Monday, September 24, 2012

Stop Punishing the ASO Musicians


This letter was sent this morning from Alto Nicole Khoury


Esteemed Members of the ASO Board and Woodruff Arts Council:

I am writing, like so many in our community, in support of the musicians of our beloved Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.   I am deeply troubled by the way in which they are being asked to shoulder completely a financial burden (disaster?) which was not of their making.  

The musicians are my colleagues, and they are my friends.  They are the reason that I, trembling with performance anxiety and fear, auditioned nearly 20 years ago for the fabled ASO Chorus, then under the magical guidance of one of music’s greatest-ever appreciators: Robert Shaw.  My audition was successful---and I’ve never left.  Like our cherished musicians, I also attended music school, where my focus was piano performance.  UNLIKE our cherished musicians, I was not of prodigious talent, and would not make a career of playing my instrument.  My struggles with balancing practicing hours a day while still trying to “have a life” pretty much ended at graduation and later I would find myself returning to graduate school in the field of medicine.  

But music remains my life-blood.  For the members of the ASO, their lives involve a constant and complete commitment to their musicianship, to their patrons, their community, and to themselves to always be better.  I’m not sure you fully appreciate what type of sacrifice and dedication this kind of life entails.  How rare these gifted musicians are.  Yet each and every day, our ASO members do their jobs with grace, with appreciation for their gifts and their support, all the while knowing that like elite athletes or the most gifted of surgeons, they have expiration dates.
   
No matter which side of the stage I’m on, and even after all of these years, I sometimes cannot believe my luck that I am blessed enough to have these treasured musicians in my midst.  I’m even luckier some of them are my longtime friends.  One can imagine the pain I feel for them on so many levels as they are being subjected to the punitive tactics imposed during this lockout.  It was and should never be the responsibility of the musicians (or their families, who are also now suffering) to balance budgets, to market the ASO more effectively, to manage growing and festering debt.  

The musicians should not be held accountable for failing to maintain or create relationships with donors.  Why should the musicians be blamed for the trespasses of others?  They already deliver your prized product: impeccable, thoughtful, ravishing, mind-blowing performances.  GRAMMY-WINNING performances.  They already do their parts for education and outreach.  They already spend grueling hours perfecting their crafts.  How can it be that the very product cherished and in demand by so many (around the world, mind you), is so undervalued by those who are trusted to ensure its preservation?  I can’t think of any other explanation for the neglect which led to the current situation.

I urge all of you to please make this right.  Enough about the changing models of orchestra management; why should we abandon creativity and loyalty and succumb to the ‘easy’ solution just because “XYZ orchestra did it”?  Why spew the same rhetoric in press release after press release?  Your public isn’t exactly easily fooled, and if you take the time to read the comment threads on the multiple media articles out there, I think you’ll see not only the very low opinion of the management but the real fear that we may lose our orchestra.  And then where will we be?  WHO will Atlanta be without our Orchestra?  Allowing that hopelessness to take hold in the hearts of all of us who love and cherish the ASO is, quite plainly, shameful.  DO something.

Sincerely,
Nicole L. Khoury
#313    
ASO Chorus member 1993-present

18 comments:

  1. My favorite line is the last, Nicole. DO Something. Let's get it done people. We want to sing!

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  2. It was the exquisite use of the word 'spew' ...

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  3. Fabulously well written, Nicole. Thank you for being such a strong voice for us.

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  4. Your middle paragraphs reminded me of what is so baffling about Stanley Romenstein's message to the chorus: 'Don't worry, we cherish you guys; we're only gunning for the orchestra!' I'm feeling extremely cherished ...

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  5. "gunning for the orchestra" - Wow, that coming from the CEO of the Symphony! So... that is the leadership! Well they are in trouble aren't they!

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    1. Well, he didn't actually say the words 'gunning for'; I inferred that we weren't the target, because he came to our first rehearsal -- during this serious dispute -- and told us (the chorus) not to worry that we are 'cherished' ... and without offering any other explanation or information said, "Here's what you say if anybody asks you anything: negotiations are ongoing! Now say it with me (directing us): Negotiations are ongoing. If someone asks you why the concerts are canceled, what do you say? ..." Romanstein's first mistake was to treat us like fourth-graders ... his second, and most serious, was to assume that we don't have good friends in the orchestra.

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  6. Oh but they are doing something...

    They are casting blame on others. It's what the rich and powerful do. i.e. Current ASO Board Secretary. It appears she is not the least bit concerned that she has long been part of the problem. Forget her money. There are others with money. She stood by while Allison Vulgamore, et.al. made horrible financial decisions, escalated the debt, spent borrowed money with no real plans to pay it back... oh wait... They did have a plan! Hire Stanley Romanstein in 2010 and blame the music makers today -after all they caused the debt. Sure Verizon and Chastain net 2 million a year.. but there is still something like 8 million owed for Verizon! How is that a benefit to the bottom line??? The ASO purchased a telemarketing company.. why? I'm sure it helps to sell tickets to a concertless season. But..I digress. It's their fault, those pesky musicians! Put the burden of debt on their backs, dammit! Cancel their health insurance! Lock them out of rehearsal while we continue to draw a paycheck and benefits and perks! Bad musicians... bad!

    Tell me... where did that dear Stanley, Phd learn his tactics? I'm guessing from the school of the brotherhood of the self-absorbed. And who gives a rats ass about him having a musicology degree? How does that help you at being a leader and managing the administrative side of an orchestral organization? He's not the music director -though I'm sure he'd like that title as well. Goodness what a mess!

    So...they did something alright. They screwed up. That's what they did. Oh and the whole executive lot must be deaf and blind to not realise what they've done to the community. Poor things.

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    1. Mr. Romenstein's behavior has consistently been that of someone who has no idea what is under his care, treating symphony players and chorus with the same lack of respect. And that video! What a public relations nightmare. If some PR person is 'handling' him, they are not doing a very good job.

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    2. Please direct us to the video your are referencing if it is available online.

      Thanks,
      Andrew Gee

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  7. I can attest to the fact(first hand) that he is not good at "handling" people either!
    Yes that video was horrendously offensive even to patrons who were trying to be on management''s side.

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  8. http://www.youtube.com/user/atlantasymphony

    Hopefully this link works for the video

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  9. Sorry, try this one:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZRT916KE3c&noredirect=1

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  10. Thank you Margaret ... yes, that's the one I saw. And cringed. The ASO official site actually disabled the comments because the reactions were so negative.

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  11. Yes I did see that about the comments! That says something doesn't it. Check out the comments on the newest article by AjC

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    1. Yes! I saw it too. I only hope that the musicians are reading what people are saying ... there is a lot of support there. But I hope it's not a Pyrrhic victory. How can so much damage be repaired?

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  12. Nicole, this has made me decide that I need to write a new letter to the board. My first was calm, simply expressing that I stand behind the musicians in the belief that any cuts to the orchestra need to be shared by senior management. Now I think I need to kick some board butt if the negotiations of the past two days don't achieve results. I love your letter, and strongly agree that the players shouldn't be punished for the bad fiscal decisions that others made.

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  13. The damage is horrific but we know you musicians - always the show must go on.... but such hurt, such disrespect and lack of appreciation and care.... I don't think I'll ever understand it. I admire all of you and always will! It will be different though.....

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