Issue: October 2015
I may not remember the jokes, but I do remember their key element: an ethnic slur about Polish Americans. The jokes themselves aren’t very interesting, but in 1970s Wisconsin they were what passed for humor in the pre-teen set. The slur was easily bandied about to denigrate a minority community (although at the time I didn’t know what the word actually meant). But I’m fairly certain that at least … [Read more...]
Issue: May 2015
Recently I have been reading Bowling Alone, by the political scientist Robert D. Putnam. It is about a disturbing diminution, during the latter part of the previous century, in many forms of social capital. By this, he means the connections among individuals and the resulting social networks, including their norms of reciprocity and trustworthiness. Putnam amasses a host of data to support his … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2015
For the last several years, the Governing Board has been putting an emphasis on advocacy. Articles have appeared in this publication, presentations at the annual conference have been solicited; even the conference’s overarching theme last August was “The Art of Advocacy”. Although I have only been on the board for a short while, I am pretty sure that the main impulse behind this advocacy of … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2014
When I joined the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra in 1997, the AFM-EPF benefits multiplier stood at $4.14, and our orchestra’s contribution rate was 7.5%. Our Orchestra Committee chair regaled me with his perspective that our pension was a fantastic benefit, and I agreed with him. Two and a half years later, the multiplier was up to $4.65, and I was comfortable in the knowledge that my … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
This issue I take over as Editor from Richard Levine, who has provided a decade of exemplary leadership and service. Senza Sordino has as its founding principle the importance of communication. While initially this communication was largely between orchestras, a sharing of important information such as negotiating strategies and common issues, it has become increasingly important to communicate … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2014
As I end 12 years on the ICSOM Governing Board and 10 years as the Senza Sordino editor, some thoughts occur to me that are inspired by the changing landscape we face as orchestra musicians. I take sole responsibility for all the views expressed here, though many are not original. They are the product of countless interactions with many individuals during my 35-year association with ICSOM, its … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
In 2013, poachers used cyanide to poison a water hole in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest game reserve, indiscriminately killing an unprecedented number of elephants and other safari animals. The reason for this horrendous massacre is simple: African elephant tusks (ivory) are still worth money on the black market, even though commercial trade in ivory has been banned by treaty since … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2012
As ICSOM progresses through our 50th year, it seems only right to ponder where we have been and where we are headed. Beyond that, it’s important to ask ourselves why we have faced the struggles of the past and how that might or should inform and influence our future decisions. I claim neither originality nor completeness for any of my observations or analyses. They are undoubtedly influenced by … [Read more...]
Issue: Editor's Reports
The San Francisco Symphony newslet on pensions in the December 2011 issue of Senza Sordino generated considerable interest. One reader pointed out that the loss due to lower rates of return on investments in defined contribution plans compared to defined benefit plans was actually understated. If the defined contribution plan experiences a return that is 1% lower each year, after 14 years the … [Read more...]
