I. VP VINCE TROMBETTA’S RECENT OVERTURE COLUMN
II. NEW AFM VIDEO GAME CONTRACT
III. REGARDING THE RECENT SIMPSON’S WALKOUT COSTING LA MUSICIANS TEN SESSIONS
IV. PASADENA POPS PICKETING THIS PAST WEEKEND
V. A MESSAGE TO PMG MEMBERS
VI. ASMAC MASTERCLASS WITH RUSS GARCIA
VII. READER’S COMMENTS
I. VP VINCE TROMBETTA’S RECENT OVERTURE COLUMN
Did you read Vice-President Vince Trombetta’s latest Overture article?
Vice-President Vince Trombetta used the pages of our Local’s newspaper, the
Overture, to launch thinly-veiled attacks not only on a Local 47 delegate to
the national convention, but also fellow members who cared enough about the
future of our federation that they spent their own money to attend the convention
for a week to witness the democratic process at work.
GOOSE IS COOKED
Imagine our surprise (or lack thereof) when we found that, because of the tenor
of Mr. Espinosa’s campaign and the conduct of the RMA leadership that backed
him, they pretty much had their own goose cooked, carved, and served before
the convention even convened. While Mr. Trombetta may have paid the price for
being associated with them, don’t let them rewrite history and pretend that he or Mr.
Espinosa were anywhere close to getting a foothold in the national offices of
our federation. The rest of the federation saw them coming.
ILLEGAL VOTE
There are a few things that should be cleared up to understand this situation.
At last April’s general membership meeting an officer of the RMA tried to
illegitimately pass legislation binding the delegates to vote as a block, following
the will of the majority. When the lack of adequate notice about this proposed
legislation was exposed as contrary to the by-laws the board was forced to
withdraw it. Despite lacking the authority to do so, they then commanded
our delegation that they had to vote as a block anyway.
Mr. Trombetta has told you Local 47 members that he only lost his bid for a
seat on the International Executive Board by a couple of votes. At the convention
he tried to blame his loss on a Local 47 delegate whose participation counted for
only eight votes.
The problem? Mr. Trombetta didn’t lose by a “couple of votes”, he lost by FIFTY-NINE. He was nowhere near being elected, unless something happened to the three
members who received the next higher vote counts.
Them’s the facts, folks.
Here it is by the numbers:
INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS RESULTS ’07
Joe Parente 478 – elected
Bob McGrew 462 – elected
Ray Hair 361 – elected
Erwin Price 303 – elected
Billy Linneman 293 – elected
Wayne Morris 278
Tina Morrison 247
Vince Trombetta 234
Barbara Owens 220
Dan Cerveny 168
Frank Glasson 137
Vicky Smolik 54
Hayden Wayne 20
Why he would try to mislead the membership is anyone’s guess.
We know this is old news, and if Mr. Trombetta hadn’t raised the issue,
neither would we. However, when he uses his column in our official
publication to continue to vent his sour grapes and try to avoid responsibility
for his and his associates’ political setbacks, the situation simply demands
a response.
============
II. NEW AFM VIDEO GAME CONTRACT
According to our sources, which include composers, players, contractors and
AFM sources, the new AFM Video Game contract has been bringing back and
creating new Union video game work that would never before have been done
here. The new AFM Video Game agreement is a great success at encouraging
new UNION video game recording in Los Angeles.
============
III. REGARDING THE RECENT SIMPSON’S WALKOUT COSTING
LA MUSICIANS TEN SESSIONS
The fear of player walkouts has made many composers hesitate to work here
since the Simpson’s VG debacle.
Please let all your composer colleagues know that there are only a very small
number of rogue players who will actively sabotage their work. If they call
enough credible union contractors and players, it should become obvious very
quickly that there are so many world class, earnest players in Los Angeles that
they will never have to worry about a walkout problem.
It’s up to all of us to get the word out!
============
IV. PASADENA POPS PICKETING THIS PAST WEEKEND
The picketing this past weekend at Descanso Gardens helped many in the audience
better understand what the Pops is facing. The audience overwhelmingly expressed
their support for the Pops Musicians.
Many members and non-members of the Pops came out in solidarity for their
colleagues. Who was missing? For the most part, Executive Board members.
Only on Saturday did we see a lone board member, Bonnie Janofsky, who took
the time to come out.
On Friday, General Manager John Accosta came out representing the Local. And
to their credit, according to a Pops committee member, the Local supplied the funds
for the materials used to make the signs and leaflets.
We’ve gotten no report of board members attending the Sunday picketing.
============
V. A MESSAGE TO PMG MEMBERS
You might consider calling and asking the leadership of the PMG point blank where
your H & W and Pension contributions will be going if they record. The contracts
being sent around for the PMG do not explain where those funds will be held. The
anti-AFM PMG benefits certainly cannot be going to the Motion Picture Fund, since
they are not signatories to any AFM contract and have no standing to
contribute on your behalf.
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR MONEY IS GOING!
Why aren’t Local 47 officers aggressively pursuing the illegality of this anti-AFM
musicians group? Why is a PMG officer still employed by our Local? Whose side
is the President of our Local on? Need you ask?,…
Yes, you do.
==================
VI. ASMAC MASTERCLASS WITH RUSS GARCIA
Saturday, August 25, 2007 – 10am – 1pm
in the auditorium of Professional Musicians LOCAL 47 –
817 N. Vine / Hollywood, CA 90038
Modern Symphonic Composition Technique
with RUSS GARCIA
the American Society of Music Arrangers and Composers
proudly presents a Masterclass with legendary
composer/arranger/author Russell Garcia.
Over the last 70 years, Russ has been involved in so many high level
projects one’s imagination is staggered. Early years in radio “This Is
America”, later given his first “break” by Henry Mancini (The Glenn
Miller Story), then going on to work for Universal, Disney, Warner’s
and NBC. Russ arranged the top selling album of Porgy and Bess, with
Ella Fitzgerald & Louis Armstrong. He collaborated with Mel Tormé,
Margaret Whiting, Stan Getz and worked for Stan Kenton, Oscar Peterson,
Ray Brown and others. Russ was the composer on: Dark Harbor, Backtrack,
My Dog Shep, Laredo, Three Guns for Texas, Atlantis, the Lost
Continent, The Time Machine, Carnival in April, and TV shows like
Rawhide and The Virginian. He assisted Quincy Jones on his first 2
films, and has many albums out under his own name. He is currently
still writing for artists, TV, concerts, using both big band, and
symphonic orchestra.
ASMAC Members free, Non Members 10.00, Students 5.00
Contact: David Blumberg (310) 454-3963
or the ASMAC office @ The Proper Image (818) 994-4661
OR RESERVE by email – [email protected]
Website—www.asmac.org
============
VII. READER’S COMMENTS
The comments below are the views of the contributors and not
necessarily those of the COMMITTEE.
Hello:
So now, all of a sudden, I’m on RMALA’s mailing list. What’s up with
that? I never asked to be on their list, and I did unsubscribe, but damn…..
I’m REALLY getting sick and tired of the useless political mess that
47 has become. While some people are farting around trying to re-
capture whatever monied glory days they enjoyed in the past, the
rest of us are being “bent over —- no ——– or ——— “!
Nothing at all for composers, less than nothing for free-lancers,
no seeming opportunity for career advancement, and a bunch of
personal bull—- that has no place in a Union that should be trying
to modify it’s operations to deal with 21st Century issues.
In light of all this, even the small personal pride I have just being an
AFM Member is being seriously and quickly eroded.
I used to think no administration could be worse that Bush’s, but
judging from the hassles with the referral service, quorums, etc., I’m
afraid I was wrong.
This is just wrong, period. And I thought Petrillo was the worst thing
that ever happened to the Union.
Please remind me….what am I paying $200 a year for?
————–
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that people of privilege, power, elite
status and position endeavor to preserve their advantages. In Pedagogy
of the Oppressed, Paulo Freire talks about how, seemingly ironically,
the oppressed are often equally interested in preserving the controlling
structure as the oppressor. This happens for a variety of reasons
including: the oppressed identify with or envy the oppressor, and
the oppressed have been taught to change how they feel about
the dominant structure rather than to change it.
It doesn’t hurt that a portion of the unprivileged population will, under
most any circumstances, remain loyal to a given power structure. It
is an apparently natural inclination toward self-imposed slavery,
personal subjugation; these are people for which the reality of rugged
self-determination is either too rigorous or simply too demanding
intellectually. Thus domination persists and the status quo preserved.
We LA musicians didn’t invent this human predicament but we find
ourselves embroiled in it. However ineffective, unprincipled, dishonest,
corrupt, covert, vision-less, entrepreneurial, greedy, and frankly jive, our current
union leadership — however detrimental to the aspirations and dreams of the
rank-and-file, a large percentage of union members remain blindly loyal.
Why? I’ve given you, the reader, a few hints above, and surely you have a
few ideas of your own.
One of the most effective weapons available for dealing with our current
critical situation is information. We are familiar with the cheerleading
propaganda from Local 47. As they propagandize they act covertly. Like all
leaders with ambition and a totalitarian impulse they prefer the dark. We
need information. The more the better. It’s a shame that musicians are not
more engaged in the discovery, understanding and dissemination of
information.
When all is said and done the musical community owes a debt to the Committee
For a Responsible 47. The Committee is increasingly unique and its activism
indispensable. One needn’t agree with everything presented, in fact one can
express one’s displeasure at will, anonymously if one wishes. Here one finds
an invaluable forum for communication and the exchange of vital information.
If the union can be saved it will be through reform, reform which is only
possible (these days) through this kind of forum. This forum has predictably
come under repeated attack but is certainly none the worse for wear.
I write this as an independent; I’m not part of The Committee, nor am I an
advocate for Tom Lee or any other union officer or aspirant. I am a lifelong
musician however, who has worked all over the USA and Europe, as well as a
few dates on other continents, so I would assert that my outlook is
distictly unprovincial.
Bravo to The Committee!
Rick Blanc
————–
….about the Pasadena Pops
Just got back from NYC. I notice that Rachel Worby [Conductor of the
Pasadena Pops] landed in a soft place and kept HER gig.
————–
Unfortunately I am working at those times however, please relay if you can,
that Dr. Foy aka Yo Yo Foy wants to organize an international orchestra that
would eventually play before the United Nations. I know this sounds a bit “out
there” but this evening I met Dr. and Mrs. Pearl, the parents of Daniel Pearl
(remember he was the news reporter who was executed) and they are the founders
of the Daniel Pearl Foundation which has one of its activities the Daniel Pearl
World Music Days, around the world. In this same crowd I made contact with
a person at the United Nations . . . you can see where I am going with this . . .
It has been a musical dream of mine (one of many I have to complete before
leaving this earth) to put together a United Nations Orchestra that would be
dedicated to bringing music to those less fortunate and to create ‘bridges of
friendship’ in the process. That is the general idea of the orchestra so with the
Pops going under it would be a no-brainer to utilize their talents if they don’t
mind me being in charge! I would have guest conductors and blend non-Western
music in the program so all countries are represented, as well as incorporating
musical instruments from around the globe.
So if you can take this message to that group’s leadership within the ranks of
the musicians ( I am sure most of them know me at least know of me! ), it would
be most appreciated.
Thanks, Dr. Foy or Dr. Yo
———
[Forward of a letter sent to the appointed Secretary, Leslie Lashinsky]
Dear Leslie,
The people going Beck status have gone so….because they are:
1) sick and tired of 100 people taking all the recording sessions and touting they
are the only ones qualified to do them. And by the way, many of those people are
doing cash dates and having their cake and eating it too.
2) sick and tired of the AFM waiting to fix the outsourcing of our LA based sessions
to Seattle and abroad.
the business models have changed and the AFM has not.
3) sick and tired of waiting around for a chance to play for the big contractor(s)
4) just trying to pay bills and be busier regardless of the business model
5) sick and tired of having solidarity for the AFM and nothing in return – ie: the
pension take is going down and down
6) sick and tired of watching LOCAL 47 being run poorly.
GET MY WORK BACK FROM AROUND THE GLOBE AND I WILL
RE JOIN IMMEDIATELY!
————
If you find any [Recording work] – let me know – it’s vacation time for most
folks – and after that – good luck on getting the scoring work back from Eastern
Europe
complain to the committee
————-
Please get the AFM to start putting out the word about making deals –
apathy is out there in the composer world – there are all saying “yeah, right,
AFM is not gonna do sh-t”
I hope it’s not too late….
I think it is……..
————
It has been brought to light that the AFM is going to start facilitating employers
that would normally go out of town to record to now stay in town with a single
project short form deal. This is due because LA is clearly becoming a ghost town
as far as recording high, mid and low budget projects, especially lower budget
projects – valid jobs still at that.
With the advent of NEW ERA SCORING, there really is no other choice and the
fact that you have to wait a month to six weeks to get a free time slot to record in
Seattle doesn’t help matters. The AFM was not founded on a sweetheart fund that
was created back in the 60’s to get studio players to re-join the AFM. The AFM
was FOUNDED on wages, pension, health and working conditions.
For instance: If you happen to be playing 2nd fiddle in a studio orchestra – do you
really think that your 2nd fiddle parts you played are truly intellectual property??
Come on – get a grip. The only new uses for the most part happen when hit
RECORD date tunes are used in movies, jingles, or TV shows. A score that has
been recorded for a past movie RARELY fits another scores picture and timings so…….
new uses are a beautiful thing…….but the GLOBAL SCORING ISSUES
HAVE TO BE ADDRESSED and that is what the AFM is going to do……get
AFM musicians back in the marketplace…..get the AFM up to speed with the
globe.
It’s only business, and we are watching it pass LA by daily. Unfortunate times but
reality has to be addressed.
————-
Members:
I received this attachment advertising the Lisbon Symphony services, I assume
for film scoring. I don’t know how they got my email, as it’s not addressed to
my email, but I do have “film scoring’ on my website so that may be the reason.
I just felt you should know about this.
Thanks!
[The Reader then included a flyer on recording in Lisbon, Spain. We have chosen
not to reprint it here.]
———
Thank you !
WHEN is the next meeting where this kind of destruction could take place?
WHAT can we do to turn things around? WHO are the most influential on the
Referral Service’s side? consequently, WHAT are our chances of actually
stopping Referral Service abolishment?
[Editor’s note: The next membership meeting is October 22nd
What can we do? – COME TO THE MEETING AND PARTICIPATE!]
———
About the various member passings….
———
Hi,
Let us not overlook the passing of former Local 47 BOARD MEMBER Dr. Art
Davis.
A complete obituary–minus his service to the Union, which you could supply–was
in the LA Times of Aug. 3.
Thank you,
————-
Correction: Local 47 lost 3 dear colleagues in the past week.
Dr Art Davis served on the board of Local 47 in the mid-90s. He never hesitated
to speak out against the arrogance, racism, and exclusionary attitudes of certain
board members. Some of the issues he addressed then are the same you are raising
today. (The more things change, the more they stay the same.) As you can imagine,
his candor did not endear him to the power structure and his tenure on the board
did not last very long. While his detractors would not give him the proper respect,
Art had the credibility to speak out because he was a credentialed orchestra musician
at the highest level, a prolific recording artist, and a master of his intrument in any
genre of music.
Art Davis deserves a salute and a thank you for keeping it real. He gave it his best
shot.
————-
The funeral service August 11 for Patrick Morgan was a very moving, and
musical, experience. Most of his relatives met his musician friends for the first time,
and vice versa. His aunt Luanna spoke during the service of finding a contract on
his desk after being notified of Patrick’s death. Starting with that phone number, by
the third call she was referred to she reached Bobby Korda, who immediately also put
her in touch with Helen Crosby. In just three calls, his family was in touch with the
heart of Patrick’s musical community.
Helen and Mark Casillas made calls, and a 20-piece orchestra materialized to play at
the service, with Robin Ross conducting. Many years ago, Helen pointed out to me
that we musicians are a community. That insight has always stayed with me. Patrick’s
relatives brought that connectedness to a further level, referring to us in their remarks
and in the printed program as “Patrick’s musical family.” That feeling will stay with
me too.
Harriet Katz
————–
I can’t wait to see my local 47 obit.
please, if your going to include any good stuff, also
include as much of the bad.
============
Until next time,
THE COMMITTEE FOR A MORE RESPONSIBLE LOCAL 47