Klarinet Archive - Posting 000223.txt from 2010/06

From: John Brophy <johnbrophy0@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Situation
Date: Mon, 21 Jun 2010 20:02:31 -0400

Regardless of whether the group is professional or amateur, it should be run
in an orderly way, in accordance with best practice. Now, rescheduling a gig
at 3 weeks notice, without checking if members are available for the new
date, seems like very bad managment.
So does that failure to supply you with musicians' handbook. The way that
was handled looks like a unilateral alteration of contract.
Insofar as you have suffered in your reputation as a musician, it might be
worth investigating an action for slander.
I fully support the idea of contacting the union: even if they cannot do
anything for you, they should know about this to try and stop it happening
again.
Lastly, who is supplying the money? If there is sponsorship involved,
sponsors won't be pleased to hear of this. Having an orchestra in an area is
supposed to confer prestigeand attract good jobs &c., The sort of behaviour
you describe wouldn't impress Bill Clinton

And sadly there is a problem with the instrument: all those lovely Haydn
symphonies that most orchestras start with, and nothing for clarinet. If you
want to feel loved try bassoon, viola or best of all, french horn: there's 4
of them needed every time!

Best wishes

John Brophy
Dublin, Ireland

On Sun, Jun 20, 2010 at 1:45 PM, Bob and Deborah Shaw <theshaws10@-----.net>wrote:

> 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
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > Klarinet mailing list
> > Klarinet@-----.com
> > http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com
> >
> >
>
> _______________________________________________
> Klarinet mailing list
> Klarinet@-----.com
> http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com
>

--
John Brophy
16 St Brigid's Road
Clondalkin
Dublin 22

+ 353 1 459 2136
+ 353 87 244 7718
_______________________________________________
Klarinet mailing list
Klarinet@-----.com
http://klarinet-list.serve-music.com