Category - Miscellaneous

1
AFM Election Results
2
League Conference: Musicians' Session
3
Live-blogging the AFM Convention
4
League Opening Session Part 2
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League Conference Opening Day
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Michael Kaiser's 10 Commandments
7
League Conference in Atlanta
8
Musician Performance Rights–Pending Legislation to Benefit Musicians
9
Reinforcing The Image of the AFM– Old, Dated and Out of Touch
10
60 Minutes on El Sistema USA

AFM Election Results

Election results from the AFM Convention can be found here.

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League Conference: Musicians' Session

On Thursday we had a musicians’ session, with Bob Wagner moderating. Bob is the principal bassoon of the New Jersey Symphony, a board member of the League, and former ICSOM rep and Orchestra Committee chair of the NJSO. There were perhaps 15 of us: we talked about a lot of things: I asked about the[…]

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Live-blogging the AFM Convention

Orchestra musicians are fortunate that what happens to their union is important enough that they should care about it; most American workers are not so lucky in having a collective voice of any kind. So for those of you who do care about what’s happening in – and to – the AFM, I’m live-blogging the[…]

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League Opening Session Part 2

The keynote speaker at the conference opening session on Wednesday, June 16, was Ben Cameron, program director for the arts at the Doris Duke Charitable Fund. He is the former executive director of Theatre Communications Group. Excerpts from his address follow (he’s a very fast talker so this is not verbatim): According to Bill Moyers,[…]

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League Conference Opening Day

The League of American Orchestra’s annual conference opened on Wednesday, June 16. Musicians, conductors, artist administrators, and music publishers were invited to an open rehearsal of the Atlanta Symphony at Woodruff Arts Center for the Atlanta School of Composers concert to be held on Friday, followed by a luncheon with comments by Music Director Robert[…]

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Michael Kaiser's 10 Commandments

Michael Kaiser, CEO of the Kennedy Center and author of The Art of the Turnaround: Creating and Maintaining Healthy Arts Organizations, has been travelling the country, speaking in all 50 states about how non-profit arts organizations can weather the current economic downturn. On June 10 he came to Connecticut; I attended his New Haven session[…]

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League Conference in Atlanta

The League of American Orchestras’ annual conference is next week in Atlanta, June 16 to 19. I’m attending and will be blogging every day about what’s going on. Reminder that any musician in a member orchestra (which I’d imagine includes all professional orchestras) can attend the League’s conference for free, registering as a musician. They[…]

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Musician Performance Rights–Pending Legislation to Benefit Musicians

Yesterday I received another email from AFM President Lee.  Unlike the video the previous day, which had a “please join the union message,” this one was all business.  It tells of the legislation before Congress right now that would benefit musician’s works that are played on terrestrial radio.  Here’s part of the email. One of[…]

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Reinforcing The Image of the AFM– Old, Dated and Out of Touch

Today I received an email from Thomas F. Lee the President of the American Federation of Musicians.  I suppose that it went to all AFM members for whom they have email addresses.  It begins: Dear Member RICKER: I am pleased to announce that the Federation is developing a series of videos to educate musicians and[…]

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60 Minutes on El Sistema USA

On Sunday, May 16, 2010, CBS’ news magazine 60 Minutes featured a segment on Gustavo Dudamel and El Sistema USA, in particular YOLA (Youth Orchestra LA) and the Baltimore Symphony’s OrchKids program. Gustavo Dudamel is, of course, the new Music Director of the Los Angeles Philhamonic, and the segment shows him at his first rehearsal[…]

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