From the Editor

May 2009 Vol. 16 No. 1 Therefore, we are looking for the following: 1 )A person with computer skills who can assemble an on- Wanted: line version of a newsletter and come up with creative solutions for New Editor(s) distribution to our 1100+ members; 2) A person with a “nose for news” who can assist the 20 for Una Voce OCSM Delegates in reporting on what is happening “right now” in their respective orchestras (attention all you bloggers!); Greetings to all my colleagues: As you have noticed, this is 3) A person who can find and report on topics of interest for a the only print issue of Una Voce going out this season. I thank more in-depth treatment in a print issue of Una Voce, such as everyone, especially the OCSM Executive, for their patience as we musicians’ health issues, best management practices, union-related try our best to keep lines of communication flowing. Unfortunately, issues, book reviews, or the history of our organization and its due to increased workload, I am no longer able to keep up with the member orchestras. duties of OCSM Secretary, Una Voce Editor, and compiler of the I realize that this is a tall order. Many of you probably have OCSM Directory, in addition to my professional and personal life problems filling all your own orchestra’s internal committees, and, if outside of OCSM. Therefore, I have asked the Executive to accept my orchestra is any indication, you are probably performing a lot my resignation as Editor of Una Voce, and we are putting out a more than you used to. However, I firmly believe that this is work notice in this issue that we are looking for replacements. Incidentally, worth doing. I have been involved with OCSM for ten years now, and at one time in OCSM’s history, the Secretary position on the OCSM I have learned a great deal through attendance at conferences, a Executive was shared by two people, and both the Directory and Una close working relationship with officers and delegates, and through Voce were produced by separate people apart from the Executive. communication. I have said it before on these pages, and I’ll You will note my use of the plural (editors) instead of the conclude by repeating it here: for me, the purpose of OCSM is so we singular. Part of my challenge in producing Una Voce is that it need not be alone. When our orchestras face challenges, or when mainly comes down to me to put content together. I fully believe that we have successes, OCSM allows us to share those this burden should be shared by more than one person. As a burdens/successes with one another. member of the OCSM Executive, I will continue to contribute to the I hope you had a good season, and wish you all the best for content of Una Voce, as will the other members of the Executive, but the summer months. I hope we can find one or more persons to take on the Editor’s job. Bob Fraser, OCSM Secretary Every summer at the OCSM Conference, we strike an Editorial Committee to discuss OCSM’s internal communications: the President’s Report Directory, Una Voce, bargaining settlement bulletins, Conductor Francine Schutzman Evaluations, the Delegate Handbook, the OCSM website and the There have been several articles in Una Voce over the years OCSM e-mail list. I have devoted space in more than one issue of that discuss what OCSM means to its members, and it seems to be Una Voce to a discussion of print versus electronic communication. time to repeat that message. Many of you take advantage of the In spite of the fact that almost all of our 1100+ members have e-mail lower-than-average instrument insurance rates offered to OCSM addresses and access to the Internet, there is still strong support for members by HED. However, we are much more than an insurance preserving at least some of our printed communication. Therefore, at package. Our orchestras provide information for the wage charts the last OCSM Conference, the Editorial Committee decided that we that are produced for each symphonic conference within the AFM. should try to produce both a print and on-line version of Una Voce. These are particularly important during negotiations, when we’re all The print version would contain official reports from the Conference, interested in seeing how our wages and working conditions stack up and more in-depth articles, and have less focus on news items. An against those with similar budgets. on-line version would focus more on short items of news of a timely nature: a job action, a settlement bulletin, a report from a recent tour, The OCSM newsletter, Una Voce, has traditionally been the etc. This on-line version of Una Voce would be similar to Sound way that most of us connect with the organization. I am sure that you Bytes/Bloc notes produced on a regular basis by Orchestras Canada. have noticed that this is the first issue of Una Voce that you have received this year, and it may be the only one. We are looking for a There is an honorarium in OCSM’s budget for the Una Voce new editor. This is an opportunity for one of our 1100 members to Editor. If the duties of Editor are to be divided, we will obviously have seek out and disseminate information that is useful to all of us. You to revisit the amounts, and this will be discussed when the Delegates don’t have to write the newsletter, but if you do have something that approve our annual budget at the Conference this summer. you’d like others to read, here’s your chance. You needn’t be an Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians – Organisation des musiciens d’orchestres symphoniques du Canada UNA VOCE May 2009 Page 2 OCSM delegate – just someone who has an eye out for newsworthy AGM in Quebec City in May. I will also be representing OCSM at the items. AFM Canadian Conference in Montreal in June, at a meeting with the We are not looking for just an editor. I don’t know how many IEB and the other heads of the AFM players’ conferences in Las of your orchestras had the privilege of working with Ron Bauers, Vegas in June, and at the ROPA and ICSOM annual conferences in accountant and financial analyst extraordinaire with a gift for solving August. I was on the interview team for the post of head of SSD for some of the mysteries hidden in the financial reports of our the AFM, and I speak with the other members of the players’ organizations. Ron’s help was invaluable during negotiations, and it conference council from time to time via teleconference. The OCSM was available as a shared expense between the AFM and the Local. board meets via SKYPE whenever we are able to coordinate our too- Ron passed away suddenly last fall, so the AFM is looking for a busy schedules – not as frequently as we would like, unfortunately – replacement for him. If you have used the services of someone like and we keep in touch via email. We used to have a face-to-face mid- Ron as you prepared for negotiations, and if that person is interested winter meeting but have eliminated that for the past two years in in working for other groups as well, please send me his or her name order to keep costs down. Instead, we have a marathon and contact information. teleconference. OCSM has long run a conductor evaluation database. In Next summer is the AFM Convention, and the players’ response to a question asked of the delegates recently, we have conferences are invited to submit resolutions for consideration by the learned that the results of those evaluations are indeed used for convention delegates. There are many areas of AFM legislation to conductor searches. They will always be necessary and relevant. So deal with, and the players’ conferences are the vehicles by which is the OCSM Relief Fund. We don’t have a large amount of money items that affect us most directly are presented. This could be your in the fund, so it acts as a supplement to the AFM strike fund. But only chance to change things within the AFM. Take a look at the there is money there that goes to the orchestra as a whole, not to AFM bylaws. It doesn’t take that long to go through the articles that individuals. deal with symphony orchestras, for a start. See if there are changes that you would like to propose. Take those to your OCSM delegate At the annual OCSM conference, delegates come together for discussion at this summer’s conference in Thunder Bay. to discuss problems, solutions, and goals. This is the only chance for Orchestras contribute over half of the work dues collected by the the OCSM Executive, the delegates, Symphonic Services AFM each year, but we are still struggling to find our proper place employees, the AFM Vice President from Canada and other within the AFM. You can help. representatives from the AFM International Executive Board to get to know each other’s needs and to exchange ideas. It is probably the OCSM is more than meetings and talk. It has a role as a most important thing that we do. OCSM is unique among the representative of the entire professional Canadian orchestral symphonic conferences in that we encompass groups with such a community in arts advocacy representation with various wide range of budgets, compensation and season lengths.

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