About a month ago there was a NY Times interview with Ben Lerer, co-founder and chief executive at Thrillist Media Group. He says, “One thing we preach at work all day long is ‘don’t hope.’ What that means is don’t wait for somebody to do something for you. Don’t do something 90 percent well and […]
Inventive capitalization program reaping benefits for theater festival
The Great River Shakespeare Festival (GRSF) in Winona, Minnesota has created an inventive capitalization instrument that will interest the broader field. The Festival’s “Legacy Bond Investment Program,” launched in September, 2011 is a state-approved investment offer for Festival patrons that provides GRSF with significant working capital. Â Essentially, GRSF is offering donors the opportunity to support […]
New business models? Bring them on
I have been following the modest torrent of discussion in the blogosphere about appropriate business models for the nonprofit cultural sector. A recently published paper was useful to my own thinking about this so I’ll summarize it here and direct you to the link. The paper’s author is Peter Frumkin of the RGK Center for Philanthropy […]
Thoughts on being a worthy opponent
Earlier this month the Walker Art Center hosted a symposium on agonism in collaboration with Northern Lights. I only attended a small portion of the week-end’s offerings but even a small dose has been enough to keep my mind active for the past two weeks. And what’s stuck with me is the idea that there is […]
Does your organization need a Chief Experience Officer?
A big part of our choice of favorite products and companies comes from the quality of how they engage us. My favorite coffee shop not only has the best coffee in Saint Paul but also the best playlist going in the shop, the best free Internet access, comfy chairs, an entertaining and useful Facebook page, […]
American Mavericks 2012
The San Francisco Symphony is celebrating its Centennial this season with gusto — they’ve invited six major American orchestras to perform in their home at Davies Symphony Hall, created three national symposia on the state of American orchestras, issued new recordings and produced new television, web, and radio broadcasts, and produced the second American Mavericks festival, the brainchild […]
The problem with problemization
I wasn’t sure whether or not problemization was a word until I looked it up and found that it is one. Problemization is to consider or treat as a problem (Merriam Webster). I’ve been thinking about this a lot. The reason is that increasingly when you look at a foundation’s grant guidelines you are asked: “What […]
“The Perilous Life of Symphony Orchestras”
Stanford Emeritus Professor Robert J. Flanagan‘s book, The Perilous Life of Symphony Orchestras, Artistic Triumphs and Economic Challenges, was just released from Yale University Press and will be of interest to anyone working in, volunteering for, or listening to orchestras. The slim volume is jammed with interesting data, and its extensive bibliography will be helpful to […]
Can you teach resourcefulness?
On the agenda at a recent Board of Overseers’ meeting at the Curtis Institute of Music were past graduates, some with non-traditional careers both in music and not, speaking about the preparation their Curtis education provided them. The backdrop to the conversation was a speech the previous afternoon by Derek Bok, who advocated for the […]
Whither classical music radio
The Station Resource Group and Walrus Research, with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, published a report in June on the Performance of Classical Music Stations. Â The report is part of a larger effort at the Station Resource Group to advance thinking around what it would take to expand audiences for public radio […]