Rally to support musicians!

INSIDE THIS ISSUE (some links below will open up PDF’s or take you to outside sources) Click here first for auditions, job postings, advertising and special offers. President’s report by Adam Krauthamer Financial Vice President’s report by Karen Fisher FROM

The year of the pandemic has been the most challenging time for Local 802 in our union’s entire history. To add to the urgency, we are facing the most important U.S. presidential election in our lifetime and it’s important that

from the December 2020 issue of Allegro

from the November 2020 issue of Allegro magazine

Advertising supplement for our November 2020 issue

What happens if an orchestra stops paying pension? As a result of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 — the statute that guides the operation of defined benefit pension plans — employers that are contractually obligated to remit

from the December 2020 issue of Allegro magazine

JOE RABBAI died on Aug. 11, 2020 at the age of 81 after being a member of Local 802 since 1961. Below is a tribute submitted by his daughter Debora. Joseph Rabbai was born on August 23, 1938 in Bridgeton,

Even a global pandemic can’t stop musicians from engaging in protected activity. A case in point is the August 15, 2020 leafleting of a performance at Freeman Stage in Selbyville, Delaware by musicians of the New York City Opera orchestra.

A musician of diverse and accomplished talents, Donald Chan has worked as conductor, music director, and composer with the most esteemed names in American Music. A member of Local 802 since the early 1960s, he earned his M. S. degree

Even before the recent COVID-19 pandemic, professional musicians faced a plethora of unprecedented challenges. Prime among them is the digital paradigm shift, which has been both a blessing and a curse. While it has made it easier to distribute our

Stories heard from Orin O'Brien, Herb Gardner and John Clay (via Gene Perla)

from the December 2020 issue of Allegro

from the December 2020 issue of Allegro

When I was much younger — and I mean much younger — I was under the false impression that the federal judiciary was immune from political influences. After all, Article III of the Constitution provides that all federal judges are

from Local 802's Allegro magazine...

Download a PDF of the February 2020 issue of Allegro

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Allegro would like to share stories of how musicians are coping with the coronavirus crisis — including new ways we’re using technology. Your answers could really help your colleagues! Please click here to take the survey.

In mid-February, my office sent out an e-mail blast to all members of Local 802 about a Josh Groban gig that was taking place at Radio City Music Hall. Here’s what we sent out: AFM members are advised that the

The outcome of last year’s 802 election was virtually an entirely newly elected leadership at Local 802. Our administration was given a mandate to start changing the way our union works. It was a priority to hit the ground running

In January 1928, black musicians sent a petition to Local 802’s governing board. Its content remains unknown, but the board perused it, acknowledged the political activities of its “colored members” and, then, from all indications, never responded. No doubt black

If you were to interview the few thousand women and women-identifying members at Local 802, the largest local of the AFM, you would have thousands of perspectives on what it is to be a musician in any given field, thousands

(Also see: “Making Videos Under Quarantine: How to protect yourself and your fellow musicians” AND “Working at home — while still collecting union benefits”) Are you teaching online during the coronavirus crisis, using Skype, Zoom or another platform? Do you

By Janet Axelrod I don’t think I’m the only one who has had more offers for recording work in the past few weeks than in a long time. A particular offer was special. It came because I’m a third of

The Electronic Music Committee was formed as a think tank to examine the usage of electronics on Broadway. The EMC consists of industry professionals representing a wide cross-section of the Broadway community, including music directors, orchestrators, composers, programmers  and instrumentalists.

One hundred years ago, American women legally gained the right to vote with the ratification of the 19th Amendment. It was a much-needed victory, but only a partial one — poor women and women of color were still denied their

March is Women’s History Month and this year we are also celebrating the 100th anniversary of the women’s suffrage movement. While female jazz performers are not a novelty anymore, they still make up only one fifth of the field. As

As Allegro continues its series on music teachers and teaching artists, we hear this month from Local 802 member Morrie Sherry. If you have a story to contribute to this series, please e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org. I began playing clarinet when I

“‘Social justice’ is more than a shibboleth with her; it has been the maxim of her life, and if it carry her far, no one can say that the need is not great.” — New York Times editorial, 1933 On

FREE INJURY PREVENTION WORKSHOPS FOR MEMBERS OF LOCAL 802 Local 802 member Katherine Hannauer (pictured above) and her classmate Nick Cerbone will lead free, hands-on injury prevention workshops at Local 802 in February. There will be flyers posted at Local

Lately I’ve been traveling around the country speaking to education professionals about TeachRock, an arts integration curriculum developed by the Rock and Roll Forever Foundation, a nonprofit established by legendary musician, producer, actor and activist Steven Van Zandt. As a

By Dr. Don Greene The CORONAVIRUS crisis is an indescribable disaster for professional musicians in New York. It’s compounded by the simple fact that most of us are not trained to deal with chaos, catastrophic change and tragedy. The crisis

Thanks to Janna Graham and Mariana Ramirez for suggesting this story and reaching out to their colleagues with terrific questions. If you have your own story to share, please e-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org. Tell us a little bit about your musical history

By Caryl Paisner This is not my first quarantine. In 1997, when just 20 weeks pregnant with my twins (now 22 and healthy), I went into labor. After a week in the hospital to stop the process and to stabilize

It’s all about respect! We part-time faculty at the School of Jazz and Contemporary Music at the New School’s College of Performing Arts first won a contract with Local 802 in 1998. At the time, faculty had received only one

Jerry Bruno, 100, died on June 22, 2020. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1951. Below is a tribute by fellow Local 802 member Howie Tavin… A tribute to Jerry Bruno by Howie Tavin (“Tavern”) My dear

Bob Ojeda, 78, a trumpeter and a member of Local 802 since 1992, died on March 26. Allegro published Mr. Ojeda’s obituary here, and below are reminiscences by Roger Rhodes. Bob Ojeda was my colleague and friend for 60 years.

Kathryn Easter, 86, a member of Local 802 for almost 60 years, died on April 16, 2020.  Kathryn was probably best known for her extraordinary career as a Broadway harpist.  Starting in 1962 with Steven Sondheim’s riotous musical farce, A

By Styra Avins Clara Schumann just celebrated her 200th birthday! Most people know her as the wife and muse of Robert Schumann, as one of the very great pianists of the 19th century, and the center of the emotion-ridden triangle

“Having union representation has allowed the New School jazz faculty to bargain collectively to achieve vast improvements in academic working conditions that individually would have been impossible for me to acquire on my own. Local 802 has been instrumental in

Here’s some very welcome good news! As Allegro goes to press, registration for this year’s NYU Broadway Percussion Seminar is STILL OPEN…and is planning to be taught online via Zoom! Hosted by the NYU Steinhardt Percussion Studies Program, the NYU

What good is a contract if you can’t enforce it? One of the great benefits that comes with having a union is the protection of collective bargaining agreements. But arguably what’s even more important is the ability to enforce them

By Martin Agee There are audiences of music lovers out there who have been waiting to hear their first live concert. And while their love of music is palpable, sadly many of them have never heard so much as a

Jimmy Heath The jazz saxophonist Jimmy Heath, 93, a member of Local 802 since 1959, died on Jan. 19. Mr. Heath was long recognized as a brilliant instrumentalist and a magnificent composer and arranger. Mr. Heath was the middle brother

By Joseph Church Although I’ve sung all my life, I don’t consider myself a singer. I know that’s an odd statement coming from someone who just wrote a book on singing. What I am is a musician who freely uses

By Bill Crow With everyone forced to stay home and all our gigs canceled, the internet has become more and more a place for people to stay connected. Many musicians are posting live performances. I’ve watched quite a few of

By Bill Crow Lee Konitz, who left this world on April 15, was one of the first jazz musicians I met when I came to live in New York City in 1950. I was studying the valve trombone with Lennie

I found this story in my old friend Gene DiNovi’s interesting memoir “I Can Hear the Music,” which you can read online at wattpad.com. When Gene was getting started in the music business, he went on the road with a