 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: JGM
Date: 2006-03-01 21:05
Often while reading posts, I've been struck by the battles that many of us have to fight as professional musicians in different parts of the world. Here in Ireland there was a major problem with the Wexford Opera Festival. This Internationally known festival which receives a substantial government subsidy as well as generous corporate and individual sponsorship had in recent years employed two orchestras from Eastern Europe at rates of pay that would be a fraction of the Irish minimum wage.
Persistant lobbying by the Musicians Union of Ireland at Arts Council level and a dignified protest at the opening night of some of the festivals which received prominant press and National TV coverage have helped bring about a situation whereby from next year, a freelance Irish orchestra (The Irish Film Orchestra) will be the resident orchestra for the featival, thus providing slightly more than a months work for a large group of musicians. Thus showing that there is strength in numbers and in solidarity.
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Author: diz
Date: 2006-03-03 00:06
Meanwhile your (former) East European cousins can eat bark off trees?
Without music, the world would be grey, very grey.
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Author: JGM
Date: 2006-03-03 00:28
A rather snide response. I have no problem with former Eastern Block orchestras performing dates but once they get paid at an appropiate rate. The problem here was the fact that large Irish government subsides both direct and indirect, were subsidising the festival which was hiring musicians at fees inappropiate for the professionalism required. That was not to say that they were incapable of doing the work, just not being treated properly. If you value the work of musicians irrespective of their nationality, you must agree that they have the right to earn a living at a respectful wage not to be made little of.
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Author: John Scorgie
Date: 2006-03-03 06:12
Thanks for sharing the good news with us, JGM.
Nice to hear that an Irish government subsidy for a music festival in Ireland is actually going to benefit some Irish musicians!
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Author: SolidRockMan
Date: 2006-03-03 12:28
This controversial issue (dubbed 'the race to the bottom') has arisen in more than one area of employment in Ireland recently. Workers from Eastern Europe are indeed prepared to accept wages much lower than Irish norms, because even these rates are much better than what they can get at home.
On the one hand it's just the market ruling, but on the other hand there's a real risk that people will be exploited. Sadly the way of the world is that the latter outcome is very likely and there is plenty of evidence in Ireland to back up that conclusion.
I didn't know it was happening in music too but it's exactly the same issue and diz has missed the point. It's not about the nationalities of the musicians at all, but about maintaining minimum standards and the dignity of workers.
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Author: Don Berger
Date: 2006-03-03 13:15
Well said , SRM, and congrats to our Irish friends and fellow Union members, remember the phrase and pic?, "In Union There is Strength". Don
Thanx, Mark, Don
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