By an overwhelming vote – 1,681 to 101 – musicians in symphony, opera and ballet orchestras across the country have ratified terms and conditions for the distribution of live and pre-recorded audio-only music product on the internet. This new agreement

In the early morning hours of May 2, after a marathon 15½-hour negotiating session interrupted only by a performance of Das Rheingold, negotiators for Local 802 and the Metropolitan Opera Association reached tentative agreement on a new five-year contract. The

Terms and conditions of a two-year successor agreement between the AFM and the League of American Theatres and Producers, Inc., covering employment on touring theatrical musicals, have been ratified by the affected members by a 150-19 margin. The ratification was

After narrowly averting a strike during last season’s Christmas Spectacular, and following several months of difficult negotiations this year, Local 802 has reached agreement on a new contract with Radio City Productions. RCP is owned by Cablevision, which also owns

Local 802’s campaign to raise area standards in the club date field took an important step forward on May 5, when New York City Swing became a signatory to the Single Engagement Club Date Agreement. The agency signed on after

On July 10, Manhattan Swing Orchestras voluntarily signed Local 802’s Single Engagement Club Date contract, after deciding it was the right thing to do. Under the agreement, musicians who work for the office will begin receiving full health and pension

On a chilly Friday evening recently, a dozen 802 organizers, members and volunteers buttonholed New York hipsters on their way into Le Bar Bat, a trendy midtown meeting place where young professionals network. “Have you heard about New York City

On Nov. 19, barely hours before a threatened strike by the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra, Local 802 and Radio City Productions reached agreement on a contract extension that includes a $50 wage increase. The weekly salary for the 35-member

Preserving your hearing is one of the most important things you can do for yourself as a professional musician. Hearing loss is not inevitable; you can take precautions and protect yourself. The first step is testing. Every musician should have

Local 802 is well on the way to another banner year in the collection of wages and benefits that musicians would not have received without union intervention. In the first six months of 2000, the local had already collected a

Following is a sampling of the e-mails that have been sent to Grace Blake, Executive Director of the Apollo Theatre Foundation, urging union recognition for Ray Chew and the Crew: I have been a working musician all my life, and

The Local 802 Executive Board voted on Nov. 9 to appoint Robert Shankin to fill the vacancy on the Executive Board created by the resignation of Lou Bruno. Shankin, a drummer, was born and raised in Philadelphia and studied at

Twenty musicians stood outside a rehearsal space on a busy sidewalk at 305 Seventh Avenue on Sept. 20, in solidarity with a colleague who had been unfairly taken off the A.R. Rahman Concert Tour. They got almost immediate results. The

Professional athletes get them. Auto workers and electrical workers get them. And, for the first time, the AFM has negotiated a signing bonus for musicians. The musicians are five 802 members who play in the band for Between the Lions,

The credibility of the Tony Awards took a new hit this year, with the decision to declare a non-musical eligible for nomination in the Best Musical category. The Tony Awards Administrative Committee announced in early April that Contact, described as

After ten months of roller-coaster negotiating, instructors at the New School’s Guitar Study Center unanimously ratified their first contract early in February. This brings the number of instructors working under a union agreement at the New School to more than

Management of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra (WSO) signed a recognition agreement with Local 802 on Nov. 20, responding to musicians’ overwhelming desire to be represented by the union. The agreement requires the symphony to negotiate with 802 over wages, hours,

The musicians who play for the School of American Ballet’s annual Spring Workshop have won a first contract that raises performance pay 44 percent over four years, hikes rehearsal pay 35 percent, increases pension two percentage points and institutes health

AFL-CIO President John J. Sweeney, in a letter dated April 14, announced the appointment of Local 802 President Bill Moriarity to the labor federation’s New Alliance Drafting Committee. The New Alliance, a plan for strengthening local and state labor organizations,

The Atlanta Ballet musicians of Local 148-462 have been on strike since late September in a battle with their management over the use of taped music, service guarantees and pension contributions. To date, tentative agreement has been reached on the

The panel established under the League/Local 802 agreement to decide “special situation” status has reaffirmed the union’s decision to deny this status to the upcoming Broadway production of Seussical the Musical. The decision was made at a meeting convened on

Efforts to collect money from Zinno’s Restaurant moved forward on Nov. 15, when bassist Sean Smith won a judgement for $1,179.37 against two of the restaurant’s owners in Small Claims Court. Zinno’s stiffed Smith and other Local 802 members by

An arbitrator has ruled that payment of the Associate Conductor premium on Broadway is required for every performance, vindicating Local 802’s position in a dispute with the League of American Theatre and Producers that began almost two years earlier. The

A broad coalition of artists’ representatives has come together to fight the “work for hire” amendment to the Copyright Act. A unified artist position on this issue – immediate repeal of the amendment – was adopted by the American Federation

The stakes escalated this summer, as the strike by Atlanta Ballet musicians entered its second year – but international solidarity has blocked management’s latest attempt to break the strike. (As this issue went to press, negotiations were scheduled to resume

On Nov. 18, musicians from a number of fields took part in a member education program Local 802 has just initiated to raise members’ awareness of how unions operate, and develop greater support for organizing. The first MEMO training session

Local 802 won a 17-month battle against the American Opera Musical Theatre Company when the National Labor Relations Board determined that the company withdrew recognition from the union and failed to negotiate in good faith. Administrative Law Judge Joel P.

With contract negotiations set to resume on Sept. 13 between striking members of the Screen Actors and the Radio and Television Artists and the advertising industry, some high-profile actors, headed by Paul Newman and Jason Robards, launched a two-week public

A trio of 802 members played “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” at a Feb. 24 rally, while an actor portraying Abraham Lincoln told a cheering crowd that Cooper Union is exploiting its building cleaners. Meanwhile, Cooper Union officials were

Dozens of club date musicians attended a dinner held in Local 802’s Club Room on Oct. 19, to kick off the campaign for a new Single Engagement Club Date Agreement. The event, which honored the contributions of long-time Club Date

In a major victory for organized tenants, the New York City Council and Mayor Giuliani renewed the city’s rent control and rent stabilization laws until March 31, 2003, and they did so without in any way weakening the laws. “The

Last year, participants in Local 802’s Health Benefit Plan gained an important new option – access to an HMO plan, which includes hospitalization coverage. The HMO option has been available since April of 1999 to members eligible for the plan

Twenty-five union members braved cold and rain on Jan. 20 to take part in MEMO – Membership Education and Mobilizing for Organizing – a four-hour seminar devoted to discussing ways to increase the union’s power. The MEMO program, which was

With this issue, Local 802 begins the second year of a two-year political action campaign. Its goals are to strengthen our political action fund, TEMPO 802, and to involve more of our members in political action. We made an excellent

For the past several months, Americans have been inundated with stories about the 2000 elections. With so many talking heads making so much noise, the natural reaction has been to tune them out. But this year’s elections have a rhythm

CITY COUNCIL PASSES THREE PRO-WORKER BILLS A battle is shaping up between the City Council and Mayor Rudolph Giuliani over three important pro-worker bills, which the council recently passed and the mayor has vowed to veto. On Feb. 29, Council

THE SUPPER CLUB Musicians who play at the Supper Club with bandleader Michael Smith recently voted to approve a new two-year contract. Wages will rise from $113.50 per performance to $121 in year one and $125 in year two, a

A group of music teachers and their piano accompanists recently began an organizing campaign with the help of Local 802’s New Organizing Department. They work at The Early Ear, Inc., a for-profit music school that brings children ranging from four

Tony Corbiscello, a Local 802 member and president of Tony Corbiscello Music Productions, is the latest employer to sign the Single Engagement Club Date Contract. Under terms negotiated on June 14, he will begin making health and pension contributions on

From time to time Local 802 asks our legal counsel to comment on certain new practices in our field. Here is his legal opinion on labor-management committees, which have become more prevalent in the music industry, particularly in the symphonic

I recently attended the Theatre Musicians’ Association’s fifth annual conference, held in Los Angeles on Aug. 28 and 29. TMA was founded to promote the respective interests of theatre orchestras and their musicians, to enhance communications among these orchestras and

The ability to freely express ideas and opinions has been an essential part of the U.S. labor movement’s struggles since its beginnings more than 100 years ago. Trade unionists were among the first to engage in free speech battles and

The last two issues of Allegro have contained letters from Canadian AFM and local officers which addressed the subject of so-called runaway film scoring. The writers told of their experience with this phenomenon, and the steps that have been taken

Over the last few years Local 802’s Recording Department has been receiving information and complaints from musicians engaged for recordings and films that some companies and producers have requested the musicians to sign waivers and/or releases for publicity purposes. Often

The first paragraph was inadvertently omitted from a letter printed in last month’s Musicians’ Voice. Following is the complete text of that letter, and the response that accompanied it. We apologize for the omission, and the confusion it caused. PAYING

802 MUSICIANS WERE A DREAM TO WORK WITH To the Editor: On Saturday, Jan. 15, I sang at Carnegie Hall, the greatest dream of my life. My show – Raquel Bitton Sings Edith Piaf: Her Story, Her Songs played to

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. A VALUABLE

The union needs your help. Over the last eight months, Local 802’s New Organizing Department has helped musicians gain power on the job, mainly in the single-engagement field. The department, along with a silent army of 802 members who know

Local 802’s Music Performance Trust Fund scored a resounding success with a series of four concerts given in conjunction with and co-sponsored by Mentoring USA for their summer camp program. Entitled “Sounds of Summer,” the series opened with a brass

LOCAL 802 ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS REQUEST FOR ABSENTEE BALLOT (Please Print) Name: _____________________________________________________________________ Address: ___________________________________________________________________ Card No.: ____________ Signature: ______________________________________________ This request must be returned to the Recording Vice-President’s office no later than October 15th, 2000. Absentee

The growing cost of drugs is a terrible burden. “Market forces” work against consumers, who are powerless against drug companies. People need the help of government on two fronts: to provide health coverage – including prescription drugs – for the

Al Gore Vs. George W. Bush Hillary Clinton Vs. Rick Lazio Deciding how to cast your ballot is a very personal choice. But it’s often difficult to gather enough solid information to make an informed decision, despite the deluge of

As many of you may already know, I have decided to resign my position as vice-president of Local 802, after a great deal of consideration. I have enjoyed working with and for the members of Local 802 during the last

Last fall, the mysterious document arrived in the mail. It was the 1998 Annual Covered Earnings Report, issued by the AFM and Employers’ Pension Fund. If, dear reader, you are anything like me, and your eyes glaze over when you

Unions have had a very mixed experience with regard to building and sustaining coalitions. Our practice is undergoing some changes at present – but in general this practice has been, and continues to be, very uneven. To understand the difficulties

A MORE DEMOCRATIC ELECTION PROCESS To the Editor: It appears that member Jack Gale’s argument against the most recent bylaw proposal of members Martin Agee, Laura Oatts and Juliette Haffner is that most union members aren’t current enough on the

The following resolution has been submitted for consideration at the membership meeting to be held Tuesday, June 20, at 3 p.m. in the Local 802 Club Room: WHEREAS the membership of Local 802 should have maximum flexibility in choosing its

At a point in my life when most of my friends are buying golf clubs and starting to plan their retirement, I decided to go back to college and finish my studies for a degree in music. A lot of

Most of us have heard that George W. Bush is running for president this year. Many remember that he’s the son of former president George H.W. Bush and a Yale grad like his poppa. News-watchers know he’s been governor of

FOR PRESIDENT & VICE-PRESIDENT: Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman FOR U.S. SENATE: Hillary Rodham Clinton FOR STATE SENATE: Liz Krueger, Senate District 6, who is challenging incumbent Roy Goodman (Republican). Rory Lancman, Senate District 11, who is challenging incumbent Frank

A new Tony award category has been created to recognize “Special Theatrical Events” that don’t fall easily into the musical or play categories, the American Theatre Wing announced in June. The new award will be presented beginning with the 2000-2001

The legendary New York trumpeter and showman Leon Merian now lives in Florida, where the calmer life has provided him with enough time to write his memoirs, with the assistance of Bill Bridges, a trumpet player and jazz aficionado. Leon

The AFM International Executive Board has endorsed Al Gore for president. Federation President Steve Young released a statement saying that Gore is the best candidate in terms of preserving support for labor and the arts. He said reasons for the

Hal Galper has created a valuable manual for road musicians. If you want to know the ins and outs of putting a band together and taking it on tour, most of your questions will be answered somewhere in this volume.

With members of Congress eager to recess, as scheduled, on Oct. 6 – and keenly aware that their votes on crucial issues may affect the outcome of the November elections – working people have an opportunity to make progress on

Ray Chew & the Crew and Stanley Banks’ jazz band rocked the crowd at a June 15 rally in Union Square, drawing attention to rat-like behavior by New York City employers who try to block workers’ right to organize. In

The huge demand for affordable health insurance was reflected in a deluge of calls to Local 802’s Health Benefits Plan, after an article describing coverage that will soon become available to entertainment industry workers appeared in last month’s Allegro. The

About 14 years ago, when I was in training to become a teacher of the Alexander Technique, a friend took me to a lovely quartet concert at Carnegie Recital Hall. As we listened to the music, I watched the bodies

Last month’s Allegro included the welcome information that the backlog of Health Benefits Plan claims had finally been cleared. The problem stemmed from Union Labor Life Insurance Company’s relocation of its claims office from Manhattan to King of Prussia, Pa.

A proposed revision of Local 802’s Election Bylaws will be up for consideration at the June 20 membership meeting, and it is hoped that a quorum of members will attend to vote on it. The resolution calls for the elimination

Demetrios Kastaris A recent profile in Newsday described 802 member Demetrios Kastaris as a “trombonist, conductor and arranger; leading figure in Afro-Cuban jazz with his own group, the Latin Jazz Coalition; also a teacher; in September will be the new

One reason that New York City is home to so many extraordinary musicians is the fact that generations of students once received an excellent musical foundation in the city’s public schools. At P.S. 77 in the Bronx, the elementary school

Those who marched or stood or sat in the streets of Seattle this week made history, and they knew it. And like the great marches against the Vietnam war, or the first sit-ins in the South in the late ’50s,

NYS LEGISLATIVE PASSES BUDGET On May 4 the New York State Legislature passed a $77.5 billion budget for 2000-2001, 5.6 percent higher than last year’s budget. Highlights include: Income limits for coverage under the Elderly Pharmaceutical Insurance Coverage (EPIC) program

DICAPO OPERA Members of Dicapo Opera recently ratified a new three-year agreement by a vote of 4 to 0. Performance and rehearsal wages increase almost 15 percent each (7 percent in the first year, 4 percent in the second, and

MagnaCare, the preferred provider network that Local 802’s Health Benefits Plan is linked to, recently announced changes in their list of participating clinical laboratories. A new addition is Quest Diagnostics, which joined the network this summer. Lab services which were

Jazz artist Benny Powell is a trombone player, music educator, activist and organizer, and a founding member of Local 802’s Jazz Advisory Committee. Early this year Jimmy Owens, who chairs the committee, interviewed him for this article. Powell, who celebrates

I believe that the bylaw proposal for 802’s June meeting which would deny candidates the right to be listed as slates on the local’s ballot for election of officers is a harmful idea. Far from providing more flexibility, as the

Women in the entertainment industry face special problems in relation to drug and alcohol abuse. You may find you are using substances to curb your performance anxiety or to feel more outgoing. Alcohol may seem to raise your self-esteem, alleviate

Gene Lorello took up the flute so he could play in the marching band in high school in West Virginia. “I began studying the saxophone and clarinet at about the same time, and I’ve been playing ever since,” he told

The 2000 legislative session in Albany is over now – by all accounts, the most productive session in recent memory. Several key pieces of legislation of import to those of us with a progressive agenda finally were passed, in some

SAG & AFTRA STRIKE ADVERTISING INDUSTRY More than 500 commercial producers have signed interim agreements with the Screen Actors Guild and the Television and Radio Artists, since 135,000 members of the two unions went out on strike against the advertising

Tom Barone – Violin Lester Bowie – Trumpet/Flugelhorn Herbert Daner – Saxophone LaNoue Davenport – Recorder Artie Fields – Saxophone Floyd Bernard Ford I – Composer/Arranger/Conductor Earl B. Freeman – Violin Felix Galimir – Violin Jacob Glick – Viola Jan

About 20 years ago I was faced with the problem of staying in the music field without being forced to live under a bridge in a park. That is, I needed to find some way to earn a living that

DANGERS ON THE TENANT FRONT NYS HEALTH CARE LEGISLATION HOUSE ADOPTS CAMPBELL BILL Rx FOR PERSCRIPTION DRUGS KEEP THE PRESSURE ON! DANGERS ON THE TENANT FRONT Tenants in New York are facing a serious new threat to the rent protection

Actors Federal Credit Union has announced plans to install three new ATMs in Manhattan, bringing the number of machines available to AFCU members to five. The three newest machines will be located inside McDonald’s restaurants located at Times Square at

The Atlantic City musicians’ union’s “We Care” program will ring in the 21st century by opening its doors on a daily basis for outreach to the community of Atlantic City and southern New Jersey musicians who are in need of

OFFICERS EXECUTIVE BOARD TRIAL BOARD OFFICERS Bill Moriarity, President I urge every member to take the time to vote in this election. It is very important that the officers of Local 802 be individuals who are truly representative of the

MORE THAN $20,000 COLLECTED IN HOTEL GRIEVANCE For nearly two years Local 802’s Contract Administration Department has been trying to collect health, pension and hospitalization payments for five musicians who work at the Carlyle Hotel. The Eddy Davis Band, featuring

Mr. Epstein gives us a well researched and insightful biography of Nat Cole, whose successful career as a popular singer somewhat overshadowed his contribution to the jazz world. During his early years as an entertainer, Cole’s piano playing became a

Following are excerpts from the speeches given at the Dec. 2 rally supporting the locked out New York City Ballet Orchestra musicians: Local 802 Vice-President Mary Landolfi: We are here to protest the arrogance of Lincoln Center, an institution that

By the time this issue is printed, members covered by the 802 Health Benefits Plan should have received a welcome stream of checks and payment notices for HBP claims. Claims processing slowed to a crawl this summer when Union Labor

Local 802 received substantial numbers of requests for absentee mail ballots for the upcoming election of Local 802 officers. The ballots were sent out to everyone who satisfied the requirements established by the local’s bylaws and Department of Labor rules.

OFF-BROADWAY: South Pacific: An agreement has been reached with Lincoln Center covering 33 musicians for two weeks of rehearsals and one performance for a theater benefit at the Vivian Beaumont. Minimum scale wages for the side musicians will be $215.25

Tony Bennett has aptly named this book of memoirs with the title of one of his big hits in the 1960s. His good life in music has included a recording career that began in 1947, took off in the fifties,

Stephen Walsh’s new biography of Igor Stravinsky – volume one of two – is, in a word, spectacular. In the 20th century, long past the age of court composers or predictable patronage, every piece has its very specific and fortuitous

Most people’s feelings and thoughts about themselves fluctuate somewhat, based on their daily experiences. How you did in your latest audition, how your employer treats you, ups and downs in a romantic relationship – all can have a temporary impact

Do you cringe in fear at the mere mention of the phrase “make your own web site?” Have you avoided joining the digital age because you think you have to be a technical web whiz to make one? Assuming you

People are living much longer these days, with life expectancy now at about 75 years – compared with about 47 years at the beginning of the 20th century. Aging is not easy for most people in our society, given that

No doubt you have spent countless hours practicing your music, honing your skills as a musician. But music skills alone are usually not enough to make you a successful musician. Many other factors contribute to success, including people skills and

Many Kenton fans on the internet have complained about the arch spelling of the title of this fascinating book, but everyone seems to want a copy. It is a biography, scrapbook, transcribed oral history and photo album rolled into one.

Performance anxiety exists in all spheres of life and it can appear at the most inappropriate times – usually when you are most eager to prove yourself. Performance anxiety usually happens in situations when we expect to be judged on

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1999 Meeting called to order at 11:30 a.m. Present: President Moriarity, Recording Vice-President Price, Financial Vice-President Landolfi, Executive Board members Blumenthal, Crow, Giannini, Hafemeister and Rosen, Controller Bogert, Assistant to the President Dennison, Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison

Willard Brady – Saxophone Don Brooks – Harmonica Charles Buchman – Saxophone/Clarinet Ruth Eder – Saxophone Conrad Frederick – Piano Nathan Kroll – Violin/Conductor Tony Lane – Guitar Al Miller – Drums Tony Parrillo – Baritone Horn Dr. Merrill Staton

Msgr. John Sanders Msgr. John Sanders, a trombonist and an 802 member since 1946, retired on June 4 after serving the Roman Catholic parish of St. Mary’s in Norwalk, Conn., for the last 15 years. Msgr. Sanders began playing the

TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2000 Meeting called to order at 11:25 a.m. Present: President Moriarity, Recording Vice-President Price, Financial Vice-President Landolfi, Executive Board members Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Giannini, Hafemeister, Rosen, Shankin, Simon and Weiss, Controller Bogert, Assistant to the President Dennison,

TUESDAY, MAY 23, 2000 Meeting called to order at 11:25 a.m. Present: President Moriarity, Recording Vice-President Price, Executive Board members Crow, Gale, Giannini, Hafemeister, Shankin, Simon and Weiss, Controller Bogert, Jazz Advisory Committee Liaison Owens. May 16 minutes unanimously approved

Ione Baker – Piano Louis Bologna – Violin Mclean Bosfield – Piano Freddy Y. Campano – Bass Albert Catell – Cello/Conductor Yves Chardon – Cello/Conductor Fred V. Dittamo – Drums/Copyist Freddie Francis – Piano Lena S. Grasso – Violin Al

This biography traces the career of Harry James. Taught to play trumpet by his father, a Texas circus bandmaster, he started playing in circus bands, went on to join local “territory bands” and then to big band stardom, first with

Local 802 President Bill Moriarity sent the following letter to the New York Times on June 28, in response to an article about the New York City Ballet by Anthony Tommasini, entitled “No Longer Just Another Gig,” which had appeared

The Local 802 Health Benefits earplug benefit is for the covered employee only. Although most of the major medical benefits on the plan can be extended to the covered musician’s family, the earplug benefit applies only to individuals who qualify

Sal Amato – Saxophone Sigurd Bockman – Clarinet Lawrence E. Colkin – Saxophone Billy Cronk – Bass Henry Denecke – Timpani/Conductor Benjamin “Buzzy” Drootin – Drums C. Harry Dworkin – Piano/Arranger/Copyist Jean Eley – Violin Bennie Fairbanks – Saxophone Paul

TUESDAY, MAY 2, 2000 Meeting called to order at 11:30 a.m. Present: President Moriarity, Recording Vice-President Price, Executive Board members Blumenthal, Crow, Gale, Giannini, Hafemeister, Rosen, Shankin and Weiss, Controller Bogert, Assistant to the President Dennison. Board member Blumenthal reported

TUESDAY, AUGUST 29, 2000 Meeting called to order at 11:30 a.m. Present: President Moriarity, Recording Vice-President Price, Executive Board members Crow, Gale, Giannini, Rosen and Shankin, Controller Bogert. Aug. 22 minutes unanimously approved as amended. Board member Weiss present at

At the late Ray Alonge’s memorial service at Local 802, his teacher and longtime colleague Tony Miranda shared many warm memories from their lives in the New York music business. He told of an Eddie Fisher record date, back in

In June, I participated in a 90th birthday tribute concert for Milt Hinton at the Kaye Auditorium at Hunter College, as part of the JVC Jazz Festival. Many of Milt’s longtime friends came to play for him and wish him

Lester Lanin likes to use subject themes in assembling the medley sets he calls for his society jobs. For example, he might call “June Night,” followed by “April in Paris.” Or “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” might lead

Here we are in the Y2K already! I started this column at the beginning of 1983, and haven’t run out of stories yet. Every time my collection of items looks like it’s running on empty, a few more phone calls,

Retired recording producer George Avakian should be writing a book of memoirs of his remarkable career. Here’s a story he sent me: As a high school student in New York City, George was a young pianist and a jazz fan.