The USDA has submitted a report to congress that will make it easier for musicians to travel with their instruments. The Lacey Act, which was originally passed in 1900, was intended to protect endangered wildlife and plants, but musicians have been stopped by customs officials because of the woods used in the manufacture of their instruments. If a musician travels internationally with their instrument as part of their baggage, they will no longer be required to submit a Lacey Act declaration upon re-entry to the United States.
SAG-AFTRA has ratified a new contract covering radio and television commercials. The new three-year agreement is retoactive to April 1 and run through June 30, 2016. The agreement calls for a one-time increase in wages of six percent, a 1.3 percent increase in pension contributions, improvements in cable use fees, and an increase in Internet and new media payments.
Florida Grand Opera has hired Julie Maykowski as Director of Artistic Administration and Head of the Young Artist Program. Maykowski, who previously served as Director of Development at Sarasota Opera and Arizona Opera, will oversee all aspects of FGO's music department.
Former Board members of the Symphony of the Americas are calling for more financial transparency from the orchestra. Board President Beth Holland and Treasurer Raquel Cohen questioned financial irregularities, including salaries and funds going toward travel and personal expenses. Holland and Cohen were subsequently ousted from the Board, and several other Board members have resigned in protest.