Presidential candidate and Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced his plan to completely destroy labor unions and dismantle the labor board in the US. Though once a favorite to win the Republican nomination, Walker has fallen in the national polls and hopefully his plan to protect corporations, while removing worker protections and benefits.
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The AFM Sues French Company for Failure to Pay Bands
The AFM has filed suit against the French company KIDAM, and to date the AFM has not received any payments for more than 20 bands that were recorded at the Winter Jazzfest for commercial broadcast on French television. It has been more than seven months since KIDAM entered into an agreement to pay wages and benefits for music recorded at Winter Jazzfest, and yet these musicians have not received payment by the Paris company.
“These folks should not feel they can get away with filming, recording, and widely broadcasting our work without meeting the terms they agreed to with Local 802 and the American Federation of Musicians,” said pianist, composer and bandleader Arturo O’Farrill in a press release. “We walk a tightrope as musicians, trying to survive, and musicians should never be treated as KIDAM has treated us.”
“The musicians of Winter Jazzfest do not deserve to wait indefinitely for payment as this company profits from their work,” adds Local 802 President Tino Gagliardi. “We must hold KIDAM accountable and ensure that these extraordinarily talented musicians get paid for their work.”
The lawsuit states that KIDAM signed a “Single Project Letter of Agreement” January 7, 2015 in adherence to the AFM Television Videotape Agreement. The agreement details wages and benefits for musicians for future broadcast on the commercial French television station Mezzo, which reaches approximately 16 million subscribers in 39 countries.
Tell Your Arts Story
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of the 1965 signing of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, on September 29, the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has launched a special site where the public can share their story of the arts via a simple form.
Anyone and everyone is invited to visit arts.gov/tell-us-your-story and share how the arts are part of your day, how the arts have inspired you to do something unique, how they have made a difference among you and your family, as well as in the communities and neighborhoods in which you live. Also, if there is a specific NEA grant that has had an impact on you and your community, let us know.
Starting September 29, the NEA will begin posting stories on its website and promoting them across our social media. Depending on the volume, the NEA may not be able to include all stories and material it receives.
Send in Your Story to Help Carnegie Hall Celebrate 125 Years
If only these walls could talk! In celebration of its 125th anniversary, performers and the public are invited to submit their favorite Carnegie Hall stories through a simple form at carnegiehall.org/stories. The website will act as a digital collage displaying how Carnegie Hall has shaped the lives of people of all different ages, cultures, and musical backgrounds and in turn, how those people have contributed to Carnegie Hall’s legacy.
Visitors to the site can share and enjoy stories in five different categories: fondest memory; first visit; most inspiring experience; most unusual experience; and favorite concert. Those contributing stories can be as creative as they like in uploading their own stories, which can include, but are not limited to, a range of original content created through YouTube and Soundcloud. Throughout this summer and the 2015-2016 season, curated stories-of-the-week will be featured on Carnegie Hall’s blog and social media channels.
Stravinsky’s Lost Manuscript Discovered 100 Years Later
One of Igor Stravinsky’s early orchestral works thought to be irretrievably lost was recently discovered. He composed the 12-minute piece, Pogrebal’naya Pesnya (Funeral Song), in honor of his teacher Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, around June 1908. It was thought the work was most likely destroyed in the 1917 revolutions of civil war that followed, though Russian musicologists had hoped it could still be among the mass of uncataloged music in the archives of the St. Petersburg Philharmonic or the Conservatoire. Last autumn the entire Conservatoire had to be emptied in preparation for a long-delayed overhaul. Piles of previously hidden manuscripts emerged from behind rows of stacked piano and orchestral scores where they’d sat for decades. An alert librarian discovered the missing orchestral parts.
#NotesForRelief Raises Funds for New York Musicians
Local 802 (New York City) has launched a new hashtag fundraising campaign to support its Emergency Relief Fund (ERF), which has helped musicians in times of crisis since 1967. The local hopes that the hashtag #NotesForRelief will go viral, attracting donations from successful musicians and music lovers. The ERF supports professional musicians facing medical emergencies, family crisis, and career threatening medical conditions. You can read some of the ERF success stories and find out more information at local802erf.org.
Economic Recovery Hits the Tour Scene
This summer’s concert boom marks the first turnaround since the 2008 economic crash. According to Pollstar, North American concert sales were up 5.8% over 2014; Life Nation’s sales (through July) were up 7%; and AEG Live reported 26% gains at the box office. For the past few years promoters have struggled to find the right mix of price/artist for top acts though there have been higher box offices sales since 2013.
Concert Unites Iran and Israel in Opposition
When the nuclear accord agreement with Iran was reached this summer, artists in the Western countries involved hoped for greater cultural exchanges with the country. However, according to The New York Times, when Berlin Staatskapelic orchestra director Daniel Barenboim tried to bring a concert to Tehran, with the support of Germany’s foreign minister, he was met with opposition from both Iran and Israel. The Israeli culture minister called the performance anti-Israel and accused the director of “using culture as a platform for his political views against the state of Israel.” Iran’s culture ministry says it has decided against the concert because of Barenboim’s Israeli citizenship.
Possible Settlement in Sony Class Action Suit
Attorneys for Sony ex-employees have reached an agreement in principle with Sony Pictures in their class action suit resulting from last year’s hack and their compromised personal data. Attorney Daniel Girard told The Hollywood Reporter that the deal came together after months of discussions and a mediation session. Sony’s motion to dismiss was denied, but the judge has not yet ruled whether there is enough commonality in the claims to file a class action suit nor whether specific damages could be proven due to other corporate hacks that have occurred. The former employees will have the opportunity to opt out of claims to continue separate legal action against Sony.
Boston Local Sponsors Hollywood Orchestration Class
On October 4, the Boston Musicians’ Association, Local 9-535 (Boston, MA), is co-sponsoring a three-hour Hollywood Orchestration Master Class by Norm Ludwin of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA). Ludwin is a well-respected orchestrator from Hollywood, who recently worked on the films Jurassic World, Inside Out, Star Trek: Into Darkness, and Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol, and is also an instructor in the UCLA Extension Film Music Department. The event is being held in conjunction with Northeastern University, October 4, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm at Northeastern University’s Fenway Center (corner of Gainsborough and St. Stephens St). This master class is free but space is limited so arrive early.
