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Recent News

Healthy Families Act Would Let Workers Earn Sick Time

In February, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Rosa DeLauro (D-CN) introduced the Healthy Families Act to give workers the opportunity to earn up to seven paid sick days. More than 43 million American workers currently earn no sick time and have to make a choice between losing wages and staying home if they or a family member are ill.

According to the AFL-CIO website, more than four in 10 private-sector workers and 81% of low-wage workers do not have paid sick days. A 2014 study by the Institute for Women’s Policy Research shows that Latinos and those who make less than $20,000 a year are the workers least likely to have paid sick days. Even worse is the fact that many of the workers without sick days are food preparation or service workers, despite health department recommendations that these workers not go to work sick.

There is growing momentum across the country to pass paid family leave and paid sick days legislation. Twenty jurisdictions nationwide now have paid sick day laws in place. Philadelphia is the most recent city to pass legislation.

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Clayton Cameron
Recent News

Drummer Clayton Cameron Used Math to Impress James Brown

Clayton Cameron of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) has drummed with Sammy Davis Jr, and has also recorded 15 albums with Tony Bennett. He’s a skilled drummer for sure, but he says his secret is how understanding math has increased his drumming capability. He explains on NPR how he used math to impress James Brown, who was known for not liking what other drummers played in his band. Cameron was pleased to report he was met with a satisfied Brown as he told Cameron “that was funky.”

Clayton Cameron gave a Ted Talk about using math with drumming to explain drumming in a new way to children. He breaks down the style of drumming into musical measures to which he then explains using mathematical terms. A style he coined as “A-Rhythm-Etic” Watch the video and see how a new way to look at drumming may open up new ways to play.

 

Recent News

Watch Weird Al Perform with Autistic Singer Jodi DiPiazza

Weird Al of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) performed at Comedy Central’s Night of Too Many Stars benefit for New York Collaborates for Autism. However, he did not perform alone. He shared the stage with 13-year-old autistic singer Jodi DiPiazza to perform a memorizing duet of Weird Al’s 1985 classic “Yoda” a parody of “Lola” by The Kinks. Towards the end of the song they are joined by a choir of autistic children to empower the finale. You can watch the video below and make sure you visit New York Collaborates for Autism for more information.

Cleveland Orchestra Musicians Visit Miami Community Center
Recent News

Cleveland Orchestra Musicians Visit Miami Community Center

Cleveland Orchestra Musicians Visit Miami Community Center

Cleveland Orchestra violinist Eliesha Nelson, seated, works with a violin student Tuesday at the Barnyard center in the Coconut Grove neighborhood of Miami (Zachary Lewis/The Plain Dealer)

It isn’t exactly uncommon for an orchestra to help out in its community, but Cleveland Orchestra of local 4 (Cleveland, OH) goes the extra mile — or a thousand. On a trip to Florida to perform at Miami’s Arsht Center Cleveland Orchestra has developed a habit of visiting Barnyard, a nonprofit after-school center in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood. The tradition remained intact as two musicians visited the program to share their music experiences with the class.

Violinist Isabel Trautwein and violist Eliesha Nelson took time out of their day on Tuesday to perform and teach to very eager elementary school-aged children. The two musicians performed numerous songs and then asked the children questions about what they heard.

“Each of you has a different way of hearing music. That’s the magic of music.” explained Trautwein who also founded a music training program back in Cleveland called El Sistema@Rainey.

Then they taught children with hands-on training as other children watched and learned. Even when the children were beginners they still were eager to learn. Learning proper hand positions and tips to stay in the right position is imperative among younger musicians. Learning the techniques now will ensure they continue to use them as they develop their music career, whether that is recreational or professional.

Diana Rosenberg, a Barnyard board member says it is this interaction that keeps the Cleveland Orchestra so loved in Florida.

“It gives [the students] something else to dream about,” she said. “You can see how important it is. I love the way that they’ve become a part of our community. It’s changed our lives.”

Orchestra News

San Francisco Symphony Ratifies New Contract

San Francisco SymphonyIn February, musicians and management of the San Francisco Symphony (http://www.sfsymphony.org/) ratified a three-year contract. Negotiated less than two years after a strike that led to the cancellation of several concerts and an East Coast tour, this agreement calls for an increase in weekly base salary from $2,892 to $3,200 in its final year, as well as a negotiated $4,000 annual increase in musician pension benefits. “I was particularly impressed with the way in which both sides were able to share consulting resources and develop a viable plan by which musicians maintained the quality of their health insurance coverage while management was able to save a considerable amount of money in health benefit costs,” says Local 6 President David Schoenbrun.

Orchestra News

Green Bay Symphony Orchestra Explores Alternatives to Closur

Green Bay Symphony OrchestraWith a $55,000 deficit due to declining ticket sales and donations, the Green Bay Symphony Orchestra (GBSO) board and staff announced their intention to shut down at the end of the current season. The orchestra’s 74 musicians, however, are intent on saving it and are looking into solutions to keep the organization afloat. The symphony’s final concert is scheduled for April. The GBSO board and staff have arranged for the youth orchestra program to continue as the Youth Symphony of St. Norbert College.

Orchestra News

Orchestra London Musicians Perform Amid Shut-Down

Orchestra London in Ontario has ceased operations for at least the remainder of the 2014-2015 season, yet musicians are working closely with the board of directors to find a way to keep the organization running. The dedicated musicians have performed more than 20 free pop-up concerts, family concerts, church performances, and more, to show commitment to their orchestra and their community.

Orchestra London amassed a large deficit after the second installment of a $1 million pledge did not come through last summer. The anonymous donor stated that they would instead give their money toward a new concert hall. In December, Orchestra London announced that it no longer had the resources to continue to operate. The orchestra’s musicians and unionized stagehands have denounced Executive Director Joe Swan’s leadership and called for his resignation.

The Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) has issued a Call to Action for support of Orchestra London’s musicians. Checks may be made out to Orchestra London Players Association (OLPA) and mailed to: 16 Bloomfield Drive, London, ON, N6G 1P3, Canada.

Recent News

Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra Balances Budget

cincinnatiCincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced that it balanced its budget for the sixth consecutive time in fiscal year 2014. Concert attendance for the 2013-2014 season continued an upward trend, increasing by 4%; individual gifts to the annual fund rose by 7% to $2.6 million; and corporate donations rose by 30%. CSO’s endowment is at its all-time high, $114 million. With all of these successes, CSO is close to eliminating its longtime structural deficit, which was $6.5 million in 2009 and is now down to $500,000.

Cincinnati is the smallest US city to support a year-round orchestra. CSO believes its innovative new projects have helped to secure donations and expose the orchestra to new audiences. Lumenocity, a festival of symphonic performances and digital-light displays, was held for the second year last summer, and CSO debuted the MusicNOW festival during the 2013-2014 season, featuring symphonic music, alternative rock, and world premieres.  The musicians’ contract expires in September, and the orchestra anticipates restoring 14 of the 23 tenure-track vacancies that currently exist within future seasons.

Recent News

AFM Appoints New Director of Electronic Media Services

AFM President Ray Hair is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Varriale as Director of Electronic Media Services Division (EMSD), effective January 26. Varriale is an assistant to the president and has served as EMSD assistant director since 2008, supervising and coordinating all media issues in the Federation’s New York headquarters. He replaces outgoing Director Bill Thomas, who resigned from that position earlier this year.

Varriale began his service to the Federation 40 years ago in 1974, when he was hired into the AFM’s Recording Department by then AFM Executive Assistant to the President Bob Crothers. He eventually was tasked with supervising contract matters for Jingles, National Public Television, and Radio, and Sound Recordings. After Crothers retired and was succeeded by Dick Gabriel, who directed the Division from the AFM’s West Coast Office in Los Angeles, Varriale oversaw preparations for media negotiations and ratification processes for all nonsymphonic media agreements, including Live Television and Motion Picture-TV Film. During his 40 years of service, he has advised and counseled seven AFM presidents on media matters, from AFM President Hal Davis onward.

“I am extremely proud to welcome Patrick Varriale as the new director of our Electronic Media Services Division,” says Hair. “There is no one on the labor side of the media business more qualified for the job or more capable of assuming the role of EMSD director than Pat Varriale. The decades of knowledge and experience he brings to the division each day have served our members well. He will now lead a great team of experienced staffers who are dedicated to improving the lives of professional musicians working in the media industry.”