8/26/16
I. A LETTER FROM THE RMA
II. FROM THE COMMITTEE
III. EVENTS
…Absolutely guaranteed anonymity – Former Musician’s Union officer
…The one voice of reason in a sea of insanity – Nashville ‘first call’
scoring musician
…Allows us to speak our minds without fear of reprisal – L.A. Symphonic musician
…Reporting issues the Musicians Union doesn’t dare to mention – National touring musician
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I. A LETTER FROM THE RMA
The RMA wants you do join…
Dear Musicians,
For generations, musicians of every type, players, copyists, orchestrators
and conductors have been drawn to Los Angeles because of our diverse
and dynamic recording industry. More than anyplace else in the world,
Los Angeles has been the direct beneficiary of this incredible pool of talent.
We are the Recording Musicians Association of Los Angeles. We provide
leadership, research, outreach and resources for the Sound Recording,
Live TV/ Videotape, Commercials and Motion Picture and TV negotiations.
We represent you in legislative efforts to protect employment. We have
been in the forefront of building bridges to protect our intellectual
property rights. And we are your voice with the American Federation of
Musicians. Your generous support ensures that we have the ability to
represent ALL of our members.
This year, we are proud to report several crucial developments in
our business….
RMA played a key role in helping build a new relationship with Sony
Playstation, leading to a groundbreaking live stream with full
orchestra and live gameplay at E3
RMA continues to be at the table in major media negotiations –
SRLA with major record labels, and Videotape with the TV
Networks, and Film/Television with the AMPTP
RMALA is front and center with the Alliance of Women Composers,
Beyond the Red Carpet, Made in Hollywood TV, Made in Hollywood
Film, and more
Plus, the new AFM went to bat for RMA – unanimous defeat for
the anti-RMA Resolution 4 at the AFM Convention.
We are currently kicking off our annual membership drive. Soon,
current RMALA members will be receiving a membership renewal
packet in the mail. Your donation will help us to continue to
protect and advocate for recording musicians as well as update
our website and app. You’ll be able to update your information
and get instructions for downloading the directory app to your
mobile device. You can also renew anytime by going to rmala.org
and clicking the Join/Renew tab or by calling our office at
(323) 462-4762 to pay with a credit card over the phone.
If you are not a current RMALA member but do any recording
work at all in Los Angeles, we strongly encourage you to join us.
Your voice and participation are crucial in our constant battle
for a vibrant and healthy recording industry. If you have any
questions or want to find out more about RMALA please call
our office at (323) 462-4762 or go to our website, rmala.org
and click on the contact tab for the emails of our board members.
Kind Regards,
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II. FROM THE COMMITTEE
The above comes from the group more responsible than any other
(Along with the acquiescent, spineless AFM and Local 47) for the
staggering loss of work in Los Angeles and Federation wide. There
isn’t even enough work for the few elites left, but they still try to
play the other musicians as fools.
And what does “front and center” mean, does it mean that they
made sure they were the ones to play it? Ten years ago they’d
not consider doing live gigs, now they take all they can find,
since the recording work is a shadow of it’s former self.
AS TO PROPOSITION 4
As to the Proposition 4: It was most certainly anti-RMA, but
it was also pro rank and file AFM Member (Pro-everyone else).
The ones who might get to work on union recording contracts
if there were a buyout.
In the explanation of the resolution printed some time ago,
it was made clear that no one expected the big budget
movies to go buyout, and as long as there were studio
signatories, that is.
What losses have been caused by the spineless AFM and
complicit Local 47 administrations past and present?
Ask any musician and you’ll find out. It was the AFM’s lack
of forethought that lead directly to Seattle, to Nashville,
to Vancouver among others, not including all the fi-core
and non-union orchestras that have been formed.
These locales and countless others in the federation don’t
care about staying loyal to an organization that works only
to protect a minute monopoly in Los Angeles, while everyone
has bills to pay.
What is it that gets the IEB and AFM to totally ignore the
needs of the other 99.8% of members for the pocketbooks of
a few recording musicians as to recording options?
Imagine for a moment:
There is a well paid buyout option for every project other than
big budget films.
Imagine the dues, pension and health and welfare that could
have been collected by the AFM over the last decade if there
had been even a few officers with the cajones to confront the
recording leadership on behalf of the rank and file.
There have, however, been none. None that lasted in any case.
At local 47, whenever anyone made their way onto the Local 47
board who was not “in the club”, their removal was arranged
the very next election.
Anyone who in the past has stood up to the club have found
themselves marginalized, their careers affected as much as
they could be. Bogus charges filed against folks who dared
speak up for the multitude of members too cowed to speak
for themselves. They do nothing, keep their heads down,
imagining that if they stay silent some work might
come their way, which we all know never will – it isn’t there.
Imagine the monies brought in by those recording jobs that
could have eliminated the selling of the Local 47 building
in Hollywood.
Revenues and membership at Local 47 are down, income for
the AFM has been reduced. The lack of revenue has put our
Pension plan into critical condition. The loss of recording
revenue has been a huge burden on the federation, yet
the IEB and the Officers do nothing to turn the situation
around. Nada. Zip.
In the end analysis the question must be asked.
Who is the IEB putting first? The future of the AFM
or the desires and demands of the RMA. And why.
There is no doubt about the RMA leadership. They most
certainly put the needs and desires of their little cadre first,
ahead of the AFM rank and file certainly.
We keep losing members because the AFM has
become a dunsel for most. All they guarantee at
this point is that you have to look over you shoulder
when you do finally get some work, because if it’s
not the RMA doing it it’s not supposed to exist.
If there were any forward thinking leaders among
the recording musicians they’d have seen the damage
done by their organization’s actions and practices
and realized something needs to change if a healthy
recording community is to ever return. Unfortunately,
for a very, very few highly placed long standing RMA
leaders, nothing matters except the size of their
july check, regardless of the damage done to the
Local, the Federation or the tens of thousands of
their fellow AFM Members.
It makes one hope that there really is karma
out there. We’re not holding our breath though.
THE COMMITTEE
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