Lone Tree Symphony’s taking much, giving little

Pete Vriesenga
February 6th, 2010 No comments

Every summer, residents of Lone Tree, CO and neighboring communities enjoy a free concert by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. These concerts are presented in Sweetwater Park by the City of Lone Tree, but this coming summer the Lone Tree Symphony Orchestra(a volunteer community orchestra) will replace the CSO. A CSO file photo still adorns the Lone Tree Summer Concerts website, but now accompanies a July 24 listing for the LTSO.

Read more… Labor, Local Discussion, Symphonic/Classical

Open Letter to Senator Bennet regarding healthcare

thomas blomster
August 11th, 2009 4 comments

I’d like to tell you my personal story about health insurance, because it surely demonstrates that the current system of health care in the US is not working to the benefit of the people of this nation.

Read more… Uncategorized

Sign your band or ensemble as supporters of the Employee Free Choice Act

Pete Vriesenga
May 14th, 2009 No comments

Amy Brenneman and Esai Morales are among 47 popular performing artists speaking out on behalf of the Employee Free Choice Act in a dynamic new video. Please take a moment to state your support on behalf of your business, band or ensemble by filling out a declaration form and returning a copy to the Denver Musicians Association.

Read more… Labor, Legislative

An Open Letter to Senator Mark Udall

thomas blomster
May 1st, 2009 1 comment

I strongly encourage you to immediately endorse the Employee Free Choice Act. I fail to understand why you are not taking a firm public stand on the EFCA when you previously have co-sponsored the bill.

Read more… Legislative, Vice-President Thoughts and Actions

An Open Letter To Senator Michael Bennet

thomas blomster
May 1st, 2009 2 comments

I strongly encourage you to immediately endorse the Employee Free Choice Act. Two weeks ago I attended the town hall meeting held at the IBEW Local 68 offices.

Read more… Legislative, Vice-President Thoughts and Actions

Government and The Arts

Ken Davies
April 9th, 2009 1 comment

In the recent months since the Wall Street melt-down and subsequent bank bailouts, we saw a most surprising and refreshing public response involving the $50 million arts package part of the federal economic stimulus proposal. When the arts money appeared to have been eliminated from the stimulus, 85,000 people responded to the Americans For The Arts call to write to senators and congresspersons. Showing the significance of one aspect of American government, that it actually will respond to noise in great numbers, the arts package was put back into the stimulus.

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Read more… Composer's Notes - Ken Davies

“Canned Cleopatra” opens to over 300 protesters

Pete Vriesenga
April 1st, 2009 No comments

Hundreds of musicians and their union brothers and sisters formed picket lines and distributed leaflets in front of Bass Performance Hall in Fort Worth, in protest of Texas Ballet Theater’s canned music policy. Demonstrators inflated a giant rat balloon to draw attention to musicians’ concerns. Demonstrations were held Friday, Saturday and Sunday, March 27, 28 and 29, 2009 prior to the start of the company’s Cleopatra performances.

The ballet company outsourced its orchestra pit during last weekend’s performances of “Canned Cleopatra,” replacing musicians with a recording it made in China.

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Read more… Electronic Media, Labor, Legislative, Local Discussion, National Discussion, Symphonic/Classical

“engaging” at Engagements

Tom Jensen
March 28th, 2009 No comments

…take a moment to think of a fun question to ask a person who paid to hear you perform.

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Ballet is not dead … it just smells funny

Pete Vriesenga
March 26th, 2009 No comments

an interview with Tom Jensen

It defies all logic and reason how a performing arts organization could even think of presenting classical ballet on the stage of a $400 million facility in a major population center… without orchestra. Sure enough, this very silly show opens this Friday evening, March 27, amid protesting musicians and 50 area labor unions who are uniting to fight this fraud and injustice.

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Read more… Feature/Interview, Local Discussion, National Discussion, Symphonic/Classical

National Recording Disagreements

Pete Vriesenga
March 22nd, 2009 9 comments

The structure of AFM National Agreements (multiple locals - all employers, all worksites) doesn’t exist elsewhere in Labor because it violates even the most fundamental tenets of union democracy. The only way to create an agreement that covers all employers is to establish representation for all AFM members who work in that industry. The AFM attempts to correct this imbalance through Promulgated Agreements that are established by the sole authority of the AFM’s International Executive Board (IEB), but this system has its obvious pitfalls. The IEB is an elected body that is credited for implementing popular agreements, but must also take hits when they rankle the ire of any one segment of the membership.

The controversy du jour is a promulgagted videogame agreement. This has triggered an unjust attack against AFM president Tom Lee , ripe with sensationalist drama that has been pitched to the press on a weekly basis. If that’s not enough, this dispute has led to two class action lawsuits filed against the AFM.

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Read more… Electronic Media, Labor, National Discussion, Symphonic/Classical