Allegro
Currently Browsing: December, 2010
President’s Report
Moving Forward
At the recent IEB meeting, Local 802 was assigned new jurisdiction. Also, recording musicians gained a voice over their own fees. I recently returned from a meeting of the International Executive Board in Toronto and I would like to report
‘How do I get a gig on Broadway?’
Playing for a Broadway show is one of the most desirable union gigs in New York City. Members constantly ask us how to break into the field. Allegro interviews seven Broadway musicians to hear their stories. Their answers will surprise
‘Swan Fake’
Audiences lose when Matthew Bourne's 'Swan Lake' uses canned music
Violist Richard Brice protesting the use of canned music outside of Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake.” Photo: Walter Karling I recently attended a performance of Matthew Bourne’s “Swan Lake.” I assumed that this revival would offer another chance to hear one
‘I Won’t Cry Anymore’
Keisha St. Joan tells it like it is
Keisha St. Joan (left) and her accompanist and friend, Bertha Hope, after a classical recital in Oklahoma in the late 1980’s. Photo courtesy Keisha St. Joan There is more to Keisha St. Joan than meets the eye. A seasoned jazz
It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
Photo Feature
Musicians and audiences alike look forward to the annual Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular.Photos by Walter Karling. A wide-angle shot of a recent rehearsal of the Radio City Christmas Spectacular Orchestra. Musicians play up to six shows a day
Picky About Pickets
When it's OK to picket, and when does the law say no?
Bud Burridge (left) and Bill Rohdin protesting the use of canned music at Matthew Bourne’s production of “Swan Lake.” This kind of informational picketing is legal under the NRLA. Photo: Walter Karling. In one of our recent campaigns here at
If You Want to Donate to Charity…
...but you can't afford it? Here's another
It’s the season of giving. Good will is a common thread valued in all belief systems, regardless of the way in which you celebrate the holiday season. In this economic crisis it’s no surprise that charitable contributions are plummeting to
Knowledge is Power
Local 802’s annual meet-and-greet reaches out to new theatre musicians and gives them some tools of the trade How do you get a job in this town? Network! For the past six years Local 802 has held an annual “meet-and-greet”
When the Union Gets Political, Let’s Stay Focused
Views from the Board
Local 802 endorsed Eric Schneiderman for New York attorney general, a post he won on Nov. 2. The union has a new subcommittee to research and recommend political endorsements. For those of my Local 802 colleagues who don’t know me,
Local 802 Must Not Lose the Big Picture
Recording Vice-President's Report
Should Local 802 be involved in causes that go beyond the scope of its immediate mission? Here is a perennial question that dogs every administration of this union if not every administration of every union. The question has been raised
What Do Nov. 2 Election Results Mean for Musicians?
What will the results of the Nov. 2 general election mean for musicians? Perhaps the answer is “too soon to tell.” After all, at the time of this writing, the election results are not in for every race yet. At
A New Organizing Model
Organizing Matters
Michael Donovan recently joined Local 802 as the union’s director of organizing and supervisor of the Club Date department. This is his premier column. My career in the labor movement began in 1968 when I took a job at a
New Organizer Passes Probation
Shane Gasteyer passed his six-month probation on Oct. 20 and joins the staff of Local 802 as an organizing rep. Shane joined the labor movement working as a union organizer first for UNITE HERE! and then for SEIU. In these
‘Why we joined the union’
Keith Bishop Chihiro Shibayama I joined Local 802 after I recently won an audition for Radio City Christmas Spectacular 2010. This is my second year out of school and I hadn’t done any union work, so this was my time
Have Yourself a Merry Little ‘Tuba Christmas’
How Harvey Phillips shared the joy of tuba with the world
Last year’s TubaChristmas festival in Shelburne, Mass. Photo: Foroyar22 via Flickr.com The late Harvey Phillips was a very skilled tuba player. He also transformed his instrument in the eyes of the public. Before Harvey, if people thought about tubas at
Executive Board Minutes
September 7, 2010
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7, 2010 Meeting called to order at 11:08 AM. Present: President Gagliardi, Recording Vice President O’Connor, Executive Board members Babich, Burridge, Dougherty, Hyde, Roach, Olcott, Schwartz, Sharman, Assistant to the President Donovan. Blumenthal excused on vacation. It was
Bill Crow’s Band Room
Here’s an e-mail I got from Paquito D’Rivera: I met the great African-American soprano Martina Arroyo during a celebration of the Jazz Masters’ National Organization in New York. They had placed chairs on one side of the Marriott Marquis Grand