The Local 655 Executive Board has adopted a resolution creating the Contact Guarantee Fund, a service to help ensure that local musicians are paid for their work, regardless of if the purchaser defaults.

The Contract Guarantee Fund allows payment of scale wages for club date/freelance members on one-night performances only.

The requirements of the Fund are as follows:

• Correctly, fully completed contracts must be filed prior to the performance.
• All musicians must be members in good standing during the time the contract was signed and the performance occurred.
• All musicians must conduct themselves in accordance with professional standards/behavior.
• Request for the contract guarantee benefit must be made from the band leader to the Secretary of the Local.

Upon review, the Secretary shall pay scale wages to the affected musicians.

The Contract Guarantee Fund shall be funded through the general operating funds.

The local shall pursue full payment of the contract in question. Upon receipt of the face value of the contract, the local shall pay the musicians the difference above scale wages and return the scale wages portion to the general fund.

The musicians of the Florida Grand Opera have united to organize for union representation. Just like the musicians of Palm Beach Opera a decade ago, the Florida Grand Opera musicians desire to have a direct relationship and a collective bargaining agreement with their management. They desire to be recognized as an integral part of the opera company. They desire an end to independent contractor status and to preserve and protect the core of the orchestra.

Unions are about individual members working together to achieve common goals. A success with Florida Grand Opera could have a huge impact on maintaining and raising standards for south Florida.

We hope you will lend your support and encouragement to the musicians of the Florida Grand Opera as they take a courageous step to stand together and demand change.

For more information, please visit: http://fgomusicians.org

The public is invited to "Music Multitaskers", a free informational forum, brought to you by MEISA (Music and Entertainment Industry Student Association) and sponsored by South Florida Musicians. Topics of the event include:

• Maximizing your Income
• Owning a Publishing Company
• Commercial Music Creation

Featured Guests:

• Dan Warner: Guitarist/Producer/Songwriter

Artists Include: Rihanna, Timbaland, Shakira, Pink, Thalia, Christina Aguilera, Kelly Clarkson, Ziggy Marley, Madonna, Nelly Furtado, Chris Cornell, Paulina Rubio, Celine Dion.

• David Ruttenberg: Producer/Engineer/Writer

Artists Include: Janet Jackson, Peter Gabriel, Stevie Wonder, Lindsey Buckingham, Russ Freeman, The Rippingtons, Eric Marienthal, Chick Corea, Peter Erskine, Russell Ferrante


Location:

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2008 10AM
MIAMI DADE COLLEGE NORTH CAMPUS
Room 2140
11380 NW 27 AVE.
MIAMI, FL 33167

Open to the Public
FREE ADMISSION

For more information please call 305.237.1696.

There have been some comments in the press lately, both locally and regarding the Jacksonville Symphony lockout, that bring into question what constitutes a "professional" (and with this, an implied "quality") orchestra. So now seems a good time to write about what the life of a professional musician is like.

A day in the Life (and pocketbook) of a Pro

In reference to the ongoing Jacksonville Symphony labor dispute, Chairman of the Board Jim Van Vleck was recently quoted as saying, "I really do respect our musicians, but there's something about a 37-week year and 20 hours a week that doesn't seem too onerous."

I wish I had a 20-hour workweek! That 20-hour average (typical for most symphony orchestras) only counts the time we spend in front of the conductor, and it's comparable to saying that you should pay the same price for food at a restaurant as you pay at the grocery store because you don't see the work the chef does in the kitchen.

As a "professional," we're expected to play perfectly at the very first rehearsal. I'm a member of the orchestra that plays for Florida Grand Opera, and before we had our first rehearsal for Cosi Fan Tutte earlier this month, I had spent 3 hours listening to the opera, several hours practicing the technical parts, and a few hours making oboe reeds. Plus, musicians generally try to arrive at least a half-hour before the curtain both to have time to warm up, and to have a cushion against any traffic delays...if we're late, it's not like we can make up the time at the end of the day. Can you imagine what would happen if it was kick-off time and the quarterback was stuck on I-95?

As a south Florida freelancer, I'm paid about $44 an hour for my time on stage. But that number is deceptive. Let's add it up:

3 hours of paid work a day on stage or in the pit, less:

• 1/2 hour unpaid time warming up before curtain time
• 1-2 hours (or more) at home practicing, making reeds, etc.
• Time spent during "unemployed" weeks staying in shape and maintaining professional skills (frequently 1-2 hours a day or more)

But that's not all...musicians are also responsible for providing and maintaining their own instruments. It's not unusual for a musician to spend $10,000-$50,000 or more of their own money to buy their "business equipment." String players have to buy new strings a couple of times a year, woodwind players go through several reeds a week.

But that's not all...as a freelancer, I'm paid as an Independent Contractor. That means I have to pay double the Social Security tax (15.3% instead of 7.65%). I'm on my own for health insurance. I get no vacation pay. If I call in sick, I don't get paid for that day.

Add it all up, and despite the fact that I've been training for this profession since I was 10 years old, I might be better off if I worked at Wal-Mart!

Audition for all of the major local area contractors at one time, sponsored by South Florida Musicians Association, the organization of professional musicians.

South Florida Musicians Association announces substitute list auditions for wedding, corporate event, symphonic, and pops contractors representing organizations including:

• Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church
• Key West Pops
• Miami City Ballet
  
• Orchestra Miami
• Palm Beach Opera
• Palm Beach Symphony
• Philharmonia
  

When:    Saturday, October 6, 2007 beginning at 12:00 noon
Where:    Lynn University, de Hoernle International Center

Repertoire: your choice of classical, jazz, or pops music

For more information, directions,  or to sign up for a time: http://www.afm655.org/auditions/openaudinfo.htm

What is the AFM-EPF?
The AFM and Employers' Pension Fund is a defined-benefit, multi-employer plan that is protected under Federal Law.
Huh?
The Fund is like an annuity or Social Security: when you retire, you get a check every month for the rest of your life. The Fund is also a multi-employer plan, so you can participate by playing in an orchestra, playing on a recording, or playing a gig in a club…there are many ways to fund your pension, even on gigs you play where you file contracts yourself.
How do I get Pension?
If you play on a gig or recording session with an AFM Union contract, you're already getting pension credits. If you're playing a wedding or at a club or have a corporation, there are ways for you to file your own contract and make contributions on your own behalf. With a minimum contribution made each year, it takes five years to become vested, at which time you cannot lose credit for any contributions made, even if you never play a gig again.
Is it Safe?
The AFM-EPF is no Enron. For starters, the Fund exists solely to provide pension benefits to participants…they don't have a "side" business that could go bankrupt, taking pension money with it. It's also a multi-employer plan, so if one organization were to stop participating, there are many others left to continue making contributions. The Fund, with over $1.7 billion in assets, is actually ranked in the top 1% of pension funds nationally.  And of course, all pension funds are regulated and insured by the Federal Government.
Why Don't I just get an IRA?
Well, for starters, you can only put $4000 a year into an IRA; your AFM-EPF contribution can be as much as 15% of your total income. If you start early and are good at investing, your IRA might do well (compounding is an amazing thing). Just don't retire during a recession! But since the AFM-EPF has over 45,000 participants and over $1.7 billion in assets, they're much better prepared to weather a few bad years in the market. Assuming you make a contribution at age 40 and retire at age 65, here are some numbers to compare:

..> ..>

	AFM-EPF	IRA or other tax-sheltered account	Regular Savings Account
Contribution	$1,000.00	$1,000.00	$1,000.00
Deduct Taxes Paid	$0.00	$0.00	$250.00
Rate of Return	n/a	5.00%	5.00%
Value at Retirement	n/a	$3,481.00	$2,611.00
Annual Return	$407.40	$232.06*	$174.06*
Total Return at age 80	$6,111.00	$3,481.00	$2,611.00

* (based on equal withdrawals to deplete funds by age 80)

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.

There are a lot of great reasons to make your own CDs. You can use them as part of a promotional package to get more live work. It's easy to sell CDs at gigs and on the Internet with sites such as CDbaby.com or by using PayPal. A CD can help propel your group to a different level.

So how does the AFM fit in when you make your own CD? What if the budget is low? Let's say you're a musician and you want to make your own CD by yourself or with some other musicians. What follows is the step by step procedure of what you need to do:

1. Your company becomes an AFM signatory. If you have a corporation it's easy. If not, it requires an extra step. Either way, you sign the Sound Recording Labor Agreement, which is the same agreement that all of the major labels have signed with the AFM. It's easy; I'll walk you through it.

2. Produce the CD. If you need help with this part, contact me to find studios, producers, engineers, and musicians. I can also help you deal with copyright.

3. Fill out and submit the B-4 session report forms.  This part is kind of confusing at first, but as a member of South Florida Musicians, we help you do this the first few times until you get the hang of it. That's one of the services we provide to our members.

4. Pay the musicians their wages. Ideally, you will pay the appropriate wages and Health & Welfare at the session. When the musicians are in the same group or are friends, they sometimes agree to "give the check back". Contact me for more information about this part.

5. Pay the musicians' pension. This is a crucial and required step, and is one of the best reasons to go through this process. Sum the pension for the entire project (currently 10% of wages) and submit one check to the fund. This step gives a pension contribution to each musician. It also entitles them to Special Payments Fund royalties for five years. The pension and Special Payments money is a way to reward musicians (and yourself) in a deferred way that a non-union recording never could.

6. Pay the work dues. This is required for each musician. It's a nice gesture to pay the musicians' work dues for them (currently 3.5% of wages) especially when they're accepting low budget rates.

With today's music business, we need to make sure we maximize every potential revenue stream. Making your CD through the AFM is one of the best ways to do that.

When you get called to record on an independent CD, please share this information with the person hiring you. If they are a musician, they stand to benefit as much as anyone from making it a union CD.

Please feel free to contact me about this process. I look forward to hearing from you!

Steve Roitstein is a songwriter, producer, composer, arranger, and musician with over 25 years in the industry. His song Castillo Azul, recorded by Ricardo Montaner, hit number one in Billboard's Hot Latin charts and stayed there for a record ten weeks. In 2001, Steve was awarded a Latin Grammy for his arranging work with Celia Cruz. Steve has been South Florida Musicians Association Recording Representative since 2004 and President since January 2006.

Musicians face many of the same issues in their lives as the general population, but experience many of those issues in unique ways.  For instance, if a performing musician experiences relationship or marriage problems, it is as likely to send the performer into a musical down period, or depression, as it is to affect the musician interpersonally.

Of course, the music itself may be part of the musician's coping and healing process—but there can be a problem affecting the musician's ability to concentrate and work well that can threaten the musician's performance opportunities because of missed services, inability to concentrate, and inability to produce. The problem is further complicated if the relationship is between two musicians who play in the same groups.

For symphonic musicians, reports and studies consistently find that they experience a lack of job satisfaction.  When this occurs, some of the factors complained of are:

   1. lack of artistic integrity;
   2. difficulty with the tasks;  and,
   3. social tension.  

In a recent study, Parasuraman (2000) found that these and other stressors caused two types of stress reactions: role overload, and boredom stress reflecting role underload.  For those who play in per service ensembles, there is also constant stress due to job insecurity.  And in this age of disappearing symphonies, job insecurity is common.  Similarly, performance anxiety, or performance apathy reflect pressures to fit the job, sometimes at the expense of some of the musician's abilities.  This may be true for any type of performer.

It is not unusual for musicians to experience depression from these and other factors.  Depression is common in the general population and often goes unrecognized.  In any one year 9.5% or 18.8 million of the general population has a depressive disorder, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  Many people remain undiagnosed because of the stigma associated with depression, or because they do not recognize the symptoms.

Depression is not simply a few down days. Depression can cause a person to become so down s/he cannot get out of bed, but it is also manifested by symptoms like restlessness, irritability, lack of concentration, weight change, inability to sleep, and withdrawal.

Nowadays depression is regarded as a condition that can affect anyone;  it is not a sign of weakness, laziness, or inappropriate attention seeking.   It is caused by combinations of genetic vulnerability, stress, big life changes, substance dependency, and a variety of factors in the person's life.  It is treatable, and many people are greatly helped by the combination of medication and psychotherapy, or psychotherapy alone.

The important thing is for anyone who experiences these and other symptoms to be screened for depression by a qualified mental health professional.  There are many sources of information on the Web about depression, and one of the best places to start is NIH at www.nih.gov.

Because many musicians have unique sensibilities and emotional sensitivity, if depression strikes it is important to recognize it and seek help, rather than letting it deepen and affect performance.  In the case of severe depression, the person should call one of the several hotlines in South Florida like Switchboard of Miami (305-358-HELP), or 211 in Broward or Palm Beach Counties (either dial 211, or 954-537-0211 in Broward and 561-383-1111 in Palm Beach).  Taking steps to help oneself can help keep the blues in the music.

Stephanie Haun, M.S.Ed, (CMFT) IMT 758, Florida Registered Marriage and Family Therapy Intern, 305-274-6277 or 786-348-5711. Stephanie plays violin and viola and has been a member of South Florida Musicians Association since 1985.