Tag Archives: recent news

Recent News

Air Canada is the Official Airline to Nine Canadian Symphony Orchestras

Air Canada today announced it has added Symphony Nova Scotia and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra to its roster of Canadian symphony orchestras it supports from coast to coast. The airline is offering special policies to ease its customer travel experience.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with Symphony Nova Scotia and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, making Air Canada the Official Airline of nine of the country’s leading symphony orchestras coast to coast,” says Craig Landry, Air Canada’s vice president of marketing. “As a proud Canadian brand, we believe in supporting these pre-eminent arts organizations to help enrich and engage audiences across this country.”

In addition to Symphony Nova Scotia and the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Air Canada is official airline to: Orchestre Symphonique de Montreal, Toronto Symphony Orchestra, National Arts Centre Orchestra, Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Edmonton Symphony Orchestra, Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, as well as the National Youth Orchestra of Canada.

“We are also pleased to introduce industry-leading enhancements for all our customers travelling with carry-on instruments, including pre-boarding benefits and a generous discount when purchasing an additional seat for their instrument,” concludes Landry. Customers may purchase a seat at a 50% discount off any published fare, including the lowest Tango fares, to accommodate a musical instrument.

“Meanwhile, the CFM [Canadian Federation of Musicians] is committed to continued lobbying of the government of Canada to harmonize with the US regulated FAA carry-on act. We have met and lobbied each and every stakeholder, including all National Airline Councils, Minister of Transport office, Canadian Transport Agency, and The Canadian Transport Review,” says Allistair Elliott, AFM International Representative, Canada. “All stakeholders are very aware of our position and the need for a unified policy and we are ready to continue all our efforts after the federal election.”

Recent News

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Returns Home

In September, Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra performed in the Orpheum theater for the first time since Hurricane Katrina flooded its lower levels five years ago. The nearly century-old Beaux Arts theater, located in New Orleans’ Central Business District, has been restored and renovated. It is one of the few remaining vertical hall designs left in the US and has over he years hosted vaudeville acts, films, and countless orchestra performances. Its acoustics impeccable acoustics are said to rival that of Carnegie Hall.

The restoration brought back the precise 1921 color scheme; the terra cotta ceiling and ornate plasterwork were restored by hand. Modern improvements to the theater include a state-of-the-art audio and lighting system; an adjustable floor plan with removable seating; remodeled green rooms and dressing rooms; six permanent bars; additional restrooms; and two new VIP areas.

Recent News

LA Phil Bus Brings VAN Beethoven on Tour

The interior of VAN Beethoven, Los Angeles Philharmonic’s virtual reality experience. (Photo: Kelle Ramsey)

The interior of VAN Beethoven, Los Angeles Philharmonic’s virtual reality experience. (Photo: Kelle Ramsey)

From September 11 through October 18 diverse communities throughout Los Angeles, California, will have the opportunity to board a truck to experience the first five minutes of a Los Angeles Philharmonic performance of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5 through virtual reality. Visitors will be welcomed aboard the customized VAN Beethoven truck, complete with carpet and seating from Walt Disney Concert Hall. Once aboard, they will put on an Oculus headset and be transported to the iconic venue in an immersive, 360-degree, 3D environment. The private experience is augmented by a soundtrack that subtly shifts and adapts to the viewer’s perspective to give the feeling of being up close at a LA Philharmonic concert. The truck’s schedule (LAPhil.com/VANBeethoven) includes stops at parks, festivals, museums, and more.

 

 

Recent News

Taxi Drivers Worldwide Rally Against Uber

Taxi drivers in cities around the globe continue protest against Uber. Hundreds of New York Taxi Workers’ Alliance drivers protested outside the New York State governor’s office in Manhattan, demanding he drop plays to give transportation companies like Uber a special law to allow them to dispatch fares to private motorists in personal cars. In Edmonton, Canada, shirtless taxi drivers interrupted a council meeting on the subject, while the city of Vancouver has passed a moratorium on Uber. Brussel taxi driver’s, furious over Uber’s launch of a service allowing private car owners to carry passengers, participated in a 1,000-taxi parade from Brussels North station to a press conference at Place Schumann.

International Transportation Workers’ Federation (ITF) Secretary Mac Urata says: “This coordinated union and employer action demonstrates the strength of anger around the world about Uber and other so-called ‘ride-share’ operators, which use private vehicles. We fear they put at risk the welfare of their drivers, the safety of passengers, and the livelihoods of millions of regulated taxi drivers. The ITF, the EFT [IFT Europe], and their affiliates are determined to put a stop to Uber’s illegal actions and bring them to the level playing field with the rest of the taxi industry.

Dropkick Murphys Support Presidential Candidate O’Malley
Recent News

Dropkick Murphys Support Presidential Candidate O’Malley

Dropkick Murphys Support Presidential Candidate O’MalleyCeltic punk band Dropkick Murphys, members Local 9-535 (Boston, MA), announced their support and approval of Democratic presidential candidate Martin O’Malley’s use of their hit song “Shipping Up to Boston.” They tweeted their approval of the former governor of Maryland’s candidacy saying he “stands up for working people.” Earlier this year Republican presidential candidate Scott Walker’s use of the same song brought the opposite reaction. “We literally hate you” the band tweeted to Walker. Dropkick Murphys version of the Woody Guthrie song first gained popularity as the theme music to Martin Scorsese’s The Departed.

Recent News

BMI Reports Record-Breaking Revenues and Distribution

Music rights management company Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI) announced record-breaking revenue and royalty distributions for the fiscal year that ended June 30. The organization’s total revenue was $1.013 billion, more than any other music rights organization worldwide. In turn, BMI distributed and administered $877 million to affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers, marking a 4.5% increase over the previous year. Revenue sources included Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Pandora, Spotify and YouTube, among many others. International revenues accounted for $292 million, despite significant economic challenges overseas.

In a press release, the company pointed out that its historic revenue performance came in the same year the company prevailed in a groundbreaking rate-setting case against Pandora, following a nearly two-year legal battle. The decision established that publisher marketplace agreements can be taken into account as benchmarks when determining rates, an important step forward in valuing music today.

Recent News

Women Farmworkers Win Massive Judgement

In early September the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a unanimous verdict of more than $17 million for victims of sexual harassment and retaliation at Moreno Farms, a small, now defunct farm outside of Immokalee, Florida. According to the EEOC suit two sons of the owner and a third male supervisor engaged in sexual harassment, including groping, propositioning, and threatening women. The five women awarded the judgement were fired for opposing the sexual harassment.

“EEOC has been at the forefront of combating employment discrimination on behalf of farmworkers,” said EEOC General Counsel David Lopez, in a press release. “We are committed to ensuring that all immigrant and vulnerable populations are protected by the anti-discrimination laws, and this is the latest in a number of successful cases that we have litigated to stop these discriminatory practices.”

Recent News

Happy Birthday Finally Free

Yesterday US District Judge George H. King ruled the world’s most popular English-language song is free from copyright. The latest challenge to Warner/Chappell’s hold on the tune, worth around $2 million a year, came from a filmmaker. The opinion contends that the ruling establishes that the rights were never properly transferred. The “Happy Birthday” song dates to the late 19th century work by teacher Patty Smith Hill and her sister Mildred.

The ruling reads in part: “Defendants ask us to find the Hill sisters eventually gave Summy Co. the rights in the lyrics to exploit and protect, but this assertion has no support in the record. The Hill sisters gave Summy Co. the rights to the melody, and the rights to the piano arrangements based on the melody, but never any rights to the lyrics.

Recent News

Seattle Unions v. Seattle Times

Parents, teachers, and union leaders in Seattle are encouraging other working Americans to cancel their subscriptions to the Seattle Times. They are slamming the anti-union publication for its one-sided coverage of the teacher strikes and anti public school/pro charter school stance. Teachers went on strike September 9—the first day of school in Seattle—for the first time in 30 years. The school board had rejected most of the Seattle Education Association’s proposals centered on competitive pay, reasonable testing, guaranteed recess, student equity, and workloads. The work stoppage was suspended September 15, when the teachers were presented with a tentative agreement that addresses every one of these priority issues identified by SEA members last spring.

“This is a hard-fought victory for the kids of Seattle, and I am proud of SEA members and our incredible bargaining team,” says Jonathan Knapp, SEA president. “This agreement signals a new era in bargaining in public education. We’ve negotiated a pro-student, pro-parent, pro-educator agreement. We really appreciate the strong support from parents and students.”