Klarinet Archive - Posting 000194.txt from 2010/06

From: "Lelia Loban" <lelialoban@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Situation
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:08:22 -0400

Deborah Shaw wrote,
>The musicians handbook says that you will be dismissed for missing a
>concert. I had not seen the musicians handbook until today. This seems to
>be an unfair situation. >

...and from a later message,
>It seems that 4 of the principals missed a concert, and none were let go.
>The group is new and it seems that one person (not the conductor) has taken
>control of the group. There are a lot of politics involved-too many to
>explain. >

cifelli-c@-----.edu replied,
>>I am from this area also and I can tell you that there is really nothing
>>you can do unless you want to appeal to the conductor. Although I don't
>>see that getting you very far. I know it doesn't help but I would just
>>chalk it up to experience.>>

I agree that's usually the practical reality, but there is one more thing
you could do, if you're willing to risk taking some heat in public, with the
chance of scaring off other area music groups where you might audition
later. You could shine the local public spotlight on what happened. Write
a guest editorial for the largest newspaper in your area. If you can't get
your own piece into print, then contact reporters until you find one who
will write up the story. (I've worked as a reporter in my extremely
checkered past as a writer and I'm pretty sure there's no community in the
USA where at least one reporter wouldn't jump all over that story.)

You write well and you describe the situation clearly. Your description
makes the people who fired you look so bad, so petty, that they're bound to
hit back. They may accuse you of carpetbagging (because you've moved to the
South from California), barging in as an outsider and trying to change all
the rules, etc..

For me, the most telling element to emphasize is that the orchestra changed
the date of the concert at the last minute. You'd agreed to serve on a
certain date. The date was part of the agreement. The orchestra violated
the agreement with you, not the other way around.

Robert Howe pointed out,
>>>You're being screwed.>>>

I think almost any reasonable person would agree with Robert Howe's
conclusion. If you do go public, it would help strengthen your case if you
spelled out a few things explicitly: First, what kind of orchestra is this,
where there's no union? Is this a paying job or is it an amateur orchestra?
Does the orchestra get funding from taxpayer dollars? Also, you'll need to
make clear *why* you didn't see the musicians' handbook until after you got
dismissed. Did you know the handbook existed? Had you been given a copy?
And finally: Did you have any written agreement? Had anyone discussed this
policy with you before the orchestra changed the date of the concert?

Before you decide whether or not to rumble in public,it might be worth
having a private conversation, making your points but trying to keep things
civil, with that non-conductor you mentioned who's taken over the group. A
polite smile and a subtly veiled threat of publicity can sometimes work
wonders.

Lelia Loban
http://members.sibeliusmusic.com/Lelia_Loban

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