Posted by Rick Denney on April 29, 2002 at 17:29:33:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: consider it from a different perspective posted by I don't think... on April 29, 2002 at 09:47:40:
The pay might be good, and I have no reason to doubt what you say. But if they are not attracting the very best, then the pay still isn't good enough. You can't pay a mortgage or send your kids to college on prestige, and Boston is not a cheap place to live. And this is the sort of job that people work UP to--it has to pay well enough to culminate a career, not start it out.
If they ARE attracting the very best players (which I believe they are), then they should think long and hard about their expectations. If they need to depend on the probation period, then they should do so. If the probation period comes at a bad time, then they should hire a temp and put it off until the timing is better.
Matt's point was that there is a very carefully worked out process that the musicians (represented by their union) and the managers have agreed to, and the audition committee must respect that process. I agree with him completely, but would add that they must respect that process in good faith. That means that they must trust the process to make a reasonable selection that they can live with. When they go through the process repeatedly and make no selection, at high cost to the applicants, then they are on ethical thin ice, no matter what the agreement allows them to do.
And if Osawa (or the lack of Levine--however it really is) is the problem, then they should hire a temp and wait a year or two. That would be less work for the audition committee than this endless prevarication, and it would establish clear expectations.
Rick "who thinks it's wrong to string applicants along" Denney