Musicalchairs responds to just criticism

Musicalchairs responds to just criticism

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norman lebrecht

December 18, 2023

We published a report yesterday on how the BBC has farmed out the screening process for jobs in its orchestras. Here is a reponse from the company we named:

Dear Slipped Disc,

I am dismayed at the article on your website today “BBC is hiring 3 violins by proxy”.
I wish that you had taken the trouble to write to us first. The matters that you raise are of course of public interest and deserve scrutiny. But as responsible journalists running a widely read website, I feel that you should have sought to establish facts before publication.

To answer your points:

musicalchairs does not have a monopoly on BBC musician jobs. There are several other platforms available to the BBC including muvac, GetAcceptd, Tribepad. musicalchairs (developed by and for professional musicians) is popular with managers for 2 reasons – it has the best and most flexible ATS (Application Tracking System) and is the cheapest.
Our details and backgrounds are readily available on our website (https://www.musicalchairs.info/about/directors)
This is not an undeclared commercial relationship. I, John Bradbury, as a member of BBC Staff, have been assiduous in formally declaring to my managers any potential conflict of interest at every stage and development of the service musicalchairs affords the BBC. Indeed, as a member of BBC Staff, I am acutely aware of the importance of value for money for the Licence Fee Payer. The musicalchairs GDPR declarations also embrace any potential challenge that I may face concerning BBC (and for that matter, clarinet) jobs on the website.
Yours sincerely,

John Bradbury

Comments

  • David A. Boxwell says:

    when the music stops: whittling down the bbc orchestras one chair at a time. the name is apt.

  • FOPM says:

    “I, John Bradbury, as a member of BBC Staff, have been assiduous in formally declaring to my managers any potential conflict of interest at every stage and development of the service musicalchairs affords the BBC.” Acknowledging a problem is simply admitting that the problem exists. It doesn’t mean that the problem has been adequately addressed.

    • Peter says:

      To FOPM,
      In case you don’t understand the difference between “a potential conflict of interest” and an actual conflict of interest, it is good practice to declare the former, so that management are aware and can mitigate the latter if it happens. There is nothing wrong with potential conflicts of interest, and it is quite proper to declare them.
      I hope this helps.

  • Herbie G says:

    Amazing that the arrogant, self-righteous BBC cares enough to respond to NL’s posting.

  • La plus belle voix says:

    Mr Bradbury is a BBC staff member. So that’s alright then.

  • / says:

    “Farmed out the screening process”??
    Really? Surely they are just passing on the applications and CV’s to the relevant BBC manager?
    Do you have any evidence that musical chairs are doing any “ screening” Norman?

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