Newsletter Archives: October 2006
10/01/06 Official Business
Membership Meeting Reminder:
- Dates/Times:
- Friday, October 20, 2006 at 2 PM
- Friday, December 8, 2006 at 11 AM
- Location: 5861 SW 21 St., Hollywood FL 33023
- Agenda: Amendments to the Wage Scales
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.
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.
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.
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.
