Photo credit: Scott Jarvie

Growing up in a family where community service was a way of life, I witnessed firsthand the importance of giving back. Although not a teacher by trade, my father volunteered to teach classes during evenings and weekends, often assisting students with learning difficulties by helping them read through their tests and assignments. My mother volunteered her time to schools, focusing on teaching kids to read and work with computers. This upbringing instilled in me a belief that life is not just about what we receive but also about what we can give. Playing my instrument at work alone would never suffice. Consequently, serving on committees and eventually working with ICSOM was a natural fit. I am deeply honored to take on the role of chairperson of ICSOM, fully aware of the significant responsibilities that come with it, and I am committed to serving our members to the best of my abilities.

Taking over this position after Meredith Snow is a humbling experience. Watching her lead our members through work actions, advocate passionately for DEI initiatives, provide remarkable leadership during the challenges of the pandemic, and contribute thoughtfully to our discussions has given me insights into the complexities and importance of the chairperson’s role within our Union. I will genuinely miss collaborating with her on the Governing Board.

These are transformative times for labor, marked by a wave of organizing efforts and work actions sweeping the nation. Employers understand that the old playbook of meager wages and limited solutions is no longer acceptable. OrchestrasWhile orchestras like the Boston Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, The Philadelphia Orchestra, and the New York City Ballet Orchestra have successfully pushed back against that playbooksuch practices in recent months. When you encounter an orchestra struggling with entrenched management, I urge you to show your support publicly. We must stand together and support one another.

Our orchestras are microcosms of the world around us, so it’s inevitable that the stress and chaos our members experience outside of work find their way into our workplaces. When I speak to musicians, they often mention difficulties with their colleagues, low morale, and a general sense of burnout. While our labor-oriented structure is well-equipped to handle employer-related disputes, it doesn’t always serve us well when addressing conflicts between musicians. ICSOM must urgently address these concerns, which require more engagement and resolution than the issues we typically face.

Our best chance of addressing the significant issues facing our industry—among them diversity, equity, inclusion, demographic change, climate change, and political turmoil—lies in finding unity and decency in our relationships at work. When divided, our leverage is fractured and diluted. Only when united can we hope to bring about the changes we seek. Delegates are at the core of ICSOM, and they will play a pivotal role in effecting these changes in our orchestra culture.

Achieving this will require support from the Governing Board to help develop and refine the skills of our delegates and, in turn, empower each orchestra to foster enduring, positive changes in relationships among their musicians. We can do this by training our delegates to be organizers and by sending them back to their respective orchestras with the goal of not only organizing their members around work issues but also inspiring other members to organize as well. Through this process, we can learn better ways to communicate, build bridges, and bring people together around common goals, such as healthier work environments.

These changes will take time, training, and hard work, and they must not only prepare our contracts for the future but also our hearts and minds. Self-inflicted wounds only harm our solidarity, and our solidarity will not be healed in isolation. Healing is a process that will require time and teamwork from every one of our members. But, with the collaboration of the Governing Board and delegates, I am confident that the future remains bright for musicians of our ICSOM orchestras.