That Time When You Had A Realization 18 Sep 2022 11:00 PM (2 years ago)
After 18 years, 10 months, 17 days, and 4,821 posts it’s time to wrap things up. I was listening to the original Broadway cast recording of Hamilton and the track One Last Time came on. If you’re unfamiliar with the song, it’s a conversation between George Washington and Alexander Hamilton where Washington informs Hamilton about his intention to not seek re-election.
The two go on sing about Washington’s desire for Hamilton to help write his farewell address and the importance of knowing how to exit the stage. That’s when the thought started poking the back of the head, slowly at first, but with enough intensity to know it wasn’t going away.
Having said that, it still feels very odd to reach the realization that it’s time to stop while simultaneously having no shortage of ideas and topics that deserve attention…but it’s also clear that now is the time to let new voices step in and pick up that conversation. The emerging practice of audition fees, virtual audition practices, underpaid/overworked staff, the post-pandemic compensation reports, and so much more are all issues that need the sunlight of public examination in a non-partisan environment.
Without that, the field risks moving through some very dark times over the next generation. But moving forward, something besides Adaptistration will need to fill that role.
I’m most certainly not retiring (if only!) and that means keeping entirely silent is…highly unlikely, but the days of a reliable daily blog are at an end. The next step includes writing a proper farewell, which will come in due time.
Until then, I can say things won’t change with Inside The Arts, ArtsHacker, and Arts Admin Jobs. Each of those outlets and their respective authors will continue as usual. In fact, there’s a new regular contributor coming at ArtsHacker that specializes in finance related content. I’ll also keep Adaptistration’s blog archive, Who’s Minding The Score?, and the Take A Friend To The Orchestra resource site available indefinitely as well as updating the Counting The Costs resource site to adjust for the rate of inflation.
Back Next Week 5 Sep 2022 11:00 PM (2 years ago)
I’m away for a short vacation and decided to take a few extras days off from blogging as well but I’ll try to be back on Wednesday, September 14, 2022. Once things are back up and running, we’ll be examining the decision by one professional orchestra to begin charging audition fees and hopefully have enough data to publish the compensation reports.
Happy Labor Day! Now Get Your Binge On 4 Sep 2022 11:00 PM (2 years ago)
Take a moment to treat yourself today and get to learn about ins and outs of orchestra management from a humorous perspective by binge-reading all 157 episodes of Who’s Minding The Score?, a satirical cartoon that provides a behind the scenes look orchestra life. It’s the ideal way to spend some of your Labor Day, really, just take a look at some of these characters…
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Cornering The Content Market Before It Knows It’s A Market 31 Aug 2022 11:00 PM (2 years ago)
Back in December 2021 Carnegie Hall launched Carnegie Hall+, an on-demand streaming service. While you would assume their content would focus primarily on events at the venue, you would be correct, but they are also presenting recorded performances of artists that simply performed at Carnegie.
It’s understandable if that seems like an odd area to focus until you look at the way mainstream streaming services approach content. Simply put, having more than your competitors is leverage.
While I don’t think anyone would be wrong for thinking that arts and culture streaming content won’t be duking it out with tentpole content from Disney, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a market. So even though there may be fewer zeros involved, it still boils down to whoever owns the content (or at least the rights) will be in the best position to capitalize on what that can reap.
At the very least, it’s food for thought for anyone who thinks arts and culture content will be an afterthought as streaming services continue to battle for dominance.
Traveling Artist Housing Takes A Big Step Forward In San Francisco 30 Aug 2022 11:00 PM (2 years ago)
Artist housing is a topic long time readers know we cover every few years and over all this time, the idea has yet to catch on. At the same time, the need for affordable musician housing at summer festivals and regional orchestras is stronger than ever.
Having to rely on the largesse of patrons to provide housing is not a long-term solution and the latest jump in hotel and Airbnb rooms is starting to bring this issue to the forefront (again). The last time we examined this issue was 2016 and at the time, movement on this issue was happening outside the US but the 8/25/2022 edition of the SF Chronicle published an article by Lily Janiak that reports on Berkeley Repertory Theatre’s new Medak Center.
The capital project created a dedicated building for housing artists and staff and is designed to save the organization money over time.
“Berkeley Rep’s outgoing managing director, Susie Medak, the center’s namesake and the driving force behind its construction, remembers when housing out-of-town artists cost the company $300,000 to $400,000 per year. These days it’s more like $2 million. Before the pandemic postponed the most recent season opening, Berkeley Rep had committed to paying for 7,000 nights at a nearby Marriott hotel for this past year.”
The article goes into great detail about the project and projected goals and unlike the UK project from 2016, should go a long way toward serving as a proof of concept to other arts and culture orgs facing similar challenges here in the US.