Today is the last day of the 2010 Sunriver Music Festival, and after the morning rehearsal we had what has been an annual tradition for virtually the entirety of the 33 year old festival: the board/musician luncheon. It’s a great example of how communication should be handled between all the major stakeholders of an arts organization.
Several days before the luncheon, the musicians’ representative(s) meet with the board chair and executive director to identify areas of concern to both the musicians and the staff and board. The players then meet privately to talk over the ramifications of these areas of concern and to discuss possible responses and suggestions that might be presented to the board and staff. At the luncheon, the board chair and executive director give a “state of the union” snapshot of what is happening and how finances are shaping up, followed by the musicians’ representative(s) presentation of concerns and suggestions for the upcoming fiscal year.
The best thing about this process is that it allows each “side” to really hear and understand where the other is coming from, and to have a chance to speak to each other face to face in a relatively confrontation-free zone about matters that they care deeply about. It’s hard to vilify someone to their face, and accommodations are much more easily reached if one realizes that everyone around the table is a human being.
We so appreciative of the board and staff of the SRMF – they’re tireless in their dedication to the welfare of the festival and its musicians and patrons!