I. SOME THINGS OF NOTE IN THIS MONTHS’S OVERTURE
II. LATEST LOCAL 47 E-MAIL
III. A NEW CONTRACT IN THE WORKS?
IV. EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
V. COMMENTS
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I. SOME THINGS OF NOTE IN THIS MONTHS’S OVERTURE
We noticed a number of things in this month’s Overture that should be of
use to many members.
•UNION PLUS SCHOLARSHIP
On page 22, you’ll find the information about a scholarship from Union
Plus. The deadline is January 31st.
The Scholarship offers $150,000.00 annually to Union members, their spouses
and dependants.
•SEMINARS/COURSES
On page 23, you’ll find info on two items of interest:
1) An 8 week Orchestration course by Dr. Norman Ludwin
2) A 3-day seminar on music notation with Finale
•LETTER TO THE EDITOR
On Page 8 is an interesting “Letter to the Editor” from Local 47 member Chris Tedesco.
We’ve never noticed such space and attention given to scholarships before
the last few issues. Could our Local finally be making more effort for the
rank-and-file? Since they know they’re being watched, it would seem so.
Kudo’s to Linda Rapka for a great job with our Paper.
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II. LATEST LOCAL 47 E-MAIL.
Did you read the latest Local 47 email about the Sony video game recording
using 104 musicians?
Oddly, there have been many more video game sessions here in Los
Angeles using the new AFM buyout agreement rather than the RMA-
endorsed more-traditional contract, but our Local seems only interested in
trumpeting those using the latter.
So, that’s one on the old contract, and many, many times that with the
NEW AFM Buyout Contract. In fact, we understand that the new AFM VG
contact has led to a real upswing in work in that area not to mention all the
sessions that were lost to San Francisco due to the RMA/Simpsons VG session
debacle which essentially scared composers into going elsewhere.
We are even hearing of some work returning from Seattle to the new AFM
Contract. Unfortunately, most of it has also gone to San Francisco for the
same reason. The alienation between the AFM and the RMA has apparently
exacted a severe toll on us all.
We are endeavoring to make sure that the Federation knows that we need for
them to work the kinks out of these innovative contracts here as well as in other cities.
If we are to continue weakening the totalitarian stranglehold on recording in our
Local, ANY significant new source of employment must be fairly made available
to all. NO client should feel or believe that they are limited in their choice of
contractors or musicians.
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III. A NEW CONTRACT IN THE WORKS?
We’re hearing rumors of yet another new contract in the works by the Federation
that could mean even more work returning, this being “library” recording exclusively
for film trailers.
The short-lived nature of trailers virtually precludes anyone getting special
payments on such work. In fact, we’ve been unable to find any musician
that has ever made a cent in special payments from a trailer.
It seems this is the next logical step in revitalizing union recording. We hope it takes
hold and creates far more work for the countless qualified-but-underutilized rank and
file Local 47 musicians!
We’ll keep you posted.
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IV. ANNOUNCEMENTS/EVENTS
Lisa Haley & the Zydekats are most pleased to announce:
We are officially GRAMMY Nominees for the 2008 “Best Zydeco
or Cajun Album” Category.
Our congratulations to all the artists,
and a heartfelt thanks to the Recording Academy for bestowing
on us this great honor.
LISA HALEY
BLUE FIDDLE RECORDS
www.lisahaley.com
www.bluefiddle.com
310-676-4884
COLLEAGUES! Make sure and let us know if you’ve been nominated
and we’ll share the news!
We also wish to congratulate John Clayton, Jorge Calandrelli, Bob Florence,
and Bill Holman on their Grammy nominations …
——————–
More Grammy nominations!
THE VELVETEEN RABBIT: Love Can Make You Real
by Don Sebesky, Gloria Nissenson and Janina Serden
RECEIVES GRAMMY NOMINATION FOR BEST MUSICAL ALBUM FOR CHILDREN
2008! Written by GRAMMY and Tony-Award winning composer Don Sebesky
and award-winning lyricist Gloria Nissenson, and set to Margery Williams
“The Velveteen Rabbit”, the recording underscores Enchantment Theatre
Company’s original musical of the same name, being presented at the new
Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia from December 10 through
December 30. The official premiere is Saturday, December 15 at 7 p.m.
This unique production features life-size puppets, masked actors and
magic and will continue on a nationwide tour.
The 50th Annual GRAMMY Awards will be broadcast live from
STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, February
10, 2008, on CBS.
——————–
Please SAVE THE DATE and plan to join the
American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers
as we Celebrate The Season with the
ASMAC HOLIDAY TRIO
Gerald Clayton, Piano • John Clayton, Bass
Kevin Kanner, Drums
Monday, December 17, 2007 – 6:30pm
6:30 no-host cocktails/silent auction, 7:30 Buffet dinner, 8:45-10:00
Entertainment
Catalina Bar & Grill
6725 West Sunset Blvd. Hollywood, CA 90028
(1 BLOCK E OF HIGHLAND – north side of street – cor of McCadden)
Parking $3.00 – behind building – enter on McCadden
Once again we are honored to celebrate this festive season with the ASMAC
Holiday Trio. Six-time-Grammy-nominated John Clayton, President of
ASMAC, — bassist, composer, arranger and conductor — has written and
arranged music for many great artists, including Diana Krall, Natalie Cole,
DeeDee Bridgewater, George Benson, Milt Jackson, Dr. John and Quincy
Jones. University of Idaho recently named him as Artistic Director for the
Lionel Hampton International Jazz Festival. John performs and conducts
around the world, and just returned from Europe and South America – we are
lucky to catch him ‘home’ for the holidays.
Gerald Clayton, a gifted young pianist, studied with jazz pianists Donald
Vega, Shelly Berg, Kenny Barron and Billy Childs. He performs regularly
with his jazz combo, has appeared at the Playboy and Monterey Jazz
Festivals, Greek Theatre, Steamers and many other venues. A recipient of
the L.A. Jazz Society’s Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award, Gerald
has been busy performing on both east and west coasts. He has worked with
artists such as the Clayton Brothers, Russell Malone, Stefon Harris, Ravi
Coltrane, and Roy Hargrove and recently recorded with Diana Krall and
Roberta Gambarini.
Kevin Kanner studied with Jeff Hamilton, and is the only drummer to receive
the Jazz Society’s Shelly Manne Memorial New Talent Award. He has performed
with many jazz greats and legends, including: Lee Konitz, Bill Holman
(including the recent Grammy nominated record), The Clayton Brothers Quintet,
The Clayton Hamilton Jazz Orchestra, Charles MacPhearson, Johnny Mandel
Big Band, Barbara Morrison, Maureen McGovern, Annie Sellick, Gilbert
Castellanos, John Pizzarelli, Geoff Keezer, and Gerald Clayton Trio.
The evening will include a no-host cocktail hour with a silent auction
to benefit ASMAC’s educational programs, a buffet dinner, and a brilliant
set of music including some of your jazz and holiday favorites.
Open to the public. ASMAC members & students $40.00 ea, Non
members and guests $50.00 ea.
Please reserve by Friday morning, December 14 at (818) 994-4661, via
email to [email protected], or visit www.asmac.org
You may pay by credit card at that time OR pay at the door on Dec. 17th.
The ASMAC Board of Directors wish you all a happy and healthy
holiday season and a wonderful new year!
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V. COMMENTS
The views expressed here are those of the participating readers and
not necessarily those of the COMMITTEE.
————–
Is anyone going to talk about term limits? Or is this something we are just
going to ignore continuously. It WILL solve many problems.
———————
Committee
I have problem with new RMALA president double dipping
and flying to London last May with James Newton Howard
and working on a non union – non USA score – how come he
didn’t turn it down?
“he who has no sin cast the first stone”
———————
These people must be very afraid that a movement outside theirs will
get traction and they are hitting the internet …BIG TIME …with e-mails!!!
In talking with one of the more beleaguered members of our union…the
most obvious reason is, that they just want to wear out , by sheer muscle,
“THE OPPOSITION”. Keep hitting “tit for tat” …..I know this takes up
time. Do it for a little news almost daily and they will be drowned out….
you have substance and they have Opiate e-mails.
————–
Dear Committee,
All that are not working need to complain – not to themselves either
please complain to these people if you’re not working enough
maybe if they hear enough about it they’ll get those not working some
work again – any way, shape or form
Dennis Dreith = runs the special fund
Pete Anthony – new RMA president
Hal Espinosa – local 47 pres
Sam Folio – sec/treasurer – of whole AFM
Tom Lee – president of whole AFM
Ray Hair – member of the IEB
Harold Bradley
————–
Markets have proven to be the best way of organizing economies –
and they can be brutal. In an attempt to create balance and “level
the playing field” we join unions.
Union members range from the sound asleep to the militant. Local 47,
with thousands of members, fights about whether 50 or 100 is a quorum.
People who don’t vote get the government they deserve.
As of today there are strikes going on among writers and Broadway stage
hands. The transportation workers strike in France ended in defeat for
the strikers, and this in France!
My personal opinion is that strikes usually hurt the unions that call
them — they are usually a mistake; strikes accelerate the erosion of
union leverage and respectability already (usually) underway.
Whatever one’s personal attachment to a union it is important to
understand unions as they are. Unions are parasitic, reactionary
entities by nature. That is not to say they shouldn’t exist — penicllin
derives from mold — but the health of unions in the marketplace
requires a clear understanding of how they function.
As reactionary entities unions must react appropriately to the market
circumstances in which they find themselves in reality. These reactions
go into dangerous territory when motivated by a sense of fairness.
MARKETS ARE NOT FAIR. They operate on principles dictated
by laws of economics, not moral abstractions.
There have been tectonic shifts in markets of late. We are witnessing
dramatic changes in our time, and thus it is a critical time for unions,
particularly private-sector unions. I would argue that Local 47 is not
responding in a constructive way to contemporary market realities, and
is consequently on the path to self-destruction. Local 47 needs new
leadership, a new outlook and a sense of how the union organism might
adapt to the future music business. A sober membership that is paying
attention would help also.
The hard-headed clinging to the past and status-quo might keep things
rolling for a while, but is not an enlightened strategy. In fact the motivating
forces today seem more self-serving than anything else. This will have
consequences. We are not gaining ground in the estimation of the public,
just as the writers and stage workers aren’t, outside of their own circles.
Just as the transportation workers in France lost public support. And this
backward-looking, sclerotic legacy does little to inspire young potential
members, the next generation.
Rick Blanc (please attach name)
————–
Having run for Director of RMA, I felt that the amount of votes I
garnered was appropriate for a first timer who doesn’t have a history
of participating openly in RMA affairs. I assumed that everyone would
know me, and was surprised when someone shouted from the back of
the room, “What’s your name?”. It was an eye opener that we should
never take anything for granted. I will continue to be more and more
involved in the RMA because I see it’s value in negotiating future
contracts. So far, and things always change, RMA is the recognized
association that producers are going to bargain with. If we want life
in the recording business to be different, better, I believe we have to
recognize that RMA is still viable.
Marcy Vaj
————–
Hey Committee,
THIS IS FROM AS ENGINEER – so if you hear from the powers
that have a strangle hold on the recording platforms that SEATTLE
is not working – IT IS TOTAL LIE
Mid October was the last time I was in Seattle for 1 day of recording.
The orchestra sounded very good and did not require any unusual amount
of editing. At that time they were recording every day the Seattle
Symphony wasn’t working
— it sounded like at least 1 recording session per day, sometimes 3.
The hourly unit rate is 60-70 dollars/hr, buyout. The recording facility
(Bastyr) is sonically good with only a couple of exceptions: the stain glass
makes noise in the afternoon sun and the control room is very small and
difficult. However, after a couple of successful recordings, the control
room issue fades as one listens only for performance and glitches.
I believe the equipment, crew (both excellent) and hall are about $5500/day.
They are a force in the marketplace.
Redbelt was good, although my involvement was brief because of time
constraints. Everyone seems pleased.
Best regards,
—————–
There has been a lot of dialogue both in support of and attacking
NES lately. Ours is a passionate and dedicated community of hardworking
artists and I am glad, if nothing else, that our presence has stirred debate
and started a dialogue. We are an industry in need of change and we will
each play a part in shaping things in the near future
There will always be a need for buyout work and buyout work will always
be available somewhere in the world at a lower cost than union work. NES
simply offers that option locally. Ours is a diverse industry and it requires
diverse options for both the client and the musician.
I must emphasize that NES is not breaking any union or federal codes and
it poses no legal issues for clients or musicians. We support the union and
likewise support any musician in the union. It is their choice to operate any
way they choose within the clearly set out guidelines of the unions and the
federal government. Again, it’s about choice. Musician’s choice, client’s
choice, business owner’s choice… Without choice we have a monopoly.
Free choice breeds healthy competition and a robust industry that meets
the specific needs of the world we work in.
I admire the passion that our community elicits when we begin talking about
the current state of the industry. I feel very strongly that NES is fighting the
good fight and we will continue to do so. We are committed to creating a
positive presence in the Los Angeles orchestral scoring community. People
are welcome to form their own opinion about us… it is their choice. However,
I implore you all to make your decision based upon the facts. The current climate
of the industry is one of turmoil and confusion. Let us look to each other for
truth, clarity and support.
Thankx for listening
—————–
Hi committee –
many are complaining that they don’t get a chance to break into many of
the bigger sessions circles. Years ago there was a limit on the amount of
money you could make if you in fact took your pension. Would it be so
terrible if we could go back to limiting the amount of income someone can
make who has taken their pension so it gives a chance to the younger players
wanting to break in?? Seems like this makes sense.
—————–
I heard that there may be some kind of list (fi-core) being
made available to those orchestras that use the 47 Hall for
rehearsal. I still think that the Union is going down the wrong road
with this. They have taken the position that they cannot
discriminate against the musician but they can discriminate against
the employer. I think that anything that interferes with the
musicians prospective advantage of employment with these employers
and in some cases, actual interference with a fi-core members
contractual relationship with employers will eventually cause some
kind of expensive litigation and settlement. To further exacerbate
the situation…..one of the contractors was overheard (looking at
the list and talking to the conductor)…”we don’t use any of these
people and anyway “they are substandard”. Yikes….if the party
that overhead this was willing to testify, can you imagine the fur
flying!!
—————–
The RMALA joins the ranks of the WGA in an attempt to gain
support for themselves. WGA stated Los Angeles is a
union town. So why is RMALA on the picket lines while the RMALA
created the PMG: a non-union spin-off?
The RMALA wants it both ways. Support the WGA maybe
the WGA would support the RMALA. Desperate people do
Desperate things.
WGA, beware of a non union , union busting group who
support non union activity going on by the name PMG.
Don’t be fooled.
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Until next time,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47