Date: October | Local 802 AFM

Live from Times Square!

Photo by Walter Karling. Broadway on Broadway — the League’s annual revue of Broadway musicals in Times Square — came back this year with far less tape and far more live music. This reverses a recent trend that had caused

Local 802 Hosts Organizing Institute

Organizing is the heart of the labor movement, and earlier this year Local 802 hosted the AFL-CIO’s Organizing Institute. This three-day immersion takes progressive rank-and-file workers or other unionists and puts them in charge of a simulated campaign. House calls,

How the 169 Bar Rips Off Musicians

Marisa Friedman

This August, trumpet player and Local 802 member Shane Endsley played at the 169 Bar in Chinatown — a popular local bar nicknamed the “Bloody Bucket” because it was notorious for numerous brawls in the 1950’s and 60’s. After only

Why Politics?

Mary Landolfi

It’s sometimes an open debate in our union whether we should or should not be involved in politics. Especially when it comes to endorsing candidates, many members throw up their hands when we publicly support someone on the “wrong” side

Recording Vice President’s Report

Bill Dennison

SUPPORT THE STAGEHANDS As Allegro goes to press, the League is in negotiations with Local 1 of the stagehands’ union (IATSE). We believe the stagehands deserve a fair contract and they have our full support in that effort. For the

Limiting the Damage at Radio City

Most members of Local 802 know that the negotiations at Radio City Music Hall in 2005 ended with an unsuccessful strike. This was followed by a contract that allowed management to eliminate most overtime and also impose the gradual attrition

Member Spotlight

Local 802 member Nancy Donaruma has recently decided to retire from her position as cellist with the New York Philharmonic and become a full-time paramedic with Alamo Ambulance in Poughkeepsie. It’s such an interesting switch that Allegro decided to sit

The Business of Music

Kathy Canfield Shepard

Are we workers or artists? That was a good question posed by Allegro in the last issue, and one not easily answered. Are we workers, going to a job every day, or are we fulfilling our own artistic visions, creating

Music & Politics

Julia Smith

In this column, I will outline the election calendar for the next few years and briefly highlight important upcoming elections. NEW YORK CITY As we track city politics, our eyes are focused on 2009, a very big election year. Thirty-six

Member to Member

Jack Gale

Last month’s “Beat on the Street” question about whether musicians are “artists” or “workers” continues to elicit responses. The question of whether musicians are artists or workers can be a sensitive one in a world in which musicians themselves are

Member to Member

David Schneck

Last month’s “Beat on the Street” question about whether musicians are “artists” or “workers” continues to elicit responses. We must, indeed, all hang together, or most assuredly we shall all hang separately,” wrote Benjamin Franklin in 1776. In other words

Looking for Some Fall Reading?

“Reaching Out” by David Wallace (McGraw Hill Professional, 2007) Connect with and captivate concert audiences as never before with “Reaching Out,” by Local 802 member David Wallace, the groundbreaking new guide to audience engagement and interactive performance for musicians. Wallace

October 2007 Membership Meeting

Wednesday, October 17, 2007 @ 5:00pm Local 802 Club Room 322 W. 48th Street Ground Floor Admission by paid-up membership card only. The agenda of the meeting is as follows: Vote on a proposed bylaw that would liberalize honor membership

In Brief

COMPOSERS CAFÉ AT 802 Composer Elliot Lawrence Want to hear from some prominent composers? On Oct. 25, Local 802 and the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences will present the first Composers Café, a new series of programs featuring

Staten Island Philharmonic

SELF-MADE ORCHESTRA Allegro freelance photographer Walter Karling caught violin soloist Girt Kumi (top left photo below) as he rehearsed with the Staten Island Philharmonic this summer. The orchestra was created by musicians after the Staten Island Symphony folded. For the

Musicians' Assistance Program

Janet Becker, LCSW, Ph.D.

As many of you know — especially those who read this page each month — the Musicians’ Assistance Program offers free and confidential help for a wide range of personal, relationship and career problems to Local 802 members and their

The Musicians’ Voice

The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of union affairs. The letters published here do not necessarily express the views of Local 802. Letters must be 300 words or less. Send them to Allegro, c/o

Negotiations Roundup

VILLAGE LIGHT OPERA GROUP In spring, after difficult negotiations and federal mediation, the management of the Village Light Opera Group signed an extension agreement that maintained the minimum number of musicians at 19 for their production of “Oklahoma.” Management has

Grievance Corner

“PHANTOM OF THE OPERA” Local 802 has settled a long-standing grievance concerning a premium payment for holiday matinees that fall on a Monday. The grievance relates to a matinee performance of “Phantom of the Opera” on Dec. 26, 2005. Producers

Reminiscences

Eric Shumsky

From his tremendous debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra at the age of seven, and continuing with performances with virtually every great orchestra in the world, musicians including Stokowski, Kreisler, Oistrakh, Milstein, and Menuhin put my father, Local 802 member Oscar

Reminiscences

Bill Spilka

Joe Harnell, 80, a Grammy winner, jazz pianist, accompanist, educator, composer and arranger, died two years ago, on July 14, 2005, after a diverse career lasting over six decades. He had been a Local 802 member since 1953. At the

Reminiscences

Jan Jordan

When Local 802 member and bassist Dr. Art Davis, 72, died unexpectedly of a heart attack on July 29, the world lost a giant in the history of jazz, and I personally lost a dear friend and musical partner. Playing

Reminiscences

Spencer Bruno

Harpist Eugene Bianco passed away suddenly of cardiac arrest on the morning of May 7, prior to leaving his home for a recording session. At age 80, Gene was actively working as a contractor and coordinator for various recording projects

July 24, 2007 -- August 14, 2007

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2007 Meeting called to order at 11:10 a.m. Present: President Landolfi, Recording Vice President Dennison, Financial Vice President Blumenthal, Executive Board members Fein, Hunt, Johansen, Rizzo and Schwartz. Recording Vice President Dennison distributed the minutes of June

Requiem

Bill Barber – Tuba Gerald Chamberlain – Trombone Frank Dipaolo – Bass Robert L. Kircher – Trombone Bob Kross – Trombone Bill Lavorgna – Drums Jon Lucien – Vocalist Sal Mosca – Piano Max Roach – Drums Marvin Rosenberg –

Crossword and Sight-Singing Challenge

SIGHT-SINGING ANSWER: Theme from “The Simpsons” CROSSWORD ANSWERS Across 1- Finland to a Finn SUOMI 6- Sidewalk treats on Mulberry St ICES 10- Trumpeters supply OIL 13- Famous chorus ANVIL 14- Closing pitcher’s achievement SAVE 15- Wiley Coyote’s mail order

Bill Crow’s Band Room

Bill Crow

William Zinn sent me another story about Boris Malina: After the guests had a sumptuous chicken dinner at the Concord Hotel in the Catskills one evening, the band played a 10 p.m. show. When they were finished, Zinn and four