Where will the the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra find the funds to keep the full orchestra alive? There's no easy answer to that question, but negotiations have not closed. And the orchestra players are trying to make sure that area audiences are aware of the musical performances that are at stake.
OPUS (Orchestra Players United of Shreveport-Bossier) will produce a pops concert Saturday afternoon, May 10, 3 pm, in Bossier City, on Louisiana Boardwalk's 3rd Anniversary. The musicians of the SSO / OPUS will be performing a pops concert under the baton of Kermit Poling, says Susan Rogers. The concert will be held near the Cumulus end of the Boardwalk. There's an alternate site nearby in case of rain.
A new Symphony Orchestra of Shreveport-Bossier Audience Association has been developed, says Rogers. The group's principal goal is preservation of the full time Core Musicians. It is a 501-c-3 organization, says Rogers.
In addition to OPUS efforts, the SSO has 2 major concerts on its agenda:
- the Constellation Ball, Friday, May 9, at Sam's Town Grand Ballroom.
It features cocktails, a seated dinner, auction and dancing to the orchestra in big band mode. Tickets are $150. Please call 227-8863 to support the SSO via the ball.
- the Picnic Pops Concert at Riverview Park on Sat, May 17, 7:30 pm.
8 comments:
Where, indeed, will they find the funds? With a budget of almost a million and a half, you would think they could figure it out. This concert proves that there are really only a handful of things that are absolutely necessary to put on a concert. Musicians, a conductor, and a venue are absolutely essential. Sound people and stage hands are important enhancements. The rest is fluff, but seems to be a large portion of what the board is allowing the budget to be spent on. If they have any sense, they will start making sure the money is spent on the absolutely essential things, then work their way down from there with what's left. This isn't rocket science.
Make the budget whatever you want, but if there isn't enough revenue it is irrelevant (the case here).
The musicians will argue that it is marketing, but how do you sell something people don't want (at least enough to make the budget)?
I think that over 1.4 million in revenue shows that there is enough interest in having an orchestra here. If the executive director doesn't know how to budget, he needs to be replaced, or at least closely overseen by the board. Last year there was a $72,649 increase in "administrative expenses" which haven't been defined. I hear the exec director has his own personal PR person, among other things. I'll bet if they got someone in there with good business sense, there wouldn't be a problem. It just doesn't make sense to get rid of the most essential ingredient of the orchestra, and they need to know that cutting their salaries would be getting rid of them.
Fine, there is some fat but let's ask ourselves what's the orchestra's biggest expense?
Keep deluding yourself that nickle and dime-ing expenses is going to be pave the way to fiscal health and you will have no orchestra at all in a few years.
Fine, there is some fat but let's ask ourselves what's the orchestra's biggest expense?
Keep deluding yourself that nickle and dime-ing expenses is going to be pave the way to fiscal health and you will have no orchestra at all in a few years.
Fine, there is some fat but let's ask ourselves what's the orchestra's biggest expense?
Keep deluding yourself that nickle and dime-ing expenses is going to be pave the way to fiscal health and you will have no orchestra at all in a few years.
If they don't pay the musicians what they're worth, it won't take a few years before the orchestra is gone. They're the one ingredient that you can't run an orchestra without.
Who decides what they're worth? The market. And the market, at least in Shreveport, says that their current salaries can't be maintained at current levels. I love the arts (have a fine arts degree) and support them but am now also a businessman and there are just certain realities we have to face here.
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