As we gear up for a hearing on January 23 that will focus on the economic impact of the NHL and orchestra lockouts, here is a post I wrote on my SOTL Facebook page (which, by the way, you should “like” if you haven’t already).
Orchestrate Excellence asks, “How has the Minnesota Orchestra lockout affected you personally or economically?”
Here are some facts about the economic impact of the Orchestra’s lockout…
– According to an 11/29 article in the Strib, the Minneapolis Convention Center lost out on $274,000 in revenue in 2012 alone. If the lockout continues until summer, they will lose out on over $500,000.
– That same article says that the Minnesota Chorale lost “nearly all of its earned income for the fiscal year” due to canceled performances in 2012.
– Restaurants and other businesses around the Convention Center have lost business.
– Tax revenue has been lost.
– Money that guest artists would spend in Minneapolis at hotels, restaurants, and other businesses has been lost.
To sum:
On 12/6, KTSP wrote “According to a Meet Minneapolis formula used to estimate the financial contribution of event-based guests, each missed orchestra performance prevents as much as $77,000 from being spent in the city.” Looking at the Minnesota Orchestra’s 2012-13 season brochure, to date, 37 shows have been canceled or postponed. That’s as much as $2.8 million Minneapolis is losing out on. If the lockout continues until Orchestra Hall reopens, 74 shows will be canceled, preventing nearly $5.7 million from being spent.
And of course that’s not mentioning the plight that many Twin Cities music students find themselves in: right now their teachers are subbing all over the world and auditioning for seats all over the world. Few things are more bitterly painful to a music student than being separated from a teacher you really click with. Our teachers are the ones who ensure our future in the art, whether as professionals or dedicated amateurs. The dedicated students of Minnesota Orchestra members are the core of the savvy young audience the MOA ought to be courting and cultivating if it wants to survive and thrive in the 21st century. Instead, the MOA is alienating us. Dramatically.
There are other costs to the lockout, too. Head over to Orchestrate Excellence’s Facebook page and describe how you’ve been affected.
Song of the Lark 
In other words, taxpayer money is being used to 1) build a facility while jobs are being cut and 2) pay unemployment to musicians. Yeah, great use of “job-creating” money.
The management has had a bad effect in the area
Just stubborn old men with too much ego, and no sense!!!!
Don’t forget longer term (admittedly tough to measure) impacts: how do young, ambitious musicians look at Minnesota now, and down the line, as they read audition postings and gather advice? How glad are artists to return in the future to Minneapolis, after having been cancelled… What a merry December that must have made, with gigantic holes abruptly torn in their calendars.