Issue: Chairperson's Reports
Much hangs in the balance with the outcome of the 2022 midterm election. Republicans, who appear poised to take control of the House as I write this column, have openly promised to stall Biden’s Democratic agenda until after the 2024 presidential election. They have also explicitly threatened to force a default on US Treasury debt unless they obtain cuts to programs like Social Security and … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
As of this writing, almost half of the 24 negotiating ICSOM orchestras have settled. It is never easy to hammer out a settlement and this time around is no exception. Lingering COVID, low interest rates, and high inflation make for a difficult bargaining environment. The resulting settlements are mixed, but so far there are more good outcomes than bad. Even though many orchestras have cash … [Read more...]
Issue: April 2022
By Meredith Snow The 60th anniversary of ICSOM’s founding comes at an interesting inflection point in our history—as in “may you live in interesting times…” As the dust settles from the unforeseen and nearly catastrophic pandemic shutdown, we are returning to full concert schedules, attendance restrictions are lifting, and our audiences are coming back. We are nearly back to … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
We are just a few months shy of two years since the March 2020 pandemic shutdown. The SARS-CoV-2 virus and its variants are still with us but our orchestras have shown remarkable agility and resilience in the face of what could have been an industry-wide catastrophe. The closures of our performance spaces were often mandated by state and county decree, but by mid-March of 2020, our orchestras … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
As we dive into our season openings across the country, I am cautiously optimistic that we can look forward to a successful return. As of this writing, all but two of our ICSOM orchestras have secured contracts for the coming year. The protocols for mandatory vaccination and/or testing are in place. From what I see, our audiences are eager to come back. Barring further variants of the … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
After 14 months of stasis and isolation, our orchestras are on the move. The quick nationwide rollout of vaccines by the Biden administration is creating the possibility of a near-normal summer season and the probability of a genuine opening and full return for our upcoming 21/22 season. In the aftermath of our pandemic year there is much to take stock of, and even more to do, as we navigate the … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
As we come to the close of the first month of the Biden administration, tangible change is already evident. The desperately needed $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan is underway and Biden has quickly made good on his vow to be a “pro-union” president. Within hours of taking office he fired Peter Robb, general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and friend to managements … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2020
We find ourselves in a very tight spot. I doubt there has ever been a time, since ICSOM was founded 58 years ago, that our orchestras have been in a more precarious situation. The coronavirus pandemic has stripped away our livelihoods and our way of life. It has taken the lives of tens of thousands of Americans and it has devastated our economy. We are hanging on by our fingernails as our American … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
I am sorry to say that just over two months into this coronavirus pandemic, the crisis for our orchestral industry is only beginning. Most of our summer employment is canceled. When we do return to work, it is unlikely that we will be able to perform as full orchestras, with some semblance of audience in attendance, before January of 2021. And it may well be longer. While some orchestras are … [Read more...]
Issue: Chairperson's Reports
In early February, before the domestic advent of the novel coronavirus and immediately following our midwinter ICSOM Governing Board meeting in Chicago, I traveled to Detroit to attend the SphinxConnect conference. Along with SSD Director Rochelle Skolnick, ROPA President John Michael Smith, and ICSOM President Paul Austin, our primary purpose in attending Sphinx was to participate in the … [Read more...]
