations while playing, I would sign it.

Uh, the lockout is by definition one-sided... and the Board has not even accepted arbitration!

Yes, the lockout is one-sided and management should not have done it. However, this does not preclude the musicians from going on strike if the lockout is cancelled. Either way, ASO patrons suffer.

bloke wrote:I wonder what the boss of an insurance agency would do if he had an agent working for him who (after being told that sales commissions are going to have to be cut) demanded,

"I'm not willing to sell policies for only __%. I demand __%."

Would that agency owner "negotiate" with that salesman, or would he wish that salesman the best, change the lock, and look for another salesman?

There are people qualified to sell insurance (and do it very well) other than that person making those demands, and there are people qualified to play written-down pitches and expression markings (and do it very well) other than some musicians who make similar demands.

========================

If (after wishing the former employee well and changing the lock) the former employee starting insisting, "This is MY job and I WON it!", what might the insurance agency owner do then?

Oh, of course the agency owner wouldn't dare do that because that would result in losing irreplaceable talent and the standards of the art would drop as they all flock to other companies.

And that happens. My insurance company shut down an entire state and eliminated hundreds of salesmen because it was not profitable to continue there. Folks had to find other companies. Salesmen leave on their own and also get sent packing. Their individual customers don't get a say when their favorite salesman chooses to leave or gets fired. They simply have to go looking for another company. That is where I find myself with the Atlanta symphony orchestra music today. There are other orchestras, I play in one, but none that matches the quality I want to hear in my area. As a consumer I am left to find what music I can wherever I can and I don't like that. Unions be damned! Management be damned! Politics be damned! I realize that is a selfish position but that is where I find myself. End of rant!