Well John,
I wish you had given that a little longer before you consulted your wife.
I'm trying hard but my company needs my full attention. On the other
hand, the first chapter or so of the Fifth Discipline makes clear to me
the connection between Senge's models and repertory performing arts
organizations.
I too admire the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra but find the Orpheus Ensemble
and the Magic Circle Opera Repertory Ensemble of New York, as well as all
unconducted chamber ensembles, to be more in the model that both Senge and
Shoen wrote about in their learning theories. I would also recommend the
Gel Mann "Quark and the Jaguar" for another vision of much of the same
thing.
You might consider that any ensemble that "thinks like a body" is a
learning ensemble. The Learning comes in the willingness to both commit
completely to an agreed upon goal and the discipline to study and submerge
your will to the needs of the project and the team (ensemble).
The other element is the unwillingness to except less than perfection as
the starting point in the team action. As our company says, we agree to
put in the time, effort and commitment to seeing that the job is truly
artistic. No one checks the clock on this one. Families are included in
the work, including taking care of the children and those who are
unprepared to be stars are quickly weeded out by the process.
Ray Evans Harrell, artistic director
The Magic Circle Opera Repertory Ensemble of New York, Inc.
mcore@idt.net
P.S. my old student John Ostendorf used to guest solo with your wife's
orchestra. I have a quite lovely "Absalom fili Absalom" by them.
John Gunkler wrote:
> Ray, you devil, asks: "When does two thirds equal a fifth?"
>
> Of course one answer is, when you're talking about musical intervals.
--"Ray E. Harrell" <mcore@idt.net>
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The Quark and the Jaguar : Adventures in the Simple and the Complex by Murray Gell-Mann http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0716727250/learningorg
...Rick]
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