Tuesday, June 16, 2009

Random Post Mortem Musings

Post from Alan Jordan (from 35,000 feet.)

Quasi-quote: “There isn’t a mayor in this country who doesn’t come to Chicago and see this (the Pritzker Pavilion) and say, ‘man, I want on of these for my city!’”

I never thought Shostakovitch could sound like Brahms until last evening. And no one would know why his Songs of the Forest would be unfamiliar to American audiences until they read the translations. (And we still would have be in the dark had communism not died there!) Wonder where I can find a recording?

2009 conference may eventually be regarded as one of the largest group therapy sessions ever offered. One can’t help feeling a little better about our industry—and careers!

A constituency session comment re-iterated a line shared with me a long time ago from a concert hall manager in Concord, NH who passed away from cancer a few years back: the official moniker for 501(c)3s is not “non-profit,” but “not for profit.” For profit firms are obligated to their shareholders to produce results. We are obligated to the public to produce results, and those results are not necessarily—and most beneficially—financial ones.

I haven’t been sold yet on a laptop as a classical music instrument. And I wonder how percussionists will feel about seeing performance opportunities for them wrested away by pre-programmed computers? Is this much different than using a CD for Nutcracker?

I wonder if the Palmer House will find any lost delegates on Monday morning?

And now a final image; one not taken by our official conference photographer, and not at an official conference event:


Ari Solotoff (Portland, ME), Alan Jordan (Vermont), Emily Pawlak (Waterloo-Cedar Falls, IA), John Gingrich (NY, NY), Joshua Worby (Westchester, NY), and Bill Capone (NY, NY) with the Chicago skyline in the background following the Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox game at Comisky Park (aka, US Cellular Field).

Enjoying America’s second favorite pastime after orchestra concerts: baseball!

Looking forward to Atlanta!

Alan Jordan
Executive Director
Vermont Symphony Orchestra

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