Klarinet Archive - Posting 000648.txt from 1996/04

From: "Lorne G. Buick" <mcheramy@-----.CA>
Subj: Re: Amateur players and paying gigs
Date: Mon, 22 Apr 1996 18:17:53 -0400

Hear, hear - thanks to Fred for a coherent and thoughtful reply. I would
like to add that over the last ten years I have made a significant
percentage of my living on gigs (especially school concerts) paid for
(fully or in part) by the MPTF (Musicians' Performance Trust Fund), which
if I understand it correctly is the fruit of an agreement between the Union
and the recording industry to funnel a tiny percentage of their (the
recording industry's) profits back into live performance. If you think that
would just happen by itself without the Union you are living in a dream
world.

Lorne G. Buick
Another proud AFM member

>Steve,
> Obviously you are not a Union member or you would never say that.
>The reason I can demand a living wage for the work I do is that the Union
>helped make professional musicians respectable in the eyes of agents,
>restauranters, hoteliers, etc. The Union's work on behalf of its members
>has allowed us to set a standard of pay, benefits, working conditions
>and professional behavior which was not present before the advent of the
>A.F. of M.

[snip]
> I'm sure there are plenty of stories about lousy Unions (I know
>personally of one concerning the Washington, DC local) but to tar the
>entire A.F. of M. with that kind of brush is at best naive and at worst,
>malicious. It is the only organization which represents musicians in our
>country and we need to support it MORE, not knock it down, to the glee of
>anti-labor organizations everywhere.
>
>Fred Jacobowitz
>Clarinet/Sax instructor, Peabody Preparatory (and proud A.F. of M. member)
>