Issue: December 2005
More Than Meets The Ear: How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History by Julie Ayer Julie Ayer is the assistant principal second violin with the Minnesota Orchestra. After a relatively short but stressful employment with the Houston Symphony after music school, she joined the then-Minneapolis Symphony in 1976 and has been there ever since. Beginning with that early stint in Houston, she gradually … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2005
The Alabama Symphony was named “Nonprofit Organization of the Year” at the Birmingham Business Journal’s ninth annual Best In Business Awards banquet. The Alabama Symphony was the first winner in a new awards category recognizing nonprofits. An independent panel headed by Robert Holmes, dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Business, did the judging. The orchestra … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2005
As described by the author, Julie Ayer, More Than Meets the Ear: How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History is the story of a grassroots movement that transformed labor relations and the professional lives of U.S. and Canadian symphony musicians. McCarthyism and segregation within the musicians union, women's issues, and the founding of the NEA and Ford Foundation Symphony Program are included in … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2005
The 2005 ICSOM Conference, hosted by the San Diego Symphony at the Shelter Pointe Hotel and Marina in San Diego, was held August 17–20. The hospitality, surroundings, and weather all contributed to a very successful event. Wednesday evening's mixer at the San Diego Symphonys summer pops venue following a rehearsal, so many orchestra members were able to stay to dine and visit with ICSOM … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
Below are excerpts from two recent addresses delivered by the ICSOM Chairperson. His address at the ASOL convention on June 16, 2005 is followed by his address to the 2005 AFM Convention. In the last six years, symphony orchestras have taken a tremendous hit. The American society has not yet truly embraced the idea of the arts as a necessary part of life. We in this room, all of us, have work … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2005
Recently I have been reading Julie Ayer's excellent book, More Than Meets the Ear: How Symphony Musicians Made Labor History. It has been fascinating to learn more about the brave musicians who founded ICSOM back in 1962. Prior to ICSOM, only one orchestra participated directly in the negotiation of its own contract. In the 43-year existence of ICSOM, astonishing progress has been made for the … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2005
The Nashville Symphony's season was about to begin when news of Hurricane Katrina's devastation spread across the country. Of course, we all began asking, "What can we do?" Orchestra musicians from across the nation were e-mailing and calling to get the latest updates about our colleagues in the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra (LPO). AFM SSD negotiator Nathan Kahn and I were in close contact … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2005
Whereas, Since 2004, the terms of all Governing Board positions are staggered; and Whereas, As a consequence, it is necessary to have one of the Members at Large elected to be a delegate to the AFM Convention in advance of the AFM Convention; and Whereas, That election would best take place at the previous year's ICSOM Conference, when all the voting delegates are present in the same … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2005
The following tale is a dramatization of recent life in a certain midwestern orchestra. Names have been changed to protect the innocent from lawsuits. Barely. March 1, 2005. Dawn in the dusty town of St. Louee Gulch. As the sun rises slowly over a wasted musical community, bits of light glance off rusted hopes, dented dreams, shattered illusions. A lonely bird, pipin’ fragments of a once great … [Read more...]
Issue: June 2005
We are living in a time of great change for our profession. We have fought hard throughout the years to be heard and respected as true stakeholders in the institutions we are affiliated with. My hope is that the initiatives listed below are substantive steps toward a shared vision of all the parties, based on mutual respect of all the constituencies—and that the entire process will see those … [Read more...]
