Allegro
Currently Browsing: February, 2020
DOWNLOAD A PDF OF THE FEBRUARY 2020 ISSUE OF ALLEGRO (CLICK THE LINK BELOW)
Download a PDF of the February 2020 issue of Allegro
HOW WE’RE DEALING WITH THE PENSION CRISIS
President's report
In this month’s president’s report, I want to reprint a letter that was recently e-mailed to all members from the Local 802 Executive Board. On December 30, 2019, the AFM-EPF Trustees formally applied to the U.S. Treasury to reduce pension
DECONSTRUCTING CLASSICAL SCALE
Four years ago, Allegro published an explainer of the Single Engagement Classical Concert contract. Since then, Local 802 has added just over 2,000 new members, many of whom may be working under that contract (Appendix A), or the Ballet/Opera Single
THE IMPORTANCE OF A UNITED UNION: Setting the stage for the next decade
Guest commentary
As we begin 2020, it is an exciting time for musicians in New York state. With a new decade in front of you, you have the opportunity to set the stage for the next ten years. And you get the
A BANNER YEAR FOR UNION REVIVIAL
Notes from the field
Unions are built on the principle of solidarity – an injury to one is an injury to all. It means that we stand up for each other when injustices are being done against us, our colleagues, or sometimes in our
‘THE HEART NEVER BELIEVES IN LIMITATIONS’
The many lives of Buster Williams
By PETER ZIMMERMAN podunkpete@gmail.com Back in 1989, Buster Williams formed the first incarnation of his Something More quartet. Last year, he released the group’s ninth recording, called “Audacity.” It was a decade in the making and the bassist’s 16th overall
Wynton Marsalis wins Ken Burns American Heritage Prize
Local 802 member Wynton Marsalis has been named the recipient of the 2020 Ken Burns American Heritage Prize. The award will be presented on May 6 at the American Museum of Natural History. The evening’s festivities will include remarks by
HOW BLACK MUSICIANS HELPED REFORM LOCAL 802
Black History Month
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
Winter Jazzfest features top talent under a Local 802 contract
Celebrating its 16th year, the NYC Winter Jazzfest is a bright light in the festival scene. Since 2012, musicians who perform in the festival have been covered by a Local 802 agreement to guarantee wages and working conditions. Check out
Broadway audiences becoming more diverse
The Broadway League recently released its 22nd annual demographics report, which provides a comprehensive analysis of the theatregoers who attended Broadway shows in New York City last season. It also compares current Broadway theatregoing habits in New York City to
The census can affect arts funding – and a whole lot more!
The 2020 census is fast approaching! For various reasons, in past years a significant number of New Yorkers have not participated in the census. Without a complete count, our city’s fair share of congressional representation is at stake, as are
THE CASE ACT CAN HELP MUSICIANS
Local 802 Artist Rights Caucus
For the musicians who remember what our industry was like before the digital paradigm shift, it is abundantly clear that others are now profiting even more from our work than we are. This is especially true for recorded music. For
Trump’s labor board wages a legal war on workers
Legal corner
The start of a new year brings with it the promise of new possibilities and beginnings. Unfortunately, this is not the case with labor relations in the United States. The Trump NLRB’s assault on workers’ legal ability to organize and
NORTH/SOUTH CONSONANCE ENSEMBLE
Musicians at Work (photo op)
NORTH/SOUTH CONSONANCE ENSEMBLE Musicians in the North/South Consonance Ensemble recently performed their annual holiday concert at Christ and St. Stephen’s Church on West 69th Street. Funding for the concert came in part from the Music Performance Trust Fund, and musicians
MUSIC FROM THE HEART
Photostory
MET Orchestra musicians and other Local 802 members recently performed for Spanish-speaking refugee children from Mexico and Central America at the Andrew Freedman Home in the South Bronx. Connecting with communities throughout the greater New York area through music has
BIG APPLE CIRCUS
Musicians at Work (photo op)
BIG APPLE CIRCUS “I’m grateful to be employed under a Local 802 contract for several reasons. First, I’m impressed by the knowledge, expertise and diligence of the team at 802 who negotiated a fair and thorough contract for our musicians.
HOW BRAINWAVES AFFECT MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
Winning on Stage
There are five different types of brainwave patterns that affect a musician’s level of performance. They are called delta, alpha-theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. Each frequency can be measured on an electroencephalogram (EEG) in cycles per second (otherwise known as
MEETING YOUR HEROES: A tribute to Bob Cranshaw
Reminiscences
Mentorship is a vital tradition in music, especially in jazz. An excellent role model was the late Bob Cranshaw, whose life I am researching for my graduate thesis. I want to share a little bit about what I’ve learned and
‘Why we joined the union’
Adi Meyerson
I joined Local 802 after I got some work opportunities through the union, and I’m glad to finally be a part of it. My musical goal in NYC is to continue to lead my band and play with my heroes
‘Why we joined the union’
John Lake
I joined Local 802 to further my career as a pit musician and recording artist. My musical goal in NYC is to play music at the highest levels with an excellent community of musicians. One of my favorite recent gigs
‘Why we joined the union’
Chelsea Lane
I joined Local 802 so that I could pursue more freelance work in NYC as I write my dissertation for a DMA degree at The Graduate Center, CUNY. The opportunity to read for “Das Rheingold” at the Metropolitan Opera last
‘Why we joined the union’
Edward W. Hardy
I joined Local 802 after already establishing a career as a musician and composer. I was asked to be a sub for “Rocktopia” on Broadway, which was a fantastic experience, and prompted me to join the union. Coincidentally, it was
‘Why we joined the union’
Laura Thompson
I joined Local 802 because it seemed a great way to meet fellow musicians in New York City, and I also believe in the advocacy and organizing work the union does to ensure that we are paid a fair wage.
‘Why we joined the union’
Jordon Cunningham
I re-joined Local 802 after I started working at the Engeman Theatre on Long Island for its production of “Saturday Night Fever.” I’m also very much looking forward to a few projects coming up within the next couple of months,
Executive board minutes
December 3, 2019 - January 6, 2020
Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Meeting called to order at 11:17 am by President Krauthamer. Present: Financial Vice President Fisher, Recording Vice President Schwartz, Executive Board members Axelrod, Cohen, Frawley, Kainuma, Shankin. Minutes of November 25, 2019 reviewed. It was moved
THE BAND ROOM
Pianist Marty Napoleon was a good friend, and provided me with quite a bit of work over the years with his trios and quartets. But it was his older brother Andy, a drummer, who I first met when I arrived