6/23/16
I. HAPPY 4th!
II. CONTRACT PROPOSALS FROM THE FORMER RMASF
III. FLASHBACK – RMASF DISSOLUTION 2007
IV. MEMBER COMMENTS
V. 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
—————————————
I. HAPPY 4th!
Please have a great July 4th weekend and stay safe!
THE COMMITTEE
II. CONTRACT PROPOSALS FROM THE FORMER RMASF
A Logical forward thinking contract
PROPOSAL
RMASF’s Theatrical Motion Picture and Television Agreements and Low
Budget Agreement proposal consists of two co-existing separate options:
2. An Optional Buyout Agreement
a. Double the current motion picture scale
• Higher up-front payment
b. Buyout for soundtrack and secondary markets
• No back-end payments
• Pre-existing motion pictures with secondary markets to be grandfathered in
c. Pension raised to 15%
• Long-term, back-end payment
d. All other working conditions (i.e. doubles, overdubs, cartage, working
hours, health and welfare, overtime) remain the same as current 2002
agreement.
Benefits of the Optional Buyout Agreement for:
The Musician
• Increase in volume of work-outsourced work returns and comes
under contract
• Increase in up-front wages to double scale
• Increase of pension to 15%-long term. “back-end” payment
The Industry
• Many producers can close their books upon completion of their film productions
• Composers confined with “package deals”-where they are unable to
commit to future back-end payments-can now record on union
contracts.
• A simple and concise agreement for the Industry to work with and understand.
The AFM and Locals
• Financial and labor burden to police soundtrack and
secondary market compliance is eliminate.
• More time and money available to lobby for more work through
federal and state tax incentive legislation
•Increase in local union work dues from additional work
• ”Phono to motion picture” inequities eliminated.
—————————————
III. FLASHBACK – RMASF DISSOLUTION 2007
Dear —-l:
This letter shall serve as official notification to RMA International
that on May 21, 2007 the membership of RMASF voted to relinquish
its charter and dissolve the chapter. We regret the necessity of
this decision but the membership and board of directors believe
that this official affiliation between the recording musicians of the
San Francisco Bay Area and RMA International has not only failed
to promote their careers and professional needs, but in fact has
worked to their detriment.
We look forward to a better working relationship in the future
towards our mutual goals of improving the work and security of
all AFM recording musicians.
Fraternally,
The Board of RMASF
##############
May 25, 2007
Dear Members of the International Executive Board of the American
Federation of Musicians:
We are writing to inform you that on May 2 l, the membership of
the San Francisco Chapter of Recording Musicians Association
unanimously voted to dissolve RMASF. The RMASF Board of Directors
would like the IEB to understand why this unfortunate decision
was necessary.
As you are well aware, the commercial recording industry is in a
tremendous state of flux. The increase in outsourcing of recording
work to non-Union venues, both domestic and international, has
created a situation where the former paradigms of compensation
for such work are no longer inevitable. Our goal has been to
recapture that work for local players, with a Union contract that
works for both producers and musicians.
The mission of RMASF has always been:
• to unite and organize professional recording musicians in the
San Francisco Bay Area
• to promote and develop recording opportunities in the San
Francisco Bay Area
• to communicate, exchange information and address issues of
mutual concern with other RMA chapters
We have increasingly found this mission impossible to fulfill
under the existing conditions within the RMA Players Conference.
Especially with regard to motion picture, television and videogame
recording work, RMA International seems to exclusively serve the
interests of a small group of musicians in its Los Angeles Chapter.
In turn, RMALA appears to be dedicated to keeping this work away
from RMA musicians in other chapters, and, in fact, other musicians
within their own Local. One particularly offensive example of RMA
International’s attitude toward RMASF was its attempt to raise the
qualification levels for contract ratification, which would have
rendered almost all of our members ineligible to vote. We were
pleased that the IEB saw fit to maintain these levels, and hope it
will continue to do so in the best interests of all recording musicians.
RMA International has been consistently unresponsive to our concerns
about the state of the recording industry, and it has deliberately
and actively blocked our initiatives. Each time we have formulated
a proposal, whether for video games or motion pictures, we found
the support we needed from AFM Local 6, and accordingly submitted
our proposals through our Local.
Our experiences with RMA International have been exceedingly
frustrating and unproductive. In pursuing our primary goal of
increasing the quantity of high-quality recording work nationally
and in the San Francisco Bay Area, two significant proposals were
offered by RMASF: A theatrical motion picture proposal was made
in 2005 that effectively addressed the outsourcing issues plaguing
the motion picture industry, and most recently, a video game
promulgated agreement proposal was put forward that would
recapture recording in an industry that has seen only 2.5% of its
games recorded on AIM contracts over the past five years. Both
RMASF proposals were dismissed by RMA within hours of their
submission, and as a result had to be presented by AFM Local 6.
The Board and membership of RMASF feel that it is impossible to
continue to pursue our objectives through the RMA Players Conference,
and that by maintaining an RMA chapter in San Francisco our members
are unwittingly undermining their own recording opportunities.
The best service we can do our members, our colleagues and the
Union is to withdraw from RMA, state these issues publicly for
the record, and urge the IEB to:
Our motion picture and videogame recording industry is in crisis.
On behalf of the Union recording musicians in the San Francisco
Bay Area we urge you to consider our withdrawal from RMA as a
symptom of the inequities and abuses within our industry that
require your ongoing scrutiny and stewardship.
Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have further questions.
Fraternally and in solidarity,
Board of Directors, RMASF
======================================
IV. MEMBER COMMENTS
Hello Editor,
Perhaps someone can explain why the return envelope for a
ballot to ratify a CBA (which already included the member
return address affixed) requires a signature on the outside
envelope (which can be seen by anyone handling the U.S.
Mail) and this procedural safeguard was NOT required for
the referendum to sell Vine Street?
Inquiring minds want to know!
[EC: Member, the Local got what they wanted, they don’t
care about answering any further questions.]
——————————
I was very concerned about having to affix my signature
to the OUTSIDE envelope to mail back my Dolby ballot.
Whose idea was this anyway? When I go to the bank to get
a copy of a check, the bank will not copy the signature
line because of “possible replication”. Does the Union
realize requiring a publicly visible signature on the
outside envelope could expose their members to potential
fraud and identity theft? The Union implementing this
reckless procedure demonstrates once again poor judgment.
NAME WITHHELD
======================================
V. EVENTS
DEAN AND RICHARD
DEAN AND RICHARD are now at Culver City Elks the first
Friday of every month.
7:30pm-10;30pm,
11160 Washington Pl.
Culver City, 90232
310-839-8891
————————————-
LA WINDS JAZZ KATS 584
NO COVER, NO MINIMUM.
Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday of the month at Viva Cantina
7:30-10:00.
900 Riverside Drive, Burbank.
Free parking across the street at Pickwick Bowl.
Come hear your favorite charts played the way they
should be.
We are in the back room called the Trailside Room.
Come on down. Guaranteed to swing.
—————————————
AUDITIONS FOR CALSTATELA SYMPHONY
Please pass the word that the annual auditions for the CalStateLA
Symphony Orchestra/Olympia Youth Orchestra for the 2016-2017 season
will begin in June through mid August immediately after the season is
over.
Qualified students may submit the form on line at the website
http://www.olympiaphil.org
under “youth orchestra”.
I will be in touch to set up a time during the summer. The next
season begins late September of this year through early June of 2017.
The orchestra consists of talented students age 12 through college
age. Rehearsals are at CSULA on Sundays at 4:30-7PM. Tuition is $650
for the entire year. Scholarship is available on a need or merit
basis depending on instrument and individual student. The orchestra
students will also be able to take optional transferable college
credits from CSULA, perform with college music students in 4 on and
off campus concerts.
This is a great orchestra with lots of talented students taking part.
I look forward to hearing from students learning all orchestral
instruments.
Thank you!
Fung Ho
Music Director & Conductor
CalStateLA Symphony Orchestra/Olympia Youth Orchestra
———————————————
7/6/16
KIM RICHMOND CONCERT JAZZ ORCHESTRA
Dear fellow-L.A. Musicians,
On July 5 the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra is making it’s first appearance at the Blue Whale, the most hip jazz club in the city. Mostly frequented by the younger generation of jazz players and fans, the Blue Whale is the place now.
This will be a momentous occasion since I am unveiling three new pieces that are a definite extension of my style of orchestral writing for the large jazz ensemble. So, SAVE THE DATE, and plan to be there. Details below.
WHAT: The Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra (nominated twice for a Grammy) in concert.
WHEN: Tuesday, July 5, 9 PM to 12, 2 sets.
WHERE: The Blue Whale, 123 Astronaut E S Onizuka Street., Suite 301, Little Tokyo area, Los Angeles, CA, 90012, phone: (213) 620-0908
WHO: Woodwinds: Alex Budman, Bob Crosby, Gene Burkert, Sean Franz, Bob Carr
Trumpets: Jamie Hovorka, Ron King, Steve Huffsteter, Jonathan Dane
French horns: John Dickson, Stephanie O’Keefe
Trombones: Scott Whitfield, Joey Sellers, Fred Simmons, Craig Gosnell, Bill Roper (tuba)
Rhythm: Will Brahm, guitar; Scott Healy, piano; David Hughes, bass; Ralph Razze, drums; Scott Breadman, hand percussion; Dave Johnson, mallet percussion
DOOR CHARGE: $15 (cheap!)
PARKING: Basement garage below Blue Whale, which is on the 3rd level. Elevator access
FOOD: Good food, bar
————————————————
7/7/16
PETE CHRISTLIEB, aka, TALL AND SMALL
performing at Cook’s Chapel
Thursday July 7th, 2016, 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm
Featuring:
Pete Christlieb -saxophones
Linda Small -trombone
Ron Hershewe -guitar
Jim Hughart -bass
George Greeen -drums
Cook’s Chapel, Anaheim Packing House
440 S Anaheim Blvd.
Anaheim, CA 92805
Food and Beverages available for purchase.
presale: $7 at the door: $10
Directions
————————————————
7/31/16
THE PHIL NORMAN TENTET
One of the best bands today playing in the tradition of
cool West Coast Jazz
Sunday Evening July 31 – 7:30pm
Vibrato Grill Jazz
2930 Beverly Glen Circle
Los Angeles, CA.90077
Reservations call 310-474-9400
Don’t miss their performance of “THEN & NOW”
Remembering the classic sounds & variations of
12 jazz legends to include:
The George Shearing Quintet
The Dave Brubeck Quartet
The Modern Jazz Quartet
The Cal Tjader Quintet
The Ahmad Jamal Trio
Miles, Dizzy and more
—————————————-
MASTER IN FLM MUSIC APPLICATIONS STILL BEING ACCEPTED
The Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program
At The
Seattle Film Institute
is still accepting applications to the One year
Master of Music (MM) in Film Composition
Recently rated as the #4 school for film scoring education
in the world by Music School Central and the #2 school
for earning a Masters of Music degree in Film Composition
Study with program creator and lead instructor
Hummie Mann
2 Time Emmy Award Winning film composer of
“Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and featured in
Variety Magazine’s article “Leaders in Learning”
Click here to listen and watch student scores from previous years
Applications are now being accepted for the 2016
school year We offer rolling admissions – applying
early is recommended Scholarship support is
available to early applicants
================================
You can read all previous offerings at:http://www.responsible47.com
UNTIL NEXT TIME,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47