The following resolutions were adopted at the 2014 ICSOM Conference at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, CA, on August 28, 2014. Both Richard Levine’s and Gail Kruvand’s resolutions were adopted by unanimous consent. Unless noted, resolutions were submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board.
Richard Levine
Photo credit: Leslie Shank
Whereas, As a member of the San Diego Symphony since 1973, Richard Levine has served as a dedicated member and leader of that orchestra’s negotiating and orchestra committees, and helped guide the San Diego Symphony through bankruptcy in the early 1990s; and
Whereas, Richard Levine has been an active ICSOM delegate for the San Diego Symphony, serving in 1979 to 1981, 1987 to 1989, 1993 to 2000 and in 2006; and
Whereas, When needed most, Levine agreed to join the ICSOM governing board in 2002 as member-at-large, followed in 2004 by his election to the position of Editor of Senza Sordino; and
Whereas, Being an individual always willing to assist when a need is identified, Levine, along with his wife Jean Lim, designed the program currently utilized by delegates to update the ICSOM Directory each season; and
Whereas, Levine’s 10-year tenure as Editor —equivalent to that of the longest serving Editor Henry Shaw—will conclude when he steps down from the position at the 2014 conference; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates and Officers to the 2014 ICSOM Conference offer their gratitude and thanks to Richard Levine for his tireless work on behalf of orchestras worldwide, and extend their best wishes in all his future endeavors.
Gail Kruvand
Photo credit: Leslie Shank
Whereas, Gail Kruvand has been a member of the New York City Opera Orchestra for many years, and has held a number of leadership roles, including as ICSOM Delegate; and
Whereas, Gail Kruvand also serves in a number of leadership positions within the AFM as an AFM convention delegate and member of the executive board of Local 802, and secretary-treasurer of the New York chapter of the Recording Musicians Association (RMA); and
Whereas, Last summer she was elected to serve as Member-at-Large on the ICSOM Governing Board; and
Whereas, Not long after the 2013 conference ended, the New York City Opera shut down “The People’s Opera” and filed for bankruptcy; and
Whereas, Gail Kruvand’s leadership skills have been in demand these past two years assisting her Opera constituents’ attempts to keep the company alive and rise again under new leadership, and to show her support of the “Listen Up” campaign to protest the practice within the film industry to obtain state tax credits to film in the U.S. but record soundtracks outside the U.S. using foreign musicians; and
Whereas, She has recently submitted her resignation from the ICSOM Governing Board; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates and Officers to the 2014 ICSOM Conference express their appreciation to Gail Kruvand for her work on behalf of the members of ICSOM, and to offer their support and best wishes for success in all her future activities.
Bill Foster
Photo credit: Scott Suchman
Whereas, Bill Foster’s tenure since 1968 as a leader in the National Symphony extends from service on the orchestra’s negotiating and orchestra committees to holding the title of Assistant Principal Viola from 1980 to 2006; and
Whereas, Foster spent decades in service to ICSOM as a member of ICSOM’s electronic media committee; and
Whereas, In 2003 Foster agreed to share his knowledge and expertise by serving as chairman of the ICSOM electronic media committee, which resulted in renegotiation of multiple Symphony-Opera-Ballet Audio-Visual Agreements, as well as two new symphonic agreements – the Symphony-Opera-Ballet Live Recording Agreement and the Integrated Media Agreement; and
Whereas, Foster announced he was stepping down as chair of the ICSOM electronic media committee at the beginning of the 2013-2014 season; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates and Officers to the 2014 ICSOM Conference offer their gratitude and admiration to Bill Foster for his service and dedication on behalf of American recording orchestras; and be it further Resolved, That the Delegates add their great appreciation and gratitude for Bill Foster’s service to orchestral musicians as one of the rank-and-file trustees for the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund from 2003 to 2010.
Eric Arbiter
Whereas, Eric Arbiter served as ICSOM delegate for the Houston Symphony from 2006 to 2013 and as co-host of the 2010 ICSOM Conference in Houston; and
Whereas, During the 2010 Conference he volunteered his services as photographer to ICSOM, and to the AFM International Executive Board that held their first quarterly meeting concurrently with the 2010 ICSOM conference; and
Whereas, Arbiter continued to volunteer to serve as ICSOM’s official photographer during the Detroit (2011), Chicago (2012) and Kansas City (2013) conferences, which his photos document so beautifully in Senza Sordino and on the ICSOM website; and
Whereas, When the Houston Symphony celebrated its 100th anniversary during the 2013-14 season, the orchestra engaged Arbiter to serve as official photographer of the musicians and conducting staff of the orchestra for a permanent lobby display in Jones Hall, thus providing the public recognition he so richly deserved; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates and Officers to the 2014 ICSOM Conference offer their gratitude and recognition to Eric Arbiter for the incredible gift he so generously shared with the members of ICSOM, and wish him every future success in his music and photography careers.
Personal Instruments Containing Ivory and Other Protected Materials
Whereas, Musicians depend on their instruments and bows as essential tools of the trade that give voice to their artistic expression and as such, are extensions of their very selves; and
Whereas, Professional musicians’ choice of their musical instruments and bows is extremely personal, and their decisions are based upon musical criteria having nothing to do with any ivory or other protected material instruments and bows may contain; and
Whereas, Musical instruments and bows made before restrictions were placed on ivory and other materials have historically contained small amounts of ivory and other materials that are now either endangered or protected; and
Whereas, Musical instrument and bow makers have conscientiously supported and adhered to restrictions on materials used to make instruments and bows as such restrictions have been adopted; and
Whereas, Musicians wholeheartedly support restrictions that actually protect endangered species and actually reduce illegal trade in ivory and other protected materials; and
Whereas, The sale, use, or importation of musical instruments and bows that were legally fashioned with ivory or other protected materials when they were made have no influence on illegal ivory trade or on the illegal trade of other protected materials; and
Whereas, Restrictions on the sale, use, or importation of musical instruments and bows that were legally fashioned with ivory or other protected materials when they were made do not serve to reduce illegal ivory trade or the illegal trade of other banned materials and thus do not protect endangered species; and
Whereas, Professional musicians must travel with their instruments and bows that may contain ivory and other protected materials when concertizing, teaching, and participating in musical events; and
Whereas, The current restrictions on musical instruments and bows containing ivory and other protected materials create a great hardship on musicians who perform in and travel to all parts of the world; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates and Officers at the 2014 ICSOM Conference, on behalf of all ICSOM musicians, express their support for the efforts of the AFM and others to reduce or eliminate all restrictions on the sale, use, or travel with musical instruments and bows containing ivory or other protected materials; and, be it further
Resolved, That ICSOM urges the White House, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and all other governmental agencies to do everything possible to support musicians’ travel with their instruments and bows across our borders by reducing or eliminating all restrictions on such travel.
ICSOM Treasury Investment Authority
Whereas, Under Article V Section 4 of the ICSOM Bylaws, the ICSOM Treasurer is charged to keep account of all funds and disbursements and cause them to be deposited into bank accounts in his or her name as Treasurer of ICSOM; and
Whereas, Under Article V, Section 7 of the ICSOM Bylaws the Governing Board has full power to draw on the ICSOM treasury to further the interests of ICSOM; and
Whereas, The Governing Board has unanimously determined that prudent investment of ICSOM funds would further ICSOM’s interests; and
Whereas, Counsel has reviewed the Bylaws and agrees that Article V, Section 7 permits such action; and
Whereas, The Governing Board, after careful research and review, has adopted Investment Guidelines designed to prudently invest a portion of ICSOM’s assets in a diversified portfolio so as to enable ICSOM to earn reasonable returns on assets while minimizing the risk of loss; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates hereby endorse the Governing Board’s determination to further the interests of ICSOM through their adoption of an Investment Policy Statement and diversifying the investment of ICSOM’s assets; and,
2, The Treasurer shall include in his annual report information concerning the results of the funds so invested.
Recognizing Successor Orchestras
Whereas, The musicians of the former Honolulu Symphony have heroically and valiantly created the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra; and
Whereas, The musicians of the former Syracuse Symphony have heroically and valiantly created Symphoria; and
Whereas, The delegates attending the 2014 ICSOM Conference wish to show their enthusiastic support and solidarity for these colleagues and their orchestras; therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Delegates of the 2014 ICSOM Conference hereby recognize the musicians of the Hawaii Symphony Orchestra and Symphoria as the successor ICSOM members of their former orchestras.
Submitted by Robert Wagner (New Jersey) and Jenny Mondie (National)
