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Phil Strange recently won Downbeat Magazine’s Student Award for Jazz Instrumental Solo and Best Original Composition…Randy Singer recently recorded the harmonica tracks on Julio Iglesias’ next Sony International release...

MPTF Adding Special Focus: Veterans and Seniors

The Music Performance Trust Fund concentrated on young people and schools in 2001. Local 655 coordinated twenty-seven concerts in schools and libraries during that period. Nice job to all involved! We have a new challenge from the MPTF Trustees for 2002: adding veterans and seniors.

I ask each one of you to make one call to a nursing home, hospital, or veterans’ center. Talk to the administrator in charge and tell them you have funding for half the cost of a musical presentation with 1-10 musicians if they can come up with the other half. When they smile at the prospect of free money, get tentative dates and call me at the union (I need 30-45 day’s lead time). I’ll run a cost accounting and get back to you promptly with some hard figures for your contracts. We have $37,000 in potential funding for this coming year (with co-funding, that’s enough for 350 two-man concerts!) Remember MPTF jobs pay $73 for a 2-hour gig and $103 for a 3-hour gig, pension is included, and the leader gets paid double those rates.

Let’s spread some musical cheer!

Thanks-Jake Luger

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