ROPA Celebrates 40th Anniversary in San Francisco

October 1, 2024

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by Steve Wade, ROPA President and member of Local 400 (Hartford-New Haven, CT)

The Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA) held its 40th Anniversary Conference in San Francisco, California, July 29 through August 1. The schedule of speakers and presenters proved to be an informative and exciting experience for all in attendance for ROPA’s 40th anniversary.

On July 29, AFM Symphonic Services Division (SSD) held its annual Negotiation Workshop. Led by SSD Director Rochelle Skolnick, the workshop was attended by almost 20 delegates from orchestras negotiating, or about to negotiate, as well as twice as many auditors.

On the first day of the general session, we presented the second annual Nathan Kahn Award to David Schoenbrun, former ROPA delegate, former Local 6 (San Francisco, CA) president, founding member of the Theater Musicians Association, and longtime fixture in the San Francisco music scene. ROPA established the award to honor the legacy of Nathan Kahn, one of our most important founders. It is given each year in our conference city to a person or an organization that demonstrates extraordinary commitment to the cause of union solidarity, diversity, and professionalism among orchestral players. We congratulate Shoenbrun on a great career.

We on the ROPA Executive Board tried hard to address some of the challenging issues surrounding our industry this summer. Karen Suarez Flint, Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL), talked passionately about the Change the Culture Committee and its recommendations. ROPA Legal Counsel Naomi Bensdorf Frisch, member of Local 10-208, gave a detailed presentation on sexual harassment in the workplace. It was clear that both speakers are fiercely committed to making a difference for the better of all of us.

There was another important synergy between two of our presenters. SSD Director Skolnick talked in detail about the intersection of artistic discipline and the Americans with Disabilities Act, and sports medicine physiatrist Dr. Jeremy Stanek from Stanford University covered a variety of health and wellness issues. He specializes in performing arts medicine, sports medicine, and musculoskeletal medicine. He discussed the way many musicians take beta blockers, voicing no real objection to the use of these drugs except for using them without a prescription. The practice of borrowing them can be hazardous because of possible drug interactions. In addition, he noted that musicians tend to wait too long to seek treatment for their problems, which can make these conditions chronic and harder to treat. Treatment may not be as scary or problematic as we think, especially considering important ADA protections outlined by Skolnick.

The conference also featured a discussion on surveying an orchestra led by International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) Legal Counsel Kevin Case, a member of Local 10-208. He has written at length on the subject in Senza Sordino, and he gave us a great overview of the important dos and don’ts.

In addition, Samantha Andrew, manager of inclusion and learning for the League of American Orchestras, provided a fascinating look at the Sphinx Orchestral Partners Auditions (SOPA). Communication about this innovative program and others like it is vital; without context or explanation, such things can surprise people, and even spark resentment. Tina Hookum, social services director for the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly Actor’s Fund) informed attendees about this important resource for performers in need. ROPA Social Media Coordinator Mayu Isom Navarro, member of Local 65-699 (Houston, TX), spoke about the latest in social media and how we can best leverage these platforms.

The conference also featured reports from Theatre Musicians Association (TMA), Recording Musicians Association (RMA), ICSOM, and Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM). TMA President Heather Boehm reiterated her concerns about replacement technologies and audience education. RMA President Marc Sazer spoke about the importance of cross union support. ICSOM Chair Keith Carrick talked movingly about union solidarity and workplace culture. OCSM President Robert Fraser remarked on the ongoing efforts in Kitchener-Waterloo to sustain an orchestra, and on his upcoming panel on climate change at the FIM Conference in Malmo, Sweden.

The general session passed no less than 14 resolutions, including documents in support of orchestras in Flint, Michigan, and Hudson Valley, New York; the Change the Culture Committee; President Biden’s pro-labor efforts; the ROPA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Workgroup; and the Music Performance Trust Fund; as well as a resolution congratulating Paul Austin, member of Local 56 (Grand Rapids, MI), on his many years of service to ROPA and to ICSOM. We congratulated Nicole Jordan of The Philadelphia Orchestra (Local 77) on her election as ICSOM president.

The last and perhaps most important resolution we passed was to encourage our members to get out the vote. Obviously, the stakes are high for artists and performers, not to mention our nation at large. The Harris-Walz campaign has done well so far, and the recent presidential debate reinforced many of the reasons why. The AFM and its associated unions have all endorsed the Democratic ticket. ROPA musicians should do their best to make voting in this election a priority, in both up- and down-ballot races. We all remember what happened the last time a Democratic campaign got cocky. Let’s not make that mistake again.

Once again, the ROPA Executive Board would like to thank the leadership of the AFM for their support and their many contributions to our welfare. AFM President Tino Gagliardi and International Secretary-Treasurer Ken Shirk addressed the delegates, and Local 149 (Toronto, ON) Executive Director Dusty Kelly and Local 161-710 (Washington, DC) President Ed Malaga from the AFM International Executive Board were on hand. SSD’s Negotiation Workshop is always excellent. The detailed information provided by Communications and Data Coordinator Laurence Hofmann and Symphonic Electronic Media Director Debbie Newmark is vitally important to ROPA musicians.

AFM Local 6 hosted us this year, and we would like to thank President Kale Cummings, Secretary-Treasurer Beth Zare, and other Local 6 leadership for all they did for us. There is no question that some of the costs of a live conference have spiked post-COVID, but the benefits of an in-person event remain overwhelmingly positive, especially when our leadership makes such a great effort to attend and be accessible, helpful, and friendly. We will find workarounds to reduce costs. Our conferences remain a huge driver in our unity and power.

We can’t wait to get started on our next 40 years stronger together!

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