Paul Gunther: Baltimore, Boston, Kennedy Center, Louisville, Minnesota, National, New Jersey, NYC Ballet, NYC Opera, Philadelphia, SF Ballet, SF Opera, Virginia
Along with observations and personal reflections, here are some things I have come to understand from my first year serving on the ICSOM Governing Board.
- I learned to drink coffee. I also learned to get by on five hours’ sleep. These are sometimes but not always related.
- I found out that a 90-minute conference call is really short. So I also learned to carry my cell phone charger with me.
- I came to realize that a Call to Action moves more like a pontoon than a Swift Boat: a little fun, fairly nontraditional, and not intended to hurt anybody. And its appearance may be deceptive, because it can really get the job done.
- I discovered that Senza Sordino can hold both content and interest … even when I contribute.
- ICSOM, as I have been pleased to discover, not only is made up of players, it is a player. As you will have heard and will be hearing again, through their combined work dues ICSOM and the other symphonic musicians of the AFM contribute over half of the Federation’s annual budget. As a group we are realizing that we have muscle and that we can put our muscle to good use.
- ICSOM delegates, many of whom I have begun to know better through Member-at-Large relationships, are tireless, experienced and dedicated advocates for our orchestras, our art, ICSOM and our union.
- It is actually a pleasure – and certainly is a privilege – for me to work with our Governing Board colleagues.
I look forward to the coming year.
James Nickel: Alabama, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Charlotte, Dallas, Florida Orchestra, Florida Philharmonic, Fort Worth, Houston, Jacksonville, Nashville, North Carolina, San Antonio
I just want to focus on a few aspects of what was a packed year for this Governing board.
The Healthcare database - This year the Healthcare database received a makeover. I noticed that there were many healthcare questions posted on Delegate-L that were not addressed by the former version of the database. The database began as a supplement to delegates healthcare research, but now it has evolved into a comprehensive list of each orchestra’s healthcare plan. Another advancement is that delegates no longer have to email me for the database, it is now available on ICSOM.org. In order to accomplish all of this, the Governing board sought outside help from Florence Nelson. Florence has been invaluable to getting the database to where it is today, and I really appreciate all of her work. She took all of the old surveys submitted by delegates, and transferred that information to the new database. She also reworked the database into Excel so that it’s easier to access and update. I know that at the time of this report there are still a large number of orchestras that have not completed their surveys. I hope that it will be remedied so that we can all share in this important resource.
Newslets - Having Newslets in each issue of Senza has been a priority of mine over the past year. Personally, I really enjoy reading about orchestras from the perspective of a member of that orchestra since most articles are written by the local critic or a member of management. I constantly hear from people how much they enjoy reading the Newslets. It seems that they are especially popular among the newer members of our orchestras. While the demand seems high for these Newslets, it can sometimes be difficult to get them from delegates. It is my hope that every delegate would consider writing at least one newslet next year.
Delegate involvement - Sometimes I am amazed at how much has been accomplished by this organization of volunteers. However, I also notice on Delegate-l and from the various surveys sent around that a fraction of delegates remain inactive. We all struggle with life’s demands, but to keep ICSOM vibrant and relevant we need you to respond to the request made.
I have really enjoyed the work done by ICSOM and the Governing board over this past year. I felt that we accomplished a lot with our limited resources. I have learned so much from my fellow Governing board members, and, if elected again, I welcome the opportunity to serve another term.
Meredith Snow: Colorado, Honolulu, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Milwaukee, New York Philharmonic, Oregon, Saint Louis, Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, San Diego, San Francisco, Utah
Though elected as ICSOM delegate to the AFM Conference in Las Vegas, I was unable to attend at the last minute because my son Keith had an emergency appendectomy and was subsequently diagnosed with insulin dependent Type 1 diabetes. We’re all doing fine now. I’m sorry to have missed out on all the action in Vegas.
My year on the GB was full of phone calls. Many issues were discussed and addressed concerning our relations with the AFM, ASOL, now LAO, and reaching out to help our own member orchestras. It has once again been an enormous honor and pleasure to serve with the other members of the board. You will not find a group of people more dedicated, earnest and willing to serve for the good of us all. I would also like to thank all of the delegates in my purview for their prompt response and quick action when needed.
Steve Lester: Buffalo, Chicago Lyric, Chicago, Cleveland, Columbus, Detroit, Grant Park, Metropolitan Opera, Phoenix, Pittsburgh, Puerto Rico, Rochester, Syracuse