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Membership Meeting: March 2011 Tuesday, March 8th, 2011 Vol. 71 No. 3 @1:00 pm By-Law Meeting: Tuesday, April 12th, 2011 @1:00 pm Dal Segno Honorees See Pages 14-15 Page 2 Gary Matts President What’s It Worth... in 2011? In March and April of 2005, I wrote articles about the 8% - 12% range. Today that is not the case. Banks pay a value of our work, the making of music and the Union’s fraction of 1% interest on savings accounts. Home mortgages practice of establishing a minimum price for our work. interest rates are half what they were during the boom times. No one could have predicted the financial rollercoaster ride Yet credit card interest is still in the double digits. Automobile experienced by the world’s economy in the intervening years. prices have not declined significantly, and in many cases have The financial markets had a disaster in 2008 from which they risen. The cost of auto repairs has not dropped nor have sales are still recovering. The value of real estate has taken a nose tax rates. The price for natural gas and electricity has not dive and many small businesses have ceased to exist. declined. In light of all of this, where does our product, which Our industry is not immune to financial realities. is live music, fit in this financial universe? In recent times, the demand for live music has decreased Music is an entertainment commodity. Just what is its and many freelance side musicians and leaders are value? To a large extent, each of us personally determines its experiencing difficult times. Members tell me there is little value by wages we are willing to accept for our services. work and purchasers are using the reality of supply and The Preamble to our Rules and Regulations states, “. these demand to force prices lower. This is not a new phenomenon. scales are our minimum price for services. “ The fact is, Price changes happen in every instance where money changes many members charge considerably more for their services. hands. Symphony orchestras, as well, are experiencing lower When this is the case, there is room for negotiation. demand for tickets and decreased donations. In light of the What about the venue owner who says, “How about if we challenges of this economy, let’s consider our wage scales and split the take at the door?” Historically, the union has rejected how they are established. the notion that the value of our product is dependent on how Every two years a committee meets to establish wage scales much a venue owner may or may not take in on a given night, for the next two-year period. The committee considers the just as we reject the concept of working for a percentage of economy, the marketplace, the consumer price index (CPI or ticket sales at a theater. We are not partners with the employer. “cost of living”), the price of goods and services, parking and a We provide a product that has a value and we agree to the myriad of other economic factors when determining the wage price of our services before we provide them. The foundation scales for musicians for the next two years. Members, both of this way of doing business is that there is a floor, a side musicians and leaders, are invited to appear before the minimum amount that our product is worth. Economies will committee to give their input and in so doing contribute to continue to go up and down as they have for eons. Yet if we the decision making process. Representatives from orchestral devalue the music we make, we engage in a dangerous race employers also make suggestions and present data. After to the bottom. I urge you to remember your years of study, considering the data, the committee makes a recommendation practice and performing experience in determining the value to the CFM Board of Directors and new wage scales are put of your art. If you don’t value your profession, who will? In in place. the words of the late Dick Kress, bandleader and CFM Board In past years, increases in our scales were considered member, “Hold out for scale!” modest in comparison to inflation, the CPI, and other economic yardsticks. But that was when a savings account at a bank was paying 4% interest. CD’s were paying high single digit rates and mortgages had interest rates in the March 2011 cfm10208.com Intermezzo Page 3 Local 10-208 of AFM AFL-CIO CHICAGO FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS OFFICERS – DELEGATES 2008-2011 Gary Matts President Terryl Jares Vice-President Spencer Aloisio Secretary-Treasurer BOARD OF DIRECTORS Terryl Jares Robert Bauchens Bob Lizik Rich Daniels Janice MacDonald Frank Donaldson Leo Murphy B.J. Levy Booking Gigs CONTRACT DEPARTMENT Terryl Jares – Vice-President Nancy Van Aacken Recently, many of the calls I get are from members telling me how ASSISTANTS TO THE bad the jobbing scene is. If the number of contracts filed and the PRESIDENT - JURISDICTIONS amount of work dues collected is any indication, I will agree that the Terryl Jares - Vice-President Supervisor - Entire jurisdiction recent recession has been extremely hard on the casual musician. including theaters What can you do to increase your work? I don’t have the “magical” (Cell Phone: 312-310-4100) Dean Rolando answer, but I can offer a few tips that might help. Recordings, Transcriptions, Documentaries, Etc. (Cell Phone: 708-380-6219) First, assess your present career. What type of jobs do you want? Is that work available and how can you go about securing it? How can DELEGATES TO CONVENTIONS OF THE ILLINOIS STATE FEDERATION OF LABOR you musically prepare to do this work? Tough questions. One of the AND CONGRESS OF INDUSTRIAL best ways to find work is to associate with people that are working. ORGANIZATIONS Spencer Aloisio Gary Matts Network. Go hear bands play. Attend symphony and chamber music Terryl Jares concerts. Introduce yourself to those that you want to work with. DELEGATES TO CHICAGO FEDERATION OF LABOR AND Next, set goals and develop a plan. Ask yourself, “Where do I want INDUSTRIAL UNION COUNCIL Rich Daniels Gary Matts to be in the next five years, two years, and even this year? “How will Terryl Jares I meet these goals?” Make a list of your goals and formulate ideas DELEGATES TO CONVENTIONS OF THE of how to meet them. “Can I get more work by attending booking AMERICAN FEDERATION OF MUSICIANS Spencer Aloisio Terryl Jares conferences, bridal expos, or chamber of commerce events?” Rich Daniels Gary Matts Depending on the type of music you perform, attending these events Frank Donaldson may be an ideal way of “networking” with future employers. Alternates: Leo Murphy Larry Bowen EDITOR, THE INTERMEZZO And don’t forget the power of the press! The manner in which Terryl Jares you present yourself in printed materials reflects your professional PRESIDENT EMERITI image. If your writing skills are not of a high level, hire a writer to Nicholas Bliss Ed Ward say it for you and use a professional photographer for superior press VICE-PRESIDENT EMERITUS photos. Then, use these materials to build your website and make the Tom Beranek materials available for downloading. Add sound clips and possibly BOARD OF DIRECTORS EMERITUS Ruth Marion Tobias a video to your website. If you have a CD, this might be the place to sell it or direct people to the point of purchase. Last, look into social Open Daily, except media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn and post a video Saturday, Sunday and Holidays to YouTube. It’s surprising how many people will find you! Office Hours 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. All Phones: 312-782-0063 (24 Hrs.) Be enthusiastic when talking to people, musically and AFM WEB SITE: www.afm.org CFM WEB SITE: www.cfm10208.com knowledgeably prepared for the jobs, and courteous, positive and Address all e-mail to the professional. These ideas are not, by any means, the answer to sitting Secretary/Treasurer: home on a Saturday night, but they may help in getting “just one [email protected] more gig”. Cover illustration provided by Chris Nolan Creative. Intermezzo cfm10208.com March 2011 Page 4 By Ruth Marion Tobias JOY IN THE DEAD OF from innumerable commercial VON FREEMAN, FRED WINTER jingles to her long association ANDERSON and BOBBY Goodies from the RUSS with BOB BOWKER’S LEWIS. The studio label states: PHILLIPS’ household included “Lakeside Singers”. “Taylor “Real Jazz Made in Chicago”. a CD and an Arbors Records Street”, recorded at Southport catalog apprising us of the Records, includes the work In 2005 the original, first-floor, recording work done by Russ. of Chicago artists PETER studio space for more than The CD, “Hooray for Christmas” POLZAK, RICHIE DAVIS, two decades at Southport and by JOHN SHERIDAN’S Dream BOBBY SCHIFF, ALEJO Cornelia avenues was leased to a Band, with whom he records for POVEDA, BOBBY LEWIS, UPS store. The recording studio Arbors, not only has the Phillips’ LARRY GRAY, PAT now exists in the owners’ cozy trombone but great sounds from FERRERI, JIM TROMPETER apartment above. Tesser wrote, some of the other “heavies”— and LAURENCE HOBGOOD. “Only the kitchen and main JOHN SHERIDAN’S piano; The beautiful accompanying bedroom retain their original WARREN VACHÉ’S trumpet; photos of Josie are the work purposes. The living room holds RANDY REINHART and DAN of JOANIE PALLATO, their nine-foot grand piano and BARRETT’S cornets among Southport’s co-owner. several of the pre-transistor, the big band’s players and the antique tube microphones that great sound of REBECCA MORE ON SOUTHPORT Mr.