RESENDING/NEW BLOG/ALLEN STRANGE PASSES/EVENTS/TRIVIA/COMMENTS

RESENDING

I. COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NEW BLOG
II. ALLEN STRANGE PASSES
III. EVENTS
IV. TRIVIA – WATER MUSIC
V. COMMENTS

COLLEAGUES,

With new servers sometimes come transition problems. We had a slight problem with our new server, but the issues have been resolved. If you received the first version of this mailing we apologize for the repeat, though there is some new info contained herein.

THE COMMITTEE

I. COMMITTEE ANNOUNCES NEW BLOG

There used to be four AFM related blogs. Two allowed
anonymous comments, two did not. Over the last year,
the two that allowed anonymous comments have disappeared.

We couldn’t have that!

We’re proud to announce our new blog, www.responsible47.com.
Here you can read previous mailings, ALL OF THEM (Or at least
the ones we could find). Our archives go all the way back to
January, 2005! You can also search for key words in the mailings,
leave comments, join or remove yourself from the list, or use our
links to go to a variety of websites, including the other AFM
related blogs.

As we send out our mailings, we’ll also post them on the site.
Well also take comments from the site and include them in mailings.

While we will allow all comers to post, we will of course reserve
the right to edit profanity or inappropriate language.

Please sign on and ENJOY!

THE COMMITTEE

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

II. AVANT GARDE MUSIC GIANT PASSES

We’ve just been told of the passing of ALLAN STRANGE on February 20th, 2008.

American composer and performer Allen Strange studied composition with Michalsky at State University, Fullerton (BA, MA 1967) and later with Erickson, Partch, Gaburo and Oliveros (composition and electronic media) at the University of California, San Diego (1967–8, 1970–71).

In 1970, Strange became a professor of music and the director of the electronic music studios at San Jose State University.

He was the first to produce a comprehensive work on analog music synthesis, called Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques and Control. Published in 1972, it is considered a classic reference work. He went on to write Programming and Meta-Programming the Electro-Organism and also co-wrote The Contemporary Violin: Extended Performance Techniques with his wife, Patricia.
Strange composed for live electronic instrumental ensembles, for live and taped electronics with voices and acoustic instruments, and for the theater; most of his works for acoustic instruments require extended performance techniques. His groups included the performing groups “Biome” and “The Electric Weasel Ensemble”. Live (real time) performing of electronic or computer music (which in the past was by necessity pre-prepared on tape) was a big part of his esthetic.

One of his most recent works is on a CD called The Composer in the Computer Age. It’s an anthology of the work of five different composers besides Allen. Most of the labels his work is on are an anthology from different composers. He is the author of perhaps 200 compositions. “Go to Amazon [.com],” he suggests, when asked to name some representative CDs.
“My music isn’t for everyone,” he readily conceded. “Composers compose for themselves, not for others, unless it’s a commercial piece for advertising or movies. When people listen to new music if they don’t know what they’re listening for (such as music traveling around a room), they’ll miss the point.”

Strange retired from academia in 2002 and moved to Bainbridge Island, Washington to pursue a full-time career composing, concertizing with his wife, and working with his jazz trio, Cuvée.

The Stranges’ wry take on life is exemplified in their license plate, which reads, “Real Musicians Have a Day Job.”

III. EVENTS

••JUNE 9TH••

CROWN CITY BRASS/LA CHAMBER BRASS JOIN FOR JUNE 9th
CONCERT

Message originally from Jim Self.

The Crown City Brass Quintet and the LA Chamber Brass
announce that they will once again join for a concert,
creating the ensemble known as The Big City Brass. On
Monday night June 9, 7:30pm, The Big City Brass
will be at:

First United Methodist Church of Pasadena
(500 East Colorado Boulevard, Pasadena, CA 91101)
for a concert featuring music of composers Jim Self, Nick
Lane, Giovanni Gabrieli and Georges Delerue.

LA Philharmonic tuba player Norm Pearson will perform
Self’s_ Winks ‘n Jinks_ for solo tuba and 4 trombones as a
preview of the performance to be given June 27th at the
International Tuba Conference in Cincinnati, OH.

A freewill offering will be collected. All proceeds benefit
the Hearts of Music Fund. Hearts of Music is a non-profit
fund established to assist musicians with emergency medical
needs. Many musicians, although working, do not have nor
qualify for medical insurance and, as we all know, illness
and accidents don’t check for insurance coverage before
striking. Hearts of Music is a fund founded by Bill
Reichenbach to help those in need.

Musicians involved:
The LA Chamber Brass:
Jon Lewis & Larry Hall, trumpets,
Brad Warnaar, horn,
Alex Iles, trombone,
Bill Reichenbach, bass trombone

The Crown City Brass Quintet:
Rob Frear & Marty FentonFrear, trumpets,
Ben Jaber, horn,
Andrew Malloy, trombone,
Norm Pearson, tuba.

More information can be found at:
crowncitybrassquintet.com

————-

••JUNE 10••

GENE POKORNY RECITAL

Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Tuba Gene Pokorny will be
giving a recital at the University of Redlands.

Tuesday, June 10th, 2008
Memorial Chapel
University of Redlands
7 pm

You can read more here:
http://myredlandsapps.redlands.edu/calendar/schoolofmusic.asp
University of Redlands School of Music – (909)748-8700

••JUNE 15••

Dear Friends & Colleagues:

OLYMPIA YOUTH ORCHESTRA
Sunday, June 15, 2008 at 3PM.
The orchestra will be performing at the historic
SAN GABRIEL MISSION PLAYHOUSE
320 S Mission Drive, San Gabriel, CA 91776.

This concert is admission FREE and will feature contrabass
soloist Amaila Bandy. Amalia is a graduating senior from
the Los Angeles
County High School for the Arts and will be continuing
her musical studies at Rice University in the Fall after
turning down offers from the Juilliard School. She will
be performing the Koussevitzky Bass Concerto in f# minor.

The Virtuoso Flute Ensemble from Fremont, Northern
California will also be our guest performance group for
this concert. They will be led by Ms. Judy Lam in selections
and arrangements for flute ensemble.

The orchestra will also perform the Donna Diana
Overture by Reznicek and the Symphony in C Major
by Bizet.

Please bring your family and friends and join us in an
afternoon of good music, and of course, it’s fun as
well.

On a second subject, one of our flutists, Priscella Chan
(an excellent pianist herself) will be giving a fund raising
recital benefiting the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles
on Tuesday, June 17, 2008 at the Arcadia Presbyterian
Church, 121 Alice Street, Arcadia, CA 91006.

———

••JUNE 15th••

The Montgomery Arts House for Music and Architecture
(MAHMA)

2007-2008 Season Finale

MAHMA’S MAD TALES OF THE ANCIENT WORLD
Scott Hosfeld and the Malibu Coast Chamber Orchestra…
Sunday Afternoon,
June 15, 2008 at 4:00 pm

Wines and Cheeses at 3:30

Works by Elgar, Handel, Newman and
Pachelbel,

Canon… Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)


Introduction and Allegro, for string quartet and orchestra…
Sir Edward Elgar (1857-1934)
 I. Largo
 II. Allegro

Concerto Grosso “Alexander’s Feast,” HWV 318…
G. F. Handel (1685-1759)

I. Allegro
 II. Largo
 III. Allegro
 IV. Andante ma non presto

Concerto Grosso…Maria Newman (c. 1996)

I. Allegro
 II. Lontano
 III. Presto

————-

••June 15••

Memorial Tribute to the Great BOB FLORENCE
12 noon, Sunday, June 15th at
CATALINA JAZZ CLUB
6725 West Sunset Boulevard
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323)466-2210

The Tribute will feature
THE BOB FLORENCE
LIMITED EDITION
and
The Phil Norman Tentet and Vicki Carr

No Cover-No Host Bar
Reservations Recommended
Tribute Donations Welcome

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

IV. TRIVIA – WATER MUSIC
Most toilets flush in E flat.

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

V. COMMENTS
The comments below 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
 en courage you to rebut it here.
—————-

Dear Comm Resp 47,
I know will be accused of taking these quotes out
of context. This is from an interview with Matt Plummer
in 2007. No matter what was said before or after these
quotes, the meaning is not lost. It is clear to me Mr.
Espinosas’ allegiance is not with the union. I have included
a bit of Federal labor Law, in case any one cares.

1. Our President of Local 47, Hal Espinosa said:
“The PMG is no worse than Seattle when it broke away
from the AFM to form a guild.”
2.. Our President of Local 47, Hal Espinosa said:
“I’m telling members not to join the Guild (PMG) and
not to quit the union to join New Era of Scoring,”
3. Our President of Local 47, Hal Espinosa said:
“I’m going to have members in Los Angeles either quit
the union or decertify.” (which is what the PMG has also
threatened to do)
4. Our President of Local 47 Hal Espinosa said:
“Every musician that’s not in the AFM is our competition
and we don’t need any more competition.”

Federal law says: “For purposes of its duty of fair representation, union’s conduct can be classified as “arbitrary”
only when it is irrational; when it is without a rational basis or explanation.” National Labor Relations Act, § 9(a), as amended,
29 U.S.C.A. § 159(a). Marquez v. Screen Actors Guild, Inc.,
119 S. Ct. 292 (U.S. 1998).

————-

time to start real pressure on AFM to stop listening to RMA elite – and start listening to all members of AFM.

—————

How do I list a concert in the Concerts section?

[Editor’s Note: Simply send us your information in a reply to our mailings. Always try to give us some lead time, since the mailings are not sent out on a regular basis, further, you will never be charged by us to advertise your concert.]

—————

How come management (contractors) get to sit in on elections?

—————

COLLEAGUES,
Local 47’s Secretary Leslie Lashinsky has written to us
concerning a hearing that happened recently at the Local.
We’re more than happy to oblige, and are also happy she
felt she could trust us to print her correspondence in total.

—————

May 30, 2008

(Please include the following in its entirety in your next
email, Thanks.)

Dear Committee;

Included in your email of Sunday May 4, 2008 was a letter
from Charles Fernandez “to the committee” referencing the
hearing he was to attend at Local 47 on the following day,
Monday, May 5th. In that email he states that he was “forced
to file charges”, “It is a matter of principle” etc, in essence
attempting to try his case before committee email readers
before the scheduled hearing. He closed his email with the
following sentence: “I will forward the results to the committee
so they can inform you if they like”. It seems (as of today May
20, 2008) that he/they didn’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t, so I will…

On Monday May 5, 2008, six (of the seven) duly elected members
of the Local 47 Hearing Board heard his case as scheduled.
Here is a summation of their decision (which as the charged
party, I am allowed to share). In its decision, based upon the
evidence and arguments submitted at the time of the hearing,
the Hearing Board unanimously concluded that the charging
party, Charles Fernandez, failed to prove that I, as the charged
party, violated Article XIII, Section 2, of the Local’s Bylaws by
refusing to provide him, in my capacity as the Local’s Secretary
/Treasurer, with a copy of the Castillo letter. The Hearing Board,
through a unanimous vote of the members present at the May
5th hearing, dismissed in its entirety Charles Fernandez’ charge
against me. In addition, in their written decision the Hearing Board
admonished member Fernandez for offering contradictory testimony,
clearly misleading the Hearing Board, offering intentional misrepresentations
and non-credible statements, failing to truthfully testify, and shirking
his duty to testify in a truthful manner.

I am pleased with the Hearing Board decision. As a Union
member, I’m entitled to express my views. I truly believe
that many of Charles Fernandez’ pursuits (including the
costly Hearing Board proceeding) are misguided, indeed
frivolous.

Note: I originally submitted this email to you (the Committee)
on May 20, 2008. You responded that since I was a Local 47
officer, you needed “to take extra precautions” that it was I who
sent the letter and not someone using my email or work computer.
Such due diligence seems unusual for a Committee which claims to
“act as a forum for members to express their opinions” easily. As far
as I can tell, you exercise no scrutiny concerning the AFM or Local
47 membership status of your contributors, whether they comment
anonymously or put their name(s) to their submission(s). One of
your most regular contributors, Rick Blanc, who, to his credit, signs
his emails, is a resigned member of not only Local 47 but also Locals
72-14, 802 and 661-7. He is currently expelled from Local 342.
The Committee for a More Responsible Local 47 can express and
promote as it sees fit (within legal limits), but should not claim to
be a forum only for members. You continue to provide a nice nest
for anti-union and union-busting individuals and organizations.

Sincerely,

Leslie Lashinsky
Member
Locals 47 (since 1975),
353 (since 1980),
7 (since 1991), 308 (since 2006)
Current Secretary/Treasurer Local 47

[Editor’s note: What would you call more anti-union:
Participating in a forum where all can speak freely?, or
trying to prevent members from getting information from
their Local?; or, for that matter, or, for that matter, tolerating
an illegal organization (PMG) whose stated purpose is to
undermine our AFM…. your choice]

—————–

To be fair and complete, we forwarded her letter to Charles
Fernandez and asked if he would like to respond. This is what
he sent.

—————

Letter from Charles Fernandez

Colleagues,

The committee was kind enough to forward me Leslie’s letter
and ask me if I wanted to respond. I was going to let it go,
but since Secretary Lashinsky has seen fit to keep it going,
so be it. Be careful what you wish for.

She is correct. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the
hearing board found unanimously for her.

BTW, in my view, the members’ right of information is
NEVER frivolous.

The hearing took place because I had repeatedly requested,
under Article XIII, Section 2 (Right to information), starting
in Sept. 07, a letter written by Local 47 member Paul Castillo
and read at the 8/15/06 open board meeting.

The letter itself contained a missive written by Mr. Castillo
castigating Vice President Vincent Trombetta in the strongest
possible terms for his conduct at the general meeting the
previous month.

As was made clear in the hearing, I already had the letter
from another source, but after seven months it had
become about the principal of officers following the
bylaws. In my view (and as common sense would
dictate) anything read in an open board session and
heard by anyone attending the meeting, should be
available to the membership, just as the minutes are.
(The text of the letter was not included in the actual
minutes).

I suggested to the hearing board that if someone wants
to keep what is said to the board secret, it should be said
in executive session. (even though executive session should only be for advice of counsel, individual personnel matters, etc-. No member should be able to have executive sessions just because they want something “kept secret” unless it’s about a personnel matter. Further, if counsel represents the board (rather than the entire membership), attorney client privilege is lost if a non-board member is present (unless the non-board member’s input is needed, and requested, on a legal matter)).

The hearing board’s choice was simple:

1) Define the bylaw as broadly as possible, to the
advantage of the membership, transparency and
act as a limit on the power of the officers to keep
information from the members; or

2) Define it as narrowly as possible, to the disadvantage
of the membership, and allowing a more secretive Local
to the detriment of openness and transparency.

One of the arguments made in the decision was that because
I did not present Mr. Castillo’s letter they could not determine
its contents and therefore could not determine whether its
release was appropriate or not.

This argument is flawed on its face. If neither myself nor the
Secretary had the Castillo letter (A fact she revealed at the
hearing, not before), there was no way for them to “assess” the
letter in any case. The content of the letter itself was irrelevant.
What was at issue was the Secretary’s failure to follow a
legitimate information request by a member.

The writer of the letter, Paul Castillo, was representing
Secretary Lashinsky in the hearing, yet it never occurred
to Secretary Lashinsky to turn her head to the left and
ask Mr. Castillo for a copy of the letter to complete the
official record of the meeting.

During the hearing Secretary Lashinsky intimated that I
should be made to pay for the cost of the hearing, since
it had unduly cost time and money (she said it had taken
“hundreds” of hours in preparation.) in the seven months
I’d been requesting the letter.

•Secretary Lashinsky then admitted that Mr. Castillo’s letter
was not in the Local’s records. She didn’t have it! It was either
never put into the record or was physically removed by
someone after the meeting.

•Sometime in the last seven months she learned that the letter
was gone, yet said nothing and then tried to intimate I should
pay for the costs for the entire seven months, knowing full
well she could not honor my request even if she wanted
to. This I consider her acting in bad faith.

When did she realize it was gone? After one month,… two?

Odder still. the disappearance of the letter that was the
very subject of the hearing didn’t seem to raise any
questions, or even an eyebrow, from the hearing board.

She also said that when she had read the email in which I
informed her I had the letter, she decided she saw no reason
to honor the request and ‘washed her hands of it’. Somehow I
don’t think the bylaws allow her to only fulfill the requests
she wants to.

Why did Secretary Lashinsky wait all that time, seven months,
until the hearing, to reveal she didn’t have the Castillo letter?
Could she have known there was something untoward
about it disappearing? From everything I’ve read, there
is no option for letters being removed from the official
board record once read into it. The minutes of the
5/15/06 meeting make clear that a letter by Paul Castillo
was read in open session concerning comments made by
VP Trombetta at the July, 05 meeting. You can request the
minutes yourself.

She also makes a statement about my conduct in the
hearing. I had decided on a tactic to use in the hearing,
but after two questions along that path, I decided that
my integrity and reputation meant far more to me than
scoring political points. That would put me on a dishonest
level, and that I would not allow. I therefore changed my
answers to those two previously answered questions.
There’s quite enough questionable logic coming from the
upper echelons of our Local as it is, thank you very much.
This part of the meeting lasted perhaps 2 minutes, yet Ms.
Lashinsky and the Hearing board decision spent a great
deal of time on this aspect of the 3-hour hearing.

Two final points: When I received the decision, the
accompanying letter, written by hearing board secretary
Gary Lasley mentioned the Secretary’s options to appeal
the decision, but none of mine, options I know I have
through AFM Bylaws.

Further, the hearing decision states that a letter from
Mr. Castillo was “apparently” read in the meeting.
This is nonsense. The statement should read “according
to the official minutes” the letter was read. Both of the above
actions seem to willingly attempt to cloud the issue.
Untrustworthy conduct indeed.

Feel free to request a copy of the recording of the hearing
if you should you like to hear it for yourself.

In the end it is about the principle of accountability, honesty
and open information for our members.

Fraternally,
Charles Fernandez
Local 47 member since 1983
Local 174-496 (New Orleans) for many years before that
Loyola University
UCLA
Royal College of Music, London
Former Boy Scout
(See how silly it gets?)

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

UNTIL NEXT TIME!,

THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47
www.responsible47.com

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