AFM CONVENTION / IEB COMMUNICATION / EVENTS

June 14th, 2016

6/14/16
I. AFM 100th CONVENTION COMING
II. COMMUNICATION WITH THE AFM IEB
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

COMING NEXT WEEK

+Late next week will be a bombshell edition on the AFM Convention –
Please read and share to all you know!+

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

I. AFM 100th CONVENTION COMING

The AFM convention is coming from June 20th -23rd in
Las Vegas at the Gateway Resort and Casino
(Formerly the Hilton)
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV  89109

To register go to the AFM Website.

102nd Convention

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

II. COMMUNICATION WITH THE AFM IEB

LETTER TO THE AFM IEB FROM A LOCAL 47 MEMBER

February 16, 2016

Ray Hair, President
International Executive Board
c/o Sam Folio, Secretary-Treasurer
American Federation of Musicians
1501 Broadway, Ste. 600
New York, NY 10036

RE: Referendum to Sell 817 Vine Street

Dear President Ray Hair and International Executive Board,

I am writing on behalf of many members of Local 47/Musicians’ Club
who are convinced that the referendum recently passed to sell our
Vine Street property was severely compromised.  While perhaps
one to two procedural “missteps” may not be sufficient to void
the referendum….the aggregate is circumstantially compelling.

As the parent organization we are asking you to consider taking
the Local into Trusteeship and/or voiding the referendum vote
based on the following:

1) Absolute refusal by the administration to use an outside agency
to secure the ballot and voting process, given the magnitude of
the vote. The administration had been urged by the membership
to do so in open meetings early on.

2) Unclear ballot language with the Local refusing to clarify what a
yes vote meant or what a no vote meant, leaving many members to
consider the question a fraud because were not being asked a yes
or no question.  Repeated efforts seeking clarification was met with
contempt for asking.  It was at the January 25, 2016 meeting,  Atty.
Levy confirmed that what the ballot means is based on the intent
of the drafter.  (4 days before the end of the voting period.)

3) The administration thwarted any dissent by manipulation of the
information and avenues of membership communication. The
membership-at-large was deprived of alternative compelling
arguments that the administration was well aware of. This we believe
is a Title I issue under the LMRDA that can only be remedied by a
civil suit by the members.

4) The Election Board did not have control over the process.  They
cannot account for every ballot. The Election Board Chair referred
all questions to Atty. Levy, even as to how to handle the “Return to
Sender” ballots which were not produced until an observer insisted
on their physical presence with all other returned ballots. And only
then, with the help of Vice-President Baptist who apparently obtained
a key to the cabinet that kept those ballots separate from the care
of the election board.  Also, no unused ballots were produced or
counted in the final tally.

5) While the voting result on its face looks to be overwhelming, the
truth is that in order for the referendum to even be viable there
needed to be  50%+1 of the eligible voters to return their ballots.
That threshold was met by only 240 ballots. Given all the “substantive”
and “procedural” problems, this referendum should properly be voided.

We are told that all members in good standing in Local 47 are also
members of the Musicians’ Club, a 501 c 2.  The purpose of the Club
was to hold the Local’s  real property in trust.  The by-laws of the
Club call for the elected officials of Local 47 to hold the same positions
as Club officers and directors.

It is also our understanding that the 501 c 2 was created to keep the
AFM from taking over the Local some years ago.   In fact, that would
probably explain why,  since 2005 the 990 Form filed by the Club
reported a “secured note” owed to an “unrelated third party.”  That
is not the case.  This “error” in reporting has and did give the IRS
and the public the impression that there was a secured loan owed
by the Club.  Attached is the response to my inquiry regarding the
federal filing from Local 47’s accounting firm who agreed to correct
this entry to another line.

A note for zero interest showing a sum due and payable in 2024 was
attached to Form 990 in 2005.  That note identified monies used to
build our rehearsal rooms. Since then, there was another sum of money
admittedly transferred from Local 47 to the Club for the refurbishment
of our auditorium.  Essentially, they have borrowed from and are paying
back themselves. (Local 47 Counselor Levy refers to this as a “ledger
transfer.”)  All in all, we have put about one million dollars in upgrades
to our facilities between 2005 and 2009.

Under the Local and Club by-laws, I have requested the Minutes that
should have reflected these transactions.  I have repeated my request
both in writing and in person. Apparently, the proper corporate formalities
have not been followed and it is only because of the referendum that
the Club has been resurrected to be visible to the membership.

The Club by-laws are now posted on the Local 47 website.

Finally, while observing the ballot counting on February 2, 2016 I had a
discussion with President John Acosta regarding the fact, that to date,
there is no motion or resolution that requires the Club to actually replace
our facilities.   There is no timeline.  What about the balance of the funds?

President Acosta indicated that they were looking to secure a balance after
relocation and remodeling for use as an endowment protected from the AFM.
I would argue that the issue is one of alter-ego and that failure to follow
corporate formalities should allow a court to ignore the corporate forum
of the Club allowing the AFM to intervene.

Of course, there is much more to this than these few points. We understand
that the Department of Labor does not involve itself in internal union
governance unless it is regarding a regularly scheduled election of officers,
or wrongful use of monies.

As the recognized governing body for the United States and Canada we are
looking for your oversight and intervention.

Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Please let me know that you
have received this correspondence and what actions, if any, you are prepared
to take. If you are unable or (unwilling) to intervene in this matter-please
advise as to what a FULL range of options are (no omissions please) for
challenging and contesting what many believe a fraudulent vote.

Your prompt reply and actions will be greatly appreciated as this matter
is very time sensitive.

Sincerely,

Helen Crosby, Member
Local 47 AFM/Musicians’ Club of Los Angeles

Encl. (2)

cc:  U.S. Department of Labor/OLMS
Kamala Harris, California Attorney General- Registry of Charitable Trusts

———————————

RESPONSE FROM RAY HAIR

April 25,2016

Helen Crosby

Re: Referendum concerning 817 Vine Street

Dear Ms. Crosby,

This is in response to your February 16 letter regarding the referendum to
sell 817 Vine Street, in which you requested that the Federation place Local 47 in
trusteeship in order to void the results of the referendum. I understand there is
often disagreement among members regarding the conduct of a union’s internal
business affairs, particularly at Local 47. In fact, rarely is there unanimity on such
issues. However, the Federation cannot justify imposition of a trusteeship on the
basis of requirements that do not exist in the LMRDA or AFM bylaws, or on conclusory
assertions unsupported by factual evidence. The remedy of trusteeship cannot be
sustained in the absence of clear and convincing proof of a violation of law.

We note, for example, that the employment of a third-party agency of Election
Board to administer the voting process in the referendum was not required by
either the LMRDA or the Federation. Thus, a trusteeship could not be supported
on this basis. Nor would the Federation trustee a Local where an election or
referendum proceeded without the participation of 50% + 1 of eligible voters
as you suggest. We do appreciate the information that “return to sender” ballots
and unused ballots were not tabulated as a vote either for or against the proposal,
and believe that this protocol was appropriate. We are further persuaded that the
referendum was conducted according to law by your confirmation that open
membership meetings were held early in the referendum process up through
four days before the close of voting, and that Local counsel was present during
at least one of there meetings.

Many of the other allegations in your letter lack factual details specific enough for
the Federation to act upon them. For instance, your objection to the ballot language
does not explain how the ballot was unclear or fraudulent, who was allegedly
subject to contempt for repeatedly seeking clarification, the source(s) of such
contempt, or the nature of such contempt. Similarly, your letter is vague as to
how in particular Local 47 officials chilled dissent or membership communication.
Local officers cannot be compelled to make every argument for and against certain
actions, and frequently do make recommendations on ballot referendums. In that
regard, we have no factual basis upon which to distinguish this referendum from
the norm. And, you have not referred to, and we are unaware of, any threat of
internal union charges or actual charges made against a Local 47 member as
a result of protected speech or activity.

Finally with respect to the intend use of proceeds from a property sale, if any,
such determination rests with Local 47 and its members. The Federation cannot
legitimately deploy trusteeship to coerce this determination or to prospectively
“cure” a breech of trust of trust that has not occurred. To the best of our inquiry,
information, and belief, there have been no substantial irregularities in the
accounting practices of either Local 47 or the Musician’s Club. The Musicians’
Club exists and operates in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations.
We therefore maintain the presumption that the offices of Local 47 will continue
to manage members’ assets in full compliance with their fiduciary duties.

The federation expresses no opinion with  respect to the substance of the
proposed sale of the Vine Street property. Nevertheless, I trust my response
will resolve any doubts you have about the validity of the referendum procedures.

Sincerely,

Raymond M. Hair Jr.
International President
American Federation of Musicians
of the United States and Canada

Action Up-date as follows:
“A letter was crafted and mailed two weeks ago in response to the above
letter from President Hair. The following is an outline of the subject matter
covered. We are awaiting a response.”

Headnotes:

Ballot Language Issue
Non-Disclosure of Member Concerns in Official Communications/Inadequate
Minutes
Members’ Request for Special Club Meeting/unreasonable Delay by Executive
Board
Letters to the Editor January Print Edition of Overture
Refusal to Provide Resources for Opposing Views
Disparity of Resources
Refusal to Use an Outside Agency
The Election Board Was Not In Charge of the Ballot Process
Referendum Ballot Count
Tally Incomplete Due to Failure to Count Unused Ballots
Jay Rosen Resigned From the Election Board
Campaign Manager Hired From Promotional Company
Shut Down of Committee For A Responsible 47 Blog
Grievance Issue

[EC: We certainly support Ms. Crosby in her actions. If more members were as active and committed as she is, our Local would be far better off.]

Read the rest of this entry »

AFM CONVENTION / LAWSUITS / NASHVILLE / EVENTS

June 4th, 2016

I. AFM 100th CONVENTION COMING
II. MEMBER THOUGHTS ON LAWSUITS
III. NASHVILLE COMMENT
IV. 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. AFM 100th CONVENTION COMING

The AFM convention is coming from June 20th -23rd in
Las Vegas at the Gateway Resort and Casino
(Formerly the Hilton)
3000 Paradise Road
Las Vegas, NV  89109

To register go to the AFM Website.

102nd Convention

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

II. MEMBER THOUGHTS ON LAWSUITS

There have been a number of lawsuits against the studios that
seem designed to only benefit the RMA. President Hair decided
not to file all the lawsuits the RMA leadership wanted, so now
Hair has taken the mantle of “worst AFM President in History”
from Tom Lee.

This was a pronouncement at a negotiation by a former head
of the RMALA. This short stint of logic and consideration not
withstanding, we understand form our sources that Ray is
still squarely in the RMA’s pocket.

Please see a member comment below:

I can’t figure out the lawsuits.  It is not unusual for the AFM EP Fund to audit the
companies to ensure that they have paid into the Fund on behalf of all musicians
they’ve hired. Normally, the Fund would meet with the companies and at some
point work out a deal on the correct amount of money that was owed the Fund.

So I don’t understand why the lawsuits by the Fund against the companies. Unless
Hair convinced the trustees that the Fund should file suit rather than work out a
deal. Since Hair is the co-chair of the Fund he could do that but remember the
Fund would only be suing for money owed to the Fund on behalf of musicians.

Hair may have decided that the AFM could piggy back on the suit and sue the
fund for musicians wages as well–sort of a piggyback suit and that may be
why all of the publicity a few weeks back.  But I suspect that Ray has backed
out of suing the companies because he will find that the musicians have
been paid–they are just not AFM musicians.

It also makes sense that the RMA wants to use the money from the sale
of the building to sue the companies for the benefit of the RMA.
Particularly since Hair doesn’t seem to want to go down that road.

The AFM announced the massive organizing campaign and when
P••• and M••• pulled out of it, then the organizing campaign sort
of went away.  At least I haven’t heard anything more about it.

It is interesting.  Hair wants to organize the film industry here in
town for the AFM while the RMA wants the AFM to organize
the Film industry for the RMA.

———————————————-

These guys are self-centered, devious and destructive. There would
be so much work if the AFM/RMA made an accommodation.

———————————————-

So what is going on with the RMA?  Who is telling Ray what the RMA wants?
Or is Ray finally getting some backbone?  Maybe Ray has finally caught on
to all the tricks the RMA tries to pull.  Only problem it took the rest of
us about 2 1/2 days to figure out the RMA leadership and their
destructive tendencies. It has taken Ray at least 12 years and he
still doesn’t get it.

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

III. COMMENT ABOUT NASHVILLE

I have met the folks in Nashville.  It is a husband and wife who used
to be a member of the Local.  They saw their recording work drying
up so they left the union and apparently have no problem getting
any union musicians they want to record.  I’ve been told but cannot
confirm that when the local 257 president, Dave Pomeroy, spoke
with some of the union members playing the non union gigs, he
was told that if he filed charges, they would all leave the union.

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

IV. EVENTS

DEAN AND RICHARD

DEAN AND RICHARD are now playing every third Friday
at Culver City Elks 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.

—————————————

AUDITIONS FOR CALSTATELA SYMPHONY

Please pass the word that the annual auditions for the CalStateLA
Symphony Orchestra/Olympia Youth Orchestra for the 2016-2017 season
will begin in June through mid August immediately after the season is
over.

Qualified students may submit the form on line at the website
http://www.olympiaphil.org

under “youth orchestra”.

I will be in touch to set up a time during the summer. The next
season begins late September of this year through early June of 2017.

The orchestra consists of talented students age 12 through college
age. Rehearsals are at CSULA on Sundays at 4:30-7PM. Tuition is $650
for the entire year. Scholarship is available on a need or merit
basis depending on instrument and individual student. The orchestra
students will also be able to take optional transferable college
credits from CSULA, perform with college music students in 4 on and
off campus concerts.

This is a great orchestra with lots of talented students taking part.
I look forward to hearing from students learning all orchestral
instruments.

Thank you!

Fung Ho
Music Director & Conductor
CalStateLA Symphony Orchestra/Olympia Youth Orchestra

———————————–

———————

6/5/16

CALSTATELA/OLYMPIA SYMPHONY

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that the CalStateLA
Symphony Orchestra/ Olympia Youth Orchestra will
be giving its 2nd annual performance of
this season on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 3PM at the
historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse,
320 S Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA
91776.

This concert is Admission FREE.

This time, we will be featuring Taiwanese violinist
Chien-Tang Wang, Gold Medal Prize Winner of the
2015 Osaka International Competition in Japan,
performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Angela Che
and Jeongwon Claire An, the concertmaster and
co-concertmaster of the orchestra, will perform the
Navarra for 2 violins by Sarasate.
A brand new composition by Sharon Hurvitz will be
receiving its world premiere performance, and the
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake will close the program.

Please invite your friends and family to come and
join us to witness the talents of these fine young
musicians.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Sincerely,
Fung Ho

———————————————
6/8/16

CONCERTS AT THE “BOWL”

The Corbin Bowl and San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra
Present Concerts at the “Bowl” in the “Corbin Lounge”
Wednesday Evenings at 7:30 pm

June  8
The Symphomaniax
Perform music from baroque to contemporary by Bach, Domine, Vivaldi,
and others, as well as a selection of “pop” classics, featuring James Domine,
guitar; Ruth Bruegger, violin; Glenn Grab, ‘cello and Larry Muradian, bass

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OTHER CONCERTS IN THE SERIES

June 15
The Screaming Clams
Rock ‘n’ Roll with music of the ’60s and early ’70s, featuring
Jimi Dee, lead quitar and vocals; Joel Domine, keys and guitar;
Larry Muradian, bass; Nick Scarmack, drummer and Rebecca Ray,
vocalist extraordinaire

June 22

The Blues Bandits
Play and sing the “Blues,” featuring David Reo, guitar and vocals; Jimi Dee,
guitar and vocals; Larry Muradian, bass and Chuck Burkinshaw, drums

June 29
The Screaming Clams, part 2
Rock ‘n’ Roll with music of the ’60s and early ’70s, featuring
Jimi Dee, lead quitar and vocals; Joel Domine, keys and guitar;
Larry Muradian, bass; Nick Scarmack, drummer and Rebecca Ray,
vocalist extraordinaire

“Lounge” at the Corbin Bowl
19616 Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana

Free Admission/ONE Drink Minimum
Persons under 21 years of age not admitted

——————————————

6/11/16

ASMAC Master Class: Telling a Story with Music

Saturday, June 11th, 2016 11am – 2pm
Valley College Music Department Recital Hall
5800 Fulton Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91401

Opportunities in Ballet, Opera, Theater and Concert Music
There are many projects that can benefit from your talents
and skills.
How to find and pitch a project;
How to get funding and produce.

Guests will show examples and discuss a variety of
approaches and techniques to inspire composers,
arrangers and orchestrators.

with

Jack Van Zandt
Jeannie Pool
Raymond Torres-Santos
Marlene Hajdu
$25 members (ACF members and NACUSA members included)
$40 non-members.
—————————
6/14/16

The Orchestre Surreal

Featuring:
Elvis Schoenberg
Dangerous Dan O’Callaghan
The Fabulous Miss Thing
and
Los Angeles’s Most Notorious Musicians

at

Typhoon
LA’s Most Hip Pan Asian Restaurant.

Tuesday June 14th
one set

7:30-9:00

A Special Event Show

Among our usual mashups and
genre bending arrangements
We will be performing
a special Tribute to

Keith Emerson.
On the program:
two of Keith’s rarely heard orchestral works,
Glorietta Pass and After All Of This
also a piece that Keith conceived that was written for him and the
Orchestre Surreal. Pacific Honky Tonk 231 Blues
plus orchestral versions of ELP tunes.

——————————————
6/26/16
Dear Doctor Wu Fans,

We will be appearing at the Santa Monica Endless Summer SOULstice Festival on Sunday, June 26th 2016 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM, where we will play two sets of your favorite Steely Dan tunes.  Please bring your friends along and enjoy a great time with us!

Edgemar Courtyard
2440 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
5:00 – 7:00 PM

We hope to see you there!

The Doctor Wu Band
http://www.doctorwuband.com/
https://www.facebook.com/doctorwuband

—————————————–
MASTER IN FLM MUSIC APPLICATIONS STILL BEING ACCEPTED

The Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program
At The
Seattle Film Institute

is still accepting applications to the One year

Master of Music (MM) in Film Composition

Recently rated as the #4 school for film scoring education
in the world by Music School Central and the #2 school
for earning a Masters of Music degree in Film Composition

Study with program creator and lead instructor

Hummie Mann

2 Time Emmy Award Winning film composer of
“Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and featured in
Variety Magazine’s article “Leaders in Learning”

Click here to listen and watch student scores from previous years

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016
school year We offer rolling admissions – applying
early is recommended Scholarship support is
available to early applicants

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

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

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

FLASHBACK CONCLUSION / EVENTS

May 28th, 2016

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART VII – CONCLUSION
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. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART VII – CONCLUSION
[EC: And this was 11 years ago,.. the situation is far more dire now.]

IMPACT ON U.S. ECONOMY WHEN PRODUCTIONS LEAVE U.S.

Total direct production expenditures of U.S. economic runaways
[Note that creative runaways are not included] # =

• Total expenditures to produce a film / show
(Baseline; Variety; Hollywood Reporter)

MINUS

Direct spending recaptured by the U.S. =
• #Payments made to U.S. companies and citizens were allocated
back to the U.S. since the money returns to the U.S. economy

• #Payments include principal actors and director salaries and post
production (Production Executive Interviews, Sample Budgets,
Monitor Analysis)

EQUALS

Total direct spending lost from the U.S. #=
• Total production cost net of spending returned to the U.S.
PLUS
Multiplier effect of direct spending lost = #
• A multiplier of 3.1 was applied to wages and salaries (Bureau of
Economic Analysis) #
• A multiplier of 3.6 was applied to goods and services (Bureau of
Economic Analysis)

PLUS

Tax revenue lost #=
• Tax rates of 30%, 8.5%, 10% and 7.2% were used for federal
income tax, state income tax, payroll tax and state sales tax,
respectively (IRS, Sales Tax Institute, Dept. of Labor and
Industry)

EQUALS

Total economic impact #
• The total amount of money not realized by the U.S. economy as a
result of U.S. economic runaway
Furthermore, when a production runs away, the payroll, income and
sales taxes on the direct spending and multiplier spending are also
lost to the U.S. National and state average tax rates were applied to
calculate the total tax revenue lost to the U.S. at the Federal and state
level in addition to the direct spending and multiplied spending lost.
The lost tax revenues totaled $1.9 billion in 1998.

$2.8 billion in direct expenditures were lost to the U.S. in 1998 from
both theatrical films and television economic runaways. This figure is
almost six times the annual impact on the U.S. in 1990.

Future Impact

The study also sought to assess the likely future impact of U.S.
economic runaway production through 2001. A number of future
scenarios were evaluated, reflecting several potential environments
for production volumes. For example, positive U.S. economic growth,
a slowing of U.S. economic growth, and relative strength/weakness in
key foreign exchange rates and production incentives were considered
in gauging the likely future impact of U.S. runaway economic
production. Note that these scenarios assume no major U.S. response
to the economic runaway problem.

Under these scenarios, without major intervention to address the
causes outlined in Section III, the level of runaway production will
remain significant. The total number of U.S. economic runaways could
range from 327 to 476 by 2001, but will not likely decline from the 285
economic runaway productions in 1998. The annual economic impact
on the U.S. could range from $10 billion to $15.1 billion by 2001. By
2001, lost full-time equivalent positions could total between 22,500
and 36,000 annually.

Foreign Tax Incentives

Not surprisingly, Canada has led the charge by offering federal rebates
since 1996 of 11% on spending for all Canadian labor involved in a
production, regardless of content. Provincial governments were quick
to supplement these incentives, creating a total of a 22% to 46%
rebate on Canadian labor expenditures (see Exhibit 21). Some
advantages of these incentives are that they are available to all
productions, have no annual limits to the number of rebates being
offered, greatly simplify paperwork, and are structured as direct
rebates, not tax credits. Several companies have entered into the
business of filing paperwork and providing advances on the incentives
to producers in exchange for a fee, helping producers address cash
flow issues.

Unlike other countries, Canada has gone out of its way to ensure that
producers are aware of the incentives and their subsequent savings.

It is not uncommon for Canadian government officials and film
commission representatives to fly to Los Angeles, New York City, or
other U.S. production centers to attend events or meet directly with
film and television producers to advertise their incentive structure.
For example, representatives of Revenue Canada (the Canadian IRS)
were at the recent “Locations `99” show in Los Angeles, promoting the
Canadian incentives. Canadian labor and industry representatives
have indicated that incentives are geared to attract foreign
productions. Recent initiatives in Canada to discontinue the incentives
for foreign producers have been met with strong opposition from
Canadian labor and government officials, who note that these
productions represent several thousand jobs and millions of dollars in
economic impact, more than offsetting the money paid in incentives.
Once production is completed, additional savings can be realized by
applying for tax rebates associated with Canadian labor spending.
The exact amount realized is determined by the amount of Canadian
labor used. In a typical case, the incentives would increase the total
budget savings to 25% – 26%.

DEVELOPMENT OF PRODUCTION CLUSTERS THROUGH U.S.
INVESTMENT ABROAD

U.S. Studios make sizeable infrastructure investments in locations
outside U.S.

Viacom (Paramount)

June, 1994 — Viacom establishes Viacom Canada, which will spend $1
million a year over five years on “Canadian culture.” It is rumored the
investment was a “sweetener” to encourage the government to pass
the CAVCO tax credit #
September, 1995 — Paramount opens production support companies in
Vancouver and Toronto to service the equipment rental needs for
Paramount and other Viacom holdings

June, 1997 — Paramount Studios invests over $10 M to construct four
sound stages and production office space in Vancouver. The facility is
166,000 square feet.

Disney

October, 1996 — Disney purchases a 12,600square-foot multimedia
studio in Victoria, British Columbia
December, 1996 — Walt Disney Animation Canada opens a 17,000-
square-foot studio in Vancouver

MGM

May, 1997 — MGM and Bridge Studios jointly open 25,000-square-foot
Studio 5/6 in Vancouver. The BC government invested C$3.5 million.
Warner Brothers
1988 Warner Roadshow studio opens in Queensland, Australia (76,347
sq. ft)

Fox builds $125M water-tankbased studio in Rosarito Beach, Mexico
Fox Studios Australia opens in Sydney, valued at $130.5M

At least 4 of 9 major studios have publicly stated their intention to
increase production abroad; the increased globalization of
entertainment companies is likely to stimulate further runaway
production

Source: Annual Reports; Variety; Screen Digest; Film Commissions #

How Large Is The Gap To Be Closed?

Clearly the U.S. faces major challenges in stemming the tide of
runaway production. The solutions will not be simple because the
causes are several and very complex. However, the cost gap to be
closed to retain production in the U.S. may not be the entire 25%
production cost disadvantage. Several producers interviewed
mentioned that if the budgets for U.S. productions were brought to
within 10% to 15% of costs in Canada, then they would make the
argument to keep that production in the U.S. Producers generally
want to work where they live, and most live in the U.S. production
clusters. Furthermore, these clusters contain all the resources
required, as well as access to financing, development, and distribution
resources, which provide a distinct advantage to producers. Obviously,
certain productions cannot afford even a 10% cost disadvantage;
recapturing these productions will be the greatest challenge.
It is important to note that U.S. film and television economic runaway
activity is at a high level, and that large productions are running away.
The significantly lower total production costs achievable abroad are
compelling to producers. The experience that foreign production
crews, actors and directors have gained in filming U.S. runaway
productions represents an ongoing source of advantage that for these
producing locations. Similarly, infrastructure investments abroad
represent permanent improvements that will continue to draw
productions out of the U.S. Without a meaningful response (or some
unforeseen development abroad), production employment
opportunities and associated economic benefits will continue to leave
the U.S. at a significant rate.

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

II. EVENTS

DEAN AND RICHARD

DEAN AND RICHARD are now playing every third Friday
at Culver City Elks 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.

—————————————

AUDITIONS FOR CALSTATELA SYMPHONY

Please pass the word that the annual auditions for the CalStateLA
Symphony Orchestra/Olympia Youth Orchestra for the 2016-2017 season
will begin in June through mid August immediately after the season is
over.

Qualified students may submit the form on line at the website
http://www.olympiaphil.org

under “youth orchestra”.

I will be in touch to set up a time during the summer. The next
season begins late September of this year through early June of 2017.

The orchestra consists of talented students age 12 through college
age. Rehearsals are at CSULA on Sundays at 4:30-7PM. Tuition is $650
for the entire year. Scholarship is available on a need or merit
basis depending on instrument and individual student. The orchestra
students will also be able to take optional transferable college
credits from CSULA, perform with college music students in 4 on and
off campus concerts.

This is a great orchestra with lots of talented students taking part.
I look forward to hearing from students learning all orchestral
instruments.

Thank you!

Fung Ho
Music Director & Conductor
CalStateLA Symphony Orchestra/Olympia Youth Orchestra

——————————————–

6/1/16

ASMAC FIRST WEDNESDAYS features Jack Smalley

Wednesday, June 1st 7PM at the AFM Local 47 Auditorium

Jack Smalley, film and television composer, mentor of mentors
and mentor of composing legends will share valuable film and
television scoring techniques. Learn more about Jack during
an interview by special guest Perry Botkin, Jr.  followed by Jack’s in depth demonstration which includes printed scores, study material and audio examples.
MORE ABOUT JACK:
After the war (WWII), Jack took the G.I. bill back to Europe and studied composition with Darius Milhaud at the Conservatoire de Musique in Paris France for almost 4 years. While in Paris, he performed with guitarist Django Reinhardt, and American singer Annie Ross.
Back in the states, he worked a bit with Vido Musso, Gerry Mulligan, Alvino Ray and Ray Conliff, then over five years with the Page Cavanaugh trio and he studied serial composition with George Tremblay in Los Angeles.
Smalley’s television work included composing for episodes of Streets of San Francisco and Barnaby Jones, and then he joined Jack Elliott and Allyn Ferguson working on Swat, Love Boat, Starsky and Hutch, and five years of Charlie’s Angels. In the meantime, Smalley wrote episodes for Knight Rider and Murder She Wrote and also orchestrated many films such as The Gladiator, Last of the Mohicans, and Conan the Barbarian.
Professor of Film Composition at USC for 20 years, and member of the permanent faculty at the Aspen Summer Music Festival, Jack was also on the faculty at the Dick Grove Music Workshop, and headed up  the composition program at the Henry Mancini Institute.
Authored “Composing Music for Film“, “Lyrics Lyrics Lyrics” which are both available at jacksmalley.com.
Also authored a biographical book about his first year in France called “The Music Came First” available at Amazon.com

———————————

Perry Botkin grew up in California and graduated from North Hollywood High School moving on to the University of Indiana and U.S.C as a trombone major. He joined the Army in 1953 and, after two years of service in the West Point Band, moved back to California and began his professional career.
In 1955, he joined the Rock group “The Cheers” as a singer, trombone player, and arranger. The Cheers had a hit record – Leiber/Stoller’s “Black Denim Trousers and Motorcycle Boots”. Perry left the group in 1956 and began his career as a freelance group singer, arranger, songwriter, and composer. He wrote arrangements for dozens of artists in Pop Rock and the “American Song book” world.
In the 70’s and 80’s were movies and TV.  He won a Grammy for Best Instrumental Arrangement (Nadia’s Theme) and was nominated for a Best Song Oscar (Bless the Beasts and Children). He is currently composing Avant/Garde electronic music. Perry also plays an important role, musically and personally, in a Documentary film about the creation of Hip Hop. “Sample This” is the title…. It was released in art theaters in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. More info at perrybotkinmusic.com.

———————————–

6/1/16

CONCERTS AT THE “BOWL”

The Corbin Bowl and San Fernando Valley Symphony Orchestra
Present Concerts at the “Bowl” in the “Corbin Lounge”
Wednesday Evenings at 7:30 pm

June  1
The SFVSO Jazz Band
Performs standards from the Great American Songbook, featuring
Jimi Dee, guitar; Ron Singer, saxophone/flute; Adrian Miller, trumpet/
flugelhorn; Larry Muradian, bass and Chuck Burkinshaw, drums

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

OTHER CONCERTS IN THE SERIES
June  8
The Symphomaniax
Perform music from baroque to contemporary by Bach, Domine, Vivaldi,
and others, as well as a selection of “pop” classics, featuring James Domine,
guitar; Ruth Bruegger, violin; Glenn Grab, ‘cello and Larry Muradian, bass

June 15
The Screaming Clams
Rock ‘n’ Roll with music of the ’60s and early ’70s, featuring
Jimi Dee, lead quitar and vocals; Joel Domine, keys and guitar;
Larry Muradian, bass; Nick Scarmack, drummer and Rebecca Ray,
vocalist extraordinaire

June 22

The Blues Bandits
Play and sing the “Blues,” featuring David Reo, guitar and vocals; Jimi Dee,
guitar and vocals; Larry Muradian, bass and Chuck Burkinshaw, drums

June 29
The Screaming Clams, part 2
Rock ‘n’ Roll with music of the ’60s and early ’70s, featuring
Jimi Dee, lead quitar and vocals; Joel Domine, keys and guitar;
Larry Muradian, bass; Nick Scarmack, drummer and Rebecca Ray,
vocalist extraordinaire

“Lounge” at the Corbin Bowl
19616 Ventura Boulevard, Tarzana

Free Admission/ONE Drink Minimum
Persons under 21 years of age not admitted

——————————————

6/4/16

EDENDALE UP CLOSE CONCERTS

Info about the next and upcoming programs through the end of 2016
at the Edendale Up Close Concerts series:
http://edendaleupclose.blogspot.com
Free hour long concerts performed by professional musicians
take place 7 times a year at this Saturday noon concert series hosted by the Edendale Branch Library in Echo Park.

Thank you for your support in publicizing
the Edendale Up Close Concerts!

Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Edendale Up Close Concerts
818 240 -5108

On Saturday JUNE 4, 2016 at Noon-1:00pm
the free admission Edendale Up Close Concerts series
will feature the Don Rader Jazz Quartet
performing the American Songbook
in the Community Room of the Edendale Branch Library in Echo Park,
2011 W. Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
Free parking in the library lot (enter lot from Alvarado).
For more information call (213) 207-3000
Website http://edendaleupclose.blogspot.com

DON RADER JAZZ QUARTET: 
The American Songbook
featuring
Don Rader – trumpet
Gary Solt – guitar
Dave Parlato – bass
Timm Boatman – drums
http://allmusic.com/artist/don-rader-mn0000191281
http://mi.edu/about-mi/faculty/gary-solt/
http://markweber.free-jazz.net/2012/01/19/david-parlato-time-line/
Interesting interview with Don Rader:
http://jazzpro.nationaljazzarchive.org.uk/interviews/Don%20Rader.htm

———————

6/5/16

CALSTATELA/OLYMPIA SYMPHONY

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

I am pleased to announce that the CalStateLA
Symphony Orchestra/ Olympia Youth Orchestra will
be giving its 2nd annual performance of
this season on Sunday, June 5, 2016 at 3PM at the
historic San Gabriel Mission Playhouse,
320 S Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA
91776.

This concert is Admission FREE.

This time, we will be featuring Taiwanese violinist
Chien-Tang Wang, Gold Medal Prize Winner of the
2015 Osaka International Competition in Japan,
performing the Sibelius Violin Concerto. Angela Che
and Jeongwon Claire An, the concertmaster and
co-concertmaster of the orchestra, will perform the
Navarra for 2 violins by Sarasate.
A brand new composition by Sharon Hurvitz will be
receiving its world premiere performance, and the
Tchaikovsky Swan Lake will close the program.

Please invite your friends and family to come and
join us to witness the talents of these fine young
musicians.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there.

Sincerely,
Fung Ho

——————————————

6/11/16

ASMAC Master Class: Telling a Story with Music

Saturday, June 11th, 2016 11am – 2pm
Valley College Music Department Recital Hall
5800 Fulton Ave.
Van Nuys, CA 91401

Opportunities in Ballet, Opera, Theater and Concert Music
There are many projects that can benefit from your talents
and skills.
How to find and pitch a project;
How to get funding and produce.

Guests will show examples and discuss a variety of
approaches and techniques to inspire composers,
arrangers and orchestrators.

with

Jack Van Zandt
Jeannie Pool
Raymond Torres-Santos
Marlene Hajdu
$25 members (ACF members and NACUSA members included)
$40 non-members.

———————————————

MASTER IN FLM MUSIC APPLICATIONS STILL BEING ACCEPTED

The Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program
At The
Seattle Film Institute

is still accepting applications to the One year

Master of Music (MM) in Film Composition

Recently rated as the #4 school for film scoring education
in the world by Music School Central and the #2 school
for earning a Masters of Music degree in Film Composition

Study with program creator and lead instructor

Hummie Mann

2 Time Emmy Award Winning film composer of
“Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and featured in
Variety Magazine’s article “Leaders in Learning”

Click here to listen and watch student scores from previous years

Applications are now being accepted for the 2016
school year We offer rolling admissions – applying
early is recommended Scholarship support is
available to early applicants

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

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

UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

FLASHBACK – 2005 – PART VI – RUNAWAY STUDY / EVENTS

May 21st, 2016

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART VI – RUNAWAY PRODUCTION STUDY
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. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART VI – RUNAWAY PRODUCTION STUDY
[E: And this was 11 years ago,.. there are myriad more options now.]

U.S. RUNAWAY FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION STUDY
REPORT

The Directors Guild of America (DGA) and Screen Actors Guild (SAG)
retained Monitor Company, a leading management consulting firm, to
conduct an investigation into the phenomenon of “runaway” film and
television production from the U.S. The Guilds (on an anecdotal basis)
had been noting an accelerating runaway phenomenon, and the need
to create an objective quantitative analysis led to the study being
commissioned. Partial funding for the study was provided by a grant
from SAG-Producers Industry Advancement & Cooperative Fund. The
study has two objectives – quantify the extent to which runaway
production has been occurring since 1990, and identify the major
causes.

U.S. runaway productions are those which are developed and are
intended for initial release/exhibition or television broadcast in the
U.S., but are actually filmed in another country. There are two major
types of runaway productions – “creative” runaways, which depart
because the story takes place in a setting that cannot be duplicated or
for other creative considerations, and “economic” runaways, which
depart to achieve lower production costs. The study’s focus was on
these “economic” runaways. Note that the study’s scope included
theatrical films, films for television, television mini-series, and thirty
and sixty minute television series. Other types of productions such as
commercials, and news and sports programming were not included.

What Is The U.S. Runaway Production Problem?

The study results show that economic runaway film and television
productions are a persistent, growing, and very significant issue for
the U.S. In 1998, of the 1,075 U.S.-developed film and television
productions in the study’s scope identified by Monitor Company, 285
(27% of total) were economic runaways, a 185% increase from 100
(14% of total) in 1990. When these productions moved abroad, a $10.3
billion economic loss (lost direct production spending plus the
“multiplied” effects of lost spending and tax revenues) resulted for the
U.S. in 1998 alone. This amount is five times the $2.0 billion runaway
loss in 1990.

Of these 285 economic runaways in 1998, 100 were theatrical
productions, and 185 were television (films for TV, TV series, and miniseries)
productions. The most prevalent type of economic runaway
television productions were movies for TV. A total of 308 movies for
TV were produced in 1998; 139 (or 45%) of these ran away for
economic reasons in 1998, up from only 30 productions in 1990. Out of
a total of 534 theatrical productions in 1998, 100 (19%) were economic
runaways, up from 44 in 1990. In terms of economic impact on the
U.S., economic runaway TV films have the largest ($2.7 billion) impact,
followed by feature films with budgets larger than $25 million ($2.4
billion impact), and with budgets smaller than $25 million ($2.3 billion
impact). It is noteworthy that feature films have such a significant
economic impact.

Conventional wisdom held that economic runaways are a television
movie phenomenon and that larger productions would tend to remain
in the U.S. since the infrastructure required to produce them wasn’t
available abroad. This data may indicate the leading edge of a trend
with larger-budget productions running away.

To Where Do These Productions Run Away?

Canada captures the vast majority of economic runaways, with 81% of
the total. Australia and the U.K. capture another 10%. In 1998, 232
productions ran away to Canada, up from 63 in 1990. TV movies have
had the highest propensity to runaway to Canada, with 91% of the 139
TV movie economic runaways landing there. The 127 U.S. economic
runaway TV movies filmed in Canada in 1998 is more than five times
the 23 in 1990. The study found that countries other than Canada,
Australia, and the U.K. have a small share of U.S. runaways, although
recent high-profile runaway productions in Mexico such as “Titanic”
highlight the need to monitor developments in selected other
countries on an ongoing basis.

These productions are leaving at a time when U.S. domestic
production has been growing, so the runaway phenomenon has gone
relatively unnoticed. Although the number of U.S.-developed feature
productions grew 8.2% annually since 1990, the number of U.S.-
developed features that ran away to Canada grew 17.4% annually.
Similarly, the number of U.S.-developed television programs produced

in the U.S. grew 2.6% annually since 1990, but the number of U.S.-
developed television productions that ran away to Canada grew 18.2%
annually during that time.

What Is The Impact of U.S. Economic Runaway Production?

The labor impact of these economic runaways is profound. In 1998
more than 20,000 full time equivalent jobs were lost; 11,000 were
positions usually filled by SAG members (such as supporting actors,
stunt and background performers) and 600 usually by DGA members
(directors, assistant directors, unit production managers, associate
directors and stage managers). The balance were jobs in other
production skills or trades, such as camera, sound, production design,
wardrobe, makeup, set construction and drivers.

When the effects of these employment and spending losses are
totaled, the impact on the U.S. of film and television economic
runaways in 1998 was $10.3 billion: $2.8 billion in lost direct
production spending, plus $5.6 billion in multiplier effects and $1.9
billion in lost tax revenues. The economic impact extends beyond the
entertainment industry, affecting local merchants and hotels. In 1998,
economic runaways represented almost 15% of the $74.3 billion total
impact of U.S.-developed film and television productions in the scope
of the study.

There have been notable regional impacts as well. Production
expenditures in core production centers such as LA and New York City
have been growing, but at slower rates than those of Canadian
production centers. Other U.S. production centers have experienced
declines in production expenditures since 1995 – North Carolina (-
36%), Illinois (-20%), Washington state (-37%) and Texas (-31%).
Forecasts of future U.S. runaway production show that under all basic
scenarios examined, without actions to stem economic runaways,
economic runaway production remains significant, potentially
increasing in impact to $13-$15 billion annually by 2001. A scenario
with slower U.S. growth and a stronger Canadian dollar keeps the U.S.
impact at approximately $10 billion annually. Many foreign production
infrastructure investments have been made by U.S. studios; these
investments will serve to continue attracting additional productions
abroad. Furthermore, the increased globalization of the entertainment

industry and incidence of international co-production arrangements
will also likely stimulate U.S. runaway production.

What Are the Causes?

Why have productions been leaving at an accelerated rate since 1990?

The location decision for a production balances factors such as
expected revenues with the cost of production (labor, services, etc.)
as well as with the quality of talent, directors, and production crews.
Historically, countries such as Canada and Australia had limited
production capabilities, making them fundamentally unattractive
despite potential savings. Recently, however, the quality of Canadian
and Australian crews has improved to a point where most productions
can be filmed in these countries without a major difference in
quality/productivity.

As foreign crews and infrastructure have improved through experience
and direct investment, their ability to handle larger, more complex
productions increases. For example, British Columbia and Ontario
combined have well over 1 million square feet of sound stage space,
as much as the space in New York and North Carolina combined.
Canadian film commissions have also been very aggressive in
promoting their locations to the U.S. entertainment industry.

In addition, the value of Canadian, Australian and U.K. currencies all
have declined by 15% to 23% since 1990 relative to the U.S. dollar,
reducing production costs abroad. Factor costs (wages/rates) in these
countries, which were generally lower than those in the U.S. in the
early 1990’s, have also increased at a slower pace than in the U.S. As
a result, producers realize at least a 15% reduction in production costs
from lower labor costs and costs of goods and services when filming in
Canada.

Very visibly (for example, by having Revenue Canada (the Canadian
IRS) representatives at the recent Locations ’99 trade show in Los
Angeles), foreign federal and regional governments have also been
offering rich tax incentives/rebates on production activity in their
jurisdictions. Canada offers federal and provincial tax credits of 22%
to 46% of labor expense (yielding up to a 10% reduction in overall
production expense), and Australia offers more than a 10% labor tax
credit in some cases. Note that these are not credits for national or
cultural content productions; they are available to any qualifying
production employing foreign nationals. In addition, Canada, Australia
and the U.K. offer up to a 100% tax credit for qualifying “national”/
“cultural” productions, and many other countries offer generous tax
credits to producers.

The combined result of the exchange rates, lower costs and
government incentives allows the producer of a typical TV movie
(production budget of $3 million) to reduce production costs by 25% or
more by choosing to film in Canada. Similar percentage savings are
available to the producer of a $20 million feature who chooses to film
in Canada.

It is important to note that Canada has followed an integrated
approach to launching its film/television production-oriented initiatives
during the past several years. This approach begins with a relatively
undeveloped production industry, and launches a series of (usually tax
credit-centered) initiatives to attract production activity/investment,
but often creates qualifying requirements for those incentives that
stimulate hiring of local personnel. As a result, local production
crews, actors, production managers and assistant directors gain
valuable experience/training and are therefore more capable and
attractive to other producers. At the same time, investments in
physical infrastructure are sought so that more and more productions
can be accommodated. As these production capabilities expand,
other tax incentives such as those for local labor expenditures are
offered to further stimulate demand for local production resources.
Ominously, this approach to capture productions is readily replicable
by other countries; in fact, Australia is moving along a very similar
path to that pursued by Canada.

NEXT TIME – PART VII – CONCLUSION

Read the rest of this entry »

SEE-SAW / PART V / MEMBER COMMENT / HONOR OUR OWN / EVENTS

May 15th, 2016

I. BUILDING SEE-SAW CONTINUES
II. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART V – MORE FOREIGN VENUES
III. MEMBER COMMENT
IV. ASMAC HONOR OUR OWN
V. 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

***** LOCAL 47 MEETING THIS MONDAY at 7:30 PM *****

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

I. BUILDING SEE-SAW CONTINUES

Alameda Building is off the table again.

Greetings Colleagues,

Well, once again the Alameda Building is off the table, this time
for good it would seem.

Our building has been sold and on Thursday surveyors were
on the property taking measurements.

According to reliable sources, we’ll be able to rent back the
building for $1 a month for the next 8-9 months. After that?
If we do not find a building, it’ll be store front time, unless
we can extend the dollar deal.

Our iconic building is gone.

More as it comes in.

THE COMMITTEE

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

II. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART V – OTHER RECORDING OPTIONS
resulting from unusable contracts.

[E: And this was 11 years ago,.. there are myriad more options now.]

The Pro Arte Orchestra
“The quality of top musicians in London is legendary and the
players (of the Pro Arte Orchestra) are among the best in
the world” –
Composer, Jim Parker

This is a commercial recording orchestra made up from a select
pool of London’s finest orchestral session musicians run by the
highly respected contractor Colin Sheen, in association with
Tadlow Music.

BUSTER – Anne Dudley
DÉJň VU – Michael Gibbs
EVITA: THE MOVIE – Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice
GOLDEN GATE – Elliot Goldenthal
GREGORY’S TWO GIRLS – Michael Gibbs
GROUNDFORCE – Jim Parker
HOUSE OF CARDS – Jim Parker
HOWARDS END – Richard Robbins
THE HOUSE OF ELIOTT – Jim Parker
JEEVES AND WOOSTER – Anne Dudley
THE LONG DAY CLOSES – Bob Last
MADEMOISELLE – Philippe Sarde
THE MIDSOMER MURDERS – Jim Parker
MOLL FLANDERS – Jim Parker
THE POPE MUST DIE – Anne Dudley
A RATHER ENGLISH MARRIAGE – Jim Parker
THE REMAINS OF THE DAY – Richard Robbins
SISTER MARY IGNATIOUS EXPLAINS IT ALL – Philippe Sarde
SOMEONE ELSE’S AMERICA – Andrew Dickson
THE STUPIDS – Christopher L. Stone
TOM JONES – Jim Parker
TREASURE ISLAND – Christopher L. Stone
WALKER: TEXAS RANGER – Christopher L. Stone
WILT – Anne Dudley

The Pro Arte Orchestra has also appeared on albums by THE
EURYTHMICS and SIMPLY RED and hits by TOM JONES and
S-CLUB SEVEN plus numerous albums of Library Music for KPM

————————–

BRATISLAVA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Destiny had it all worked out. The acronyms of the Bratislava
Symphony Orchestra – BSO – made it inevitable that it would turn into
one of the most sought after European orchestras in Spain for
recording film soundtracks. It suffices to mention their “sounding” role
in films such as:
“800 Balas” (800 Bullets) by Roque BaĖos;
“En la Ciudad sin Límites” (In the city without limits) by Victor Reyes (both
nominated for the prestigious Spanish film awards – The Goya – in the
category of best soundtrack for 2002);
“Al Sur de Granada” (South of Granada), by Juan Bardem (winner of the
Goya award as best soundtrack for 2003);
“Hotel Danubio” (Hotel Danube), by Pablo Cervantes, or “Los Reyes Magos”
(The three kings), by José Battaglio and Kaelo del Río.

The Bratislava Symphony Orchestra may well be one of the most versatile
orchestras around, since besides its obvious dedication to the classical
repertoire, it also dedicates an important part of its activities to playing
and recording styles as different as music for cinema, pop, copla, or
music for video games. A peculiarity that contrasts with this stylistic
and cultural variety to which BSO has become dedicated is the fact
that all of its musicians are Slovak.

Slovakia is also one of the countries which have recently joined the
European Union, a fact which will likely maintain and possibly
increase the musical demand on the city and the activities of the
Bratislava Symphony Orchestra.

The availability of Spanish orchestras for recording film music is
practically nonexistent. The reasons for this situation are many, but
the fact is that it forces Spanish composers of film soundtracks to
look for orchestras abroad and carry out their recordings thousands of
miles from away. David Hernando is very well acquainted with this
situation; he sums it up as follows: “I think the main reason why
composers seek to record outside of Spain is in the quality and
experience that foreign orchestras such as the BSO can offer. This
doesn’t mean that Spain has no quality orchestras, but it’s rather a
tradition that has become lost with time. After the Spanish civil war
there were several orchestras in Madrid that were dedicated to this
type of work, but with time they disappeared.

For more information: http://www.bso.sk/ To contact the orchestra:
[email protected] To contact David Hernando, BSO conductor
[email protected]

—————

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra

The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra are an exclusive
recording orchestra comprising of the cream of musicians from
the various Czech orchestras, including many from the world
renowned Czech Philharmonic.

Recording with the orchestra could not be simpler as there is
just one basic fee per musician per session with no hidden
extras like doubling, porterage, or management fee*. Also,
permanently housed in the studio is all standard orchestral
percussion plus grand piano, harpsichord and organ.

So you would have access to some of the finest orchestral
players in the world at a very affordable price: from €15 (£10) (10 years ago)
per musician per hour for Film & TV Score Recording and
from €20 (£13) per musician per hour for Album Recording.

What the Composers Say:
“The rendition of THE MATRIX is really excellent …this is high
quality music recording” (Don Davis) “Better than the original
soundtrack” (Dennis McCarthy)

“I just played the new recording of my score to THE VIKINGS:
Bravo! Bravissimo!” (Mario Nascimbene)

“You’ve got a good score? Go to the City of Prague Philharmonic,
they’ll bring the best out of it. They love to play good music all the
time” (Frank Peterson, Composer, Arranger and Producer of the
last 6 Albums by Sarah Brightman)

“Bravo on your fine recordings and performances on SPACE3. I
thought the renditions were fresh and well realised…keep up the
good work” (Basil Poledouris)

“A wonderful orchestra, full of enthusiasm in their performance and
with a big, rich symphonic sound. I was impressed with the speed
of their sight-reading and the high level of musicianship that brought
my scores to life.” (Adam Saunders)

“Apart from their fine playing, the Prague musicians have a
refreshing attitude to their work. They are always willing to give
the best performance and cope with the unpredictability of film
sessions with as much versatility as any other group.” (Nic Raine)

“Nowhere beats the cost/quality ratio of Prague. A fantastic place
to record if you haven’t got the budget of a major studio picture.
I come back time and time again. That says it all.” (Julian Nott)

“I have recorded over 160 hours with the CPPO, so I have
obviously been happy with my results to keep returning. Everything
runs smoothly, and I have had no technical problems with recording
to picture. I have become so comfortable that I forget that I’m talking
to the musicians in a different language. I highly recommend the City
Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.” (David Michael Frank)

NEXT TIME:PART VI: IS BRITISH FILM DEAD?

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

III. MEMBER COMMENT

RE: the last blog posting

It’s really a great and helpful piece of info. I am glad
that you simply shared this helpful info with us.
Please stay us up to date like this.

Thank you for sharing.

[EC: You’re Welcome!]

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

IV. ASMAC “Honors Our Own”: Duane Tatro and Glenn Jordan

@ Catalina’s Jazz Club – Wed., May 18, 2016 – 11:30am

Please join us as ASMAC ‘Honors Our Own’,

Duane Tatro and Glenn Jordan
 
A few times each year, ASMAC takes the time to highlight two of our outstanding members – composers, arrangers, orchestrators – individuals who have created works in any single or multiple arenas.  This May, we honor two highly talented and respected individuals who have also served as Board Members of ASMAC.

DUANE TATRO
has composed extensively for television and film as well as writing live concert media works for orchestra, wind ensemble, chamber ensembles, and electronic instruments. In his early career, he worked professionally as an instrumentalist; playing clarinet, saxophone and bassoon.

His film and television credits include: Hotel, Dynasty, Loveboat, Matt Houston, Glitter, Hawaii Five-O, Barnaby Jones, Tales of the Unexpected, Most Wanted, Super Star, Manhunter, Cannon, Streets of San Francisco, Cades County, M.A.S.H., Mission Impossible, Mannix, Australia, A Timeless Land, and many Movies of the Week.

Mr. Tatro has participated in Meet the Composer programs at both San Diego and New Mexico State Universities, where he lectured on 20th Century music and composing for films.

His few of his concert works include:

“Concerto for Amp. Guitar and Chamber Orchestra”, which premiered at Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (1977), Charles Blackman, Conductor.

“Serenade and Aubade”, for string orchestra, premiered (1981), Southeast Symphony, Charles Blackman, Conductor.

“Tuba Quartet”, (1989) performed by the Los Angeles Tuba Quartet.

“Fantasia”, for concert band, premiered at the Society of Composers, Inc. Conference, University of Hawaii (1999), Grant Okamura, Director, “Untitled Lament” for Mixed Chorus and Chamber Orchestra (1999).

“Capriccio” for flute, viola, harp (2000)

Mr. Tatro studied with composers Arthur Honegger, Darius Mihaud, Halsey Stevens, and George Tremblay. He received his Bachelors Degree from the University of Southern California, with additional studies in Paris France. He is listed in the International Who’s Who in Music (1975), the Encyclopedia of Jazz (1955), and the Dictionary of International Biography (1976).

On May 18th we will also be bringing out the birthday cake for Duane – as he celebrates his 90th birthday with us!!!

————–

GLENN JORDAN
is an award winning songwriter, composer, producer, singer and performer whose music is heard every day by millions of people.

Glenn’s credits as a composer include scoring and providing music for over a thousand episodes of television programs and films in the last 15 years, including The X-files, Millennium, Biography, Doug, 101 Dalmatians, Catdog and Something About Mary.  As composer/musical director of Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Glenn was nominated for 4 Emmys and won the Emmy Award in 1991.  As composer on Audubon’s Animal Adventure’s he won the Genesis Award in 1996 in recognition of his work to increase awareness of the plight of endangered species.

He scored 9 feature length documentary films for Enduring Freedom Productions over the last 5 years.   The latest 4 are Betty White: Champion for Animals, The Clintons: An American Odyssey, The Reagan Legacy, and JFK Remembered: 50 Years Later for Warner Brothers.

As a former member of the group Sha Na Na he toured the world, and performed for audiences as large as 135,000 people.

His orchestral works have been performed by the Indianapolis and Denver symphonies. His theme park commissions includes “Supersonic Flight” for Six Flags/Great Adventures and “Interactive Wonderland” part of the “Spaceship Earth” attraction at Epcot.

Glenn is one of only 9 people in the world who is qualified and licensed to teach The Equal Interval System of Music Composition created by Lyle “Spud” Murphy.
___________
Visit the ASMAC website – www.asmac.org
See the new master class, luncheon and interview DVD’s in the ASMAC store
Van Alexander, Ray Charles,
Johnny Mandel, Jorge Calandrelli,
Bill Ross, Jack Feierman,
Sammy Nestico and more),
Download ASMAC luncheon podcasts, and check out the ASMAC blog!

DVD’s JUST ADDED: 
Master Class DVD featuring
CONRAD POPE
CHRIS WALDEN
——————–
OTHER UPCOMING EVENTS
“FIRST WEDNESDAYS”
June 1 – 7pm
SPECIAL GUEST:  
Jack Smalley
w/Perry Botkin
“Composing for Film & Television

July 6 – 7pm
HISTORY OF VOCAL GROUPS
featuring acapella sensation: ACCENT!
August 3 – 7pm
Composer
Sean Callery
with Glenn Jordan
 Stay tuned for location info and upcoming event dates.

Read the rest of this entry »

MEETING REPORT / FLASHBACK PART IV / NFA / ASMAC MAY 4th / EVENTS

April 30th, 2016

I. LOCAL 47 MEMBERSHIP MEETING REPORT
II. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART IV – VIDEO GAMES and TRICKS
III. NFA FLUTE SCHOLARSHIP
IV ASMAC FEATURES WOMEN COMPOSERS
V. 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

***** LOCAL 47 MEETING THIS MONDAY at 7:30 PM *****

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

I. LOCAL 47 MEMBERSHIP MEETING REPORT

Quorum not reached as of 7:32 pm

Actor’s Fund presented to the members.
National Human Resources Organization

Fund is to help Everyone in performing arts and entertainment
33 million operating budget.
9000 members across the country.
Board includes 50 leaders of the creative community.
134 years old.

Eligible – Services are available to everyone.
Only affordable housing and financial assistance have requirements…
must follow government guidelines.

Four main areas of services:
Social Services and Emergency Assistance
Health Care and Health insurance information
Employment and training
Housing

Online: actorsfund.org for more info
AHIRC. Org – health care

5757 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 400, LA, CA 90036 / Actorsfund.org.

————————————————-

No quorum as of 7:40.
Quorum reached as of 7:45

Roll taken.

No 50 year pin presentations.
Minutes approved.

RESOLUTIONS VOTE ON:

RESOLUTION I – Requires a comprehensive and balanced budget by
December 1st of each year.

You can see the text in the last Overture.

Member Huckins (One of the authors) spoke in favor.
In the past the budget hasn’t been due till May of each year. That
means that they’re not accountable till 4 months after when they
should be. As of now Money gets spent that the board doesn’t
know about. Must be done before the new year to make sense.

Monthly the executive board must review and balance what they’re
spending compared to what they’re making.

We had deficit spending for 7 years to the tune of 1.6 million
dollars.
-Must align budget year with fiscal year.

LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE SPEAKS
Legislative committee says (big surprise) recommends a vote no.
Focuses on two major areas, current board it relies on audited budget
figures presented in March. Could force the board to create a lame duck
board.

Requiring a balanced budget is not in the members best interests.
[EC: What???,… but unrestricted deficit spending is?.
Local could be required to deficit spend in cases of lawsuits or other issues.

No vote is in best interest of the membership.

MEMBER Castillo – I’ve looked at 40 financial reports. It makes no
common sense that the requirement is currently May with the fiscal
year beginning in January.

Legislative Committee did not publish an opinion in the overture
which is custom of practice…. And they should have. What are they hiding.
Over 1.6 million too much, we needed various things that could have been
paid for with that money,.. and then perhaps not have to sell the building.

MEMBER AUTHOR – Inspiration for the resolution came form the AFM bylaws.
COMM fails to propose a multi-year budget plan. Is it appropriate to have a
tendency toward deficit spending when there is no financial crisis.
The budget is your guide line to prevent deficit spending.

BOARD MEMBER (TRUSTEE) – Understands the desire to change the timing
of the budget and fiscal year, however, due to the things the legislative
states, it would make more sense to change to fiscal year. Says that the
fiscal year for non-profits is July.
MEMBER corrects the speaker “It’s not true”.

New board has not been in deficit spending. Some thing they cannot help
as in work flow, etc.

MEMBER CHAIRMAN – Discussed resolution with one of the authors of
the resolution. Why didn’t we put word out? There was too much going
on and it would have looks bad for the local while they’re trying to sell
the building. And if anything happened they might have to retract.

MEMBER – Concerned about having a budget, fearful of strait jacketing the
Local. Seems that wrongdoing has been intimated. If there’s a strike we have
to spend money. Has not heard about spending not being handled
responsibility [1.6 million in deficit spending is responsible?]

MEMBER AUTHOR – There need to be boundaries, if not there’s bound
to be a downward spiral. You can define your fiscal year however you
want, but Labor organizations are typically in January.

Ended year in a $30,000 deficit.

DIRECTOR – The $30,000 deficit is down from over $400,000.
The most deficit spending happened in 2013.

MEMBER AUTHOR – All members of the board are fiduciaries, that
means we have to trust them. There is no adherence to a budget,
without a legal budget no one and nothing can be held accountable.
We’re not suppose to lose money.

MEMBER – Numbers are perspective, budget. Want to be able to help members
in an emergency. We’re all a family, should have to answer to how we use it.
My main is how we look at the numbers.

MEMBER AUTHOR- Must dispel misunderstanding about budgets. Exec board
controls the budget. One or more board members don’t understand that.

DIRECTOR – Vote no, it’s not addressing the true issues. A new section about
a budget revue would be a good idea. Also a multi year budget would be a good
idea.

All the usual suspects and those who benefit from the present system spoke
against the resolution. Those more interested in more accountability and spending
controls spoke in favor the resolution.

DIRECTOR CALLED THE QUESTION.

Final VOTE
10 for a required budget.
40 against a required budget.

[EC: So most in attendance see nothing wrong with leaving the board
free to deficit spend with little to no accountability. See why you need
to come to meetings?]

———————————–

RESOLUTION II
Bi-annual election info – print version is only quarterly. Changes notices of election
material, create special election edition. See details online.

MEMBER DELEGATE – There’s too much in the resolution. Without knowing
the details. Bring it back and divide it up and vote on each section separately.

SECRETARY – Explains details – purely housekeeping. Overture only published
4 times a year, so we need to change printing dates in election year to print
special edition in November.

YES – 48
NO – 2

———————————–

RESOLUTION III – Requires notices to meetings be mailed by postcard and email.
Only 2/3’s of members have an email, so notice of meeting must be sent, since
the overture is only printed 4 times a year.

MEMBER – Section listing is wrong, should be Section 5, not Section 1. It’s a typo.
What if notice needs info that is longer than can be on a postcard?
Answer – The correspondence should be sent in whatever form it needs to be.
Biggest concern is that people get the notice.

MEMBER – Was section one accepted as a correction? Article I, sec. 5 was corrected.
Internet security isn’t really an issue is it? We’re not sending classified info.

MEMBER – Substitute “due notice” where it says “postcard”. Motion made and 2nded.
Motion carries.

MEMBER – Wording sounds optional, not required, so notice would note necc. be
gotten in time. So, I have a problem that it says MAY be given what ever days before,
instead of “MUST” be. The whole thing looks questionable.

MEMBER – Member moves the word MUST replace the word “may”
MEMBER – “May” is only a choice of whether it’s a email or letter.
MEMBER – If you say “May”, people might not understand what “May” means
or what they’re supposed to receive.

PARLIAMENT – If you say “must” it can only be sent by email
MEMBER – Due notice must be sent to members either by email or snail mail.
Parlementarian says that’s redundant.

Vote on amendment. Fails.

VOTES TAKEN

YES – 48
NO – 4

SALARY REVIEW BOARD ELECTION (need 5)

ELECTION CHAIR collects names
Greg Huckins –
Paul Castillo –
Marie Matson – Elected
Mark Zimaski – Elected
Paul Sternhagen – Elected
Stephen Green – Elected
Dr. Norman Ludwin – Elected

Electing five new members

Some nominees speak – They meet and decide on
the salaries of all those who are paid by the local.

MEMBER – When I was on the board the only ones
reviewed were the board members.

NOMINEE – Had lots of assignments in different capacities.
All salaries are reviewed and that is important. Also
have background in financial obligations.

Ballots collected.

—————-

ELECTION BOARD (need 7)
Steven Green
Paul Sternhagen –
Mark Zimoski
Marie Matson
Khris Mettala
Scott Higgins
Nick Stone

Ballots collected.

ALL WERE ACCEPTED BY BALLOT

Secretary will check to ensure all those nominated are eligible
to run. (No suspensions or lapse in membership)

—————-

OFFICE REPORTS
President – 2015 recap:
24 CBAs
Grievances – filing and following – Mediation used more these days. – 13 grievances –
10 were withdrawn, 1 scheduled for the future. One carryover from 2015.
MEMBER – Point of info – mediator was used once.
Relief Fund – 29 members helped.
Trust fund – 67 concerts
13,000 contracts

2016 so far
Negotiated with 12 employers
9 completed
Grievances 6 – 3 withdrawn, 1 resolved.
Relief fund – 10 members helped.
145 Concerts sponsored so far this year.
El Capitan – 10% increase over three years.
Desert Symphony – 9% over three years.
TV Show “Transparent” organized.

BUILDING
Building going into escrow with Cadence for 25 million. (3rd attempt)
Entering into Escrow on Alameda Property (this week)
When due diligence is done renovations will commence
Comm meeting with architects to beginning site planning process.

Looking to create Music Tax Credit.

Health – Potential merger of plans
Milliman engaged study underway
Report due back in May.

AMF Convention – June 2016
Negotiate ongoing Phamplet B and SLRA
AFM Live TV Nego coming up.

No resolutions sponsored by delegate of directors but did endorse one by ICSOM.

————–

VP Report –
Many negotiations done.
Spoke at 8 different colleges and really enjoying it.
8 folks joined from those presentations.
Attended writer’s guide awards – Reno conference – ASCAP music awards
ASMAC 1st Wednesdays – Low Budget Workshop
LAPD Health and Safety Fair for LGBT in Auditorium

————–

SECRETARY REPORT

DIRECTOR – Can we defer remaining officer report to go to New Business.

Order changed…

NEW BUSINESS – THE PLEASANT SURPRISE OF THE NIGHT
1) MEMBER PRESENTED MOTION – Whereas Local 47 members have no clue how
many times VG agreement has been used, et…….

Local 47 shall publish the total music wages and hours for Local 47
members for VG work 2006-2015 segmented by year.

Members need to see the success or lack thereof of the VG Agreement.

Motioned and seconded –

OFFICER: Concern that employers would see the info,.. could we put it in the
member’s section.

AUTHOR: Would be willing to have it put into member’s only area as long as
members are informed to look for it.

MEMBER – Print in overture that it’s in the member’s section
MEMBER – It’s a national agreement – shouldn’t it be for work of all AFM
member, not just Local 47
MEMBER – Cannot encroach on questioning the motive of the member.
Shall post in the member’s area of the Local 47 website and in the next
printed Overture the info requested. Any AFM member should be able to
get this info. Should not have to make request and jump through hoops
to get it.
MEMBER – Is the effort to compare previous contract with the present one?
These contracts should be like 2 pages, should be readable and useable.
Shouldn’t be member’s only, the info needs to be out.

A lot of these contracts are not being used.

MEMBERS – This is in everyone’s best interest,… please vote for it. We
should all have it readily available. I want it in member’s area by June 1st,
and the print edition after that.

Resolution passed.

2) Bind delegates to oppose any increased in federation work dues or per
capita increase.

+++ It’s interesting to note, that, unsolicited, President Acosta said, “Yes, the
recording musicians pay too much dues. The very next speaker had to correct
him, saying, Everyone is paying too much in dues, not just recording musicians
(This certainly showed, once again, that President Acosta is in the tank for the RMA.)

MEMBER – Delegates should actively oppose the increases.
MEMBER- Don’t like the idea of binding the delegates, they should vote
as they feel they should. Is a ballot motion to bind the delegates.

Since due notice should be given, the maker of the motion withdraws
the motion of binding the delegates.

Quorum Lost –
Member Statement Delegates should all actively oppose any dues increases.

MEETING ADJOURNED AT 10:08

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

II. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART V – NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE

Allegro – Volume CV No. 1 January, 2005
Local 802, New York City

Lights, Camera, Action! Making More Movies in New York

When you think of making movies, Los Angeles is the first city that probably comes to
mind. But Local 802 hopes to make you think of both Los Angeles and New York.

A new City Council bill would create a 5 percent city tax credit for film producers doing
certain types of film production work in New York City (including soundtrack recordings).
The bill would complement recently passed state legislation allowing a 10 percent tax
credit for similar work done in New York State.

As reported in last month’s Allegro, film studios are starting to use subtle methods to get
around soundtrack recording. So any piece of legislation that encourages legitimate
studio production in New York could benefit New York recording musicians.

The bill is Intro 454-A. 802 member Roger Blanc testified to City Council on Dec. 1 in
support of the bill. Blanc is vice president of the New York chapter of the Recording
Musicians Association as well as second vice president of the international RMA.

The transcript is below.
Ladies and gentlemen: My name is Roger Blanc and I’m a New York City-based
freelance musician and vice president on the local and international boards of the
Recording Musicians Association. Thank you for this opportunity to speak on
behalf of New York City recording musicians.

The Recording Musicians Association boards I sit on represent the interests of
musicians recording in the fields of film, television, records and advertising.

Our organization is what’s known as a “player conference” to our union, the American
Federation of Musicians, and our activities affect the working conditions of recording
musicians across the United States and in parts of Canada.

Due to a variety of economic and technological factors, musicians working in the
recording field have in recent years suffered substantial professional challenges.

As these challenges apply to the New York City film business, the City has seen a
significant across-the-board reduction in film music soundtrack recording activity over
the past ten years.

Statistics over this ten-year period show the number of New York City film soundtrack
recording sessions per year cut in half, the total number of musicians employed in this
field per year cut in half, and the amount of total wages paid to recording musicians in a
given year cut by more than 60 percent net of wage increases over the term.

New York City musicians face competition from Los Angeles, where the film studios
and their related production infrastructure help to assure some degree of regular
employment in this field.

We face competition from non-union recording venues, both in the U.S. and abroad.
We face competition from the former Eastern Bloc countries, many of whom are home
to musicians willing to work for substantially lower wages than their counterparts in the
U.S., Canada, and Western Europe.

Finally, we compete with many other high-powered industries for the precious real
estate which is required to house recording studios here. Many of our best studios have
been forced out of business by the high costs of Manhattan property.

The current trend in film soundtracks favors the licensing of pre-existing hit songs over
the recording of original new soundtrack music. A variety of newer electronic musical
options allow for the number of musicians employed in a given film to be substantially
reduced in many instances where new music is recorded. Prerecorded music libraries
may be licensed in lieu of creating and recording original new music for films here. In
short, New York City film soundtrack recording is an area of activity which could
certainly use the promotion that the production incentives in this legislation would
provide.

Thank you for your time.
Roger Blanc, Local 802

—————

Seattle has been a hotbed of film, TV and video game recording since Seattle
Symphony musicians voted to decertify the AFM in 1988. Seattle musicians then
started courting film scoring work, creating a rampant and popular non-union
environment for film producers. Below is advertising from the websites of Seattle
Music (David Sabee) and contractor Simon James:

[EC: Their list of credits is substantially larger now, 10 years later.]

SeattleMusic.com
From its auspicious debut scoring Mr. Holland’s Opus and Die Hard
with a Vengeance for Michael Kaman, to this spring’s scores for Lake
Placid, The Astronaut’s Wife, Love Letters, The Limey, Castle in the
Sky, Atomic Train, and Six Pack, SEATTLEMUSIC continues to build
on its success as a world class film scoring orchestra.

Superior musicians, music preparation and engineering services,
conductors, orchestrators, recording studios and mobile trucks are
combined for a growing stream of projects. As successful team
creation is of paramount importance, SEATTLEMUSIC is your one
stop source for musical services. The combination of superb
musicianship, experienced management and a buyout for all media
has established SEATTLEMUSIC at the forefront of the film scoring
industry.

—————

SimonJamesMusic.com

Simon James, Northwest Sinfonia contracts with the Pacific
Northwest’s finest musicians, ensuring that your orchestral recording
experience will be your very best. Regardless of style or idiom, Simon
will find the perfect performers for your project. See why many
satisfied clients continue to return for the friendly atmosphere and
foremost musical excellence at reasonable rates. Never any extra
charge for new use!

Completed scores recorded, as represented on this website include:
• 100 motion pictures
• 45 CD’s and Video Games
• 58 TV
• 14 IMAX

—————–

Eastern Europe and London recording orchestras and environments,
as advertised and represented by the Tadlow Music Agency
(see www.praguephilharmonic.org):

Through our 20 years experience of dealing with musicians,
technicians and studios Tadlow Music is able to offer complete, or
separate element, recording packages in London. Because we are
totally independent and not affiliated to any one organisation we are
able to offer the most flexible choice of orchestras and studios.
Included in our packages are the services of:

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The world renowned ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, through
Tadlow Music, are available for recording sessions in London.

Formed in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham the RPO has the enviable
reputation as being one of the most experienced recording orchestras
in the world. Their repertoire encompasses all the major classical
works with as well as a host of “crossover recordings” and Original
Film and TV Soundtracks.

Their most recent soundtrack recording was for ARSENE LUPIN –
music composed and conducted by Debbie Wiseman

Other Soundtrack Credits include
MAURICE JARRE’s Oscar(R) winning score for A PASSAGE TO INDIA
and his scores for MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME THE BRIDE
TOP SECRET & THE MESSAGE (Oscar(R) nominated)
plus
GREYSTOKE – JOHN SCOTT
MOUNTBATTEN – JOHN SCOTT
EYE OF THE NEEDLE – MIKLOS ROZSA
TIME AFTER TIME – MIKLOS ROZSA
RELATIVE VALUES – JOHN DEBNEY
FIVE DAYS ONE SUMMER – ELMER BERNSTEIN
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON – ELMER BERNSTEIN

Confirming their role as “Britain’s National Orchestra” the RPO and the
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA are famous for their
versatility in both recordings and concerts and their “lighter”
repertoire includes albums with SARAH BRIGHTMAN, PLACIDO
DIMINGO, DIONNE WARWICK, JOSE CARRERAS, CHARLOTTE CHURCH
and RUSSELL WATSON as well as symphonic arrangements of the
music of QUEEN, U2, MADONNA, DEEP PURPLE, ELTON JOHN and the
popular HOOKED ON CLASSICS series.

For more information, please contact [email protected]
The Pro Arte Orchestra
“The quality of top musicians in London is legendary and the players
(of the Pro Arte Orchestra) are among the best in the world” –
Composer, Jim Parker

NEXT TIME – PART VI – MORE FOREIGN OPTIONS IN 2005

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

III. NFA FLUTE SCHOLARSHIP
 
Each year, the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship provides financial
assistance for a high school or undergraduate flutist to attend the National
Flute Association Convention. Recipients gain the means to attend the
largest annual flute event in the world and the chance to participate in
an enriching, immersive experience with renowned flute performers and
ensembles from across the globe.

The recipient of this scholarship will receive $750 to attend the NFA’s
44th Annual Convention in San Diego this summer, plus complimentary
convention registration, and a one-year membership to the NFA. This
is a great opportunity for a flute student to gain insight, inspiration, and
connections to further their flute musicianship and career.

The Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship is open to full-time
students under the age of 25. Applicants cannot be previous recipients
of the scholarship.

If you are not eligible to apply, please share this information with students,
colleagues, friends, and anyone who might want to attend the convention,
but currently lacks the financial means to do so.

Applications are due May 1. Visit the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship page
to learn more about the opportunity or submit an application.  
 
Victoria Pampe
Membership Manager
National Flute Association
70 E. Lake Street, Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-332-6682 (office)
312-332-6684 (fax)
[email protected]

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

IV. ASMAC FEATURES WOMEN COMPOSERS

ASMAC’S FIRST WEDNESDAYS

WOMEN COMPOSERS FEATURE

Wednesday May 4, 2016 – 7 PM 
featuring Music by Women Composers including
Carolyn Yarnell
Maria Newman
Nan Schwartz
Susan Hurley
Elise Michelle
Penka Kouneza
Marlene Hajdu
Bonnie Janofsky
Mae Crosby
Asuka Ito
Performers will include
Sally Stevens
Leslie A. Soultanian
Bryan Pezzone
Scott C. Hosfeld
Paula Hochhalter
Ben Powell
Michael Stever
Please come out!
$10 for Guests and Students
FREE for ASMAC & Local 47 members
Free parking.
Meet-up & Check-in: 7:00-7:30 PM.
Program: 7:30-10:00 PM.
PLEASE NOTE LOCATION:
AFM Local 47 – Auditorium
817 Vine St.
Hollywood, CA 90038
* ASMAC Members who would like to share music at a
FIRST WEDNESDAYS event,
Contact [email protected] Attn: Milton Nelson

___________
Check out the ASMAC website – www.asmac.org
to see the new master class, luncheon and interview DVD’s in the ASMAC store (Van Alexander, Ray Charles, Johnny Mandel, Jorge Calandrelli, Bill Ross, Jack Feierman, Sammy Nestico and more), to download ASMAC luncheon podcasts, and more!
JUST ADDED: 
Special Interview with the renowned composer/arranger 
JIMMIE HASKELL

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

Read the rest of this entry »

FLASHBACK PART IV / SCHOLARSHIP / CALANDRELLI MASTERCLASS / EVENTS

April 23rd, 2016

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART IV – VIDEO GAMES and TRICKS
II. NFA FLUTE SCHOLARSHIP
III. ASMAC JORGE CALANDRELLI MASTERCLASS
IV. 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

***** LOCAL 47 MEETING THIS MONDAY at 7:30 PM *****

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

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART V – NEW YORK AND ELSEWHERE

Allegro – Volume CV No. 1 January, 2005
Local 802, New York City

Lights, Camera, Action! Making More Movies in New York

When you think of making movies, Los Angeles is the first city that probably comes to
mind. But Local 802 hopes to make you think of both Los Angeles and New York.

A new City Council bill would create a 5 percent city tax credit for film producers doing
certain types of film production work in New York City (including soundtrack recordings).
The bill would complement recently passed state legislation allowing a 10 percent tax
credit for similar work done in New York State.

As reported in last month’s Allegro, film studios are starting to use subtle methods to get
around soundtrack recording. So any piece of legislation that encourages legitimate
studio production in New York could benefit New York recording musicians.

The bill is Intro 454-A. 802 member Roger Blanc testified to City Council on Dec. 1 in
support of the bill. Blanc is vice president of the New York chapter of the Recording
Musicians Association as well as second vice president of the international RMA.

The transcript is below.
Ladies and gentlemen: My name is Roger Blanc and I’m a New York City-based
freelance musician and vice president on the local and international boards of the
Recording Musicians Association. Thank you for this opportunity to speak on
behalf of New York City recording musicians.

The Recording Musicians Association boards I sit on represent the interests of
musicians recording in the fields of film, television, records and advertising.

Our organization is what’s known as a “player conference” to our union, the American
Federation of Musicians, and our activities affect the working conditions of recording
musicians across the United States and in parts of Canada.

Due to a variety of economic and technological factors, musicians working in the
recording field have in recent years suffered substantial professional challenges.

As these challenges apply to the New York City film business, the City has seen a
significant across-the-board reduction in film music soundtrack recording activity over
the past ten years.

Statistics over this ten-year period show the number of New York City film soundtrack
recording sessions per year cut in half, the total number of musicians employed in this
field per year cut in half, and the amount of total wages paid to recording musicians in a
given year cut by more than 60 percent net of wage increases over the term.

New York City musicians face competition from Los Angeles, where the film studios
and their related production infrastructure help to assure some degree of regular
employment in this field.

We face competition from non-union recording venues, both in the U.S. and abroad.
We face competition from the former Eastern Bloc countries, many of whom are home
to musicians willing to work for substantially lower wages than their counterparts in the
U.S., Canada, and Western Europe.

Finally, we compete with many other high-powered industries for the precious real
estate which is required to house recording studios here. Many of our best studios have
been forced out of business by the high costs of Manhattan property.

The current trend in film soundtracks favors the licensing of pre-existing hit songs over
the recording of original new soundtrack music. A variety of newer electronic musical
options allow for the number of musicians employed in a given film to be substantially
reduced in many instances where new music is recorded. Prerecorded music libraries
may be licensed in lieu of creating and recording original new music for films here. In
short, New York City film soundtrack recording is an area of activity which could
certainly use the promotion that the production incentives in this legislation would
provide.

Thank you for your time.
Roger Blanc, Local 802

—————

Seattle has been a hotbed of film, TV and video game recording since Seattle
Symphony musicians voted to decertify the AFM in 1988. Seattle musicians then
started courting film scoring work, creating a rampant and popular non-union
environment for film producers. Below is advertising from the websites of Seattle
Music (David Sabee) and contractor Simon James:

[EC: Their list of credits is substantially larger now, 10 years later.]

SeattleMusic.com
From its auspicious debut scoring Mr. Holland’s Opus and Die Hard
with a Vengeance for Michael Kaman, to this spring’s scores for Lake
Placid, The Astronaut’s Wife, Love Letters, The Limey, Castle in the
Sky, Atomic Train, and Six Pack, SEATTLEMUSIC continues to build
on its success as a world class film scoring orchestra.

Superior musicians, music preparation and engineering services,
conductors, orchestrators, recording studios and mobile trucks are
combined for a growing stream of projects. As successful team
creation is of paramount importance, SEATTLEMUSIC is your one
stop source for musical services. The combination of superb
musicianship, experienced management and a buyout for all media
has established SEATTLEMUSIC at the forefront of the film scoring
industry.

—————

SimonJamesMusic.com

Simon James, Northwest Sinfonia contracts with the Pacific
Northwest’s finest musicians, ensuring that your orchestral recording
experience will be your very best. Regardless of style or idiom, Simon
will find the perfect performers for your project. See why many
satisfied clients continue to return for the friendly atmosphere and
foremost musical excellence at reasonable rates. Never any extra
charge for new use!

Completed scores recorded, as represented on this website include:
• 100 motion pictures
• 45 CD’s and Video Games
• 58 TV
• 14 IMAX

—————–

Eastern Europe and London recording orchestras and environments,
as advertised and represented by the Tadlow Music Agency
(see www.praguephilharmonic.org):

Through our 20 years experience of dealing with musicians,
technicians and studios Tadlow Music is able to offer complete, or
separate element, recording packages in London. Because we are
totally independent and not affiliated to any one organisation we are
able to offer the most flexible choice of orchestras and studios.
Included in our packages are the services of:

Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
The world renowned ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA, through
Tadlow Music, are available for recording sessions in London.

Formed in 1946 by Sir Thomas Beecham the RPO has the enviable
reputation as being one of the most experienced recording orchestras
in the world. Their repertoire encompasses all the major classical
works with as well as a host of “crossover recordings” and Original
Film and TV Soundtracks.

Their most recent soundtrack recording was for ARSENE LUPIN –
music composed and conducted by Debbie Wiseman

Other Soundtrack Credits include
MAURICE JARRE’s Oscar(R) winning score for A PASSAGE TO INDIA
and his scores for MAD MAX: BEYOND THUNDERDOME THE BRIDE
TOP SECRET & THE MESSAGE (Oscar(R) nominated)
plus
GREYSTOKE – JOHN SCOTT
MOUNTBATTEN – JOHN SCOTT
EYE OF THE NEEDLE – MIKLOS ROZSA
TIME AFTER TIME – MIKLOS ROZSA
RELATIVE VALUES – JOHN DEBNEY
FIVE DAYS ONE SUMMER – ELMER BERNSTEIN
AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON – ELMER BERNSTEIN

Confirming their role as “Britain’s National Orchestra” the RPO and the
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC CONCERT ORCHESTRA are famous for their
versatility in both recordings and concerts and their “lighter”
repertoire includes albums with SARAH BRIGHTMAN, PLACIDO
DIMINGO, DIONNE WARWICK, JOSE CARRERAS, CHARLOTTE CHURCH
and RUSSELL WATSON as well as symphonic arrangements of the
music of QUEEN, U2, MADONNA, DEEP PURPLE, ELTON JOHN and the
popular HOOKED ON CLASSICS series.

For more information, please contact [email protected]
The Pro Arte Orchestra
“The quality of top musicians in London is legendary and the players
(of the Pro Arte Orchestra) are among the best in the world” –
Composer, Jim Parker

NEXT TIME – PART VI – MORE FOREIGN OPTIONS IN 2005

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

II. NFA FLUTE SCHOLARSHIP
 
Each year, the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship provides financial
assistance for a high school or undergraduate flutist to attend the National
Flute Association Convention. Recipients gain the means to attend the
largest annual flute event in the world and the chance to participate in
an enriching, immersive experience with renowned flute performers and
ensembles from across the globe.

The recipient of this scholarship will receive $750 to attend the NFA’s
44th Annual Convention in San Diego this summer, plus complimentary
convention registration, and a one-year membership to the NFA. This
is a great opportunity for a flute student to gain insight, inspiration, and
connections to further their flute musicianship and career.

The Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship is open to full-time
students under the age of 25. Applicants cannot be previous recipients
of the scholarship.

If you are not eligible to apply, please share this information with students,
colleagues, friends, and anyone who might want to attend the convention,
but currently lacks the financial means to do so.

Applications are due May 1. Visit the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship page
to learn more about the opportunity or submit an application.  
 
Victoria Pampe
Membership Manager
National Flute Association
70 E. Lake Street, Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-332-6682 (office)
312-332-6684 (fax)
[email protected]

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

III ASMAC JORGE CALANDRELLI MASTERCLASS

ASMAC Master Class with Jorge Calandrelli
Moderated by Sylvester Rivers

Note Location @
LOS ANGELES VALLEY COLLEGE

Saturday, April 30, 2016 @ 11:00am

Award winning composer/arranger/producer/conductor
Jorge Calandrelli
Moderated by:  Sylvester Rivers
 
“Ballads to Bossa:
Arranging Across Different Styles.”

Jorge Calandrelli will share his arranging, production and recording techniques through projected scores, real-time audio, commentary and questions and answers.  Jorge will detail his methods for successfully crossing different musical styles and genres, while maintaining individuality and musical integrity.  He will discuss planning the form of an arrangement, intro, interlude and ending, overture and prelude as an alternate form of intro, as well as sketching demos for basic ideas, etc.  The Master Class will include setting the mood and the groove of a theme, development of motifs – key changes – climax, instrumental arranging and arranging for vocals, and more.  Special bonus materials will be provided to all attendees.
 

Jorge Calandrelli is a 6 Time Grammy Winner, with 2 Oscar Nominations, 
27 Grammy Nominations, and was recipient of the 2014 ASMAC Golden
Score Award, among other prestigious awards.

Most recent is Jorge’s involvement on the new album “Cheek to Cheek” 
with Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga where he arranged and conducted all
orchestral arrangements, as well as the “Great Performances” live show
conducted for PBS at the Lincoln Center in New York which aired on the
heels of the album release. Upon completion of the Duets II album,
 Jorge reached a significant achievement celebrating a 25-year association
with the timeless Tony Bennett, which includes, thirteen recorded albums,
six Grammy Nominations and two Grammy Awards won.

The album “Amore Infinito” produced and arranged for Placido Domingo 
and the LSO by Maestro Calandrelli with original songs and lyrics by Pope 
John Paul II has been re-released by Sony Classical this year to commemorate
the Popes canonization.  The album contains duets by Josh Groban,
Katherine Jenkins, Andrea Bocelli, Vanessa Williams and Placido Domingo Jr.
as well as some original songs by Calandrelli.

Additionally, he worked as Executive Musical Director for The Concord Music
Group for three years.  Mr. Calandrelli continues to work independently with
a wide diversity of artists and projects as well as working on his concert pieces.
Jorge’s passion for music includes young musicians and music education. 
Mr. Calandrelli currently serves on the Advisory Board for ASMAC, as well as
having served on the Board of Governors of NARAS.

MODERATOR:  SYLVESTER RIVERS

Composer, arranger and pianist Sylvester Rivers has recorded with numerous
hit artists including Lionel Richie, Diana Ross, The Jacksons, Sammy Davis, Jr.,
Dionne Warwick, Nancy Wilson, Kenny Rogers, Johnny Mathis, Aretha Franklin,
New Edition, Smokey Robinson, The Temptations, Gladys Knight & The Pips,
Barry White, Marc Bolan & T. Rex, Ray Parker, Jr. & Raydio, Deniece Williams,
The Fifth Dimension and many others.

Composing, arranging and orchestrating for television and film, as well,
such as the television series, “Fame,” songs for the Kevin Bacon/ Laurence
Fishburne film, “Quicksilver,” “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo,” “The Arsenio
Hall Show” and numerous others, he has been prolific in producing music
throughout a wide spectrum.

___________
Check out the ASMAC website – www.asmac.org
to see the new master class, luncheon and interview DVD’s in the ASMAC store (Van Alexander, Ray Charles, Johnny Mandel, Jorge Calandrelli, Bill Ross, Jack Feierman, Sammy Nestico and more), to download ASMAC luncheon podcasts, and more!
JUST ADDED: 
Special Interview with the renowned composer/arranger 
JIMMIE HASKELL

===============================
Read the rest of this entry »

FLASHBACK PART IV / NFA SCHOLARSHIP / DAVID BLACK LUNCHEON / EVENTS

April 16th, 2016

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART IV – VIDEO GAMES and TRICKS
II. NFA FLUTE SCHOLARSHIP
III ASMAC DAVID BLACK LUNCHEON
IV. 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. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART IV – VIDEO GAMES and TRICKS

Immediately following the Video Game Conference in Los Angeles
on December 6, 2004, a manager of composers for film,
video games, sent a pleading e-mail to attendees (RMA members,
video game executives, composers) of the Conference to consider
the volume of recording work that has left and to take urgent action
to change to contracts to help keep the work under AFM agreements.

Written on December 9, 2004, this manager’s letter is reprinted in its
entirety.

AF of M Video Game Agreement:

When I started (Business Name) 12 years ago, my sister
(music contractor) —– ——— and many of my friends
in Local 47 were excited about the potential of doing music
for games. My friends at Sony, Warner Bros. and Paramount
scoring stages were excited about the potential. My friends
in the music preparation business were excited about the
potential. And, for sure, I and every composer I managed
were excited about the potential of working with Local 47
musicians.

During these past 12 years, the composers I manage have
scored about 4 games in LA with Local 47 musicians and
about 85 games in Seattle and other places throughout
the world.

Assuming the 85 games took 9 hours each to score,
that’s 765 hours of work/$$$ per musician.

Why did we take 85 gigs away from the LA sound stages
and music prep people? Why did we take 765 hours of
work/$$$ away from the Local 47 musicians?

During these past 12 years, my musician friends in Local
47 have stated;

“I’m not concerned about some potential extra backend
pennies tomorrow.”

“I need to work today to feed my family today.”

“I need the hours today so I can get insurance/H & W
for my family today.”

If only 1 more game had been scored with Local 47 musicians
this past year, there would be (let’s say) 60 Local 47 families
with an additional $600.00 or more to enjoy the upcoming
holidays with.

Some “Fat Cats” might say ‘I don’t need no stinkin $600.00.’
However, I feel there are many Local 47 families that could use
the $600.00 to put the word “Happy” with the word Holidays.

I hope the above compels a sense of urgency. I am not
suggesting to compromise what is justified future income.
I am urging the powers to be to act smart and swift so that
the next 12 years is not a repeat of the past 12 years.

I wish you all “Happy” Holidays.

Regards,
(Manager)

FBI four bars intertainment www.fourbarsintertainment.com
Award Winning composers who deliver great music on time
and within budget…

In addition to non-union and less expensive recording
alternatives, another contractual loophole that the film studios
are taking advantage of is discovered recently, as outlined below.
However, the result is creating more policing for the locals and
musicians themselves instead of altering the Motion Picture
Agreement language to close up these loopholes and eliminate
the “phono to motion picture” inequities.

—————–

Allegro – Volume CIV No. 12 December, 2004
Local 802, New York City

Movie Musicians Are New Target Studios Use Loophole to
Avoid Film Fund
by Jay Schaffner with Mikael Elsila

Major film studios have found a new way to cut their costs —
and take away money from musicians at the same time. The
new practice involves bypassing the AFM’s motion picture
agreement in at least two different ways.

The AFM called a special meeting in Los Angeles last month
to address the problem. 802 President David Lennon and
Recording Supervisor Jay Schaffner attended. Also in attendance
were officers from Local 47 (Los Angeles), Local 655 (Miami),
Local 257 (Nashville), Local 5 (Detroit), Local 149 (Toronto),
ICSOM and the RMA, along with legal counsel from the firm of
Bredhoff and Kaiser.

MAKING MONEY IN MOVIES

Traditionally, if you are a recording musician, you get paid in
at least two ways when you record for a movie under a union
contract. First is the recording session itself when you record
the movie soundtrack. The second is the money you receive
from the film fund (whose official title is the Film Musicians
Secondary Market Fund).

Your check from the film fund is proportional to how well your
film did in “secondary markets,” which include TV, videocassette,
DVD, pay cable and in-flight movies. (For films made for television,
secondary markets include DVD, in-flight and those rare cases
where a television film migrates to the big screen.)

The movie studios are trying to decrease the amount of money
they pay into the film fund. They are also trying to eliminate
musicians’ eligibility for earning film fund money.

Here’s how.

TRICKS OF THE TRADE
Movie studios are required under the AFM motion picture agreement
to pay 1 percent of all gross income on secondary product (like DVD’s)
into the film fund. This gets divided up by all the musicians who performed
on the music score.

However, movie studios are only required to pay into the film fund if
there was an “original scoring session” or sideline session. That language
is important, and that’s how studios are violating the spirit of the agreement.

An “original scoring session” refers to musicians sitting down to record
the score to a movie.

Instead, studios are hiring musicians far in advance of a movie’s production
to write original songs and other music. They are not telling musicians that
this music may appear in a movie some day — they are saying that this is
music for a sound recording (like a CD). But the music ends up in a movie.

Since the music was written before the movie was finalized, and since there
was technically no “original scoring session,” the film studios are able to
avoid paying any money into the film fund.

The musicians who perform on this music that ends up in the movie are
paid a “new use” payment, which is required under the AFM contract. But
even if the movie sells millions of DVD’s, the musicians won’t see a penny
from the film fund.

Let’s say a Marvin Gaye recording from 1973 ends up as the background
music for a new film. The original Marvin Gaye musicians will receive new
use payments since their music is now being used in a movie and the
original recording was done under a union contract. But they will not
receive any money from the film fund, even if the movie is the biggest
DVD seller of the year.

Or let’s say Paul Simon is commissioned to write new music that ends up
in a movie. But the music isn’t technically a “scoring session,” since the
music was written before the movie was finalized. In that case, Paul Simon
and his side musicians won’t receive any money from the film fund either.

ANOTHER TRICK

Another way studios are hurting musicians is an older method: they are
using musicians outside of the U.S. Thanks to digital technology and
the Internet, it’s relatively easy for studios to record music outside of
the country and bring it back in. Since these sessions are not recorded
under an AFM agreement, they don’t trigger film fund payments either.

For example, the music to the “Lord of the Rings” movies was recorded
by Howard Shore in London and was not filed under AFM contracts. These
musicians will not receive film fund payments.

A CASE STUDY

Let’s take the movie “Cold Mountain,” produced by Miramax in 2003.
There are at least three kinds of music in “Cold Mountain.” One is the
song “You Will Be My Ain True Love” by Alison Krauss, featuring Sting.

Because Miramax commissioned this song before the movie was finalized,
it is not considered a “studio scoring session.” And the side musicians who
performed on this track will not receive any money from the film fund,
even if “Cold Mountain” goes on to sell millions of DVD’s.

A second musical part of “Cold Mountain” is the actual underscoring.
Miramax outsourced this music to a country outside the U.S. and
therefore it is not covered by the AFM agreement. If the underscoring
music had been recorded in the U.S., the musicians would have been
eligible for film fund payments. (According to the AFM motion picture
agreement, a studio is generally required to score its movie in the U.S.
if the film is shot here and if the storyline is based on content from
our country. But “Cold Mountain” was actually shot in Romania and
therefore was not required to file the job in the U.S.)

Finally, “Cold Mountain” also utilizes traditional music to invoke the
Civil War. These vocal, guitar and folk tunes were recorded as nonunion
cash dates. Again, those musicians will not be able to collect film fund
payments.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

Musicians like Alison Krauss and her side musicians are not doing
anything wrong. They may have no idea that their music is being used
by the movie studios to circumvent the film fund.

The film studios are doing this because it is an easy way for them to
pare down their expenses.

Studios don’t make most of their money on box office ticket sales.
Instead, the majority of profits are made on the “back end,” like DVD
profits or when the movie plays on TV. By getting around the film fund,
studios save big bucks on their back end payments to musicians.

WHAT THE UNION WILL DO

The meeting in Los Angeles to deal with this situation had several outcomes.

The AFM will make available to all locals a current list of movies
that are being scored. This list will include movies that are in production
and where we think the scoring is taking place. Recording musicians will
be able to look at this list and be alert to the fact that some sessions advertised
as “phono sessions” are really “scoring sessions,” which
should trigger film fund payments.

We will also try to monitor artists who have signed deals with studios
to write original songs. These songs may actually be a new kind of
scoring and, as such, should be considered scoring sessions. Musicians
on these sessions have a right to film fund payments.

Passing legislation to create local tax incentives is a step in the right
direction, but film producers are generally looking to save a minimum
of 10% on their production costs. Tax incentives and buyout options,
in addition to wages and fees paid in the local currency in foreign countries,
often amount to an average of 25% savings in overall production costs.
More lobbying for further incentives to keep productions in the U.S. is
necessary.

NEXT TIME: NEW YORK, SEATTLE and ELSEWHERE.

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

II. NFA FLUTE SCHOLARSHIP
 
Each year, the Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship provides financial
assistance for a high school or undergraduate flutist to attend the National
Flute Association Convention. Recipients gain the means to attend the
largest annual flute event in the world and the chance to participate in
an enriching, immersive experience with renowned flute performers and
ensembles from across the globe.

The recipient of this scholarship will receive $750 to attend the NFA’s
44th Annual Convention in San Diego this summer, plus complimentary
convention registration, and a one-year membership to the NFA. This
is a great opportunity for a flute student to gain insight, inspiration, and
connections to further their flute musicianship and career.

The Frances Blaisdell Convention Scholarship is open to full-time
students under the age of 25. Applicants cannot be previous recipients
of the scholarship.

If you are not eligible to apply, please share this information with students,
colleagues, friends, and anyone who might want to attend the convention,
but currently lacks the financial means to do so.

Applications are due May 1. Visit the Frances Blaisdell Scholarship page
to learn more about the opportunity or submit an application.  
 
Victoria Pampe
Membership Manager
National Flute Association
70 E. Lake Street, Suite 200
Chicago, IL 60601
312-332-6682 (office)
312-332-6684 (fax)
[email protected]

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

III ASMAC DAVID BLACK LUNCHEON

ASMAC Luncheon with
Special Guest Dave Black of Alfred Music

@ Catalina’s Jazz Club 
Wed., April 20, 2016 @ 11:30am

ASMAC LUNCHEON WELCOMES
Percussionist/composer/author 
Dave Black
April 20, 2016 – 11:30AM
@ Catalina’s in Hollywood

 
Percussionist, composer, and author, Dave Black, received his Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from California State University, Northridge. He has traveled around the world with a variety of entertainers and shows, performing and recording with such artists as Alan King, Robert Merrill, June Allyson, Anita O’Day, Pete Jolly, Frankie Capp, Gordon Brisker, Kim Richmond, Victor Lewis, Jerry Hey, and Steve Huffsteter.

A seasoned professional in this aspect of our business, Dave will share his thoughts about the “nuts and bolts” and current challenges in educational music publishing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing? How do you research which publishers might be right for you? How best to submit your music for publication? How must composers participate in the marketing of their music. Perhaps you need a distributor and not a publisher? What is the future of E-books? What are the problems of digital sharing of music materials? Bring a pencil and take notes!

A prolific composer and arranger, more than 60 of his compositions and arrangements have been published by most of the major publishers, many of which have been recorded. Mr. Black has written with, and for the bands of Louie Bellson, Sammy Nestico, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Ed Shaughnessy, Gordon Brisker and the C.S.U., Northridge Jazz Ensemble.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including 26 consecutive ASCAP Popular Composer Awards, two Grammy participation/nomination certificates–one for his performance contribution on Anita O’Day’s Grammy®-nominated album In a Mellow Tone, and the other for his contribution as album-track composer on Louie Bellson’s Grammy®-nominated album Airmail Special. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Percussive Arts Society President’s Industry Award, a Modern Drummer Readers Poll award (best drum book), two Drum! Magazine Drummie! awards (best drum book), and a certified Gold Record award for the sale of more than 500,000 copies of Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1. In addition, many of his compositions have been used as source/background music on numerous TV shows including All My Children, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, General Hospital, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Nightline, Roseanne and Good Morning America. In addition, he co-wrote the “Final Rudimental Solo” (from Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 2) featured in the 20th-Century Fox hit movie, Drumline.

He presently serves as Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, School and Pop Publications, for Alfred Music Publishing Company.

Host:  Elliot Deutsch

Elliot Deutsch is a busy composer and arranger of large ensemble jazz music. In its tenth year of performing, the Elliot Deutsch Big Band has released two albums, played in every major jazz venue in Los Angeles, and hosted an impressive list of guest stars including Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, Ron Stout, and many others.  Deutsch has written for Arturo Sandoval, Bill Watrous, Jane Monheit, Take 6, Terence Blanchard, and many others. In 2015, Deutsch arranged several songs for the Kennedy Center Gala “It Don’t Mean a Thing… A Celebration of Swing” under the musical direction of John Clayton.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Alfred and Walrus Music.
___________
Check out the ASMAC website – www.asmac.org
to see the new master class, luncheon and interview DVD’s in the ASMAC store (Van Alexander, Ray Charles, Johnny Mandel, Jorge Calandrelli, Bill Ross, Jack Feierman, Sammy Nestico and more), to download ASMAC luncheon podcasts, and more!
JUST ADDED: 
Special Interview with the renowned composer/arranger 
JIMMIE HASKELL

Read the rest of this entry »

FLASHBACK PART III / FORT WORTH / DAVID BLACK LUNCHEON / EVENTS

April 9th, 2016

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART III – BACK HOME
II. FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ASKS FOR HELP
III ASMAC DAVID BLACK LUNCHEON
IV. 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. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART III
BACK HOME

In 2005, a highly placed group of musicians, frustrated with the
destruction of work in recording, put forward this proposal.
Even then the damage to recording because of the unusable recording
contracts forced down the throats of AFM Members because of the
RMA was losing us major work – and that was almost 11 years ago.

AS A REMINDER, THIS WAS ALMOST 11 YEARS AGO….

MAY 2, 2005

The following excerpts are from two articles (Jan. and Feb., 2000)
featured in the Local 802, New York City monthly publication, Allegro.
What is illustrated here is an attempt to promote recording work in
New York City following the continued loss of recording work in Los
Angeles and New York, a pattern that has continued to the present day.

The President and Secretary of Local 145 in Vancouver, Canada respond
to the January article and make the observation that film producers simply
want a buyout and that the AFM should reconsider how it does business
in the film industry (see last full paragraph).

Allegro, Volume C No. 1 January, 2000
Local 802 – New York City
RMA-NY,
Local 802 Launch Advertising Campaign Ads Promote New York as
Film Recording Venue

The creative talent of New York recording musicians was promoted in
a full-page ad that appeared in the Hollywood Reporter on Nov. 5. It was
an initiative of the New York chapter of the Recording Musicians Association
– which, with Local 802’s support, is planning a series of five advertisements
aimed at attracting more film recording projects to the New York City area.

The goal is twofold, said RMA-NY President Dominic Derasse. “First of all,
we want to put New York on the map as a location for producing quality
recordings for films – because a lot of people just don’t associate New York
with film recording.” And secondly, the ads are part of a national campaign
to reverse the runaway production that has taken so much film work out of
the country. “The Los Angeles local has been running ads in the Hollywood
Reporter for some time,” Derasse told Allegro, “and we wanted to play a role
in the campaign.” He said the response from people who have seen the ad
has been very positive.

The industry has been devastated by a flow of work to Canada and Mexico
– part of the loss of jobs in the United States caused by the passage of the
North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) several years ago. The Hollywood
Fair Trade Campaign, a coalition which has developed on the West Coast, charges
that the studios have turned their backs on their own community and engaged
in the wholesale destruction of the Hollywood jobs base.

That has an impact on jobs in New York, notes Jay Schaffner, Assistant Supervisor
of Local 802’s Recording Department. “In the past, a lot of scoring was done here
because the scoring stages in Los Angeles were overbooked. Now, with the
Hollywood facilities generally available, that isn’t happening. And the same cost
factors that have led the studios to send work abroad, rather than recording in
Los Angeles, affect us as well.”

The number of contracts filed for theatrical film and TV film recording jobs
over the last three years reflect a sharp drop in work available for New York
recording musicians. “In 1997, the Recording Department processed 53 contracts
for theatrical films and 34 for television films,” Schaffner said. “In 1998 the figures
were somewhat lower: 48 theatrical films, and 26 TV films. But the problems
really hit this year. In the first ten months of this year, only 17 contracts for
theatrical films were filed, and eight contracts for television.” Derasse pointed
out that film production, which had been increasing in New York since the early ’90s,
“dropped in a big way in 1999, for the first time.” However, he said, it appears that
television work is up. “And that’s another thing that we’re trying to look into
– to make sure that whatever music is done for those TV shows hopefully is
being done under contract with 802.”

———–

Allegro – Volume C No. 2 February, 2000
Local 802, New York City
The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of
union affairs. Please keep all letters to 500 words and send them to
Allegro, c/o Local 802, 322 West 48th Street, New York, NY 10036.

VANCOUVER MUSICIANS AREN’T BENEFITING FROM RUNAWAY FILM
PRODUCTIONS

To the Editor:
While reading the January 2000 issue of Allegro we came across the article
headlined “RMA – NY, Local 802 Launch Advertising Campaign: Ads Promote
New York as Film Recording Venue.” It stated in the third paragraph: “The
film industry has been devastated by a flow of work to Canada and Mexico —
part of the loss of jobs in the United States caused by the passage of the
North America Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) several years ago.”

As a Local situated in the major city of Vancouver, British Columbia, on the
West Coast of Canada (sometimes referred to as “Hollywood North”) we can
substantiate the fact that there has been over the years, and continues to be,
an extraordinary amount of film production in our geographical area. This
has been brought about by the willingness of our provincial and federal
governments to train world-class technicians in the film industry, and to offer
substantial tax incentives to the international film community.

Combined with a low-valued Canadian dollar, especially in comparison to the
U.S. dollar, has proven to be an irresistible incentive to American film producers
to produce their films in British Columbia. Once again, this gives credence to
the old saying that “loyalty is as thick as a dollar bill.” Our provincial government
is currently investing heavily in building new sound stages in the Vancouver area
to keep ahead of the demands of the film industry.

We can readily understand the real concerns of New York and Hollywood
technicians about the loss of jobs in their industry – but we feel that it should
be pointed out to Local 802 members that Canadian musicians, especially those
in the Vancouver area and members of Local 145, are receiving no work in
recording film scores related to the hundreds of movies and TV series being
produced in British Columbia.

It is our contention that scoring sessions for the multitude of films being produced
here continues to be done off shore or with non AFM members in the United States –
as close as Seattle, WA in our case. The Canadian dollar is currently pegged at a rate
of 0.6864 against the U.S. dollar, a level that has prevailed for a long time. One
might assume that an approximate 32 percent discount on the cost of producing
film music in Canada would be enticing, but not so. Local 145 has, as does every
other Local in every major city in Canada, an extensive and diversified pool of talented
musicians who are more than capable of performing any film score at a level consistent
with and equal to any musicians in the world. We are – as you are – proud to be able to
make, as well as back up, these claims.

It should be pointed out to all AFM members and officers that what the film
producers want from their composers is a score with no encumbrances; i.e.,
a buyout. The film composers do what they have to do to please their producers,
and as a result the composers themselves will often become the signatories and
compose a complete synthesized score. This then circumnavigates the AFM obligations
that are usually the responsibility of the film company and gives the producers what
they want. The other choices are off shore recordings in countries that are “the flavor
of the month” and offer total buy outs, non-AFM member sessions, or dark dates using
AFM members. One way or another, our current system of controlling recorded film
music by AFM members is being bypassed and eroded. Maybe it is time for the
Federation to revisit the way in which it does business with the film industry.

The one thing for sure is that any “runaway productions” of films to Canada, with
its cost of jobs to U.S. citizens, applies to the technical side only and not to the
musical side.
–R.A. (Bobby) Hales, President Local 145 & Wayne Morris, Secretary Local 145 [next
article]

——-

[AND 15 YEARS AGO]

Reports on runaway productions and their impact in the U.S. continue,
this time from the U.S. Commerce Secretary in early 2001:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Thursday, January 18, 2001 Contact:
Morrie Goodman 202-482-4883 Jim Plante 202-482-1008

COMMERCE SECRETARY MINETA RELEASES REPORT ON THE IMPACT
OF THE MIGRATION OF U.S. FILM AND TELEVISION PRODUCTION
WASHINGTON, DC –

“Runaway film production” is having an increasingly dramatic impact on
U.S. film and television production according to a report Secretary of
Commerce Norman Y. Mineta issued today. The report entitled The
Migration of U.S. Film and Television Production provides data on the
practice of producing films outside the U.S.

“The most serious impact is in the area of made for television movies
for U.S. networks and cable systems,” Secretary Mineta said. He
added, “However, the impact is far ranging. ‘Runaway film production’
has affected thousands of workers in industries ranging from computer
graphics to construction workers and caterers. These losses threaten
to disrupt important parts of a vital American industry.”

The report cites one study that shows U.S. production of made for
television ‘Movies of the Week’ declined more than 33 percent in the
last six years, while production at foreign locations increased 55
percent. Another study cited in the report estimates the yearly
economic loss to the U.S. economy to be as much as $10 billion.

The report, produced by the Commerce Department’s International
Trade Administration (ITA), finds a number of factors leading to
runaway film production. Globalization, rising costs, foreign wage, tax
and financing incentives, and technological advances, combined are
causing a substantial transformation of what used to be a traditional
and quintessentially American industry into an increasingly dispersed
global industry.

The report notes that while foreign government wage and tax
incentives may not be the primary factor in determining the location of
film and television production, there is no doubt that when combined
with all the other factors discussed, these incentives constituted an
important consideration.

The report describes a number of on-going efforts on behalf of the film
industry, including government programs such as, expanding markets
for U.S. films through international negotiations, Export-Import Bank
loan guarantees and The Small Business Administration Loan Program/or
Independent Film Program.

The report also details a number of film industry suggestions for
further government action. Their inclusion is intended to identify
areas where further study is needed.

NEXT TIME: VIDEO GAMES AND STUDIOS

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

II. FORT WORTH SYMPHONY ASKS FOR HELP

Dear FWSO musicians supporter,
Thank you for your signature on our open letter, and your
support of the Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra.

Today, we’re calling on Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra management
to get serious about bargaining—and we need your help. 

Here’s what’s been happening
In January, we averted a possible strike and extended our contract
through July with the understanding that FWSO management would
eturn to the bargaining table ASAP. 

Since then, we’ve met only once, on March 9. Management has failed
to produce a proposal of any kind, and unilaterally cancelled 3 bargaining
sessions without offering alternate dates. And it took a sit-in at symphony
ffices before they finally gave us negotiation dates in April.

It’s time for management to get serious about bargaining.

What you can do
Call CEO Amy Adkins and tell her to bargain now, and support a
fair contract with growth, not cuts.

When: Monday, April 4: 9am-12pm
Call FWSO offices at 817.665.6500 x 117 and ask for Amy Adkins.
If you can’t get through, try Becky Tobin at extension 115.

There is power in numbers. Together, we can preserve the legacy of
Cowboys and Culture, and ensure that one of Fort Worth’s most
treasured institutions continues to thrive.

Sincerely,
The Musicians of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra

P.S. After you make the call, write us back at [email protected]
and let us know how it went!

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

III ASMAC DAVID BLACK LUNCHEON

ASMAC Luncheon with
Special Guest Dave Black of Alfred Music

@ Catalina’s Jazz Club 
Wed., April 20, 2016 @ 11:30am

ASMAC LUNCHEON WELCOMES
Percussionist/composer/author 
Dave Black
April 20, 2016 – 11:30AM
@ Catalina’s in Hollywood

 
Percussionist, composer, and author, Dave Black, received his Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from California State University, Northridge. He has traveled around the world with a variety of entertainers and shows, performing and recording with such artists as Alan King, Robert Merrill, June Allyson, Anita O’Day, Pete Jolly, Frankie Capp, Gordon Brisker, Kim Richmond, Victor Lewis, Jerry Hey, and Steve Huffsteter.

A seasoned professional in this aspect of our business, Dave will share his thoughts about the “nuts and bolts” and current challenges in educational music publishing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing? How do you research which publishers might be right for you? How best to submit your music for publication? How must composers participate in the marketing of their music. Perhaps you need a distributor and not a publisher? What is the future of E-books? What are the problems of digital sharing of music materials? Bring a pencil and take notes!

A prolific composer and arranger, more than 60 of his compositions and arrangements have been published by most of the major publishers, many of which have been recorded. Mr. Black has written with, and for the bands of Louie Bellson, Sammy Nestico, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Ed Shaughnessy, Gordon Brisker and the C.S.U., Northridge Jazz Ensemble.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including 26 consecutive ASCAP Popular Composer Awards, two Grammy participation/nomination certificates–one for his performance contribution on Anita O’Day’s Grammy®-nominated album In a Mellow Tone, and the other for his contribution as album-track composer on Louie Bellson’s Grammy®-nominated album Airmail Special. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Percussive Arts Society President’s Industry Award, a Modern Drummer Readers Poll award (best drum book), two Drum! Magazine Drummie! awards (best drum book), and a certified Gold Record award for the sale of more than 500,000 copies of Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1. In addition, many of his compositions have been used as source/background music on numerous TV shows including All My Children, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, General Hospital, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Nightline, Roseanne and Good Morning America. In addition, he co-wrote the “Final Rudimental Solo” (from Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 2) featured in the 20th-Century Fox hit movie, Drumline.

He presently serves as Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, School and Pop Publications, for Alfred Music Publishing Company.

Host:  Elliot Deutsch

Elliot Deutsch is a busy composer and arranger of large ensemble jazz music. In its tenth year of performing, the Elliot Deutsch Big Band has released two albums, played in every major jazz venue in Los Angeles, and hosted an impressive list of guest stars including Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, Ron Stout, and many others.  Deutsch has written for Arturo Sandoval, Bill Watrous, Jane Monheit, Take 6, Terence Blanchard, and many others. In 2015, Deutsch arranged several songs for the Kennedy Center Gala “It Don’t Mean a Thing… A Celebration of Swing” under the musical direction of John Clayton.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Alfred and Walrus Music.
___________
Check out the ASMAC website – www.asmac.org
to see the new master class, luncheon and interview DVD’s in the ASMAC store (Van Alexander, Ray Charles, Johnny Mandel, Jorge Calandrelli, Bill Ross, Jack Feierman, Sammy Nestico and more), to download ASMAC luncheon podcasts, and more!
JUST ADDED: 
Special Interview with the renowned composer/arranger 
JIMMIE HASKELL

Read the rest of this entry »

FLASHBACK – LONDON / MEMBER COMMENT / ASMAC FUNCTIONS / EVENTS

April 3rd, 2016

I. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART II – LONDON
II. MEMBER COMMENT
III ASMAC UPCOMING FUNCTIONS
IV. 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. FLASHBACK TIME – 2005 – PART II
LONDON

In 2005, a highly placed group of musicians, frustrated with the
destruction of work in recording, put forward this proposal.
Even then the damage to recording because of the unusable recording
contracts forced down the throats of AFM Members because of the
RMA was losing us major work – and that was almost 11 years ago.

AS A REMINDER, THIS WAS ALMOST 11 YEARS AGO….

MAY 2, 2005

How did we get here and what is our competition?

The following segments are from a variety of resources, illustrating
supporting data to back up our proposed changes to the national
Motion Picture and Low Budget Agreements.

London has been one of the most active recording cities in the world. [EC: Far more so now.]
Provisions in their recording contracts through the British Musicians Union
have made it economically favorable to record there. “Package deals” – such
as the combined use fee – bundles the soundtrack with the motion picture
for release in perpetuity and, in addition, there are actual total buyouts negotiated
on a project-by-project basis. The number of recording projects done in the UK,
brought in particularly by U.S. producers, speaks for itself in terms of the volume
of work leaving the U.S.

From the House of Commons/United Kingdom Parliament website:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200203/cmselect/cmcumeds/667/667we47.
htm

Excerpt from:
Memorandum submitted by the British Musicians Union
THE RIGHT TRACK: THE IMPORTANCE OF FILM TO UK MUSIC
CREATORS
RESPONSE TO THE CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT SELECT COMMITTEE
INQUIRY INTO THE BRITISH FILM INDUSTRY
This short briefing outlines the importance of film music for British
musicians, refers to the success on the international scene of British
composers commissioned to write soundtracks for films and mentions
the importance of London as a location for recordings.

FILM SCORE RECORDING
More films scores are recorded in London than in any other city
in the world apart from Los Angeles [EC: No longer true]. More
than 30% of Hollywood scores come to London for recording and
synchronizing with picture. All the major and independent studios
return repeatedly, knowing that the musical artistry and technical
expertise here is virtually unrivalled anywhere in the world.

For instance, all the music for the Star Wars films was recorded in
London over many years and Lucas Film and composer, John Williams,
are due to return again.

So, why record in London? Well, producers, particularly Americans,
come here for three main reasons.

1. The UK is competitive on price.

2. The studio infrastructure is comparable only to Los Angeles in
terms of quality.

3. The sheer number and quality of musicians, again, is unequalled,
apart from in LA.

Annex B lists just some of the 152 Hollywood films that came to
London to record scores over the past three years. [2002-2005]
As a result of the rapid technological advances in digital sound
recording, it is now possible to achieve chart success through a
sound recording made in the bedroom of a small dwelling. However,
the large orchestral forces required for major film projects require
large studios and cutting edge technology. Again London is rivalled
only by Hollywood in this area with the same number of large scoring s
tages.

The main “state of the art” studios are:
— Abbey Road.
— Air Lyndhurst.
— Phoenix Sound.
— Sony Studios.
— Angel Studios.
— CTS at Watford. [No longer exists.]
[EC: It should be pointed out that London now has MORE large studios
than Los Angeles. We are down to three: Warner’s, Sony and Fox.

Music is recorded in the UK under the terms and conditions of the
agreement between the Producers Alliance for Cinema and Television
(PACT) and the Musicians Union (MU). Under the Combined Use
clauses of this agreement, which is used for theatrical and television
film, the producer acquires the right to incorporate the musicians
performance into the film and to use or license others to use the film
in all media throughout the world in perpetuity and to release the
music on commercial audio recordings.

In 1998 musicians’ basic fees alone amounted to £3.45 million. The
figure for 2001 is almost £4.2 million. These figures are net of studio
costs (which can average £3,000 to £6,000 per day), music
preparation, international transportation, hotels and other
considerable ancillary costs that further add to inward investment.

PROMOTING BRITISH MUSIC IN THE US

The UK’s trade promotion bodies, whether through Trade Partners UK
or the proposed UK music office in New York, could play an important
role in identifying opportunities and pro-actively marketing British
music creators to the US film industry. The potential for increased US
and international exposure, and the resulting economic returns, could
prove a useful boost to the UK music industry at this critical time in its
development.

From the UK Film website:
http://www.britfilmusa.com/d_film_music.php
Facilities
Did you know that the British music industry is worth £4 billion ($6
billion) a year? For a long time, the UK has been a virtuoso player in
the music production and recording business. And this success is due
mainly to the skill of Britain’s world-renowned musicians, composers
and technicians as well as the contribution made by the country’s
excellent recording facilities.

These skills and resources have, naturally, been snapped up by the
film industry, and scores written and/or recorded in the UK are an
intrinsic part of many internationally successful films. In fact, over
30% of Hollywood film scores alone are now recorded in the UK, and
London is second only to LA in terms of the number of music
soundtrack recordings it produces.

Pictures that have gained from their involvement with the UK’s
music production industry include:
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels; The Full Monty; Billy Elliot;
Shakespeare In Love; Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace;
Captain Corelli’s Mandolin; Bridget Jones’s Diary; Lord of the Rings
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, Titanic, and all the James
Bond films

The UK’s Music Industry

The UK’s music production sector has three main strengths which
have proven irresistible to international film and television producers:
Superb technical facilities
Top quality recording engineers
World class musicians, orchestras, songwriters and composers.

Recording Facilities

It’s an undisputed fact that the UK’s studios are among the best
equipped anywhere. In many cases, they are less expensive than
elsewhere, too.

Recording Engineers

Talented, efficient and professional, British recording engineers have
an excellent reputation throughout the world. No wonder overseas
companies looking to record scores frequently return to the UK and
ask for the services of specific engineers.

Musicians

The UK has a pool of talented orchestras, individual musicians,
songwriters and composers who together cover every style of music
imaginable.

Orchestras

Some of the world’s finest orchestras can be found in the UK. Like
many people, you may associate the London Philharmonic Orchestra,
the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
with the concert hall, but these orchestras, together with many others,
are regularly involved in film recording. What’s more, individual
members of these orchestras are often booked by contractors for
soundtrack session work.
Both orchestral players and individual session musicians in the UK are
universally recognized as consummate professionals. They can walk
into a recording studio and play a new score without the need for
hours of rehearsal. The value of such professionalism to a film or TV
producer who wants his/her soundtrack on time and within budget
hardly needs mentioning!

Composers

Given the UK’s wide range of award-winning composers (which
includes David Arnold, John Barry, Anne Dudley, Rachel Portman and
Stephen Warbeck), it should come as no surprise to learn that an
impressive number of film scores have been written and/or recorded
in Britain, even though some of the films themselves were shot
elsewhere.

A comprehensive list of media composers can be obtained from
The British Academy of Composers and Songwriters (BACS).
Advice on composer agreements can be obtained from the Producers
Rights Agency. (Remember to seek independent advice, too.)

Fees for score commissioning vary according to the length of music
needed, the status of the composer and the rights to be acquired.
When budgeting for the composition element of a score, you must
take into account the cost of arranging and copying, attendance
sessions, and the time the composer may be asked to put in during
the editing process.

Recording Sessions and Cost Efficiency

The proper organisation of recording sessions can save you, the
producer, time and money.

The music production industry works to an agreement called the
Musicians’ Union Agreement, which allows some degree of flexibility
when it comes to booking session-time. In other words, you won’t find
yourself automatically committed to a three-hour session unless you
want to be.

If you want the right to exploit a music soundtrack in all media
throughout the world in perpetuity and to release a commercial record,
you can engage musicians under the ‘combined use fee’. In effect, this
amounts to a ‘buy out’, but you should seek advice if you intend to use
extracts of the score in related programmes or products.
Under the ‘combined use fee’, session fees are divided into four
scales. A scale of pay is determined by multiplying the number of
musicians booked by the number of hours worked. For example, 30
musicians booked for three four-hour sessions equals 360 hours of
employment. In this case, Scale two rates would apply, which give a
discount of over 25% on the basic hourly rate.

For more information about musician fees and working practices,
contact the Musicians’ Union. Alternatively, contact the Producers
Alliance for Cinema and Television (PACT).

Music Contractors

The UK’s many experienced music contractors (also known as
fixers or bookers) are the ideal people to advise you about the
practicalities of arranging and booking musicians.

They can:
-Help you budget for the recording and organise the sessions
in a cost effective manner
-Help with finding the best-priced studios for the job (try and
book the dates you want as early as possible)
-Book the musicians
-Arrange completion and signature of the musicians’ consent
forms
-Pay the session fees
-Musicians usually expect to be paid on the day of a session
so you will have to pay the contractor up front.

Music producers, supervisors & copyright consultants

A good music producer, supervisor and/or copyright consultant
can help to make a producer’s life easier and, in the long run,
save him/her money.

A music producer can help manage the whole music process by
assisting with the budget and other administrative business,
handling music clearance procedures, booking studios, liaising
with thecomposer and overseeing and/or producing the sessions.

NEXT – OUR SIDE OF THE POND

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

II. MEMBER COMMENT I

I’ve thought a lot about this and even though I realize the corruption
of the current RMA (for at least 20 years plus), there should be a
players conference that represents recording musicians within the
AFM whether it includes the RMA or not.

I feel that it has to be structured in a radically different way and
policed by AFM to represent the best interests of the national
recording membership. But with AFM officers and IEB in alliance
with RMA, this will never happen until they’re out of office.

This will only happen when there is NO MORE recording work
left in LA on contract or so little that the disenfranchised musicians
in LA revolt and force the AFM to restructure the RMA to
produce contracts that support work. We’re getting closer to this.

The RMA should have amongst its conference representatives from
Locals that do recording work. The officers of the RMA should be
elected by RMA chapters AND recording committees within the Locals.
It should be overseen by an arbitrator outside of AFM so the best
contracts are produced for the general union and not always skewered
to only represent keeping a contract that is non globally competitive 
(motion picture) at the expense of all other contracts. The independent
arbitrator could be funded through AFM by dropping a member of the
IEB and the resulting salary available.

I certainly realized a few years ago that it didn’t matter to the AFM/IEB
how many graphs and Powerpoint presentations that you showed them
concerning the direction of the video game industry recording revenue 
under AFM contract since 2010. It didn’t matter that in 5 years they lost
this Industry when we were moving forward so nicely prior to 2010 with
capturing the most important recording venue available.

Eventually, a revolt either by election or not will have to happen. I’ll be
there to support this, believe me. It’s only that after years of trying, I
realize that nothing can be done until this happens in LA.

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

III ASMAC UPCOMING FUNCTIONS

ASMAC “FIRST WEDNESDAYS”

CONCEIVING  AN ORIGINAL ARRANGEMENT
featuring
Elliot Deutsch and Patrick Williams
 
Wednesday April 6, 2016   7:00 p.m.- 10:00 p.m.
Free Event for members of Local 47 and ASMAC, $10 for guests
AFM Local 47, 817 Vine St. Hollywood CA 90038

Elliot Deutsch is a rising star among young arrangers in Los Angeles.
Patrick Williams is one of the most accomplished and in-demand arrangers today.

They will each present an arrangement that they have written and recorded and talk about their process. Come and learn how an accomplished arranger conceives of his or her unique vision through the scope of a familiar tune.

Patrick Williams
Having composed the music for over 65 feature films, 100 television films, 25 television series, as well as 19 albums and 30 concert works, Patrick Williams has established himself as one of the most accomplished and prolific composers in the music industry today. He has received four Emmy awards with twenty-two nominations and two Grammy awards with twenty-one nominations, two of which come from his latest release, “Home Suite Home”.  He has also been nominated for both an Academy Award and the Pulitzer Prize in music. He is a recipient of the Richard Kirk Award from BMI and the Golden Score Award from the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers.

Born in Missouri, Williams grew up in Connecticut and received a degree in history from Duke University. His first love, however, was always music, and when he went on to Columbia to study music composition and conducting, his passion became his profession. He quickly became busy as an arranger in New York, and then in 1968, he moved to California to pursue work in the film and television industry while continuing to write and arrange jazz albums. Proficiency in composing for symphony orchestras as well as jazz bands has offered Williams an opportunity to create a wide variety of works. Among his critically acclaimed compositions are An American Concerto, a piece featuring a jazz quartet and symphony orchestra, for which he received a 1977 Pullitzer Prize nomination; Gulliver, featuring a symphony orchestra with narrator, for which he received a Grammy nomination (narration by Larry Gelbart and performed by Sir John Gielgud); Suite Memories, which features a solo trombone with symphony orchestra and won a Grammy award; Theme for Earth Day, an overture, recorded by the Boston Pops; Spring Wings, a double concerto written by saxophonist Gerry Mulligan and pianist Dave Grusin with symphony orchestra; Romances, a concerto for jazz saxophonist Tom Scott and orchestra; A Concerto in Swing for big band and clarinet, which was dedicated to and premiered by Eddie Daniels; Adagio for Orchestra composed in 2004; and August composed in 2005. He recently completed a ballet, “Ziji”, with choreographer Edgar Zendejas to honor the 60th Anniversary of the College of the Fine Arts at the University of Utah.

Some of Williams’ big band recordings are considered classics of contemporary big band instrumentals, such as Threshold for which he received a Grammy in 1974; Too Hip for the Room, for which he received a Grammy nomination in 1983; Tenth Avenue which received a Grammy nomination in 1987 and Sinatraland, a big band tribute to Frank Sinatra for which he received a Grammy nomination in 1998. In 2006, he received two Grammy nominations for the album Elevation with Tom Scott and Eddie Daniels.In September 2001, he won an Emmy for his song, “A Dream That Only I Can Know,” from the film, Yesterday’s Children. In 2002, he received an Emmy nomination for his score for “We Were The Mulvaneys” and a Grammy nomination for “The Theme from Blonde” from the sountrack album for the TV miniseries Blonde, a portrait of Marilyn Monroe. In 1992, Williams won the Emmy for the mini-series “Jewels”. He has composed and arranged themes and scores for television series including The Streets of San Francisco, Lou Grant, The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd, the Mary Tyler Moore Show, the Bob Newhart Show, Columbo, Slap Maxwell, The Tony Randall Show, and the Magician. Recent television projects include Hercules, starring Sean Astin, The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story; When Angels Come To Town and Finding John Christmas starring Peter Falk; James Patterson’s First to Die; Power and Beauty;The Thin Blue Lie; The Three Stooges with Michael Chiklis and A Cooler Climate starring Sally Field and Judy Davis. Of the 65 plus films Williams has scored in his career, a few include Breaking Away, for which he received a 1978 Oscar nomination; All of Me, The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, Swing Shift, Cuba, Violet’s Are Blue, Casey’s Shadow, The Cutting Edge, Cry-Baby, and The Glass Harp. Williams is also an accomplished arranger with extensive credits. The album, For Ella featuring Patti Austin, which he co-produced and arranged, was nominated for a 2003 Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal album. He was chosen by Frank Sinatra to act as Musical Director/ Arranger- Conductor for his final studio recordings, Duets and Duets II. He has arranged recordings for Michael Bublé, Jack Jones, Andrea Bocelli, Paul Anka, Peter Cincotti, Natalie Cole, Neil Diamond, Gloria Estefan, Michael Feinstein, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Thomas Hampson, Barry Hay, Monica Mancini, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, John Pizzarelli, Brian Setzer, Barbara Streisand, Traincha, and Russell Watson.

Williams has been a leader in the music education field for many years, holding posts as Visiting Professor and Composer in Residence at the University of Utah and the University of Colorado, which awarded him an Honorary Doctoral Degree. He has performed and/or lectured at many colleges including Berkeley College of Music, Cornell University, Duke University, Indiana University, Texas Christian University, (1993 Green Honors Professor), UCLA, USC, and Yale University. In May 2001. he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Duke University. He served as Artistic Director of the Henry Mancini Institute from 2001 to 2006.


Elliot Deutsch is a busy composer and arranger of large ensemble jazz music. In its tenth year of performing, the Elliot Deutsch Big Band has released two albums, played in every major jazz venue in Los Angeles, and hosted an impressive list of guest stars including Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, Ron Stout, and many others.  Deutsch has written for Arturo Sandoval, Bill Watrous, Jane Monheit, Take 6, Terence Blanchard, and many others. In 2015, Deutsch arranged several songs for the Kennedy Center Gala “It Don’t Mean a Thing… A Celebration of Swing” under the musical direction of John Clayton.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Alfred and Walrus Music.
 
Deutsch is also a busy educator, serving on the faculties of Cal Poly Pomona and Long Beach City College. Deutsch has written numerous commissions for school jazz bands including USC, Caltech, CSULB, Cal Poly Pomona, Esperanza High School, and many others. He lectured on arranging for Middle School Jazz Ensemble at the 2016 Jazz Educators Network National Conference.
Wednesday April 6, 2016 – 7 PM 

$10 for Guests and Students
FREE for ASMAC & Local 47 members

Free parking.

Meet-up & Check-in: 7:00-7:30 PM.
Program: 7:30-10:00 PM.
 
PLEASE NOTE LOCATION:
AFM Local 47 – Auditorium
817 Vine St.
Hollywood, CA 90038

* ASMAC Members who would like to share music at a
FIRST WEDNESDAYS event,
Contact [email protected]  Attn: Milton Nelson
 
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ASMAC LUNCHEON

ASMAC Luncheon with
Special Guest Dave Black of Alfred Music

@ Catalina’s Jazz Club 
Wed., April 20, 2016 @ 11:30am

ASMAC LUNCHEON WELCOMES
Percussionist/composer/author 
Dave Black
April 20, 2016 – 11:30AM
@ Catalina’s in Hollywood

 
Percussionist, composer, and author, Dave Black, received his Bachelor of Music in percussion performance from California State University, Northridge. He has traveled around the world with a variety of entertainers and shows, performing and recording with such artists as Alan King, Robert Merrill, June Allyson, Anita O’Day, Pete Jolly, Frankie Capp, Gordon Brisker, Kim Richmond, Victor Lewis, Jerry Hey, and Steve Huffsteter.

A seasoned professional in this aspect of our business, Dave will share his thoughts about the “nuts and bolts” and current challenges in educational music publishing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of self-publishing? How do you research which publishers might be right for you? How best to submit your music for publication? How must composers participate in the marketing of their music. Perhaps you need a distributor and not a publisher? What is the future of E-books? What are the problems of digital sharing of music materials? Bring a pencil and take notes!

A prolific composer and arranger, more than 60 of his compositions and arrangements have been published by most of the major publishers, many of which have been recorded. Mr. Black has written with, and for the bands of Louie Bellson, Sammy Nestico, Bill Watrous, Bobby Shew, Ed Shaughnessy, Gordon Brisker and the C.S.U., Northridge Jazz Ensemble.

He has been the recipient of numerous awards and commissions, including 26 consecutive ASCAP Popular Composer Awards, two Grammy participation/nomination certificates–one for his performance contribution on Anita O’Day’s Grammy®-nominated album In a Mellow Tone, and the other for his contribution as album-track composer on Louie Bellson’s Grammy®-nominated album Airmail Special. He is also the recipient of the 2012 Percussive Arts Society President’s Industry Award, a Modern Drummer Readers Poll award (best drum book), two Drum! Magazine Drummie! awards (best drum book), and a certified Gold Record award for the sale of more than 500,000 copies of Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 1. In addition, many of his compositions have been used as source/background music on numerous TV shows including All My Children, Coach, The Drew Carey Show, General Hospital, Ellen, Grace Under Fire, Nightline, Roseanne and Good Morning America. In addition, he co-wrote the “Final Rudimental Solo” (from Alfred’s Drum Method, Book 2) featured in the 20th-Century Fox hit movie, Drumline.

He presently serves as Vice President and Editor-in-Chief, School and Pop Publications, for Alfred Music Publishing Company.

Host:  Elliot Deutsch

Elliot Deutsch is a busy composer and arranger of large ensemble jazz music. In its tenth year of performing, the Elliot Deutsch Big Band has released two albums, played in every major jazz venue in Los Angeles, and hosted an impressive list of guest stars including Cheryl Bentyne, Janis Siegel, Ron Stout, and many others.  Deutsch has written for Arturo Sandoval, Bill Watrous, Jane Monheit, Take 6, Terence Blanchard, and many others. In 2015, Deutsch arranged several songs for the Kennedy Center Gala “It Don’t Mean a Thing… A Celebration of Swing” under the musical direction of John Clayton.  His compositions and arrangements are published by Alfred and Walrus Music.
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Check out the ASMAC website – www.asmac.org
to see the new master class, luncheon and interview DVD’s in the ASMAC store (Van Alexander, Ray Charles, Johnny Mandel, Jorge Calandrelli, Bill Ross, Jack Feierman, Sammy Nestico and more), to download ASMAC luncheon podcasts, and more!
JUST ADDED: 
Special Interview with the renowned composer/arranger 
JIMMIE HASKELL
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