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Currently Browsing: November, 2019
Organizing together, we are #802STRONG
President's Report
Our true power as a union comes from the collective engagement of all our members – whether you play in a TV band or a Broadway show, perform in a major orchestra at Lincoln Center, or work as a freelancer
Alert musicians call Local 802…
...and over $13K ends up in their pockets, thanks to the Electronic Media Department
When trumpeter Martin Berinbaum and his wife were on vacation together, watching the 2016 movie “Manchester by the Sea,” one piece of the soundtrack immediately caught their attention. During the funeral scene for the main character’s brother, Handel’s Messiah plays
Challenge and opportunity for classical musicians
Financial Vice President's Report
The annual meeting of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) was held this past August in Park City, Utah. Orchestra delegates from all over the country met to discuss, argue and commiserate over the state of our
Fighting copyright infringement in the digital age
Local 802 Artist Rights Caucus
WHAT YOU CAN DO 1. Join the Local 802 Artist Rights Caucus by sending an e-mail to artistrightscaucus@gmail.com. Meetings are posted at www.Local802afm.org/local-802-events. 2. Sign our Call for Economic Justice in the Digital Domain: https://arc802.wordpress.com/2018/10/04/afmsighon 3. Let your elected union
Welcome to new members of the New York Philharmonic
Member spotlights
ALISON FIERST Alison Fierst joined the New York Philharmonic as associate principal flute in September, having previously held the position of second flute in the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. Fierst has been a fellowship recipient at the Aspen Music Festival and
Katarzyna Bryla-Weiss joins Orchestra of St. Luke’s
Member spotlight
Katarzyna Bryla-Weiss, a violist and a member of Local 802 since 2014, was born into a family of musicians and has gone on to earn more than two dozen prizes and awards in the United States, France and her native
PROTECT YOUR WORK
Views from the board
Working on new musical theatre? Leverage your value as a musician and union member to get the benefits and guarantees you deserve! I’ve worked on Broadway for nearly 25 years. During that time, I’ve been involved in dozens of developmental
JAZZ IS A PRIORITY
Local 802's jazz committee is re-booted and ready to roll
Jazz outreach is on the rise at Local 802. Beginning in the early 1980s, the union started working with jazz musicians in earnest to organize and improve their careers. For a notable period of that time, these initiatives were led
How do we introduce young people to the union?
Get them jamming!
More and more young musicians are learning about Local 802 through the Jazz Mentors Student Jam series, supported in part by the Music Performance Trust Fund. Each Student Jam is hosted by our fantastic house band, led by Local 802
Giving back
It's time to help fellow musicians in need. Here's how...
(Win a Pearl drum set autographed by Bernard Purdie! Click here for details!) Giving back to the community is a great feeling, especially when you’re helping musicians in need. The Local 802 Musicians’ Emergency Relief Fund was created in 1967
Win a Pearl drum set autographed by Bernard Purdie
What’s better than winning a Pearl drum set? How about if the set is autographed by world-renowned drummer Bernard Purdie! It all began on Sept. 26, when Purdie played a Jazz in the Afternoon benefit show at Local 802. (Besides
Grace Kelly awarded $20K for winning John Lennon songwriting contest
Member spotlight
Grace Kelly was awarded $20,000 for winning the John Lennon Songwriting Contest “Song of the Year” for her original song “Feels Like Home.” “I am deeply grateful and honored to be presented this award,” said Kelly. “This award has made
Alex Lacamoire wins his first Emmy Award for work on “Fosse/Verdon”
Member spotlight
On the first night of the 2019 Creative Arts Emmy Awards ceremonies, music director Alex Lacamoire took home his first Emmy win in the Outstanding Music Direction category for his work on FX’s mini-series “Fosse/Verdon.” As he took the stage
Local 802 kids stand up for planet Earth at the #ClimateStrike
Young people are showing us the way. On Friday, Sept. 27, millions of kids around the world took to the streets and struck for climate action. According to globalclimatestrike.net, it was the biggest climate mobilization in history. From Jakarta to
It’s open enrollment time — don’t miss the deadline!
Membership alert
Do you need health insurance, but don’t have enough union health contributions to get on one of Local 802’s health plans? If so, we’d like to remind you that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) is still active and can be
The rights of freelancers are affected by two new state laws
Legal corner
Two new state laws claim they are trying to protect the rights of freelancers. Musicians need to know what these laws do. The Trump administration has done as much as it can to curtail workers’ rights. We can see the
BUILDING CONNECTIONS
Musicians network through the Actors Fund and discover inspiration
For some musicians – especially introverts – it can be frustrating to realize that finding new gigs can depend on socializing, schmoozing and networking. Luckily, there is help! The Actors Fund (which, despite its name, is for all artists) has
How can bodywork help me?
Improve endurance and stop masking performance pain!
A career as a musician comes with many rewards, but one of the physical challenges is the stress placed on the body by repetitive movement and having to hold your body and instrument in particular ways for long periods of
Remembering Harold Mabern
Harold Mabern, 83, the jazz pianist, died on Sept. 17 after being a member of Local 802 since 1960. A product of the fertile Memphis music scene of the 1950s, Mr. Mabern enjoyed a career lasting more than six decades.
‘Why we joined the union’
Michael A. Giddens
I joined Local 802 primarily for the networking opportunities and to share the joy and magic of music with everyone. I have been playing both acoustic and electric guitar for over 35 years and I am available for studio session
‘Why we joined the union’
Paul Shaw
I joined Local 802 to meet new musicians, collaborate on a variety of projects, and to be an official member of NYC’s community of professional musicians. My goal in NYC is to play, record and tour as much music as
‘Why we joined the union’
Machan Taylor
I rejoined Local 802 after I started teaching voice in the jazz department at the New School, which is covered by a Local 802 contract. My full bio is at www.machantaylor.com, but I can tell you that music has been
‘Why we joined the union’
Elissa Carmona
I joined Local 802 to explore benefits like visas, travel and liability insurance, and a pension plan, and also to connect with professional musicians on a national basis. My musical goals are to continue touring, record a music video, and
‘Why we joined the union’
Oren Neiman
I joined Local 802 after being hired as the guitar/mandolin chair for “Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.” New York is such a rich place to be! I want to continue playing with and learning from as many people as
‘Why we joined the union’
Dmitry Ishenko
I joined Local 802 after I was hired to play in the orchestra for “Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish.” I was impressed by how much work Local 802 did for us, and I had a great experience with theatre
Executive Board Minutes
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 - Tuesday, October 8, 2019
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 Meeting called to order at 11:20 am by President Krauthamer. Present: Financial Vice President Fisher, Recording Vice President Schwartz, Executive Board members Axelrod, Cohen, Donovan, Frawley, Hoyt, Kainuma, Shankin. Minutes of September 3, 2019 reviewed. It
Are you an adrenaline junkie?
Winning on stage
Are you an adrenaline junkie? Do you enjoy the rush? I hope your answer is yes, especially if you are a performing artist. Everyone, in audiences as well as audition panels, wants to feel the excitement of an energetic, emotionally
The Band Room
Steve Herberman gave me this story from guitarist Mundell Lowe about playing with Charlie Parker: “Bird called me in 1950 to do this concert with him up in Harlem,” remembered Mundell. “We played ‘Just Friends,’ and he played the first
Free flu shots for musicians
FREE FLU SHOTS The Friedman Health Center is offering free flu shots to musicians and other members of the entertainment industry. Members with or without insurance can stop by for a free flu shot on Friday, Oct. 4 from 10