“Unions are a phenomenal resource for the working class, and a potential source of power for negotiations,” says multi-instrumentalist and comedian Erica von Kleist (@ericavonkleist). “A lot of my songs are about issues that women face, like abortion restriction, mansplaining and menstruation. My favorite thing to do is to make people laugh by skewering the status quo.” Erica’s current musical goal is to launch a live album version of her jazz comedy project “BOOBS with Erica von Kleist and the All-Male Jazz Ensemble.” Erica has led many lives as a musician and producer, leading the charge as woodwind specialist, pianist, writer and educator. After receiving the first jazz bachelor’s degree in the history of Juilliard, Erica went on to tour and record with Sean Jones, Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, spent time on Broadway in the pits of “The Addams Family,” “A Chorus Line” and “Gypsy,” and recorded on five Grammy-nominated recordings. In 2012, Erica relocated from NYC to Montana where she started several business initiatives, penned a music theory textbook, and found her funny bone. During the #MeToo movement, Erica reminisced on her experiences as the only female in countless professional situations in jazz and began writing songs about the struggles that women face. From mansplaining to manspreading, Erica’s lyrics began to encompass her history as a female in a male-dominated world which eventually snowballed into her side-splitting musical comedy show she affectionately titled “BOOBS!” In addition to her solo show, she also wrote and produced a staged musical entitled “Sorry! A New Musical” which debuted at Alpine Theatre Project in 2021. Erica co-wrote (with David Blair and Mikey Winn) an award-winning musical theater film “Your Musical is Cancelled. The Musical!” that featured many Broadway luminaries. Learn more at www.ericavonkleist.com. Musicians can join Local 802 at www.local802afm.org/join.