Toward the end of December, just two weeks after the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra postponed its tour of Spain, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra canceled its two-week European tour that was to take place in April. The tour was canceled due to safety concerns following recent tragic events in the US and abroad.

Appearances were planned in the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, and Scotland. The orchestra will instead perform concerts in Dallas during the same two-week tour period.

Just two years after the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra (MSO) implemented an emergency $5 million fundraising campaign to stay afloat, the orchestra announced in December that it achieved a balanced budget, with a small surplus of $41,000, for its most recent fiscal year. MSO ticket revenue increased by $340,000 last season.

MSO has also extended the musicians’ contract through August 2016, an agreement that was reached amicably due in part to the fact that MSO musicians are involved in the orchestra’s financial committees, fostering a sense of transparency and collaboration.

At the same time, Mark Niehaus, the orchestra’s president, signed a six-year contract extension. MSO in undergoing a music director search to replace Edo de Waart, who is planning his departure after the 2016-2017 season.

The musicians of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) have voted to accept a wage concession agreement that management claims is necessary to save the orchestra. Management had threatened that, if the musicians had not voted to accept $450,000 in wage concessions by midnight, January 18, it would shut down the symphony.

“There are several causes for our orchestra’s problems, some recent and some that go back a long time,” says HSO oboist and ROPA delegate Steve Wade. “It took four hours of searching, in depth discussion to talk through the contract proposal and what it means at the musicians’ meeting. There was anger, passion, and extraordinary insight in what our players said. I’m in awe of my colleagues. The vote was by no means unanimous. It’s hard to call our new agreement a win, but at the very least a bright spotlight is now shining on issues in the management and the board that have been hidden for some time.”

As part of the concession HSO Music Director and Conductor Carolyn Kuan agreed to reduce her salary commensurate to the cut the musicians were asked to accept. In a statement, the musicians thanked the Hartford community for its support and vowed to “continue playing at the highest professional level and in a manner that the people of Greater Hartford have rightly come to expect from their flagship orchestra.”

For the last several years, artists have had to accept constant video recording and photo taking by fans during concerts. A new startup, Yondr, has created a device that will automatically lock these cell phones and tablets once the concertgoers enter the “no-phone zone” of a show. The app is already being used in a number of San Francisco venues.

In mid-December, musicians of The Cleveland Orchestra ratified a new contract. The deal is retroactive to August 31 and is effective through 2017-2018 season. Musicians had been working under a play-and-talk arrangement since August, when their previous contract expired.

The agreement provides increases in wages, and improves musicians’ working conditions while on tour. Musicians allowed for changes to recording and broadcast provisions, will contribute more toward their health insurance, and will donate 12 services over the duration of the contract. The pay gap between members of The Cleveland Orchestra and their peers at other major orchestras had widened over the past few years and this contract narrows that difference.

The orchestra also recently announced a surplus of $72,000 for fiscal year 2014—especially impressive considering it had increased its budget by more than $2 million. Higher attendance at Severance Hall, Blossom Music Festival, and the orchestra’s annual residency in Miami brought earned revenue to a record $21 million. At $11.1 million, annual gifts surpassed the record set last year, and The Cleveland Orchestra brought in $32 million in other donations. Its endowment grew by nearly $10 million.

The Cleveland Orchestra attributes its successes to efforts toward deepening the relationship between the institution and its community.

The Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) board has threatened that the symphony could shut down at the end of January unless its musicians make significant concessions. Musicians and management have spent the past year in negotiations for a new contract.

In November, there was a step forward in the labor dispute. In response to an unfair labor practice complaint filed by Local 400 (Hartford, CT) on behalf of Hartford Symphony Orchestra musicians, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) sided with the musicians and called upon management to issue contracts for the current season.

Yet, the two sides are still at odds over a long-term agreement. HSO management has sought to cut wages by 30% and reduce the number of guaranteed services per season. In response, musicians are asking that management share in the sacrifice, a request that has been steadfastly refused.

Backed by the analysis of industry expert Tom Morris, the musicians maintain that their contract is not responsible for the organization’s financial difficulties. They have revealed that the orchestra’s management structure, under which one person serves as CEO of both HSO and the Bushnell Center for the Performing Arts, causes a conflict of interest. The musicians have also emphasized HSO’s shortcomings in fundraising, particularly that the board and staff failed to launch a $10 million endowment campaign that was promised in 2007.

“The inherent conflicts of interest in the current shared CEO arrangement and the underperforming stewardship is becoming increasingly clear,” says Michael Pollard, a member of the negotiating committee and a member of Local 400. “Continuing this relationship could prove fatal to the HSO.”

There are a lot of gigs for AFM musicians that do pay well today. I know many musicians who are getting their share of work. However, I don’t think a week goes by where I don’t hear a musician gripe on how bad (in their mind) things can be. You know how it goes: “Club dates have dried up,” “DJs are getting the wedding biz,” and “Pay to play is rampant.” Someone wanted him or her to play for “exposure” and no one wants to pay “what they’re worth.” To those people, if that’s all they see, maybe a career change is in order. They believe it, so it must be so. Complaining doesn’t usually help. Sometimes when you complain too much, you become a prophet of your own destiny.

Here are some ways to deal with those times when you get a little down because things have gone into a momentary tilt:

1. Minimize contact with negative people. This isn’t always completely possible, but do it as much as you can. At least do this for a short while. Some people complain as though it were an Olympic event. Keep clear of them while you are trying to get your positive outlook back.
2. Maximize time with people that refuel your energy. You become the five or six people with whom you hang out the most. Hang out with people who make you want to “do” and “be” better than you already are. Set up some time with them. Go to events together—anything that puts positive people around you.
3. Read/listen/watch positive things. If you are feeling down, read a positive book. Listen to a program or podcast with a positive message. Watch something that makes you laugh. Surround yourself with things you love to be influenced by. Let those things into your life as much as possible.
4. Prioritize the things you want to do and have to do to further your music career. Make a list. The more you can get a handle on the things you need and want to do—the easier it is to tackle them.

   And above all.

5. Don’t tell people your problems. Ninety percent of them don’t care, and 10% are glad you have them anyway.

If your motivation is low, it helps to step out of the small picture (the day-to-day) and remember the big picture (where you are going as a musician). Allow yourself to be motivated by the bigger vision, and let goals drive you. Remembering why you are a musician in the first place can help you find some new energy to keep going.

If you’re still struggling with motivation, one of my friends had a great suggestion: Let your to-do list (suggestion number four) be driven by a short-term goal: What would you like to achieve in the next week or—at most—next month, that inspires you to act today? Learning a new tune? Finding a new venue for a gig? Meeting someone who can help accelerate your career? A small “win” can be very motivating. Above all, act successful. Let people see that side of you. You’re a union musician; you’re a professional. Success breeds success. If you look and sound successful, success usually follows.

Having performed without a contract since the end of July, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra (FWSO) musicians continue to negotiate for a fair agreement.

Leaflet crew ready to tell patrons that the Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra are united for a fair and progressive contract.

Some progress was made during two days of talks in early November, but the musicians are still facing cuts of almost 9%. We are currently awaiting management’s response to their latest proposal; negotiations were scheduled to resume in mid-November.

The musicians’ 2010 contract cut pay by 13.5%, with only a 3.5% restoration over several years beginning in 2012.

The organization alleges six-figure deficits in recent years and a $5 million drop in its endowment funds. Musicians are calling on management to outline a comprehensive fundraising plan that will grow the orchestra on pace with the growth of its city.

Orchestra musicians spoke to audience members from the stage before beginning a concert, performed a flash mob in early November, and have been active on social media with the hashtag #growthnotcuts, in order to get their message out to their community and fellow musicians.

Read more about what these musicians are doing to bring attention to their cause in AFM President Ray Hair’s December column on page two.

The St. Louis Symphony Orchestra (SLSO) ended fiscal year 2015 with its smallest deficit since facing a financial crisis in 2000. The organization anticipates achieving a balanced budget in the near future.

In the 2014-2015 season, SLSO increased ticket sales for its classical concerts by 3% and saw an 8% increase in donations toward the annual fund. A $12 million increase in endowment and capital support brought the endowment total to slightly more than $167 million.

SLSO’s financial successes match its recent artistic achievements; in the past year, the orchestra won a Grammy Award and earned rave reviews for performances at Carnegie Hall.

The musicians of the Hartford Symphony Orchestra (HSO) have renewed their call for the management of HSO to share in the sacrifice they are asking of the musicians,  according to violinist Michael Pollard, spokesperson for the musicians and a member of Local 400 (Hartford, CT). In January, management’s initial proposal to the union proposed wage cuts of up to 40%, as well as onerous changes in work rules, which would inhibit musicians’ ability to earn a living wage. The union’s counterproposal that asked for shared sacrifice from all areas of management and staff. Management rejected and continues to reject any proposal from the musicians that contains shared sacrifice.

In 2007, the organization found itself with extreme financial challenges and brought in industry expert Tom Morris, to help formulate a plan to deal with the challenges. Morris said that all of the constituents of the organization needed to contribute towards solving the financial problem. In doing their part, the musicians agreed to $300,000 in cuts as part of a three-year contract. Despite these concessions, musicians were asked to reopen their contract two more times over the next 18 months, each time giving additional concessions in wages and numbers of musicians. A key component of the Morris solution was the HSO Board’s agreement to launch a $10 million endowment campaign. Eight years later, the HSO Board has failed to live up to their promise, which precipitated this latest call for cuts to the musicians.

The AFM and Local 400 filed an unfair labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for failure to issue contracts to the musicians by its May 1 deadline. In November, the NLRB sided with the union, which resulted in HSO reaching a settlement with US labor officials in which it agreed to issue contracts to musicians for the current year.