Archives: February 2004
02/01/04 Director Roitstein to Serve as Film Music Panelist
Local 655 Director Steve Roitstein will serve as moderator and panelist for the free seminar, All You Need to Know About Music in Films, a presentation of the Miami International Film Festival. The seminar will be held Wednesday, February 4, 2004 at Tower Theater, 1508 SW 8 Street in Miami.
Sponsored by the Miami Dade College School of Entertainment and Design Technology, the seminar will address topics such as music scoring and licensing. Other panelists include Michael Cumbermack (Warner Music Group), Leslie José Zigel (entertainment attorney at Greenberg Traurig and former Vice President of business and legal affairs with BMG’s Latin American regional office and U.S. Latin operations), and Iván Alvarez (Senior Vice President, Universal Music Latin America). Director Roitstein, songwriter, producer, composer, arranger, and musician, was awarded a Latin Grammy in 2001 for his arranging work with Celia Cruz.
For more information on the seminar, please call (305) 237-3456.
02/01/04 That Union Thing
From AFL-CIO Work in Progress:
NEUTRALITY VIOLATION—An arbitrator awarded immediate union recognition for 103 workers at AT&T Local Network Services in Orlando, Fla., after finding the company guilty of violating its neutrality and consent agreement with the Communications Workers of America. A majority of the workers had shown support for the union through a card-check prior to a July 17 election in which the union lost.
02/01/04 Member Feedback
I would like this email to be an “open” letter to the members of Local 655. If you are not already aware, on June 25, 2003, the 95th Convention of the AFM adopted emergency recommendation #8 which states that each individual musician who receives a distribution from the Sound Recording Special Payments Fund, or the Film Musician’s and Secondary Markets Fund, shall make a payment to the Federation based on his/her annual individual gross distribution from each fund. I also understand that the general membership of Local 655 along with all members of the AFM are being assessed an additional amount, to be sent to the Federation.
02/01/04 Member Benefits
Are You On Our Website??
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Have your own web page hosted on afm655.org, complete with picture and audio
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Get referrals
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Free PR
To be listed in our band directory and/or have a page hosted on the AFM 655 website, please send a copy of your promo pack (including bio, song list, picture, and audio material) to the Local. Questions? Call the Local at 954-925-1996 or send an email to webmaster[at]afm655[dot]org.
02/01/04 Legislative Roundup
Musicians Protest Media Monopoly
A three-week, 13-city tour, “Tell Us The Truth,” aimed at educating the public on the perils of media consolidation, concluded last month. Participants of the tour included musicians such as Billy Bragg, Steve Earl, and Tom Morello; M.C. Janeane Garofalo; and two commissioners from the FCC. One of the targets of the tour’s protests was ClearChannel, which has grown from 40 stations to 1200 in the last seven years. Radio consolidation negatively effects diversity of programming and political discourse, said tour participants.
02/01/04 Symphonic Shorts
FPO Bankruptcy Update
Philharmonic Hall Sold
The courts have approved the sale of the rehearsal hall to FramFed7 for $1.35 million. The backup bid for the building was by Alex Nichols for $1.34 million. Both of these significantly exceeded the John Galt benchmark bid of $1 million, ensuring that more funds will be available for distribution to creditors.
02/01/04 Recording Rap
President Cliff Walker and I attended Digital Distribution Negotiations in Washington D.C. on Jan 12th and 13th. Representatives from New York, Nashville, Chicago, Texas, L.A., and Canada, along with the RMA, ICSOM and ROPA met at AFM attorney George Cohen’s offices. Discussions included Digital Performance Rights/Royalties which will be paid to side musicians. The AFM will be collecting and distributing the payments. Sound Exchange has a fund for musicians and background singers which will track their work. For more information, visit their web site at www.soundexchange.com . Negotiations will be held every few months as the AFM fine tunes the digital portion of the Sound Recording Labor Agreement which will expire 1/31/05. I will be updating you in this article as I receive information.
02/01/04 Casual Corner
News & Announcements
This year, the Hollywood Jazz Festival, which took place in November, was under the joint sponsorship of two formerly competing jazz organizations. The South Florida Friends of Jazz and the Gold Coast Jazz Society hope that their spirit of cooperation will help secure the future of jazz in Broward county, despite the diminishing local financial support for the arts.
02/01/04 Official Business
Have you paid your 2004 Annual Dues?
Please check your mailing label for your outstanding balance as of the mailing date (in parenthesis next to your name). If you have not yet paid your 2004 Annual Dues, you are now subject to a $5 late fee. Please call if you have questions. Thank you!
02/01/04 Cliff's Notes
I would like to start the New Year by thanking you all for allowing me to be the president of this wonderfully diversified and talented union. As far as I’m concerned, we have the best players in the nation and I’m proud to represent you.
