3/3/17
I. LETTER TO LOCAL 47 BOARD
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
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I. LETTER TO LOCAL 47 BOARD
Below is a letter sent to the Local 47 Executive board by
a long standing member:
To: The Executive Board of Local 47, Musicians Union
– April 28, 2016
You have asked me to write a letter on the reasons
why I went fi-core (Beck status) due to the expense
of my charge through the NLRB. On the surface, my
reasons were purely an emotional response to
John Acosta’s words “The union is for everyone”
which I whole heartedly agree with but I find sorely
lacking today.
The fact is the musicians’ interest has not been
addressed in well over a decade. The contracts
(mp,tv,video games) that are made today, with
another group’s input, are mostly centered around
the secondary market fund. One example of this
(and showing who controls the union) was when
the first video game contract came out. The
musicians were happy (a living wage), the
companies were happy and the composers (the
lifeblood of musicians) were happy. But it was
shut down due to the fact there was no secondary
market fund attached. The result of this was
companies who were willing to deal with the
union now want nothing to do with the union.
The composers were estranged. As for the
musicians, it doesn’t matter what the contracts
are. No companies mean no composers which
mean no music therefore no jobs. All because
a select few want their secondary markets fund.
The union is for everyone?
An Interesting point is the secondary market
fund used to be known as special payments
and was based on single scale. This meant
everyone shared equally on a project. This fund
was initially set up by the studios in lieu of health
coverage for the musicians. What we have today
is everyone connected with the project, except
the musicians is taking the bulk of the secondary
market funds. If this is untrue, please show me
the breakdown of the fund.
Another indication of the controlling faction
in the union was centered around the movie “UP”
in 2009. Michael Giacchino won the Academy
Award for his score which was done in Los Angeles.
This was a great win for Local 47 and Los Angeles
or so one would think. However, the union’s paper
had no mention of his award or that year’s Academy
Award orchestra which Michael Giacchino conducted.
If the union is for everyone why did this happen
(besides the fact certain people had no part in this
movie)?
My final reason for going fi-core is I was continuously
upset and depressed over seeing great musicians and
friends constantly having to look over their shoulders
for the crime of simply trying to support their families.
I honestly did not want to go after the union but I felt
I could no longer standby and do nothing. I expressed
my feelings to the NLRB agent and Rick Baptist and made
it clear none of the charges that I stated (a: being
threatened and intimidated from going fi-core;
b: the selective enforcement of the unions own bylaws)
were done to me. This led to the charges being dropped.
There were two reasons why I rejoined the union. When
I talked with Rick Baptist, (whom I have known for 30
years and wanted him to understand why I went fi-core),
I was led to believe that things are changing for the
better. The second reason was the Supreme Court’s
almost deciding in January 2016 against California’s
unions. I firmly believe that a strong Union is needed
now more than ever.
I must add when I started working in this town,
about 35 years ago, I thought I had the greatest
job ever. The workplace has gone through many
changes including a very dark time when if you
laughed or smiled you were considered unprofessional.
To see younger people think that this antiseptic,
lifeless, tinged with fear approach to music is the
way to play in the studios makes me very sad.
How can music possibly flourish under these
conditions?
This letter and my actions are simply an attempt
to preserve, for future generations, the same
attributes of creativity, love, enjoyment and
equality which has made my career fulfilling. I
would have never had the financial life I have
been so fortunate to have in LA if it wasn’t for
the union and the people in it before me.
[Follow-up from the member]
Hi, don’t know if you have posted that letter
yet but if you haven’t please add this.
” The author of this letter gives permission
to post this because he has found nothing
has really changed with the union. Why the
union continues not to change reminds him
of the saying “all they are doing are rearranging
the deck chairs on the Titanic”. It doesn’t have
to be like this.
He hopes it does change for the Union’s sake.
[COLLEAGUES: Now we have yet ANOTHER member
pointing out exactly what the committee has
been saying all along. Certainly, there will be
those who say, “Oh, Fernandez wrote that”, but
the Local 47 board knows exactly who wrote it.]
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III. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
are now at Culver City Elks the first
Friday of
every month.
7:30pm-10:30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
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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.
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3/4/17
IT’S A ROCKIN’ MALIBU BEACH PARTY!
LENNY SMITH and THE OLD NEW
at Casa Escobar
22969 Pacific Coast Hwy
Malibu, CA 90265
Saturday, March 4th – Downbeat 8PM
Reserve a table at 310 456-1999
Great Mexican Food and Terrible Bar
Valet Parking
Features:
Jon Woodhead, Jerry Peterson, Tom Canning,
Charlie Pollard – Horns
Dennis Kenmore, Dave, John Watkin and
The Martinez Family Singers.
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3/4/17
TALL AND SMALL IN TACOMA!
Tacoma Jazz Walk
Saturday, March 4th, 2017 9 pm-Midnight
Pete Christlieb & Linda Small
with the Ray Ohls Trio
Pete Christlieb -tenor sax; Linda Small Christlieb -trombone
Ray Ohls -piano; Derrick Polk -bass & Tim Malland -drums
B SHARP COFFEE HOUSE
706 Opera Alley
Tacoma, WA 98402x
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3/5/17
Song of the Angels Flute Orchestra
in concert!
Our next concert, “Celebrating Spring” is quickly approaching!
Conductor: Charles Fernandez
Concert location:
Pasadena Neighborhood Unitarian Universalist Church,
310 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena 91103
Tickets are now available online at the usual location:
http://soafluteorchestra.com/tickets
Concert program includes:
• Gounod – Petite Symphonie (1st movement only)
• Bloch – Prayer for a Jewish Life (David Shostac)
• Blavet – Concerto (1st movement, Debbie MacMurray)
• Mozart – Flute and Harp Concerto (David Shostac & Naomi Alter)
*** Intermission ***
• Vaughan Williams – Thomas Tallis Theme
• McIntosh, – Romance for Bassoon (Charles Fernandez)
• Alter – Introspective Blues (David Miller)
• Gluck – Dance of the Blessed Spirits (Frederick Staff)
• Fernandez – Quiet House and a Mouse
• Selden – When I Fall in Love (Fred Selden)
• Encore: Fernandez – Closer Walk with Thee
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3/5/17
CULVER CITY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
FINDING SPACE
Frank Fetta-Conductor-Bio
Aubree Oliverson-Violin-Bio
Sunday, March 5, 2017, 4:30PM
Memorial Auditorium, 4117 Overland Avenue at
Culver Boulevard, Culver City. Free parking in
lots along Culver Boulevard and metered parking
along Overland Avenue.
Before or after the concert, there are numerous
restaurants in Culver City for you to enjoy.
Downtown Culver City is near to Veterans Memorial
Building, head east on Culver Boulevard, and
is known for its selections of restaurants.
You can find a list here: LINK
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3/15/17
Free Admission GLENDALE NOON CONCERT
Wed MARCH 15, 2017 at 12:10-12:40 pm
ARTHUR OMURA Harpsichord Recital.
Thank you!
Sanctuary of Glendale City Church,
610 E. California Ave. (at Isabel St), Glendale, CA 91206.
For more information, email [email protected]
or call (818) 244- 7241.
Thank you!
Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon Concerts
818-249-5108
Jacqueline Suzuki
Curator, Glendale Noon Concerts
818-249-5108
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3/18/16
SFV SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
Mar. 18, 2017 –
Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center
Tuttle: By Steam or By Dream Overture
Inaugural Performance
Prokofiev: Symphony #1 in D major (Classical)
Ben-Haim: Pastorale Variée for
Clarinet, Harp and Strings
Geoff Nudell, clarinetist
Beethoven: Romance for Violin and Orchestra
Ruth Bruegger, violinist
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Other concerts in the series
May 13, 2017 – Agoura Hills/Calabasas Community Center
Saint-Saens: Bacchanale from “Samson and Delilah”
Tchaikovsky: Orchestral Suite No. 2 in C major
Egizi: Orchestral Suite
“In Memoria di Mio Padre”
Inaugural Performance
Programs subject to change
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3/25/17
The Musicians at Play presents
Patrick Williams Big Band Live at the Moss
with special guests Arturo Sandoval and Peter Erskine
Saturday- March 25th, 2017 8:00PM

Click “Buy Tickets” to reserve your tickets up to 12:00 p.m. on the
day of the show (Remaining tickets will be available at door at show time.)
Award-winning composer Patrick Williams presents The Big Band Live!
featuring special guests Arturo Sandoval and Peter Erskine.
VIP – Doors 7:00 p.m. early entry – refreshments
General & Premium – Doors open 7:30 p.m.
Concert starts: 8:00 p.m. (there will be a brief intermission)*
www.musiciansatplay.org
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3/26/17
LOS ANGELES SYMPHONIC WINDS
Subscription Concert 3 – Calabasas High School
Stars of the Los Angeles Symphonic Winds
Revel in the artistry of some of the LA Winds’ most
acclaimed performers.
-Geoff Nudell and Parker Gaims (now a member of the US Marine Corps Band) play Felix Mendelssohn’s virtuosic Two Concert Pieces. Also on the program will be two works by the LA Winds’ resident composer,
– Charles Fernandez
• Sunday March 26, 2017
• 2:30 p.m. Performing Arts Education Centers.
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You can read all previous offerings at:
http://www.responsible47.com
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47