Allegro
Currently Browsing: September, 2016
NAMING CONTEST
for the new Local 802 Referral Service Online Directory
Enter to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card! WHAT? Help Local 802 update its Musician Referral Service by choosing a brand name for our new online directory. HOW? Submit your entries to contest@local802afm.org. Include your name, union card number, and
Local 802 Endorses Hillary Clinton
President's Report
I hope that everyone had a great summer. For me and Local 802, it was jam-packed with Broadway negotiations, the AFM convention and election endorsements. Those three topics are what I want to address in this month’s column. First, you
Tribute to an Arranging Legend
Fans of big band jazz will be in for a real treat when the 48th Street Big Band pays tribute to a true “musician’s musician” and living legend, the arranger Marion Evans, in a concert of his music and featuring
Copyright Protections and Intellectual Property
Amending the DMCA is vital for musicians, businesses and music fans worldwide
Music and the arts are vital components of our society, able to bridge linguistic, economic and social divides. They comprise our cultural heritage, a culmination of our past and present, which becomes a gift for our future. Today, our artists
Musicians Get the Job Done
State of the classical music field
I hope everyone has had a rejuvenating and enjoyable summer. Let me report on a number of items that have impacted the freelance concert world since I last wrote in this space. The New York Pops has reached an agreement
When Musicians Play for Free
When should musicians play for free? In the June issue of Allegro, Tom Olcott discussed “the chamber music conundrum” and the ambiguity that musicians often face regarding artistic satisfaction versus the need to make a living. I’d like to follow
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
Music, Jobs and Opportunites
Assemblyman Joseph Lentol explains why the Empire State Music Production Tax Credit is good for musicians and good for the exonomy
In the closing hours of the legislative session in Albany, the Assembly and Senate passed the Empire State Music Production Tax Credit (A10083A/S7485A), marking a major step forward in Local 802’s efforts to drive New York’s recording industry by providing
Educate, Stimulate, Motivate!
Jazz Mentors
Knowledge is power. Local 802 was once again the setting for our fourth Jazz Mentors program, which was presented earlier this summer in the Club Room. The all-star panel included virtuosic drummer-bandleader Sherrie Maricle, top-ranked vocalist/educator Amy London, versatile jazz
The Plaque is Back!
A historic relic honoring the brave musicians of the Titanic returns to Local 802
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
Guitar Center workers still fighting for justice
When I started my job at Guitar Center on 14th Street in Manhattan three years ago, some of my coworkers said that it used to be decent place to work. Many of us were working musicians, spending all our free
Sound & Mood
Suzanne Ornstein on her lifelong passion for music, her inspiring teachers, and the insights she's gained
Violinist Suzanne Ornstein, a member of Local 802 since 1977, has enjoyed a rich and varied career. She’s served as concertmaster of the American Symphony Orchestra, New York Pops, New York Choral Society and Little Orchestra Society, and she also
Music for Peace
Minutes after the Bastille Day attack on July 14, my son called me while I was standing just outside of Local 802 speaking with Tino Gagliardi. The information was very sketchy at that time. I was devastated not knowing if
Another Take on James Petrillo
Was he actually a champion of all musicians?
Harvey Mars’ article in the July/August issue portrays James Caesar Petrillo, the AFM president from 1940 to 1958, as an heroic figure to whom “musicians throughout the country owe a huge debt.” Unfortunately, Mr. Petrillo was no hero to the
How I met James Petrillo on a cruise ship gig…and what he taught me
The piece about James Petrillo in the previous issue of Allegro brought back many memories of the time I spent with him in 1965. I was still living in England and had auditioned for a job playing piano on the
Jazz in the Afternoon at Local 802
Photo Feature: The Sounds of Summer
At Local 802, musicians support their fellow artists. This year, we began producing a monthly benefit concert series called Jazz in the Afternoon, featuring top Local 802 talent. All proceeds benefit the Local 802 Musicians’ Emergency Relief Fund. Below, the
Chamber Music at the Washington Square Park Music Festival
Photo Feature: Sounds of Summer
The WASHINGTON SQUARE MUSIC FESTIVAL has enjoyed support from the Music Performance Trust Fund since 1953. Musicians are covered under a union contract. The Festival Chamber Orchestra performed earlier this summer and was conducted by LUTZ RATH. Soloists LARISA ELISHA
Play Ball!
The Local 802 softball teams played their hearts out this season. As usual, we competed in the Performing Arts Softball League, a 12-team league composed exclusively of Broadway unions and other entertainment professionals in New York City. To get information
Reminiscences: Con Astone
Guitarist Con Astone, 79, died on May 26. He had been a member of Local 802 since 1955. Local 802 received the following tribute from Con Astone’s son Erik: “Now appearing in Heaven, Con Astone, fresh from his club date
Memories of Joe Shepley, ‘a one of a kind guy’
The New York city music scene lost another familiar face recently. Joe Shepley, 85, a trumpeter and a member of Local 802 since 1955, died on March 26. Allegro printed Joe’s obituary in the June issue, but I’d like to
‘Why we joined the union’
I grew up surrounded by music, but it wasn’t until middle school that I knew that music was the career path I wanted in life. As a very reserved and shy kid, there was something about playing in bands, singing
‘Why we joined the union’
I re-joined Local 802 in order to work as the bass player at the Gateway Playhouse on Long Island. My musical goal in New York City is to be active in the amazing jazz scene here as well as to
‘Why we joined the union’
After nine years playing principal harp in the Paris Opera, I joined the MET Orchestra as the new principal harp. Joining Local 802 seemed like a very natural thing, coming from union-friendly France! It feels good knowing that our contracts
‘Why we joined the union’
I joined Local 802 to work as a copyist on the Broadway show “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan.” Primarily, though, I am a composer-lyricist. I earned my master’s at NYU’s graduate musical theatre writing program.
Executive Board Minutes
April 26, 2016 - May 10, 2016
TUESDAY, APRIL 26, 2016 Meeting called to order at 11:00 a.m. by President Gagliardi. Present: Financial Vice President Olcott, Recording Vice President Schwartz, Executive Board members Burridge, Cranshaw, Cutler, Dougherty, Hyde, Kruvand, Sharman, Suttmann, Assistant to the President Bond. Minutes
A Life-Affirming Journey
I was diagnosed with colon cancer on June 25, 2010. I was 45 years old. I had always been in tune with my body and I sensed something was not quite right. Along with other symptoms, I started losing weight.
September ’16
The Band Room
When I was growing up in Kirkland, Washington, my mother, Lucile Crow, was a soprano and often sang on radio stations in Seattle. One day she received a fan letter from a lady who had heard her on the Gold