Comments from Advocates of Change

Membership in Advocates of Change was open to individuals committed to achieving more effective North American symphony organizations. When asked to suggest how symphony organization participants, individually and collectively, might enhance the health of their organizations and help them grow, prosper, and better serve their communities, a number of members responded. Here are some of those responses, edited and condensed in some cases for enhanced readability.

Mark Jamison - Toronto, Ontario 

• Become ‘servant leaders’ for the course
• Engage everyone (all stakeholders)
• Answer the three questions:
       Why are we here?
       What are we going to do about why?
       How are we going to treat each other?
• Embrace the diversity of your environment as the opportunity, not the challenge.
• Have fun.

Edward F. R. Hearle - Jacksonville, Florida

To expand symphony audiences, present programming that features at least one of the following:
    Music that is familiar and captivating
   Artists who are recognizable and exciting

 

Kathy Kahn Stept - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

• Hire outside professionals, at least in the early stages, to find a method/program that brings inclusiveness to the four constituencies – board, musicians, staff, volunteers – and creates full participation in all areas of the organizational operations. 
  
• Develop a program that connects the board and volunteers with the musicians to enable them to become acquainted and educated relative to each constituency’s purpose and method of operation.
  
• View volunteer programs as a part of the organization’s administrative department – and hire a manager to oversee/manage/coordinate all volunteer activities.

Joan Greabeiel - Edmonton, Alberta

One of our biggest challenges/opportunities lies in music education and community outreach. That's not a new idea, but perhaps innovative ways of getting involved are required.

 

Mack Richardson - South Bend, Indiana

• Invest in professional training, particularly technology, for ALL staff. Do not balance the budget by trimming staff salaries and [already] meager increases. 
• Assess volunteerism in the 21st century. Be open to new ways, such as project-based volunteering.
• Simplify union contracts/master agreements to deal only with compensation. Everything else is relegated to another document called Policies and Procedures, drawn up by the Orchestra Committee, Music Director, CEO and Personnel Manager -- the people who will have to live with it.
• Insist that, if orchestra members serve on the Board of Directors (and they should), they be fully involved (including committees) working members.
• Invest generously in marketing and public relations, and do not cut their funding in order to balance the budget. PR must include public advocacy and "connecting" with the people of the city/region served.
• Reflect the diversity of the community in your Boards of Directors.

Patrick Kulesa - Chicago, Illinois 

Any type of organization requires reliable and intelligent information to understand how to take full advantage of its strengths and resources. Among the most critical resources an organization possesses are its people. Gaining insight into the views of its people is a valuable process that can point the way toward concrete steps an organization can undertake to affect real and lasting change. Symphony organizations would benefit from efforts to better understand the opinions of their people, regardless of job title or position. Periodic surveys of members would provide the intelligence needed to guide change efforts, revealing for instance what drives pride in the organization, morale, and engagement in the profession. Individually, symphony organizations could use opinion surveys to tailor change efforts to the unique needs of their members, both musicians and those who service and support their efforts. 

Collectively, information from surveys conducted across symphony organizations could be combined with financial metrics or other business measures to uncover the links between members’ opinions and real numbers on organizational performance, connecting people to the financial health of symphonies. These techniques have been applied for decades in many industries and could be adapted for use in the unique context of symphony organizations.’

 

James Mabie - Chicago, Illinois

• Create a more participatory experience between the orchestra and audience.
• Make a way for the audience to get to know the performers.
• Generate a feeling of ownership in the musicians so they feel part of the marketing effort.
• Create a different type of concert for young adults drawing on their musical experiences.
• Draw musicians into the management of the organization.

Charles Cheyney - San Diego, California

Communication between staff and volunteers should be more than a 24-hour advance phone call when a mailing is due to go out, requesting help with stuffing envelopes. One solution would be standing committees consisting of board, staff and volunteers, all with permanent assignments. This would help staffs that are short-handed and overworked, because many projects could be handled by volunteers!