Issue: Editor's Reports
This April, when the topic of sexual misconduct in our industry once again came to the fore, the ICSOM Governing Board identified that an issue of Senza Sordino could provide our members with information and resources to turn to in the case that they encounter a sexual misconduct situation. The front-page article “Sexual Harassment and Sexual Violence in the Orchestra” written by … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
One of the hidden difficulties of editing any publication is how to use the same terminology, grammar, and punctuation throughout. If you have a background in writing or journalism, you may be familiar with the idea of a style guide, which describes the decisions an editor should make to remain consistent in publication. For Senza Sordino, we start with the Chicago Manual of Style, which is one … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
When I became editor in 2014 and started this column, I thought the title was a nice play on the name of the newsletter, as well as a nod to my inherent embarrassment at speaking out. I thought it would appear in every issue, like the Chairperson’s Report. Instead, it has more often served my other editor’s purpose: making everything fit exactly into an even number of pages. Some DTM columns were … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2019
The purpose of a labor union is to achieve improvements for its members, by means of collective action. These improvements traditionally have been in terms of employment—wages, benefits, and work rules. But historically they have not been limited to that, nor have the beneficiaries of the improvements been limited to the membership of the union that bargained them. Any casual student of US … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2018
My mind has been dwelling inordinately of late on loss; my father-in-law passed away on October 28. Of course, loss is inevitable, for none of us is immortal. But his death was not the result of the inevitable toll of time and aging. Rather, it occurred in tragic circumstances. The news reports of the incident did not give his name or condition, but merely reported that an 80-year old man had … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
The Pension Fix is In? I have been interested in financial issues all of my adult life, and in the state of the American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF, or the Fund) ever since I became a participant. I have been concerned about the latter ever since it entered critical status in the aftermath of the Great Recession. My second column as editor (back in December 2014) … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2017
To Form a More Paperless Union There is no question that the ways in which people obtain and interact with information have seen dramatic changes in recent years, all driven by advances in computer technology. While the (to some) utopian dream of the paperless office has not yet been realized, many people are becoming more comfortable with—even habituated to—the electronic exchange of … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2016
I don’t think I’m going out on a limb by opining that the result of this year’s presidential election left some Senza Sordino readers devastated, some exultant, but almost all surprised. Similarly, it seems safe to say that the President-elect’s mercurial pronouncements on the campaign trail and the “Thank You Tour” have left us with a great deal of uncertainty about what exactly will happen once … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
In turbulent times the quality of leadership assumes a greater significance. This issue is a testament to that. In the political realm there are many examples of leadership running the gamut from outstanding to execrable. Perhaps the most significant illustration in modern times of the significance of leadership is the ascent into power, in 1933, of very different men in two countries facing … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2015
Several years ago, Peter Schickele (well known for his “discovery” of P.D.Q. Bach) created a radio program for Public Radio International called “Schickele Mix”. The show’s motto was a quote from Duke Ellington: If it sounds good, it is good. Over more than 175 episodes, Schickele explored the connections between almost every genre of western music. For example, his first show contained music of … [Read more...]
