Graduation Date
Spring 2017
Document Type
Thesis
Program
Master of Arts degree with a major in Applied Anthropology
Committee Chair Name
Rebecca Robertson
Committee Chair Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Second Committee Member Name
Marissa Ramsier
Second Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Third Committee Member Name
Mary Scoggin
Third Committee Member Affiliation
HSU Faculty or Staff
Keywords
Labor, Orchestra, Union, Musician, Labor movement, Organizational structure
Subject Categories
Anthropology
Abstract
Orchestras across the United States have always struggled to maintain balanced budgets as nonprofits dependent on philanthropists and public funds. Consequently, it is normal for orchestra musicians to struggle with job insecurity and financial uncertainty to some degree. While the industry is no stranger to labor disputes, the last decade marked a notable shift in the character of labor negotiations that caused an unprecedented trend of lockouts – the refusal of employees to the workplace until a contract is reached. The orchestras that successfully reached a contract did not come out the other side unchanged; there was significant upheaval in the organizations both ideologically and structurally. My research explored the musicians' experience with lockouts and restructuring in the Minnesota Orchestra, Louisville Orchestra, and the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. The findings from this research detail the common experience of locked out orchestra musicians, how orchestra musicians have effectively influenced changes to the organizational structure, and the nature of these structural and ideological changes. Methods included qualitative interviews and survey. This research contributes to the gap in the literature around the experience of the workforce in this industry, and to broader conversations of art performance as labor and the future of American orchestras. The findings will be made available to select members of orchestra boards and administrations with musicians’ consent in the spirit of improving understanding, communication, and operations in the orchestra.
Citation Style
Chicago
Recommended Citation
Heinzen, Jacqueline, "Transformation in three American orchestras: an analysis of labor, agency, and change" (2017). Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects. 27.
https://digitalcommons.humboldt.edu/etd/27