The Committee For A More Responsible Local 47

7/28/17

I. MINUTES OF LAST MEETING (FIRST QUORUM IN 16 MONTHS)

II. LAWSUIT CLAIMS AFM PENSION MISMANAGEMENT

III. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I. UNION MEETING MINUTES MONDAY,  JULY 24TH.

Union meeting Monday – July 24th

For the first time in 16 months the meeting reached a quorum.

Quorum was met at 7:41, surprising for a July meeting.
A vast majority (but not all) were invested either as board or
committee members.

President Acosta talked about building plans and
plans for the union.

The Strategic Planning Committee
John Acosta, President
Rick Baptist, VP
Gary Lasley, Secretary
Booker White, Rank and File Rep – Disney Copyist
David Wheatley, Rank and File Rep
Lydia Reichenbach, Rank and File Rep
Steve Dress, (Acosta listed him as Rank and File Rep,

not bothering to point out that he is also president of

the RMALA.)

Jefferson Kemper, Local 47 organizing coordinator

Their Priorities
DEVELOP EMPLOYMENT
-Generate union work oppor. /Increase Union Density

(composers, Contractors, Producers, Music -Coordinators

Agents

-Tax Credits for recording
-Improved contracts
-Interactive
-1-hour independent film Festival Call
-Benefits only jobs.
Employer Outreach and Education

PROVIDE MEMBERSHIP SERVICES AND BENEFITS
-Online Resources
-Contract Access
-Healthcare
-Pension
-Responsiveness / Efficiency
-Tech

ENGAGE AND EDUCATE MEMBERS
-Survey Memberships to join u
-Create reasons to join union
-New Building Launch
-Perf Space
-New Member Showcase

GETTING MEMBERS TO COME BACK
-New Member Training
-Masterclasses
-Establish Brand
-Foster Volunteerism
-Increase Responsiveness

BUILD / REBUILD ALLIANCES RELATIONSHIPS
-elected officials
-Labor Union
-Personal Outreach
-Educational Institutions
-Community
-Employers
-Alliance of Woman Film Composers
-Composers Caucus

BE POLITICALLY ACTIVE – LAWS PASSED
-Tax Credits
-National Right to work
-ACA / CHC affordable health care
-Musicians pol Action committee
-Encourage Activism
-Support Volunterism

CONTRIBUTE TO COMMUNITY
-Relief Fund
-Musicians Foundation
-Music ED
-Promote Member contributions
-Encourage Volunteerism
-Guidelines for Donating Musical Services.

PRIORITIZE PRIORITIES
-Craft a positive and dynamic Local 47
Mission Statement that aligns with priorities
-1,3, 5 year plan
-Establish Goals for each strategy
-Present it to the members
-Ratify Strategic Plan
-Form Committees to achieve goals.

Various questions from various people.

Members need to get word out to the public and decision makers.

RMA leaders took over meeting for 10 minutes,

until Pres. Acosta said “Thank you”
Their Leaders blew a lot of smoke talking about how
Tax incentives will a bring a lot of work back.
It’s the BACKEND! Everyone knows this.

Members Asked about benefit only projects – Charities,
to enable folks to play for those events. Only charities

mentioned. Pres. – Tough to allow, but need strict requirements.

Comm. Member – to reach a goal you have to know how
you’re going to get there.

Comm. Member – Plan is for the membership.
Need to support the leaders.

Chair makes motion to adopt the plan:
Plan is adopted  – that will do nothing to fix the situation
without taking on the backend.

PRESIDENT REPORT

Lots about the move to Burbank.
3220 Wiwona – are in the back
in two modular buildings.

In Phase I –  all offices, afm offices, rehearsal rooms – Sept 8th.
Building  – 5.5 million budget – says it’s all union labor.
Phase II – Exterior painting – Over 1 MILLION Budget for Phase II
Building cost 13 million.
So total spent is over 18 million. With the total sales of the
building coming to approx – 24 million.

That leaves about 4.5 million

Investment monies left over: $4.5 million left over.

When did the board decide to change the terms.

We were told it would be 10-12 million left over

for investment, now we hear it’s going to be 4.5

million.

[Recap: initial building was going to cost $10,000,000,

plus three businesses to cover the property taxes of

approx. $120,000. The sale was approved on these

terms.

Then, lost that building, wound up paying 13 million

for a building with NO businesses to cover property

taxes. Pig in a poke?]

We believe that money will be gone in less than 5 years,
UNLESS backend payments are reduced or illuminated.

SAG/AFTRA CREDIT UNION now combined with
Local 47 Credit Union.

Will be vending area / Musicians Lounge.
Will be an elevator.
3 big band rooms.

LA Phil, LA Opera, New West, Angelica, San Bernadino,
Pasadena Sym, nego., Dance at the music center, Riverside
ongoing, plus others.

Legal: Prevailed against Magic Castle,.. mostly. Lost on

shift changes

Instrumental Casting – Trashed that group. Discussed

nonunion

gig at Hollywood venue. Charges were filed.
Union protestors were almost arrested at (Instrumental

Casting) protest.

Wordless music, planned non-union job music to film –

filed charges. (More jobs lost to professional musicians

only trying to pay their bills)

Union screws the rank and file again who aren’t the

privileged.

Organizing: Discussed plans.

[EC: Why do these folks keep talking about TAX

Credits as though that will make any difference

at all except for the have’s.

We all know why, don’t we.]

OCTOBER 7th – Will honor Lalo Schifrin to raise

money for the music fund.

VP REPORT
-Oct 16th – golf tournament to benefit music fund.

I’m the chair.
-Going to Central Avenue Jazz Festival will be

honoring Clora Bryant on Saturday.
-Going to NY to nego, live TV contract.
-Went to Cabrillo Music Festival to see Peter

Pan. Dan Redfeld conducted.

Archive: is in storage – 74 Three drawer filing

cabinets of old contracts. Rehearsal rooms –

Talked to groups that rehearse – starting on

Sept 14th: 13 piano, 7 sets, 6 Timp, Will have

mikes and speakers. Can room be rented for

recitals? – Yes, to a degree.

SECRETARY:
General fund: 1st quarter
Revenue $1,643,291
Expenses $1,105,038
Over 500,000 in profit.

Overture is printed 4 times a year, but everyone

month electronically.

Can download app. For your phone.

Music Club
Rev 81,782
Exp. 1150.995
$69,215 dollars in the red

Final sale of building. 24,750,000
Cost of New building 13,431.98
Over $500,000 paid by Music Club

to settle bills.

$43,000 plus for legal
$175,000 lease back
$1,392,751 to renovations
$1,880 for utilities
$3,933 – accounting
$1,280 on elevator repair
$5,074 insurance
$6,464 dollars on office furniture.

Over 5 million put with Merrill Lynch.
$2,400.000 in fixed income
$2,100,000 equities

Investment policy:
First priority: Preserve principal
55% bonds-fixed income / 45% in stocks and mutual.

OLD BUSINESS

Member asked:
April 24 there was no quorum – was the resolution

passed? Was amended version Published?
[Yes]
Did Amended version go through the legislative

process?
A replacement amendment was published.
If so, you cannot amend an outstanding motion.
Parliamentarian: Process at meeting was followed

as per bylaws and Robert Rules of Order.’
[We don’t think they followed proper procedure,

hoping no one would press it.]

NEW BUSINESS

President Acosta Announced: Isabel Baskoff

passed, service Friday at 10 am.

Adjourned 9:30 PM

================================================

II. LAWSUIT CLAIMS MISMANAGEMENT OF MUSICIANS

UNION’S TROUBLED PENSION PLAN
David Robb  July 24, 2017 5:09pm – DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD

UPDATED with statement from the plan’s executive director:

The American Federation of Musicians’ beleaguered $2

billion pension plan, which had a $122 million shortfall

last year, has been hit with a class-action lawsuit that

claims its trustees have made a series of risky

investments that have endangered the pensions of

thousands of musicians. The suit, filed in the U.S.

District Court in Manhattan, seeks the appointment

of an independent fiduciary to administer the plan

and the management of its investments.

Like many multi-employer pension plans, the

AFM plan was hit hard by the recession and

market downturn of 2008. But the musicians’

plan was hit harder than most, losing 40% of

its value in 18 months. A lawsuit filed by musicians

Andrew Snitzer and Paul Livant in New York

District Court claims that the plan’s trustees

and investment committee tried to make up

for this staggering loss by investing in

questionable stocks.

REX/Shutterstock
“With the fund in critical status resulting from

bad investment decisions,” the 66-page suit

claims (read it here), “defendants chased

recovery of lost investment returns by repeatedly

gambling on the hope of high investment returns

from the highest risk asset classes, in breach of

their fiduciary duties under the Employee

Retirement Income Security Act. Defendants

failed to prudently invest hundreds of millions

of dollars of fund assets and monitor and manage

risk tolerance and exposure in the stressed financial

circumstances facing the fund.”

Maureen Kilkelly, executive director of the pension

plan, called the suit “entirely without merit,” saying

that the board of trustees and staff of the fund “have

always taken our fiduciary responsibilities very

seriously. Every step of the way, we have consulted

with respected and experienced investment experts

in the industry, closely reviewed investment options,

and always acted in the best interests of the fund’s

nearly 50,000 participants and beneficiaries.”

According to the lawsuit, “Defendants invested

approximately $243.5 million of the fund’s assets

over the period since 2010 in high-risk, high-cost

international emerging markets equities, gambling

on outsized growth in international emerging markets’

economies and coincident investment returns consistent

with returns in the previous decade. Defendants further

gambled on the investment managers they hired to

outguess the market and produce better returns for

their excessively high costs and fees. As the investment

lost market value, defendants chased recovery of the

lost returns with further fund assets. Defendants

knew, or should have known, this continuing and

increasingly risky gamble exposed the fund to

imprudent and excessive risk when the fund’s

returns were vital to recovery.”

The suit claims that the trustees tried to recoup

losses by investing ever greater percentages of

the fund’s assets in risky emerging markets

equities. “Defendants knew the average pension

plan had 4.5% of total assets invested in emerging

markets equities,” it alleges. “Defendants approved

a policy to invest up to 5% of total Fund assets in

emerging markets equities, and then, following

negative returns, more than doubled the high

risk investment to 11%, only to again double-down

and increase the fund’s investment to an extra-

ordinary 15% of fund assets. Defendants’ process

of chasing recovery of lost returns with increasingly

risky asset allocations, in an attempt to meet or

beat the actuarial return assumption, was imprudent

and resulted in substantial injury to the fund. Like a

gambler chasing his losses, defendants did so

despite the high-risk nature of the asset class,

substantial and continuing declines in the market

value of the investment, increased uncertainty

concerning volatility and growth prospects in

emerging markets, substantial underperformance

by the managers, substantial underperformance

of the fund versus its peers, and the mounting

substantially negative impact of the investment

on the fund’s returns.”
In December, the trustees told participants that

the fund “has now been in critical status for six

years and is projected to remain so for the

foreseeable future…We currently have a plan

that incorporates reasonable measures available

under the law to address our situation. At this

time, we are reliant on the fund’s investment

performance and to a much lesser extent

employer contributions.”

In her statement to Deadline, the plan’s exec

director Kilkelly said the suit “is directed at

the performance of fund investments, but

there are many other causes of the fund’s

present financial predicament. Many

multiemployer pension plans across the

nation are struggling with a similar ‘perfect

storm’ of challenging factors.

These include the volume of Baby Boomers

taking retirement; more benefits being paid

out to retirees and beneficiaries than

contributions coming in from actives;

and significantly longer pay-outs because

participants are thankfully living longer.

Additionally, two major recessions since 2000,

the one in 2008-09 being of epic proportions

and causing the collapse of financial markets

worldwide, have profoundly impacted pension

plans across the nation.”

She said that she and the trustees and the

staff of the fund “have responded prudently

to all challenges and have consistently based

their decisions on the counsel of proven

investment advisors and actuaries. We will

vigorously contest this lawsuit, and expect

to prevail. Our focus will continue to be

on doing everything we can to preserve the

hard-earned benefits of our participants

and beneficiaries.”

FROM DEADLINE HOLLYWOOD

 
===========================================

III. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks the first 
Friday of 
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at
Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, 
Burbank.

Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way
they 
should 
be. 

We are in the back room called
the Trailside Room. 


Come on down.

Guaranteed to swing.

http://www.responsible47.com

—————————————-

7/29/17

SESSIONS AT THE LOFT

ASHLEY BRODER AND FRIENDS

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)
Sessions at the Loft
2465 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA 91320

———————————–

7/30/17

The BBB featuring Bernie Dresel
(Direct from Italy!)

THIS SUNDAY July 30 from  7:00pm-8:30pm
at Bogies in Westlake Village, CA
(right off the 101 at Lindero Canyon Road exit.)
Big Band Extravaganza!!!
32001 Agoura Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361
Call 818-889-2394 for ticket reservations!!
or Go to: http://www.bogies-bar.com/events/
and click on the RSVP tab for our July 30 show.
or cross your fingers and JUST SHOW UP!
$20 cover charge

Come join The BBB featuring Bernie Dresel,
(13 horns, upright bass, guitar, and plenty of

drums) swingin’ & rockin’ selections from our

brand new album, Live n’ Bernin’.

The club is gorgeous, the food is great, and

the sound system is perfect!  Come welcome

me & Vicky as we arrive back to Los Angeles

from our beautiful honeymoon in Italy!!

Our new album Live n’ Bernin’ will be

available for sale at this show.

(Also available online at CDBaby Amazon,

and ElusiveDisc; as well as downloads on

iTunes, CDBaby and Amazon).

—————————————-

8/2/17

PRESS RELEASE/Wed AUGUST 2, 2017 at

12:10-12:40 pm at the Free Admission
GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS/

Pianist NANCY FIERRO:
Music from the Belle Epoque.

Thank you!
Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon concerts
818 -249-5108
http://www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

7/21/17

I. CAN’T WIN FOR LOSING

II. PENSION ACCOUNTABILITY ROADBLOCK

III. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I. CAN’T WIN FOR LOSING

Instrumental Casting, a company owned by Contractor/Violinist

Jennifer Walton, who booked a non-union job for 68 musicians

at the Dolby theater a while back and didn’t hire union musicians

because she knew the Union would show up and target those union

musicians who played the job. She did it to protect them.

Now the AFM/Local 47 is going after her because union members

WEREN’T asked to play. It’s opposite day all over again. Sometimes

you truly cannot win for losing.

Here is a statement from Instrumental Casting:
Jennifer Walton recently contracted a 68 piece orchestra comprised

of non-union musicians, for a non-union client, at a non-union venue.

She knew the union would show up looking for union musicians

playing the gig in violation.  In her hiring emails, she alerted the

musicians that union reps would be present and insisted she’d

not allow any union musicians on the gig in order to protect them

from punishment.  At least one of the musicians she contacted

informed the AFM of her email in which she stated she would

not hire union musicians on this non-union gig.
AFM leafletted the rehearsal for her 68 piece orchestra gig and

also leafletted the patrons at the Dolby Theater where the

concert was held.  Jennifer filed a charge against the AFM

with the NLRB for selective enforcement, slander, and

harassment of the musicians and patrons.
AFM then filed a charge against Jennifer’s business,

Instrumental Casting, under which she contracted the

job, for unlawful discrimination against union players.

Their argument is that union players should decide

whether or not they will accept a non-union gig.

Jennifer Walton, of Instrumental Casting, offers

work for AFM, SAG, Fi-core, and non-union

musicians alike.

===========================================

II. PENSION ACCOUNTABILITY ROADBLOCK

We thank the Musicians for Pension Security for staying on this for us all!

MPS INFORMATION REQUEST TO THE AFM-EPF HITS ROADBLOCK

Dear Plan Participants,

You may have seen the latest AFM-EPF newsletter, stating, “Our trustees take seriously the commitment to more frequent, comprehensive communication” (June 2017, p.3). Last month, Musicians for Pension Security requested a series of documents. In addition, we asked specific questions concerning investments, expenses, lobbying costs and other subjects of vital importance. Not one of these requests
for information was honored.

In response, Executive Director Maureen Kilkelly simply referred MPS to the disclosure document inventory list on the AFM-EPF website. This list includes several years of actuarial and investment management information, and the copying cost to receive these documents. This information, as required by federal law, must be posted to their website. For our remaining requests, Ms. Kilkelly’s response speaks for itself, “We are not responding to the remaining requests.* ”

So what were the requests that the trustees refused to respond to?
•    We asked for the minutes of trustee meetings, as well as minutes of the investment and audit committees. It seems to us that trustees who wish to be transparent would make their minutes available, but they chose not to allow us access to those documents.
•    We also asked for specific information about the losses that occurred in 2007-09 during the financial crisis. How much of these losses were in high-yield bonds, as the trustees have claimed? How much were within the category of alternative investments? How much were corporate stocks? The trustees will not disclose that information.
•    With respect to the financial crisis, we asked whether the trustees considered taking legal action against those responsible for catastrophic investment losses. Tens of billions of dollars have been recovered by peer pension plans against wrongdoers in connection with financial crisis losses. Why didn’t the AFM seek compensation? Again, the trustees will not say.
•    MPS has reason to believe that several AFM-EPF trustees actively supported the Multiemployer Pension Reform Act, MPRA, a law that could give trustees the ability to cut our pension benefits, in 2013 and 2014 (NCCMP).  We asked trustees whether any of our plan money was used to help lobby for this law. In our view, plan money should be used for the exclusive benefit of plan participants, and any money spent on our behalf for lobbying purposes should be disclosed. The trustees, however, choose to remain silent on the subject.
•    Regarding spending, we asked about travel expenses, meeting expenses, and the cost of education for the trustees. After the AFM-EPF spent $250 million of plan money over the last decade on fees and expenses, coupled with extremely poor performance, this is an area of great concern. Transparency of spending during a financial crisis of this magnitude is critical. Our trustees would not share any information on this subject.
•    Trustees will not answer the simple question of whether the Department of Labor performed an expense audit on the plan in the past five years.

So while communications from our trustees may have become more frequent and comprehensive as of late, we anticipate that they will be in one of two categories : either divulging only what is required by federal law, or advancing their own point of view. It seems that trustees will not answer inconvenient or uncomfortable questions that would enable plan participants to seek transparency and accountability.

Sincerely,
Musicians for Pension Security, Inc.
www.musiciansforpensionsecurity.com

*Ms. Kilkelly included a disclaimer on her email that prevents us from sharing it publicly

[EC: There is obviously a lot that stinks here. There is obviously

dishonesty here. Our question is why haven’t the trustees and

particularly Ms. Kilkelly been fired? We’re being fleeced either

by incompetence or design.]

====================================

III. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks the first 
Friday of 
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at
Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, 
Burbank.

Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way
they 
should 
be. 

We are in the back room called
the Trailside Room. 


Come on down.

Guaranteed to swing.

http://www.responsible47.com

—————————————-

7/29/17

SESSIONS AT THE LOFT

ASHLEY BRODER AND FRIENDS

Event to be held at the following time, date, and location:
Saturday, July 29, 2017 from 7:30 PM to 9:30 PM (PDT)
Sessions at the Loft
2465 Ventura Blvd
Camarillo, CA 91320

—————————————-

8/2/17

PRESS RELEASE/Wed AUGUST 2, 2017 at 12:10-12:40 pm at the Free Admission
GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS/ Pianist NANCY FIERRO: Music from the Belle Epoque.
Photo of pianist Nancy Fierro and a press release are attached.
Thank you!
Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon concerts
818 -249-5108
http://www.glendalenoonconcerts.blogspot.com

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

7/13/17
I.  LOCAL 47 BUILDING IS GONE AS OF JULY 15TH
II. LOCAL 47 BATTLES NON-UNION WORK
III. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I.  LOCAL 47 BUILDING IS GONE AS OF JULY 15TH

Our building will be official gone tomorrow. Many still

don’t buy that the process was legit,.. and there will

always be 1000 ballots unaccounted for.  But no

matter, the building is now history.

Those who didn’t fight to save the building and

sat the process out can now choose to either fight

to make sure the Local gets more responsive to

the non-elites, or let the Local continue to wither

with only the greedy and /or self-interested coming

out ahead.

The choice is yours.

THE COMMITTEE

============================================

II. LOCAL 47 BATTLES NON-UNION WORK
Musicians Local 47 Vows To Battle Nonunion Work

“Done In The Shadows”

From Deadline Hollywood.

Saying that its contracts have been “put at serious risk”

by “work done in the shadows,” Local 47 of the American

Federation of Musicians is preparing to launch a campaign

“to ensure that musicians can earn a livable wage working

in Los Angeles.”

AFM Local 47
In a recent communique with its members, the local’s executive

board said more and more musicians “are being asked to record

music for major, well-funded projects without union contracts.

If union contracts are made irrelevant by work done in the

shadows, the floor for pay will drop for both union and non-union

musicians.”

Read the full message below.

In many cases, union musicians are forced to choose between

working nonunion or not working at all. “These employment

practices are especially divisive and pernicious,” the executive

board said, “because they exert enormous pressure on

individual union members.”

The local’s current contract with the major studios doesn’t

expire until next April, but it’s already gearing up for a tough

round of bargaining. One of the challenges it’s facing is the

trend toward using foreign orchestras to score films and TV

shows that were shot right here in Los Angeles. Another

problem is that the AFM’s multibillion-dollar pension plan

is in “critical” condition.

“The actuary certified that for the plan years beginning April

1, 2016, and 2015, respectively, the plan is in ‘critical’ status

under the Pension Protection Act of 2006,” according to the

AFM Pension Plan’s latest financial report. As such, the

Plan’s board of trustees was required by law to adopt a

rehabilitation plan designed to improve its financial health

and to allow it to emerge from critical status.

 

“We all know what it is like to wonder where your next

call is going to come from or how you are going to pay

your bills,” the executive board said. “No single musician

can stop the forces that undermine our profession, but

as a union we have always been able to push back. We

believe that it is now necessary to take action together.”

Here is the board’s full message to Local 47 members:
To all members of the American Federation of Musicians

Local 47: Our contracts are the heart of our union. Whatever

we achieve through collective action and collective bargaining

is secured because management signs agreements. Our contracts

allow us to make sure employers do what they are obligated to do.

They raise the expectations of all musicians for pay, benefits,

and professional treatment.

Recently, those contracts have been put at serious risk. Members

of Local 47 are being asked to record music for major, well-funded

projects without union contracts. If union contracts are made

irrelevant by work done in the shadows, the floor for pay will

drop for both union and non-union musicians. These employment

practices are especially divisive and pernicious because they

exert enormous pressure on individual union members.

We all know what it is like to wonder where your next call is

going to come from or how you are going to pay your bills.

No single musician can stop the forces that undermine our

profession, but as a union we have always been able to push

back.

 

We believe that it is now necessary to take action together.

We call upon the Federation and other AFM Locals to unite

with our membership in defense of our union and our

contracts. In the coming months we will be launching a

campaign to uphold our contracts, to recapture work

being done in the shadows and to ensure that musicians

can earn a livable wage working in Los Angeles.

Our goals are:
1. To ensure fair pay, benefits, and professional

treatment for musicians.

2. To protect our union’s ability to bargain, administer

and uphold our contracts.

3. To bring more work under union agreements.

We, the Executive Board of AFM Local 47, are committed

to building a stronger, more successful future together.
– AFM Local 47 Executive Board

[ EC: Well there’s Irony for you. Complaining about non-

union work when members of the board and every

committee at the Local do those very same jobs.

 

Put very simply, as per recording, “NO buyouts,

NO work” They need to get that.

 

The world has moved on.

The problem is our recording contracts are obsolete

and wishful thinking that help only a minute fraction

while penalizing 98% of the members, and deteriorating

our industry.

 

Our long time building gone, trading it for a short term

infusion of money while making no changes to the

ridiculous business model that benefits only a fraction

of even the RMA members, means that once they’ve

pissed away that money there will be no more “rich

relatives” or buildings to turn to.

 

Either the Union will be forced to change their ways

with buyout contracts or our union recording industry

will eventually cease to exist. Even the blindest adherent

of the status quo knows deep down that the game is over.

The only question left is, will you allow everyone’s future

in the recording industry to die so some can stuff their

pockets a little longer?

 

As another aside, have you heard the self-congratulations

and back slapping that Local 47 has been giving itself for

securing raises in contracts for area orchestras? Well the

rest of the story is those organizations, when

confronted with the increased fees, simply cut out rehearsals.

In some cases orchestras are now having 1 rehearsal per

concert. So in most cases, with fewer services, the players

are making less than they did before.

 

But that won’t stop the administration for blowing smoke

professing what a great job they’re doing.

The COMMITTEE

 
====================================

III. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks

the first 
Friday of 
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at
Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, 
Burbank.

Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way
they 
should 
be. 

We are in the back room called
the Trailside Room. 


Come on down.

Guaranteed to swing.

————————————————-

7/11-14/17

SANTA BARBARA JAZZ WORKSHOP

The LA Jazz Society is proud to partner with Kim

Richmond and Kimberly Ford in presenting the

Santa Barbara Jazz Workshop, July 11-14, from

Tuesday afternoon to Friday night.

 

A faculty of Jazz professionals teach instrumental/

vocal master classes, improvisation, Jazz Listening

(How to listen, and who to listen to.), modern Jazz

combo and Big Band playing with concerts
each late afternoon (open to the public) where advanced students sit in

For more information, visit www.santabarbarajazzcamp.com.

Presented by Kim Richmond and Kimberly Ford
at the Marjorie Luke Theater and SOHO Jazz Club.

You can read all previous offerings at:
http://www.responsible47.com

—————————————-

7/19/17

GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS

Wed JULY 19, 2017 at 12:10-12:40 pm at the Free Admission
Duos by Dwight Dixon, Katherine Hoover, Peter Maxwell Davies & Payton McDonald:
Flutist Katherine Marsh & Percussionist Timm Boatman.

Sanctuary of Glendale City Church,
610 E. California Ave. (at Isabel St), Glendale, CA 91206.

Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon Concerts
818-249-5108
Flutist Katherine Marsh is an active professional musician and teacher. She is currently the solo piccolo player of the Santa Barbara Symphony, principal flute of the San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra, and has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Santa Barbara Opera and Master Chorale as well as other numerous symphony and chamber ensembles throughout Southern California. Originally from Bowling Green, Ohio, Katherine received a Bachelor of Music Degree from the Eastman School of Music and a Master of Music Degree from the University of Southern California. Her principal teachers include Bonita Boyd, Samuel Baron, Roger Stevens, and Louise DiTullio. Katherine was accepted into the LA Philharmonic Orchestral Training Program, The Round Top Music Festival, and the Orchestral Institute in Graz, Austria.  She has performed in masterclasses with James Galway and Jean Pierre Rampal. This past November Katherine premiered James Domine’s Flute Concerto with the San Fernando Valley Symphony. Katherine’s piccolo and flute playing can be heard in many Star Wars Video games performing with the Skywalker Orchestra. In addition to orchestral work, Katherine is a member of the California Music Teacher’s Association and is a chamber music coach for Junior Chamber Music.

Percussionist Timm Boatman began his career with the Dallas Symphony and Opera. He has performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, including recordings conducted by Mehta, Previn, Tilson Thomas and Bernstein. He performed with American Ballet Theatre, Joffrey Ballet, Dance Theater of Harlem, Royal Ballet of Covent Garden, Paris Opera Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Cuba, Miami Ballet, New York City Opera, Berlin Opera, San Diego Opera and many others. He played drumset for the ballets The River by Duke Ellington, Fancy Free by Bernstein and the operas Porgy and Bess and Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny, which won two Grammys for LA Opera. He played with the LA Opera Orchestra since the first season. He also played on the recent Grammy winning  The Ghosts of Versailles.

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

7/2/17
I.  OLYMPIA YOUTH ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS
II. EVENTS

…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer

…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician

…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician

===========================================

I.  OLYMPIA YOUTH ORCHESTRA AUDITIONS

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

It is very important for students to have a good musical education on
top of academics and sports as extra curricular activity during their
school years. The Olympia Youth Orchestra is a high level orchestra
which only performs original standard repertoire as well as works
by contemporary composers. Easy arrangements are seldom included
in the concert programs.

Please kindly spread the word that the Olympia Youth Orchestra will
be holding its annual auditions from now until the end of August.
Interested students should go on the website at
http://www.olympiaphil.org/wp/ and submit the application form
under “youth orchestra”. Audition requirements are scale and solo
piece of student’s own choice plus some sight reading of orchestral
excerpts from the standard repertoire.

Rehearsals are on Sunday afternoons at CSULA. Annual tuition fee
is $650. There are 4 performances each season, 2 on the campus
of CSULA and 2 at the historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse. Non-
CSULA students will also have an option of enrolling at CSULA for
transferable college credits of the orchestra class for an additional
charge by the university.

Thank you so much!

Fung Ho

====================================

II. EVENTS

 

DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks the first 
Friday of 
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at
Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, 
Burbank.

Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way
they 
should 
be. 

We are in the back room called
the Trailside Room. 


Come on down.

Guaranteed to swing.

———————————————-

7/5/17

GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS

Wednesday,  JULY 5, 2017 at 12:10-12:40 pm
GLENDALE NOON CONCERTS will feature
Mandolinist EVAN MARSHALL.

Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon Concerts
818 -249-5108

Evan  J.  Marshall is  an  internationally  renowned
mandolin  virtuoso,  and  is  widely  regarded  as
he  world’s  premier  solo  performer  on  mandolinin
Duo-Style. By  himself,  he  sounds  like  several
of  the  world’s  finest  mandolinists  performing
together. His  stylistic  signature  is  Classical,
with  strong  influences  from  the  Italian and
American  Folk  traditions.  Country  guitar
legend  Chet  Atkins  called  Evan  “A  true
virtuoso,  one  of  the  few  great  musicians
of  our  time.”
Inspired by Atkins  and  violinist  Jascha  Heifetz,
Evan has  created  a  uniquely  recognizable
approach  to  solo  mandolin  performance  that
combines  bass  lines,  chords,  rhapsodic runs
and  tremolo  melodies.  He  started  Classical
violin  studies  at  age  seven,  and  added  the
mandolin  at age 14.

In  addition  to  solo  performances,  Evan  has
been  a  Featured  Guest  Artist in  Pops  concerts
with  a  number  of Symphony  Orchestras,  including
Houston, Phoenix, Long  Beach, Grand  Rapids, Fort
Worth,  San  Antonio,  Jacksonville, and Pensacola.

Two  of  his  solo  mandolin  recordings  have
been  released  by  Rounder  Records:

————————————————-

7/11-14/17

SANTA BARBARA JAZZ WORKSHOP

The LA Jazz Society is proud to partner with Kim Richmond
and Kimberly Ford in presenting the Santa Barbara Jazz
Workshop, July 11-14, from Tuesday afternoon to Friday night.

A faculty of Jazz professionals teach instrumental/vocal master
classes, improvisation, Jazz Listening (How to listen, and who to
listen to.), modern Jazz combo and Big Band playing with concerts
each late afternoon (open to the public) where advanced students sit in

For more information, visit www.santabarbarajazzcamp.com.

Presented by Kim Richmond and Kimberly Ford
at the Marjorie Luke Theater and SOHO Jazz Club.

You can read all previous offerings at:
http://www.responsible47.com

—————————————-
UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47