Goodbye, Columbus

[Alex C]

The lack of reporting both sides of the dispute by the Columbus Dispatch shows the despicable lack of factual reporting in today's media. The people of Columbus deserve to know the facts but they won't get it from the Columbus paper.

Orchestra boards seem to fear organized musicians; they also seem to prefer having no orchestra rather than having one where the artists have any input. I am taking bets that the same board will start a "different" orchestra within two years with a different name with musicians inferior to the present members, who will be paid an inferior wage. The inferior product will go unnoticed by the board.

Best of luck to the current members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

[BVD Press]

I am taking bets that the same board will start a "different" orchestra within two years with a different name with musicians inferior to the present members, who will be paid an inferior wage. The inferior product will go unnoticed by the board.

Best of luck to the current members of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra.

Having played with the orchestra a few times, I wish them luck as well. Instead of the board starting a new orchestra, what are the odds the musicians would start their own?

I have never been a fan of boards because they seem to lose touch with the community at large and tend be about bottom line only. Yes someone has to worry about it, but to lose this orchestra would be a quite a sad day those who have attended or performed with the orchestra in the past.

[windshieldbug]

The people of Columbus deserve to know the facts but they won't get it from the Columbus paper.

Papers don't want to alienate any potential advertisers in this day and age, and the musicians most likely don't advertise regularly, if at all.

The board is also likely made up of moneyed persons, or business people, if not both. The advice that they receive in the current state of bankruptcy laws is not encouraging, either.

It's not simply the product that a Symphony Orchestra has to sell that is dying out...

[Toobist]

All my best wishes to those Columbus musicians.

This is a thread topic that is becoming more and more frequent.

I hope all of you younger players just starting college are taking note. I don't say that because I want anyone to change his/her mind about music as a profession, but to advise everyone to expand the concept of being a musician. Get out there and find gigs. Trust me in that they're not going to find you and, in fact, the more gigs you actually create for yourself, the better off you'll be. Very few of us make our living from one gig.... and fewer every day it seems.

[PWtuba]

Each year the CSO has played a side-by-side concert with the Youth Orchestra which my son (the youth orchestra tubist) describes as the most fun he's had in his whole life.

That's me!!!

According to Maestro Wilson, the problem is that the board seems to think that the CSO has outgrown the city of Columbus. (Or something like that.)

It's a shame to see this happening. I've been to many of their concerts, and they're a great, great orchestra. Being a member of the Youth Orchestra is what really made me fall in love with classical music. I hope that other kids will be able to do the same, if the program continues.