Allegro
Currently Browsing: June, 2013
Workers’ rights are a global fight
President's Report
As union musicians, we have to remember that the fight for workers’ rights is global. Last month, as most of us know by now, the world grieved for the 1,127 garment workers killed by criminal negligence in Bangladesh, in the
Follow the Money
Recording Vice President's Report
A nightclub tells us that it’s not the employer at the same time that it’s holding the purse strings. What did the union do? We organized – and won! The nightclub “54 Below” had been open for several months when
Sick pay law and musicians: a Local 802 victory!
Legal Corner
Harvey Mars is counsel to Local 802. Legal questions from members are welcome. E-mail them to HsmLaborLaw@HarveyMarsAttorney.com. Harvey Mars’s previous articles in this series are archived at www.HarveyMarsAttorney.com. (Click on “Publications & Articles” from the top menu.) Nothing here or
How will the sick pay law work for musicians?
Under the new sick pay law, workers will be entitled to up to five paid sick days a year, with the right to carry over unused earned sick days. Sick leave will accrue at the rate of one hour per
The sound of justice
Guitar Center workers make their voices heard
If you want to hear what chaos sounds like, open the door of any Guitar Center music store. You’ll hear hundreds of customers at any given time plucking strings, slapping skins, or jamming on keys. But there is one sound
Musicians of the world, unite!
Photo Feature
Live music raises everyone’s union spirit. On May 1 (International Workers’ Day), musicians from Local 802 and the union’s Justice for Jazz Artists campaign marched in the labor community’s annual May Day Parade. Two ensembles performed: a ten-piece marching band
Behind the curtain
Kids get a taste of the magic of Broadway, thanks to innovative program
When kids get to hear live music, something magical happens. Twice a year, Inside Broadway brings children from various New York public schools to a Broadway production where they are given a once-in-a-lifetime experience – a behind-the-scenes peek at the
Sharing the gift
Ellen Bardekoff brings music to the next generation, with help from the MPF
The music scene is undergoing enormous change and its ripple effect can be felt in every area of the music industry. Live music is being put on the chopping block at an alarming rate for many reasons – lack of
The Musicians’ Voice
The Musicians’ Voice is an open forum for discussion about the state of union affairs. The letters here do not necessarily express the views of Local 802. E-mail letters to Allegro@Local802afm.org or write to Allegro, Local 802, 322 West 48th
A Conversation with Al Gallodoro (FULL VERSION)
A shorter version of this article first appeared on page 30 of the June 2013 issue of Allegro. To read the full interview with Al Gallodoro in his own words, scroll down to about the middle of this document.) Introduction
How much money will you get when you retire?
If you play union gigs, you can build up payments into your pension account at the AFM Pension Fund. But how much is this actually worth when you retire? Our pension fund offers an online service that will give you
Free health care?
Medicaid might be what you’re looking for – then again, it might not
We are headed into the year the Affordable Care Act (“Obamacare”) rolls out its best known feature – the health insurance exchanges. These will be online marketplaces where folks without employer-sponsored health insurance will be able to buy individual policies
‘Mystifying instrument’
A new history of the bassoon is an essential text
James B. Kopp’s “The Bassoon” (Yale University Press) exemplifies the quality we have come to expect from the Yale Musical Instrument Series. As a comprehensive monograph about the instrument from its early precursors to its use in the modern orchestra,
I Love Opera
Explaining the appeal of the most enduring art form
Why does opera remain one of the most popular and enduring forms of classical music today? Why do some fans of opera travel the world to experience a new production of a work they may have seen a dozen times
The girls in the band
New film takes a serious look at women instrumentalists
They wiggled, they jiggled, they wore low-cut gowns and short shorts, they kowtowed to the club owners and smiled at the customers…and they did it all just to play the music they loved. “The Girls in the Band,” a new
The Seeker
Larry Mullins is Toby Dammit – and he never misses a signal
Larry Mullins (a/k/a Toby Dammit) is not your ordinary drummer. For over 20 years, he’s been playing with punk godfather Iggy Pop and he’s also played with everyone from Rufus Wainwright to Lydia Lunch. The best thing is that he’s
Remembering Al
Sax legend Al Gallodoro would have turned 100 on June 20. A recently uncovered interview sheds some new light on the master performer… What can you say to someone who has never heard Al Gallodoro? Beauty of tone, never sacrificed
A virtuoso and a gentleman
Without a doubt, Al Gallodoro, who would have turned 100 on June 20, will be remembered as a woodwind phenomenon and a virtuoso on alto sax, bass clarinet and clarinet. For countless musicians he set a standard so high, it
In memory of Maestro
The daughter of Emilio de los Reyes remembers her father
My father, Emilio de los Reyes (1920-1987), was a well-known and popular orchestra leader. This year was the 26th anniversary of his death and I’m grateful for the chance to share these reminiscences with readers of Allegro. Former Local 802
‘Why we joined the union’
I rejoined Local 802 soon after moving to New York from Chicago last year. I began performing in a Broadway show and knew that I needed to be in the AFM. My musical goal is to continue to sub and
Executive Board Minutes
April 2, 2013 - April 30, 2013
Tuesday April 2, 2013 Meeting called to order at 11:07 AM by Financial Vice President Olcott. Present: Olcott, Recording Vice President O’Connor, Executive Board members Brandford, Cranshaw, Cutler, Dougherty, Hyde, Schwartz, Sharman, Assistant to the President Boyle. It was moved
Hello! How can we help you?
Musicians' Assistance Program
The office of the Musicians’ Assistance Program is your one-stop shop for musicians’ health. We offer counseling – both one-on-one and in groups – as well as information on all kinds of social services, including health insurance, housing, food stamps
Going global
How I used the international scene to make new connections
One morning this past April, I drew back the curtains, adjusted to the light, and found myself gawking at Big Ben gleaming across the river Thames! “How did I get here?” I wondered. It all began when, as a 17-year-old