Organizing

Revised Notice to Musicians Employed Under US Collective Bargaining Agreements

January 1, 2015

Sections 8(a)(3) and 8(b)(2) of the National Labor Relations Act permit unions in non-right-to-work states to enter into collective bargaining agreements with employers that require employees, as a condition of employment, either to join the union (and thereby enjoy the full rights and benefits of membership) or to pay fees to the union (and thereby satisfy a financial obligation to the union without enjoying the full rights and benefits of membership).

Multi-Card Member Rebates

January 1, 2015

Effective January 1, 2015, members who belonged to three or more Locals throughout 2014 can petition the AFM Secretary-Treasurer for a “rebate equal to the per capita dues received by the Federation” for that member’s membership in each AFM Local in excess of two.

Saving San Diego Opera; A Success Story

January 1, 2015

A few months ago I read a blog by Mark Blackmon that really moved me. The title of his post was “How Closing San Diego Opera Makes Your Life Worse.” He wrote…

Fair Trade Music Shows Seattle Musicians They Have Power

January 1, 2015

Fair Trade Music Seattle (FTMS) was launched through a public meeting in 2012. “We saw a major part of our industry in Seattle with no union presence,” explains Local 76-493 (Seattle, WA) President Motter Snell. “When affected musicians came to us, we took action. This has the potential to build new leadership, and help improve wages and working conditions for area musicians.”

MPTF Gears Up to Build Success Through Momentum in 2015

January 1, 2015

The Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) begins the new calendar year with continued awareness that we clearly share the same challenges that the rest of the creative music community faces.

St. Louis’s Muny Theatre, One of the Most Important Musical Theatres in America

November 1, 2014

The largest and oldest outdoor musical theatre in America started out in 1916 as a grassy little spot between two oak trees. Clear away some shrubs and small trees here, build a retaining wall there, and voilá! Such was the humble birth of The Muny Theatre in St. Louis, Missouri. Ninety-eight years later, The Muny […]

Larger Orchestras Bring Excitement to Broadway Shows

November 1, 2014

While touring orchestration sizes remain a concern, the past few years have seen an encouraging return to original, large orchestras in revivals of classics on Broadway. For example, the revival of South Pacific at Lincoln Center Theater, which played sold out shows for two years (2008-2010) used a 29-piece orchestra, as does the upcoming revival […]

Theatre Orchestration Trends and Possibilities

November 1, 2014

I wrote an article in the May 2014 issue of the TMA Pit Bulletin entitled “Trends in Orchestration.” On hearing that this issue of the IM is focused on theatre, I decided to expand on those thoughts. For the past decade, and perhaps longer, there has been a trend with some of the shows being […]

Revised Airline Travel Advice for Musicians with Instruments

November 1, 2014

For years, musicians have faced numerous uncertainties when traveling on commercial aircraft. Many have been refused boarding, while those trying to make connecting flights have had to settle for inconveniences in order to complete their journey. In some cases, musicians have had to make the choice between stowing rare, expensive, and often irreplaceable musical instruments […]

Meet the Staff of the AFM’s Touring, Theatre, Booking and Immigration Division

November 1, 2014

If you’ve ever had questions about traveling engagements, touring with a show or artist, or questions about foreign ensembles performing in the US, chances are you have contacted the AFM’s Touring/Theatre/Booking and Immigration Division. This past year the division said farewell to former Director Steve Gelfand and welcomed Michael Manley, who returns to the post […]