Issue: July 2015
Recently I heard retired New York Times correspondent John Burns speak about his Pulitzer award-winning profile, written more than 20 years ago, of cellist Vedran Smailović during the Bosnian war. Dressed in formal evening attire, Smailović sat in the same spot every afternoon in the middle of the same Sarajevo street—which was more bomb crater than street—and played Albinoni’s Adagio in honor of … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2014
The Westin Bonaventure Hotel in downtown Los Angeles, CA was the location for the 2014 ICSOM Conference, hosted by the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Local 47 from August 25 to 28. The emphasis of the conference was on the Art of Advocacy and a number of presenters focused on this subject, including Americans for the Arts (AFTA) Vice President of Research and Policy Randy Cohen, and Randy Whatley, … [Read more...]
Issue: October 2013
More than 100 people met in Kansas City, Missouri from August 21 to 24 for the 51st ICSOM Conference. Participants included ICSOM delegates and officers, AFM and local union officers, SSD staff, player conference representatives, presenters, and other guests. The location, the Conference hotel (the Westin Kansas City at Crown Center), the weather, and the fabulous hospitality of the conference … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2013
Most of the time I sit down to write and the ideas just flow. This time the spirit is willing but the inspiration hasn’t been forthcoming. Call it writer’s block, the weather, or a really busy schedule. Or maybe it’s like approaching John Adams’ Harmonielehre for the first time. As a string player you face page after page of never ending notes and patterns, but the notes are periodically … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2012
What do you get when you mix together delegates from 50 ICSOM orchestras, 9 ICSOM officers, 5 former ICSOM chairpersons, the daughter of the first ICSOM chairman, 8 founding members of ICSOM, 6 former ICSOM officers, 18 local officers, 12 AFM officers and Symphonic Services Division staff members, 17 negotiating attorneys, 12 presenters, 4 player conference presidents, a host of orchestra members … [Read more...]
Issue: August 2012
Life presents us with many challenges along the way. Sometimes it is the challenge to find the downbeat of an incompetent conductor. Sometimes it is the challenge to read the right notes on a Kalmus part or the challenge of finding a way to diplomatically tell the musician who’s playing the electronic cannon in 1812 to move the speaker without throttling him/her in the same process. But life … [Read more...]
Issue: February 2012
Having just completed the 2011 ICSOM Conference minutes—36 pages, thank you very much—and knowing how quickly the next Conference will be upon us, I’d like to take a few minutes to reflect upon the historic Conference that will be held in Chicago, August 22–25, 2012, at the Westin Michigan Avenue hotel. First, let me share my own personal excitement, because I love history, and we will be … [Read more...]
Issue: November 2011
Two years ago, Detroit Symphony delegate Dave Everson, on behalf of DSO musicians and Local 5, proposed Detroit as the location for the 2011 ICSOM Conference. The proposal was met with great enthusiasm by the 2009 ICSOM Conference delegates. As happy as they were to travel to the home of one of our esteemed orchestras, they were also glad that Dave’s invitation gave credibility to the recent … [Read more...]
Issue: March 2011
Whatever happened to treating people with at least a modicum of respect or civility and to elevated discussion and behavior? I wonder, too, what has happened to bargaining in good faith or negotiating at all? I have become more and more disturbed by the behavior of orchestra boards and managers in the past few years as they use threats and strong-arm techniques to coerce musicians to accept … [Read more...]
Issue: December 2010
As we’re all aware, the orchestra industry is under attack in a number of cities due in part to the economy, and in part to irresponsible management. The economy has affected fundraising and ticket sales, but in many places, responsible managers are helping their orchestras weather the storm and, in some cases, thrive. Other managers have proposed such punitive measures that some, like the Detroit … [Read more...]
