EARL PALMER, PETER QUESADA PASS/RMA SMOKE AND MIRRORS/COMMENTS/EVENTS

September 25th, 2008 The Committee

I. EARL PALMER AND PETER QUESADA PASS
II. MORE RMA SMOKE AND MIRRORS
III. COMMENTS
IV. CONCERTS AND EVENTS

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I. EARL PALMER AND PETER QUESADA PASS

EARL PALMER
Session drummer whose distinctive style was a feature of many of the
great classics of rock ‘ n’ roll.

Earl Palmer, who died on Friday aged 84, was a session drummer
whose subtle pioneering backbeats featured on many of the R&B
classics of his day.

An ever-adaptable, jazz-rooted drummer esteemed by Shelly Manne
and Charlie Watts, Palmer made a distinctive contribution to innumerable
records, among them Nat Cole’s Ramblin’ Rose, Little Richard’s Tutti Frutti,
Elvis Costello’s King of America, the Righteous Brothers’ You’ve Lost
That Lovin’ Feelin’ and Ike and Tina Turner’s River Deep, Mountain High.

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PETER QUESADA

Peter Alfonso Quesada y Fimbres was a product of the barrios of East Los
Angeles. He began the study of the violin at the age of 11, studying with
Ida Pepper and Aaron Kaminsky.

Upon being discharged from the USAF, he married and had children. Finding
no symphony in his immediate area, he formed the Carson Symphony. Later,
seeing the lack of an orchestra to serve the Latino community in East Los Angeles
he formed La Sinfonica Del Barrio/The Barrio Symphony in 1974 to great acclaim
and with much success.

From this orchestra have come many excellent musicians who have gone onto
world class orchestras such as: the San Francisco Symphony, the Beersheba
Orchestra (Israel), Miami Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Hollywood
Bowl Orchestra, Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, Cape Town South Africa Symphony,
the Bamberg Symphony, and other orchestras in Europe and Asia.

His music career has taken him to Europe, North Africa, Japan, Mexico and many other
places on the globe where he has either conducted or performed as a violinist. Among
some of the orchestras he has conducted is the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the
Hollywood Bowl. He has performed with such artists as Louis Belling, Alicia Keyes,
Whitney Houston, Tony Bennet, NSYNC, Rod Stewart, Juan Gabriel, Luis Miguel, SEAL,
Sean P. Diddy Colms, and many more.

Peter was a true treasure to Los Angeles. He will be dearly missed.

A tribute is being planned for January 08. 2009

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ELECTION COMING/UNDERMINING THE AFM/COMMENTS/CONCERTS

September 20th, 2008 The Committee

I. ELECTION COMING
II. UNDERMINING THE AFM
III. COMMENTS
IV. CONCERTS AND EVENTS

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We recently received this “Letter to the Editor” from a Local 47 member.

I. ELECTION COMING

Colleagues,

The National election isn’t the only important election for us this year. In
December will be our Local 47’s Elections. Over the next couple of months
will be talking about things that our Local needs to do or improve,… and
we want to hear from you as well.

We will also be giving you our endorsements.

What are you concerned about? Please let us know…

THE COMMITTEE

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II. UNDERMINING THE AFM

AFM verses the RMALA or RMALA undermines the AFM. You decide.

To adequately address problems existing between the AFM and the
RMALA no one, two, or three paragraphs of back and forth rhetoric
can fully explain the issues that continue to divide them. This
problem is only unique to Los Angeles. The best you can do is to
get an overview of what some of the issues are.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Patrick Flynn Passes/Special Comment/Comments/Events

September 11th, 2008 The Committee

I. CONDUCTOR PATRICK FLYNN PASSES AWAY
II. SPECIAL COMMENT re:RMA: THE BIGGER PICTURE
III. COMMENTS
IV. CONCERTS AND EVENTS

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I. RIVERSIDE CONDUCTOR PATRICK FLYNN PASSES AWAY

The music director of the Riverside Symphony, Patrick Flynn,
passed away from a pulmonary embolism late Tuesday or early Wednesday while being treated at the Cedar-Sinai Medical Center.
Mr. Flynn was also the conductor of the Saginaw Bay Symphony Orchestra.

His first professional appointment was as a conductor for the
Australian Opera in 1970. After his Covent Garden debut the London Daily Telegraph wrote: “Here is a conductor to treasure. “His career encompassed the entire spectrum of musical production including symphony, opera, theatre and film. He has conducted for the BBC Philharmonic, the BBC Concert Orchestra and the Paris Opera, the Spoleto Festival, The Varna International Festival, the orchestras of Louisville, Memphis, San Diego, the Los Angeles Mozart Orchestra,
and the Manhattan and Florida Philharmonics, among others.

World premieres include Roland Petit’s Phantom de l’Opera in Paris, John William’s Clarinet Concerto in California and Gareth Farr’s Ruauamoko in New Zealand. In London, he conducted the Sherrill Milnes TV special “Salute to America” and the English National Ballet’s historic ballet-in-the-round Swan Lake at the Royal Albert Hall. His
recording of the score was selected by Fanfare magazine as one of the best new releases of 1996.

For the theatre, he conducted for Joan Sutherland and Kiri Te Kanawa with the Australian Opera at the Sydney Opera House and at Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber’s request, he led the first concert performances
of Jesus Christ Superstar.

He will be dearly missed.

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II. SPECIAL RMA COMMENT: THE BIGGER PICTURE
We recently received this comment.

Greetings:

I read with interest your latest news on the subject of the RMA & thought I should pass on what I see as RMA weak points that the AFM cannot talk about.

The RMA does not act as a union committee that handles membership money should. It charges dues and engages in collective bargaining but has never filed LM-2’s with the Department of Labor. It claims that it is a trade association however it also claims to represent members at bargaining tables for several contracts. It is apparently most adept at complaining about the other elements of the union at the bargaining table and by doing so offers proof of its representation role to the
members who pay it dues. In other words the RMA passes the duck test (if it looks like a duck, sounds like a duck, and walks like a duck then it is a duck). It’s a labor organization that flounts the law. If you have RMALA members ask the US Department of Labor for a copy of the RMALA and International RMA LM-2’s uncle sam’s gears will slowly grind to find them - when they don’t they will open an investigation as to why they do not comply with the law.

Another point, the RMA wants to affiliate with the Teamsters. The Teamsters union gives retroactive pension service credit to the officers of organizations that affiliate with the Teamsters. It’s a method of organizing other unions into the Teamsters invented by Jimmy Hoffa. The credits are in one or more Teamster Pension funds. In LA that means the Teamster Western States Pension Fund. Of course the
members will have to work for 5 years in order to vest into whatever fund is negotiated into contracts-and that fund will not be the AFM-EPF but the officers will be sweet from day one - it’s motive baby - Tom Lee is just the icing on the cake.

I’m writing this message in the hope that you can use the information. It is all independently verifiable.

[Editor's comment: If this is true, then you have your answer as to why some RMA officers are pushing so hard to break the bank and go Teamsters, the "officers" will have it made from square one, the rest will have to labor for five years to get a stake. As we said: fighting to the last drop of YOUR blood, not theirs.
Hey elites, are the gears starting to turn yet?]

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III. COMMENTS

The comments below and elsewhere in this mailing represent the
uncensored views of the readers and not necessarily those of the
COMMITTEE. In the faith that freedom of expression allows for the
birth and ascendancy of the most beneficial ideas, all sentiments
expressed are welcome, subject to the bounds of good taste and
decorum. If you disagree with an opinion expressed by any contributor,
we encourage you to rebut it here.

—————–

Dear Committee,

Bill Horns audit comes up Sept 17. Can you show him support by publishing an issue of Resp Comm dedicated to the targeted auditing of SELA contracts on union members the administration doesn’t like ahead of his audit?
We all know he is a target because of Bill and Lisas’ witnessing Doug Cains firing. We know the current Local 47 administration wants to put an end to SELA contracts. We also know Local 47 officials secretly read Committee comments, while publicly ignoring it. I think our current administration should come out of the closet.

In my opinion, Bill Horn and Lisa Haley are the only 2 people getting audited on the SELA contracts. I think the other 6 to 8 people are fabricated by union officials and that Lisa Haley and Bill Horn are the only ones being targeted for political reasons. It would make a big difference to me if they were asking for tax returns and bank
statements from at least 4 or 5 other people. But I don’t think they are. I think the current administration is lying. It’s very easy for a union official to tell the auditor that “These two people are of particular interest to us” (hint, hint). In court, if some one commits perjury in one instance, their testimony can be discredited in the second.
Again, I think the administration is lying.

[EDITOR'S COMMENT: Lisa and Bill were not present for Mr. Caine's firing, they were present for the presentation of the evidence that led to his firing. While we don't believe the other 8 audits we've been told are happening are fake, it is obvious to us that the officers are abusing their power and position in some cases to punish those who speak up and speak truth to power. ]

—————-

Think there’s no monopoly on the movie session contracting business in LA? …..think again. Here’s Peter Rotter’s IMDB list - click on below. (aka heir and purchaser of the Sandy DeCrescent throne) He’s got things going into 2009 - a grand total of 73 projects in 2008 and upcoming 2009 - God Bless him.

Now, not taking any credit away from him whatsoever - folks use him and his team because they “believe” it to be the best. But there are some business practices that they sometimes partake in that are very
questionable at times bending the monopoly laws.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0745448/

Gina Zimitti’s IMDB list is below too - she’s getting a much lower share but at least she’s getting something.
She only has 17 projects in 2008 going into 2009 - BIG difference you might say.

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm2498821/

Reggie Wilson IMDB listing

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0934003/

he has only 23 TOTAL credits for movies

most other contractors dont match up.

thanks

—————

Folks,

The current issue of Allegro has a number of articles on recording, especially film recording in New York.
Don’t know if you have seen it or not. You can see the main articles by going to the Local 802 website

Here is the link to the issue itself:
http://local802afm.org/frames/fs_news.cfm?xPublication=68907426

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It is hard for me to imagine that the RMALA/PMG can beat the AFM.
I don’t belong to the RMA and many people like me do recording and don’t have a voice because of the RMA. Why should I be obligated to join the RMA to have a voice with the AFM? I already am a part of the AFM. But I have never had the opportunity to vote for or against the national contracts. Nor have I had the opportunity to voice my opinion among a forum of recording musicians. I would have to pay to join the RMA. Then I might have a say. Maybe that should be brought up in court. There are musicians in Los Angeles who don’t belong to the RMA who do recording professionally and do not have a say in the national contracts unless they join the RMA which did not exist in 1961…..

——————–

regarding the state of the biz regarding sessions and loss of work.

THE biggest reasons to live and work in LA as a musician USED to be that you were playing and working with the most talented session players in the world. This still holds true but this will eventually dwindle and die if sessions continue to dwindle and die. No one good will want to live here just to play LIVE gigs….you can almost do that anywhere and live cheaper and more normal.

We are now seeing a few musicians transition into OTHER careers because their session work is way off.
Some of the most successful session players are now taking their pensions (EARLY I might add) because they see the writing on the wall.

If you buy into that resid’s aren’t the deciding factor in where a project is scored, and that it’s upfront dollars and incentives that make the difference……..you’re MISLEAD by the RMALA elite bull.

It’s all about the NO resids and NO red tape when it comes to the scoring location….PERIOD.

BOTTOM LINE

The composers live here, the directors live….heck everyone lives here when it comes to movie or TV production, etc, etc. Composers and their teams need to be able to stay here in LA and record here -
PERIOD.

The fact that a score cant get done here because of obvious reasons can’t factor in anymore. A good run has been had by a very select few lucky enough to work since the Movie/TV Secondary Market fund
came into being - and that run is now the major issue we are barely working front end in LA these days.

The old business models are gone, new ones prevail and LA has to capture back its crown of the recording capitol of the world. We cannot be the one still making “buggy whips”. It’s an ugly thing but we have to get over it….raise up the pension….make the wages competitive and get back to work where the composers live and work. It’s over RMALA, 6 figure resid check boys….over. I suggest a secret ballot by ALL that do recording work - not just the nifty 150 - ALL

A SECRET BALLOT in the MAIL- no show up at local 47 bull…….and in that secret ballot - we vote on if we want to get back to work front end with health and pension benefits with a higher pension as your form of
back end.

please respond back to this and get the ball rolling.

———–

IN AN ATTEMPT TO CATEGORIZE PAYMENTS RECEIVED FROM THE “FILM FUND” AND THE “PHONO FUND” I’D LIKE TO BE INFORMED AS TO HOW THOSE MUSICIANS REPORT THE MONIES RECEIVED WHEN THEY PREPARE THEIR ANNUAL INCOME TAX REPORTS.
IS IT REPORTED AS “EARNED INCOME” OR “UNEARNED INCOME” AND IS IT CALCULATED INTO NET INCOME REQUIRING PAYMENT OF INCOME TAX?

IS IT CONCEIVABLE THAT WE SHOULDN’T BE COUNTING MONIES REPORTED ON 1099R, 1099DIV AND 1099B TO BE CALCULATED INTO OUR NET INCOME FOR TAX PURPOSES? THE MONIES WE RECEIVE AND REPORTED ON THOSE FORMS ARE FOR WORK WE PERFORMED OR MONIES INVESTED YEARS AGO.

————

Dear Comm Resp 47:

I heard a rumor from another member that the RMA is trying to change the rules so that only full time musicians will be eligible for membership. This can’t be true. If so, the Union would lose 97% of its
membership and I doubt they would want to incur the lost revenue. By the way, what is a ‘full time musician’. I have been a professional musician my life and I never was one. There might have been one
or two instances where I was a full time member, but that was when I was on tour. Neither have I met any ‘full time’ musicians. What are they?

Most musicians end up teaching? Would that also disqualify them from membership? This certainly has to be a rumor because I think the last time there were full time musicians who do the kind of gigs that most of us do was back in the 30’s and 40’s, or now in a major city symphony orchestra. This doesn’t make sense. Say it ‘aint so!

Anonymous, (kind of)

[Editor's Comment: The RMA hard-liners have made it no secret that they want a boutique Local of about 1200 that pays $1,200 a year in dues, but they do not have the ability or the authority to change
the rules, even WITH the officers in their back pocket.

You're absolutely correct that in the days of the studio orchestra most had full time recording jobs and could be considered full-time musicians. There are still many full time musicians, those who make their
living solely from music, but with the exception of the LA PHIL, we're all freelancers! Neither the LA Opera Orchestra nor the LA Chamber Orchestra have enough of a season for it to be a sole income.

It's well known that the elites conceit is that unless you make your full living doing recording your not a professional. Since those elites are now "reduced" to doing sidelining and live orchestral work as well,
they are by their own definition, "non-professional" hobbyists. Careful what you say, eh?

We're ALL freelancers. We all need to take various gigs or teaching to make ends meet.

Besides, there is no audition requirement to Join Local 47 - thanks RMA, so there's little to fear from
the rumor you heard.]

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“Organizing efforts among groups of working musicians currently outside the union must be aggressively pursued. This will, when successful, lead to increased credibility and prestige. Greater numbers of under-employed and part-time musicians will then see the union as a potentially strong advocate for their concerns.”
- Bill Moriarity

Recipe for Disaster Fruitcake:

First, get a big bowl of film recording for the ingredients to stew in (throw out any part time musicians, as it will spoil the mix) *periodically audit people you don’t like, just to keep it from rising.

1. Add 6% of union members qualifying for H & W.
2. Add 2 cups of H & W going up from $600.00 to $900.00 to qualify.
3. Skim the fat off the top of $82 million from last years Special Payments Fund
4. Stir up the $50 million paid out in recording wages to LA players alone last year (whew!).
5. Simmer until the RMALA officially becomes the PMG.
6. Knead the Espinosa administration into a sticky dough for ignoring Sam Folio at the last union meeting.
7. Add a spicy Leslie Lashinsky so she can put her foot in her mouth.
8. Boil bits of Lou Levy who commits to a paycheck but can’t commit to a legal opinion.
9. Subtract several thousand union members who don’t care enough to show up to a union meeting.
10. Pour in huge amounts of lip service and butter to the Referral Service.
11. Raise the union administrations salaries using the new RMALA “salary review” board to get what you can
get while you can get it.
12. Gerrymander in a mixer until fluffy.

Bake at 500 degrees and hope Obama takes it out of the oven before it burns.

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IV. CONCERTS AND EVENTS

9/17/08

CELEBRATION 2008

WHEN: Wednesday, September 17, 2008
6:00 - 10:00 p.m.
WHERE: California African American Museum,
600 State Drive, Exposition Park, Los Angeles
CONTACT:Billy Mitchell
(626) 574-5040
sappaprograms@gmail.com

—————–

9/21/08

Live at the Atelier
Sunday, September 21,2008
2pm The Atelier in West LA

THE ALAN PASQUA TRIO
Alan Pasqua, Piano
Peter Erskine, drums
Tom Warrington, bass

Alan has decided to honor two great artists in this concert: Billy Strayhorn and
Duke Ellington, and some of the afternoon’s selections will be by these two.

For more information please call: (310)457-5604

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9/27/08

Los Angeles Pierce College Music Department presents

THE LOS ANGELES PIERCE SYMPHONIC WINDS
Stephan Piazza, conductor

Saturday, September 27th

2 concerts: 1pm and 4pm
Pierce College Performing Arts Theater

Selections will include Copland’s “A Lincoln Portrait”, featuring Bob Joles
Bencresciuto’s “Summer in Central Park” featuring Gary Herbig.
and two WORLD PREMIERE WORKS for band:
Sousapalooza by Ron Hess
Wind Fantasia (Genome) by Paul Francis Witt (in memory of Alan Strange)

General Admission: $15
For more information contact tickets@lawinds.org

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9/27/08

Los Angeles Pierce College Music Department presents

SAN FERNANDO VALLEY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
James Domine, conductor

Saturday Evening September 27,2008 at 8pm
Pierce College Performing Arts Theater

Schubert Unfinished Symhony

MTAC Concerto Competition Winners featuring music by
Mozart, Bruch and Saint-Saens

General Admission: $25
Students/Seniors: $20
Children under 12: $15

For ticket info call (818)347-4807

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FROM BILLY MITCHELL

Folks,
This is a new online publication that I am writing for. Check it out at your earliest.

This free newsletter covers the Art, Business and Craft of making Money Making Music.

Content: emphasis on technology and gear including cool stuff like video and
interactive gear reviews.
Readers can ask specific questions and get them answered.

The newsletter and the digital version of the magazine are free.

Check out the newsletter and sign up:

https://www.mynewsletterbuilder.com/tools/subscription.php?username=l2pnet&action=email&email=&send_id=null&newsletter_id=1409655567

Check out website: www.L2PNet.com

When you sign up you get the newsletter and are automatically entered into a drawing
for prizes including guitars, amps, tuners, stompboxes, mics, etc–50 prizes in all.

Thanx for checking it out.
MITCH

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FILM MUSIC MAGAZINE PUTS ON THE THIRD ANNUAL COMPOSER EXPO

Film Music Magazine Presents The Premiere National Industry Events
Focused Exclusively on Composers for Film, Television and Video Games

THE THIRD ANNUAL COMPOSER EXPO

THE COMPOSER EXPO EAST - New York, NY
September 20, 2008
The Directors Guild Theater

THE COMPOSER EXPO WEST - Los Angeles, CA
September 27, 2008
The Renaissance Montura LAX Hotel

The Composer Expo is Presented by Film Music Magazine
Sponsored by Music4Games.net and UGO Video Games and Entertainment

Complete Registration and Information:
http://www.composerexpo.com

============

UNTIL NEXT TIME,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47

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AFM vs RMA END GAME/VP CANADA COMMENT/COMMENTS/EVENTS

September 4th, 2008 The Committee

I. AFM vs. RMA - THE END GAME
II. MESSAGE FROM BILL SKOLNIK, AFM VICE-PRESIDENT, CANADA
III. COMMENTS
IV. CONCERTS AND EVENTS

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I. AFM vs. RMA - the END Game

Hopefully, you’ve read the RMA Manifesto for yourself and read the comments
of those who wrote in. This is the only prerequisite to truly understanding our
analysis, because if you haven’t read the RMA screed in their own words, you
might think we’re exaggerating.

We’ll only make a couple of quick points on the Manifesto:

Read the rest of this entry »

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