An Agile Orchestra

I've started talking about an agile orchestra in the last few weeks and I thought I'd describe a little further what I mean.  In computer science and the IT industry, we've developed a new set of processes for building things called agile processes.  Agile processes involve small, focussed teams working in a series of short sprints of activity towards achievable goals.  (I'm generalizing, but trying to pull out the most useful aspects.)  Teams define a finished product (not necessarily a final product) they would like to achieve within 2-3 weeks of work and each team member identifies daily (or very short term) goals.  Progress is monitored in daily meetings (often called stand-up meetings, because they're short and nobody is allowed to sit down) where members report their progress on their last goal and identify their next goals.

We're Paid to Perform!

My sister, Anna, plays in a US symphony orchestra and has been involved, heavily, in the negotiation process on the player's side for several years. I sent Tony Woodcock's blog post (by way of Greg Sandow) to her and she responded by saying that the changes suggested by management scare a great many musicians in orchestras.  She pointed out the DSO player's blog which includes a piece by Doug Cornelson called "Defining 'Redefining'".  In it, there's a short passage that captures much of why players are objecting to changes: