Archives: October 2006

10/22/06 Broward Cultural Division Announces Artist as Entrepreneur Workshop

The Broward County Commission’s Cultural Division has announced a free seminar, Artists as Entrepreneur. The seminar is  designed to assist individual artists by cultivating and advancing their business skills, and will be held at ArtServe Inc., 1350 E. Sunrise Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale, on Saturday, October 28, 2006 from 10:00 am -12 Noon.

For more information, or to register, please visit http://www.broward.org/arts and click on "workshops," or call 954-357-7457.

10/13/06 AFL-CIO Announces Election Endorsement

The list of Florida candidates endorsed by the AFL-CIO for the upcoming elections (to be held on November 7) can now be found online:  http://www.aflcio.org/issues/politics/labor2006/FL.cfm . Make your opinions heard: VOTE!

10/03/06 Backstage at the Carnival Center-a View from the Pit

The Carnival Center for the Performing Arts opens in Miami this weekend, an event decades in the making. From October 3 through October 7, South Florida Musicians Association Secretary-Treasurer and Florida Classical Orchestra oboist Jeffrey Apana writes about what it is like to be backstage during this history-making week.

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10/01/06 Official Business

Membership Meeting Reminder:

 

10/01/06 Member Benefits

Union Plus Scholarship applications are now available. Over 14 years, the program has provided over $2 million in scholarship funds to working families. Applications are due by January 31, 2007. For more information, please visit http://www.unionplus.org/scholarships.

10/01/06 Double Times

New Symphonic Recording Agreement is Win-Win for Everyone

Symphonic recordings are not big money-makers, but they can generate some income for an orchestra, not to mention increase the orchestras' prestige and name-recognition. The new AFM Symphony/Opera/Ballet Live Recording Agreement allows orchestras with collective bargaining agreements that are signatory to the agreement to sell recordings of live performances at reduced up-front costs, while guaranteeing that the musicians will share in the proceeds of the sales should it become a hit.

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10/01/06 Studio Beat

A Changing Recording Landscape – Where Does the AFM Fit In?

We’ve all heard the alarming news about illegal downloading. Unpaid peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing threatens the very existence of the companies that have provided musicians with lucrative employment for years. As a result, session musicians have experienced a downturn in major label work.

But in the midst of this crisis, a new landscape is evolving. During the past several years, while major record labels and recording studios have struggled to survive, more CDs were produced in more studios than at any time in history. Many of these projects are self-produced by artists and musicians. We now have more affordable ways to record, market, and distribute our music than ever before.

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10/01/06 That Union Thing

While Congress continues to fight over whether to raise the minimum wage, two Federal Reserve officials have made statements in support of an increase. Former Vice Chairman Alan Blinder has stated that a modest increase would not cause a substantial job loss, and current Chairman Ben Bernake has stated that a modest increase would have a minimal effect on overall inflation.

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10/01/06 Industry News

Local/Club Date

A study by researchers at the University of Surrey and the University of Leicester has shown that restaurant patrons spend more when classical music is played. The researchers speculated that classical music makes patrons feel more sophisticated and therefore more willing to indulge in fancy coffees, expensive wines, and extravagant desserts.

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