In case you’re wondering, I’m still alive. Just haven’t had much to say, since nobody else has much to say. One hopes some kind of negotiations are happening behind the scenes. Not holding my breath on that, though.
Nonetheless, I wanted to mention that the Young Musicians of Minnesota are giving a concert on Saturday July 27. All details here. The program includes the feisty, rebellious Beethoven Egmont Overture and Tchaikovsky 4, as well as Mahler’s Adagietto. They’re still looking for string players to help fill out the section. So if you’re a musician around 25 or younger (or know any musicians around 25 or younger), check out the details in the link. More concerts are in the works. Check out their Facebook page for updates.
Also, just a friendly reminder that when I’m too lazy to write full-fledged entries on the blog, you should visit me on Facebook, too. I usually post something there at least once every couple of days. You don’t need to sign up for Facebook to look at the page. Bookmark that and check it just as often as you check the blog. You’ll get all sorts of little snippets of news there, such as the blow-by-blow of the mini-battle in MinnPost that’s been going on between MOA HR director Esther Saarela and reality – Jon Campbell’s insights on leadership (hint: he followed exactly none of them during the lockout debacle) – and the date of the upcoming Symphony Ball!! (Yes, this is a thing, that exists.) (Yes, the card promoting it was mailed to at least one musician family. Can’t figure out if it’s malice or incompetence on behalf of the MOA.) (Yes, musician supporters really need to have an alternate ball ourselves.) (And yes I’ve already caught myself looking at various dresses, trying to decide what look might be most ironically glamorous while hitting the pavement to protest outside the hall during the event…should it come to that.) (MOA, trust me: you do not want it to come to that.)
And you are checking the musicians’ Facebook page every day, right? Good.
Don’t bother with following the MOA’s. The other day they did yet another sweep-through, deleting all patron wall posts from the time the lockout began to 21 June. And they still won’t respond to anything I or my readers ask, unless they don’t know they’re my readers. But remember…as the MOA’s email blast from a few months ago said: “Your feedback is enormously valuable to us.” …
Song of the Lark 
I see Wells Fargo is donating $25K to the ball, and USBank is down for $15K . . .
I noticed that. Here’s a list of last year’s sponsors… http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org/events-a-tickets/browse-calendar/eventdetail/292/-/- As you can see, there are a number of businesses on the list last year that aren’t there. Have they not been approached by the MOA yet? Have they refused to participate? Does anyone think it’s worthwhile to contact the companies who donated last year and ask them to not do so this year? Would it be a worthwhile strategy to pursue to ask companies not to donate until a satisfactory resolution is reached? Yeah, theoretically the money won’t be used at the MOA until after the work stoppage is settled. But A) I don’t trust that, and B) IMHO the board can go have their lavish party after they get their musicians back to work.