Allegro
Currently Browsing: February, 2012
Moving Forward
President's Report
As we celebrate Black History Month, we also exhale on the New York City Opera negotiations. It’s time to move forward… February is Black History Month and we’re pleased to feature a cover story by our own jazz rep Todd
Fellow musicians really do need your help
By this time you probably feel inundated with appeals from the Emergency Relief Fund. Appeals in your inbox, appeals in your mailbox, appeals from callers you don’t know and from some you do. Some of you have responded with great
Cable TV installers seeking justice
Union Solidarity
Cablevision’s Brooklyn workers are tired of their poor working conditions, lousy healthcare coverage and sham retirement plans. These cable TV installers are demanding the right to join a union with the Communication Workers of America. They want to negotiate a
The Musicians’ Voice
The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of union affairs. The letters here do not necessarily express the views of Local 802. E-mail letters to Allegro@Local802afm.org or write to Allegro, Local 802, 322 West 48th
Guest Commentary
‘In order to save NYCO, a new general manager and a new board need to be found’ The situation at the New York City Opera reminds me of the Detroit Symphony manager who didn’t take a reduction during the worst
Now’s the Time!
Black History Month
The trombonist Benny Powell addressing a meeting of musicians in New York City, sometime in the 1980’s. Powell was active in the union’s jazz campaign until his death, at the age of 80, in 2010. Jazz musicians’ struggle for respect
Return to Roots
How I learned to teach music to kids in the NYC public school system
THE MAGIC OF MUSIC: Local 802 member Brian Doherty (top photo) teaches music at P.S. 66 in the South Bronx. His path led him from playing drums for They Might Be Giants to teaching rock and ensemble work to grade-schoolers.
Yes, musicians are employees!
Labor board affirms right of freelance orchestra to form a union
Harvey Mars is counsel to Local 802. Legal questions from members are welcome. E-mail them to JurMars566@aol.com. Harvey Mars’s previous articles in this series are archived at www.HarveyMarsAttorney.com. (Click on “Publications & Articles” from the top menu.) Nothing here or
Is your bandleader keeping too much of your money?
If you’re "misclassified," then you might be losing out...
In my pervious story in this issue, I call it a victory for musicians to be classified as an employee, not an independent contractor. But why is this good news? It comes down to a lot of things – but
In his own words
Feature Interview
Glenn Dicterow, concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic, talks about music, movies and more… He has been concertmaster of the New York Philharmonic since 1980, but Glenn Dicterow also has enjoyed a diverse career as a soloist, educator, and recording
No pension? No health insurance? No problem
Introducing LS-1 and Music Service contracts
This winter, You don’t have to feel left out in the cold. There is a viable way to contribute to your AFM pension* and maintain health benefits for you and your family even if you aren’t playing in one of
We’re here for each other
Musicians' Assistance Program
The office of the Musicians’ Assistance Program is your one-stop shop for musicians’ health. We offer counseling – both one-on-one and in groups – as well as information on all kinds of social services, including health insurance, food stamps and
On the Road
Touring, taxes and you
Tax time is around the corner, and if you go on tour or work out of town, there are things you need to know. As someone who has been preparing taxes for musicians for over 20 years, I would like
A life in two acts (or more)
Remembering Bob Brookmeyer
There are no second acts in American lives,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald. I believe he got that one wrong. As proof, I offer the life and work of Bob Brookmeyer. It was at the beginning of his amazingly productive second
‘Why we joined the union’
Nicholas Pappone Jung-Yi Alice Hsieh Daugherty Edvinas Minkstimas Reuben Blundell Melissa Kritzer Josh Endlich Stefano Baldasseroni I joined the union after I played as a background musician in “Sex and the City 2.” I believe very strongly in the importance
Executive Board Minutes
December 6, 2011 - January 10, 2012
Tuesday, December 6, 2011 Meeting called to order at 11:06 a.m. Present: President Gagliardi, Financial Vice President Olcott, Recording Vice President O’Connor, Executive Board members Burridge, Cutler, Hyde, Roach, Acting Assistant to the President Boyle. It was moved and seconded
Bill Crow’s Band Room
Another old friend of mine has passed on. Bob Brookmeyer, who died on Dec. 15 at the age of 81, was a large part of my musical life for many years. I met him at a jam session at Med