[Editor’s Note, 24 May 2014: The domain names expired today and the Minnesota Orchestral Association no longer owns them. So as a memento of days gone by, a reader snapped one up for me. SaveOurMNOrchestra.org now links back to this entry.)
***
At this point, few things trigger my rage at the Minnesota Orchestral Association. Lying about fiscal stability in front of the state legislature? Sure, whatever. Old news. Shrugging at the potential loss of all their principal players and world-renowned conductor? Yup. That happens. Completely ignoring important patrons and donors? Par. For. The. Expletive-Deleted. Course. I mean, of course the lockout upsets me – hence the year’s worth of obsessive writing – but it no longer makes me want to start throwing suitcases around in a fit of incoherent rage like the American Tourister gorilla.
ROARRR
But I swear, my suitcases were in serious danger the other night.
It was right before bed. It was late. I was doing a favor for some friends and looking up a domain name for an organization they were thinking of launching. But it turns out, the name they were curious about wasn’t available. Someone else had bought it. And it was a really absurdly specific one, too: saveourminnesotaorchestra.org.
Out of curiosity, I checked the owners. And my mouth dropped open.
An actual screenshot of who owns saveourminnesotaorchestra.org
And I looked at the date and I started hurling screamed expletives out the open window.
Hmm, let’s check the date…
Do you see the date?
CAN YOU SEE THE DATE???
In case you’re just joining us, THE LOCKOUT DIDN’T START UNTIL OCTOBER 2012.
Why SaveOurMinnesotaOrchestra.org? Well, I found out the next day that in the spring of 2012, Michael Henson took a jaunt to Detroit to discuss shared challenges with the management team there. One of the shared challenges? An uppity audience. The rabble-rousing done by members of Save Our Symphony rubbed their management team the wrong way, and it seems the Detroit management might have had a word with Mr. Henson to be on the lookout for a sister organization forming over here. I have a hard time imagining that the Detroit trip and this domain name shopping spree were unconnected.
So. While you were attending the last show in the old Orchestra Hall – earnestly cutting checks for the Building for the Future campaign – flipping through your shiny brochures for the 2012-13 season – the Minnesota Orchestra was spending money (presumably, your money) in a concerted attempt to buy a domain name relating to “saving the orchestra.” (Implication: they knew a big persuasive chunk of people in the future would view their actions as destructive, and they knew they had to guard against those people.)
Oh, but wait, you say. Yes, this sounds awful, initially, but maybe the MOA wanted to keep the name on hand for a fundraising effort!
Nope. Wasn’t done for a fundraising effort. Want to know why I know?
BECAUSE THE MINNESOTA ORCHESTRAL ASSOCIATION BOUGHT UP ALL THE FOLLOWING DOMAINS, TOO. And I have the screenshots to prove it.
Yes, on May 24 and May 25, 2012 (2012!), they bought all those domain names, anticipating the moment when the audience would connect with Save our Symphony in Detroit and unleash pro-musician havoc into our corner of the world. If it was for a fundraising campaign, they should have chosen one or two and stuck with them.
I don’t know the MOA’s side of the story since the MOA doesn’t reply to me, and never will reply to me, except to tell me to shut up. In the immortal words of Michael Henson in a closed-door donor meeting that one of my readers was at: “Blogs are senseless and must be ignored.” Maybe at some point the MOA will speak to the mainstream press about this. But until the MOA explains what the heck is going on here, do you want to know what this looks like?
This looks like deliberate, predatory domain buying meant to outwit and irritate angry patrons and donors.
This looks like the MOA colluding even more intensely with Detroit than we’ve been led to believe.
This looks like the destruction was premeditated and preordained from the beginning. From BEFORE the beginning.
This looks like the MOA didn’t just want to pick a fight with musicians.
This looks like the MOA wanted to pick a fight with their patrons.
[insert your rage here]
Well. You know what, MOA? If you thought the following scenario was ever going to play out, you’re even more fricking delusional than I thought…and as you know, I think you’re pretty fricking delusional already.
Minnesota Orchestral Association: Institutes major work stoppage
Public: Gets angry
Minnesota Orchestral Association: Does nothing
Public: I will not STAND for this anymore! In fact, I feel so strongly about this that I’m going to investigate putting my extremely valuable time, energy, and money into an organized effort to amplify the frustration of the community!
Public: Oh Noez! My first choice name for a group was picked! I’m going to give up now!
Obviously that scenario never did play out, and never will play out.
And amusingly, for all their apparent concern over Save Our Symphony in Detroit, the MOA missed the most obvious domain name of all: Save Our Symphony Minnesota.
And that’s the story behind how saveoursymphonymn.org was named. And an example of why 1100 people liked it on Facebook its first day alone.
Song of the Lark 
Keep it up, Lark!
You might find it interesting that one of the consultants that was working with the Detroit Symphony was Bruce Coppock, two-time President and CEO of The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra. Any wonder that it looks like there is an agenda here!
Did the SOSPCO organization have trouble obtaining its domain site?
No.
Disgusting situation- There is got to be away to get rid of Henson!!!!
Either you are a principled bassoon or a principal bassoon.
Steven and James, I made that principle / principal error once. In the HEADLINE of an SOS call to action email that went to FIVE THOUSAND people. Holy crap did I hear about that one…!
Interesting thing to note. I compiled a list of just the creation dates for each domain name:
2012-05-24 15:48:44
2012-05-24 15:48:44
2012-05-24 15:48:53
2012-05-24 15:48:53
2012-05-24 20:49:03
2012-05-24 20:49:03
2012-05-25 15:50:44
2012-05-25 15:50:45
2012-05-25 15:50:45
2012-05-25 15:50:47
2012-05-25 20:50:46
2012-05-25 20:50:46
These domain names were purchased within (a) SECOND(S) of each other.
I don’t know whether to congratulate you on your arts reporting or spit nails. (In case you don’t know it, that’s an old Southern expression denoting ANGER. As in, “I’m mad enough to spit nails.” Don’t ask me why nails though.)
Now is the time to start picketing and get public attention to put pressure on the ‘negotiations.”
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thanks for this info. this is HORRIBLE. i do like verifying stories, and for anyone else out there who would like to double check this for peace of mind, i can say it is TRUE. you can easily go to networksolutions.com and type in anyone of these addresses and see the results, in black and white. (the only one i couldn’t verify was saveourmnorchestra.org) the part that is even more horrifying is the timeline of when these were purchased. over two days, and at various times, like a new name dawned on them like, “OH! we forgot this one!” shameful. i’m glad to see you found a domain that they didn’t think of.
I just wish I had known this last night.
This is proof of underhand unethical behavior. I would have loved to ask a question about this to Allan Fletcher.
He did say the lockout should end unconditionally and I agree. However he cut the MOA a lot of slack. Having served on a lot of boards, including a symphony board, I know how difficult things can be. I spent more time than I should have in a break out session pleading for some slack for the MOA.
The problem is that the whole orchestra will unravel with Osmo Vanska’s resignation on September 9. If there is agreement by then I will eat the proverbial hat!
I’m done now with the MOA and will not work with them.
So I think it means starting from scratch. Allan Fletcher strongly advised against that, on the grounds that the chance of success would be minimal. I have to agree the odds are strongly stacked against such an adventure.
I guess it is time to face facts, that the SPCO will most likley be our only professional orchestra for as long as they can hold out.
I agree with the Rand corporation’s assessment, a lot of orchestras world wide will disappear in the fairly near future.
Technology is rapidly advancing and spreading. There are already thousands of concerts on Meidici TV, and the the BPO and now Montiverdi TV. I have no idea of market penetration, of Midici TV which is a private enterprise. They show no signs to me of going under.
One gauge is this year’s BBC Prom season. Some UK viewers have now loaded a good deal of the Proms season on YouTube in HD AV, illegally of course, but done for the good of the order. I suspect that the BBC actually don’t mind, and are happy at this time to show the futility of rights contracting in the digital age. This does beg the question though, of how artists get fair payment. So robust DRM built into the developed software will be a crucial step.
The point is though, that when I did a search this morning, a lot of these uploads are recent, and yet have thousands of hits, and I bet comparatively few know they are there.
Last night people were again skeptical of the equivalence of HD big screen TV with high definition audio. The fact is that it is equivalent, and in many ways better. If I’m honest I prefer it, I hate to admit it, but there it is and I’m not the only one.
I really do believe this will catch on big time in the next decade. One thing we already know, is that you can not judge the audience for classical music by concert attendance. There are a lot more people who like and listen, and in increasing numbers watching classical music, than those who attend concerts.
This research out of the University of London, backs up a good deal of what I’m saying.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/classicalmusic/10253821/In-music-the-eyes-matter-as-much-as-the-ears.html
It shows what I have come to realize in the last few years, and especially since last fall.
I have listened to classical music, and a vast amount in over 60 years. Until DVD all of my video experience was live music. With BD and now the coming of age of high quality streaming, which gives a better picture than DVD and equivalent audio, my habits have changed drastically and are still changing. The bulk of my listening now is listening with an HD picture on the large screen.
The point of all this is, that when things really fall apart, if there is a attempt to restart the engine, IT technicians, video and audio technicians need to be the first hires along with the musicians.
I’m certain that no orchestra, or opera house without a strong presence in quality productions on the NET will be around beyond 10 years.
This is another area where the MOA have missed to boat. However I have to admit that the policy of the American Federation of Musicians on all this is far from helpful and progressive.
I really do see a time where the principle revenue streams come from the NET business. We might even have to make the house seats free, or very cheap just to get an audience for the AV production!
Tradition has no meaning for you. So we will do away with a personal things. Love and raising children with be done by technical means. Good luck to you, my friend. Beauty is more than 0 and 1, sorry you have no idea about that.
The SPCO is a shadow of its former self.
Didn’t you hear Mr. Fletcher speak about how important it is to hear – and see – things LIVE? also, you are assuming that everyone has the money and the technology to be watching online.
While the revelation of the premeditated domain name purchase is disturbing, I find the admission by Mr. Carter that he prefers digital recordings to live performances shocking. Regardless of his 60 years listening to what I prefer to call “good music”, he is clearly a dilettante. I have devoted my life to the performance of good music and haveregularly attended performances in nearly all of the world’s great concert halls and opera houses. As do most music lovers, I listen to music my home and cars as well, but there is no comparison to the thrill and poignancy of a live performance, even in a dry hall. The problem is indeed that some patrons simply do not have the sensibility to discern what is great from what is just good-enough. This has always been the case, but the digital age has allowed people like Mr. Carter to sit at home or in a movie theater, spend little or nothing (as ‘Prommers’ have done in London for over a century) and still hear good music. They simply do not hear good music well. Sadly, I agree that professional symphony orchestras will soon be a vestige of a once great medium. The finest things in western culture slipping away and indeed once gone they will be forgotten.
I spent most of my youth in the Twin Cities, and most weekends at Northrup and O’Shaughnessy Auditoriums, followed by Orchestra Hall and The Ordway. The great orchestras of Minneapolis and St. Paul were the most significant institutions to me and my generation of Minnesotan music lovers. I guess you can’t in fact ever go home again.
I have two degrees in music, one from the Eastman School of Music and the other from Yale. I’ve performed in orchestral and chamber ensembles as well as solo in venues all over the USA. I love live music: I love to create it and to listen to it. I believe that the most authentic musical experiences are to be had in real-time with nothing between performer and musician other than air.
However, HD recording technology, the easy availability of broadband internet, and decent quality sound equipment has changed the game and we would be foolish to ignore or downplay the significance of technological advances. Simple fact is, in most places in the USA (and the world) you are going to see a much better performance of pretty much any musical work on youtube than you will at the local philharmonic. Not only will it be superior in every musical way, it will be free, it requires no dressing up or travel, and you can “pause” the performance, or repeat certain sections of it anytime you want. Also, if it sucks, you can listen to something else, or turn it off, whenever you want. Ditto Spotify.
One of my favorite things to do is sit in my pajamas with a score and read along with some amazing performance on youtube. Realistically, it would cost me thousands of dollars to travel to the Philharmonie in Berlin to see a single concert, which may or may not be so great depending upon many factors. I have to dress up and it would be rude to sit with the score and a flashlight. OR, I can go to their digital concert hall and watch an AMAZING performance of pretty much whatever I want at any time. With good stereo equipment, it sounds like a much better deal. Am I a “dilettante” because I think this way? I remember one time traveling to a large famous city to see a large, very famous orchestra. They sounded awful. It was a miserable performance. But, unfortunately, that is the reality of the performing arts: sometimes an ensemble or some individuals can give a poor performance. We’ve all done it.
What we need to do is embrace this technology. It gives many people the chance to hear excellent performances for very little investment of time, money, and effort. This is a good thing! It can help to cultivate an interest in and love of beautiful artistic music. It doesn’t mean we have to give up on live music though. In fact, here’s an idea:
What if we changed our paradigm of “local” “live” music to education and participation rather than passive listening and social niceities? What if, on the local level, people played music together rather than just listening to some 3rd rate local orchestra (don’t worry, I play in several of those so I can call them that!). What if we became a nation of music makers and lovers, instead of music “consumers?” I am thinking we can learn from sports. Every school, every church, every YMCA, every community organization should have chamber ensembles, choirs, orchestras, etc. The “professionals” could help coach and teach the others. I think something like that would be a far better nation than what will result from our desperate attempt to preserve what we have now.
If you are interested, Paul Hindemith discusses something like this in “A Composer’s World.”
Incredible. Thanks for the post.
You are DANGEROUS, girl! You put so-called “investigative journalists” to SHAME!!! No wonder you Must Be Ignored . . .
Wow, I am simply speechless. However, now this all makes sense. Very huge egos at work here. Thanks. Belinda
So it was a premeditated murder! How many more concealed weapons, other than arrogance and ignorance, have been cited?
Michael Handjob is surely the best fiend an orchestra ( or any non-corporatized collection of undeserving, unsuspecting ne’er-do-wells) could wish for.
CEO testicles all over America are tingling in anticipation of the day when the “creatives” finally take their well-deserved places on the back of the richly rewarded corporate powered bus! Maybe the Supreme Court should rule that patrons are people too?
Do other people confuse Minneapolis with Detroit? Did Detroit people charge a mentoring fee? What can we do to bring Minneapolis to the same level as Detroit? Charming thought- Mo-town Minneapolis?
Great work, Emily – keep it up. You are doing very important things here, and your resourcefulness is amazing.
Emily nice job with the investigative journalism. It is very disappointing to think the Minnesota Orchestra was planning for this disaster to unfold and their recent rejection of the proposal from the mediator they themselves proposed suggests they are not as unhappy with the silence as the patrons and musicians – giving lip service to the notion they have a responsibility to provide any performances while ridding themselves of more talent – oops I mean expenses.
You GO, girl!
This is common practice in community issue campaigns. Advantage: the prepared who thought to buy up all the URLs. A dirt trick? Maybe. I’m not making a defense for the MSO mgt, but it is not as if the crisis in orchestra land suddenly reared its ugly head in Detroit (from where I write); it has been brewing for years. Management has been preparing. One has to ask the question where musicians union has been. Here in Detroit there are strike funds and infrastructure to fight a full-fledged PR battle with management. That’s what dues are supposed to pay for. Just saying. I feel for my old hometown orchestra. A lockout serves no purpose but to piss off everyone.
The arrogance and disdain exhibited by this CEO and board is unmistakable. I have felt it intuitively from the beginning of this lockout. This information is more concrete proof of their lack of “bona fides” from the start.
Michael Henson must have come here thinking this was a backwater of unsophisticated rubes who wouldn’t know the difference between a great orchestra and just an okay one. In any case, he clearly thinks we don’t DESERVE a great orchestra and that we will soon be tickled pink with a fancy lobby where we can drink and feel good about ourselves between performances by a “good enough” orchestra led by a “pretty good” conductor. He thinks this is Lake Woebegone where we are proud to all be “above average”! How dare he! His underestimation of this public will be his downfall.
I listened to Allan Fletcher at the Orchestrate Excellence last night. I left without participating in a breakout session because I cannot pretend that we can just move forward from here to craft a future that will be acceptable to both sides, without acknowledging the destruction the MOA has wrought. I cannot pretend that there have been equal errors committed by both sides. To do so is to play right along with the playbook of the MOA. Until the public recognizes the lack of bona fides on the other side, we will continue to play right into their hands.
Thank you, Emily, for continuing to pull back the curtain and exposing the tactics and malice of the other side. We were manipulated into this position and we are still being manipulated. This will continue until we stop engaging with them.
Horrifying – remember that old adage, “A paranoid is a man with all the facts.” I’ll say you’ve got ’em now. How can people sink so low? Such a disgrace. I am so sorry, and I am so sad. Dear friends and colleagues, you don’t deserve this.
Tom that comment of yours is not very thoughtful.
I have just watched the Academy of Santa Cecelia, Rome under Sir Antonio Papano. A Verdi concert including his Ave Maria, the Libera Me from the Requiem for Rossini, not his Great Requiem and his four sacred pieces. A wonderful concert from the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall, where many years ago in medical school I was a Promenarder. Now I’m back to this nonsense.
Yes, harnessing 1 and O zero can and does serve great art. I should point out that your inner ears are analog to digital audio converters and your auditory center is digital.
I have devoted a large portion of my life to the art of reproduction in the home. Yes, it is a blend of science and art. This is the front of my AV room.
I think I have made one Prom since I left England 43 years ago. Now through this new wonderful technology and this system I designed and built, I am able to rejoin the Proms community after 43 years absence.
I doubt what I have just watched will be available in the Twin Cities, and by the same token Osmo Vanska has programmed works by Rautavaara and Aho, with whom he has personal connections. Very likely that would be of interest to someone in London, or any where else in the world.
Being a world class orchestra now means being seen and heard anywhere in the world.
This recent trend you have picked up to bash science and technology is dangerous and harmful.
Science and technology has brought untold and enormous benefits to mankind. One of those benefits is distributing great musical art world wide.
Before the invention of the Gramophone, all but a few were denied access and some being lucky enough to hear piano transcriptions.
Many great engineers have devoted their lives to continually improving the state of the art. Peter Walker founder of Quad Electroacoustics was one such individual who made great contributions. His motto: – “The closest Approach to the Original Sound.” Building on his and other great pioneers we are now far closer than I think even Peter would have imagined possible.
Only these technologies which we continue to improve will expand the audience for great music and allow institutions like our great Minnesota Orchestra to survive and at the same time bring enjoyment and solace world wide.
I would point out all this activity creates economic activity and good jobs, not a psychology of dependency we have now.
When our (much smaller than Minnesota) orchestra went on strike last November and the musicians were trying to get the word out about the musicians’ — as opposed to the Symphony Society’s — Facebook page, a member of the symphony board created several decoy Facebook pages whose names matched generic search terms (city left blank):
“Symphony Musicians ________”
“__________ Symphony Musicians”
“Symphony Musicians in _________”
“Musicians _________ Symphony”
etc.
The actual page name is “Musicians of the _______ Symphony.”
At least with Facebook, complaints could be made and the pages were removed.
A quick search for dot-orgs and dot-coms yields nothing, much to my relief. Otherwise I would have had to face the possibility that ideas like this were being shared among symphony boards and administrations around the country, and that would have been very upsetting. Very. (/sarcasm off)
Unfortunately, I don’t think it requires any great imagination to find underhanded, sneaky, malicious ways to impede negotiations. Great minds just think alike…
I do not mince words by using apostrophes, exclamation marks or ampersands to substitute for letters in what are obviously profane words. That declaration having been made, I enter the following comment- “THESE GUYS ARE ASS-HOLES”. It fits the moment and characterizes their role in this tragedy quite succinctly.
Wow! Did you see this today from Adaptistration? http://www.adaptistration.com/blog/2013/08/22/so-much-for-good-faith-bargaining/
Well done! Keep up the good fight – we’ll help spread the word in the meantime. Wow.
What would we do without you, Emily? Thank you.
That kind of thinnikg shows you’re an expert
How the hell is this guy still getting paid?? What kind of drugs are the board members on to allow this to continue? I’m well aware that the League of American Orchestras (Formerly, and still known as ASshOLes) teaches their members how to be the lowest form of parasites, but this kind of collusion takes the cake. Why haven’t any of the actions of management been found to be illegal?
Great investigative reporting!
You or those involved may have a legitimate way of getting those domains back without any expenditure in the process. ICANN doesn’t like people buying up sites to camp on, especially when they are camping on them to silence another group. I’ll try to put you in touch with a friend who used to work for ICANN and now lives in MN. Much luck!!!!
Crooks are pretty smart. Crooks know what it takes to make it to the top of organizations. Crooks know how to enrich themselves while sh*tting on others. Crooks. Crooks. Crooks.
Of course there was widespread collusion here, among the boards and managers of SEVERAL orchestras….not just MN and Detroit and SPCO. A friend who was a member of one of these orchestras confided to me that there was proof of several orchestras conspiring to keep the locked out musicians from finding employment elsewhere by canceling or postponing filling open positions in their orchestras. Despicable. And quite likely illegal labor violations, to boot.
Fortunately, the NY Phil, Chicago SO, Boston SO, San Fran SO and Cleveland O were not among those conspirators.
…at least, not this time. The orchestras involved in this kind of thing have been getting bigger, though. (Maybe someone should consider buying up “savethenyphilharmonic” domain names, just in case.)
The whole Minnesota Orchestra fiasco began with closing Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis for remodeling. Beware New York!
Buying domain names to protect an online reputation is a common business practice. I absolutely think the lockout is awful and the MOA hasn’t been as looking out for the Orchestra’s interests, but this idea could have come from a PR person or board member with good intentions. #DevilsAdvocate
Well, protecting the image would lead to buying “theorchestrasucks” or “gotohellmichaelhenson”. From a quick look, no one has thought to save the reputation of Coke, Chevy or Apple by buying domains that link *those* brand names with the word “save.”
Wardegus – I would believe your theory had only one domain been bought.
First world problems.
Your point being…?
Wargegus- and Nowling-
Yes, buying up domain names like this is common practice, but the purpose of this practice is clear: to stifle the opposition. Just because it’s common practice doesn’t mean that it’s ethical, especially in this situation (non-profit arts). What’s interesting is that way back in May of 2012, management thought of the musicians *and their supporters* as the “opposition” and that the opposition would need “stifling.”
Exactly!
Who is paying for the purchasing of domain names?
How many others have been bought that haven’t been discovered yet? How much is going to be enough?
If a PR firm and purchasing domains doesn’t cut it to stiffle oppositional response and sway public opinion, does that mean there’s a green light to use public funding to pay for MOA management shills next?
I mean that’s business practise elsewhere, right?…*shakes head*
Someone should forward this to MPR or the Strib. MPR could take up this topic at the MN State Fair during their morning news coverage.
Eric, I have already done that. I also sent this letter: –
Minnesota Orchestra Lockout: – A Sorry Tale Steeped in Duplicity and Dishonor
In the beginning I was prepared to give you, the directors of the MOA, the benefit of the doubt. After all, I understand the financial perils of deficit funding. However, you have now worsened the financial base of the Minnesota Orchestra with your duplicity and lack of ethics. You have deprived the musicians of a living and denied them health insurance for almost a year.
Even at this last Tuesday evenings meeting on the advice of our eminent guest, Alan Fletcher, I was in a mind to grant you some further indulgence. Now it appears you bought thirteen domain names on GoDaddy.com, such a “savetheminnesotaorchestra.com.” These purchases were made May 24 of 2012. These purchases are intended to frustrate the advocacy of citizen groups. They are absolute proof of your lack of integrity and indicate malice aforethought.
The Minnesota Orchestra did not build its worldwide reputation in recent years. At the dawn of the stereo era in 1958/59 I was 10-11 years old. At that age I was already an avid music and audio enthusiast. In those years in the UK we used to gather at the Grand Old Hotel Russell, on beautiful Russell Square in London, every April for the annual Audio Fair. The fine recordings of the Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra on the Mercury Living Presence label recorded by Robert Fine, were at the top of the demonstration discs. Its reputation was worldwide then as it is now. Now you have caused financial loss and problems across the oceans frustrating the BIS recording, and completing the Grammy nominated Sibelius symphony cycle under Osmo Vanska. This coupled with appearances of the Orchestra at the BBC Proms and Carnegie Hall, it should come as no surprise that the eyes of the nation and the world are on you. A mighty chorus is rising up questioning your actions and judgement.
Worse, at the time you were drawing up your infamous plans, the musicians of our orchestra were involved with A.C.M.E to bring El Sistema to the children of North Minneapolis. In addition to frustrating attempts to replace guns with instruments in North Minneapolis, your actions denied your organization funds from philanthropists looking for a social justice element in their donations. This is now a big consideration in direction of philanthropic donations. Since the chair and vice chair belong to a cadre of individuals whose collective moral turpitude and lack of probity visited untold misery on billions around the world from the events that unfolded in 2008 this comes as no surprise.
Your only recourse to salvage any personal honor, is for you all to sincerely apologize and resign. If you think there are not competent individuals of probity and integrity to replace you, then you are additionally guilty of monumental conceit.
Your actions are far more likely than not to end in the destruction of the much beloved Minnesota Orchestra, whom you have a sacred obligation to protect and nurture. In the event of the destruction of this Orchestra, all you names will live in infamy down the ages.
Excellent. Perhaps you should forward this as a letter to the editor to the international press.
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I suggest Save-The-Orchestra-From-Those-MOA-D-Bags-Who-Are-Running-It.org
Jo
August 22, 10:20pm
What has happened is nothing less than criminal, fraudulent, and done in total ignorance of the treasure the Twin Cities had in the MN Orchestra.
I read about saveoursymphonymn.org on a friends Facebook page. If your website had a donation button I would donate something to your cause….
This is coming. Please stay tuned.
Hi Emily,
I hope you don’t mind that I block quoted this along with a link back to your post on my blog.
In frustration,
A
Classic musicians def need some help, its good that u like to play your opera music but try updating with some music that people know, play some beyonce, 50 and kanye and people might come to your shows otherwise who wants to sit for an hour listening to that???? XD
This is a joke post, right?
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The Star Tribune and the MSP Business Journal have picked up on your story, giving you quick credit, and written about it on their respective sites:
Star-Tribune: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/music/220757401.html
MSP Business Journal: http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/morning_roundup/2013/08/minnesota-orchestra-bought-up-save.html
What about a Change.org petition demanding the resignation of Campbell & Henson FOR THE GOOD OF AMERICAN MUSIC?
Many of us out here, even those who live outside the concert-going range of any of the top tier orchestras in the U.S., think of ALL of these orchestras as OUR orchestras. This is the latest (and worst yet) of a nationwide string of hubris-induced management experiments. It’s a NATIONAL crisis (and I would also argue an international one), not only a local one. In the U.S. it started small in places like Albuquerque and Honolulu and now, unchecked, it’s been spreading like a plague.
It’s all well and good to ask for personal letters to be sent to local politicians such as the mayor and governor, but an irate letter to these people coming from a musician or music lover living in Miami Beach or Liverpool or
Calagary or Joliet is going into the wastebasket with no effect. But a whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If there were a petition with 100,000+ signatures from around the world, maybe some adults still in charge in Minnesota would see this is really a lot worse for their community/BUSINESS image than they thought, and finally start leaning on the right people to force resignations which, messy as that is, let’s face it, is the only way out of this now.
(If you think a petition, even a very large one, wouldn’t move someone as “powerful” as an exec VP for Wells Fargo or the CEO for US Bancorp, consider that Bank of America dropped its $5 per month bank fee for debit card customers after a petition that gathered 300,000 signatures. BOA had to sacrifice a lot of pure profit just because of one uppity 22-year old nanny who couldn’t afford to cave in to yet one more nickel&dime idea from those with spreadsheet for brains.)
So ask for the signatures of musicians world wide. But also ask for signatures from anyone who has ever enjoyed a performance of the MO – whether live or on LP, tape, or CD.
Meanwhile, Henson & Henchman sit in a dark basement office discussing the various “accidents” could happen to a pest from Wisconsin.
**DISCLAIMER** I have an over active imagination and watch too much television. But I think you need a bodyguard (or better yet a disguise!) for the next Locked Out Musicians Concert.
Is ProtectEmilyFromHenson.com taken?
Re: Does anyone really care about freelance musicians? – With all due respect, Lark has posts here on her blog about freelancers. One that I recall is here:
https://songofthelark.wordpress.com/2012/10/13/violinist-jill-olson-moser-writes-about-minnesota-orchestra-subs/
I can appreciate where you are coming from Steve, and no offense is meant on my behalf towards you or anyone else for that matter. I have to politely point out that instead of using the comments section here as a way to get your message out regarding fair pay, fair play, and fair representation, you might instead take a cue from Lark here, who’s been doing this for well over two years now, and start your own blog!
You have a lot to say on the topic and I have no doubt you aren’t alone in both the passion you have for it or the need to have it discussed, so why not give it a go? You could provide a rallying point for others who are also in need of having someone speak up on their behalf.
If a whisper of a person from the upper Midwest can bring about change for the better on behalf of the Minnesota Orchestra, and she can, anyone else with heart and determination can too.
Something to think about. And again meant with the utmost respect and sincerity. Take care. :)
You can’t delete them as far as I know Steve. But maybe someone else knows how.
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For Emily, maybe it’s time to take Lloyd Kepple’s MPR commentary from back in February to the woodshed, in light of your scoop, for your next blog post:
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/02/26/kepple
What then also needs to happen is collective action from the community to hit the MOA board members’ businesses in their wallets and pocketbooks, by taking away business from them when it’s feasible. For example, people who use the services of the various lawyers/attorneys on the MOA board need to take their business away from those lawyers/attorneys, and get their friends to do so. If all the MOA board cares about is $$$, then time to hit them where it will hurt the most.
If you read the comments on that commentary you can see that Emily did reply there. I don’t remember if she did on her blog or on Facebook.
It was during that period when various board members wrote “commentaries” – kind of like a lottery, I suppose – thinking they would change people’s minds but instead showing just how clueless the Board is. n
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Two years on, the domains have expired. I snapped up http://www.saveourmnorchestra.org/, and now it points here. Happy anniversary, Domaingate!
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