Klarinet Archive - Posting 000195.txt from 2010/06

From: Bob and Deborah Shaw <theshaws10@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Situation
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2010 08:45:08 -0400

Lelia,

This helps me tremendously! I have never come upon a situation like
this and any group that I have ever been in has loved having me there.
I play well, am always prepared, never late, and have a good attitude.
That is why I have been at such a loss as to what to do in this
situation. Thank you so much for your insight!

Deborah

Lelia Loban wrote:
> 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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> Klarinet@-----.com
> http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com
>
>

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