¡Bienvenido Gustavo! LA Philharmonic Musicians Welcome New Music Director Gustavo Dudamel

Gustavo Dudamel photo by Sylvia Lleli. All photos courtesy of LA Philharmonic

Glad All Over

The musicians of the LA Philharmonic agree: Gustavo Dudamel lives up to the hype. And they couldn't be happier.


By Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


"I've never been to a classical show before," I overheard a young woman say during the live simulcast of Gustavo Dudamel's inaugural performance with the LA Philharmonic. Her eyes, like everyone else's, were transfixed on the hypnotic girations of the young conductor as his image danced across the multiple TV screens throughout the Music Center Plaza. "This is pretty cool."

This seems to be the consensus among the musicians of the LA Philharmonic about their new music director as well. The exuberant 28-year-old conductor from Venezuela, now at the helm of one of the most revered orchestras in the world, has stirred the entire city into a frenzy of unparalleled excitement. And not just in the classical world. People all over the city, from all walks of life, are taking an unprecedented interest in the phenomenon that is Gustavo.

Beyond the Hype

Much credit must go to the LA Phil marketing department for capitalizing on Dudamel's rock-star-like ability to capture the public's interest. But the buzz doesn't end with the marketing machine.

"They're not manufacturing interest," said Dennis Trembly, principal bassist who has been with the LA Philharmonic since 1970. "They're not hyping a mediocre commodity. He's the real deal, so he's easy to sell. The marketing people get the attention of the general public who never otherwise cared about the Philharmonic, but once they've got that attention, if Dudamel wasn't justifying the raves, people would immediately lose interest. Once they're exposed to him, the response and the enthusiasm is genuine on the public's part."

"I think from the audience point of view he's probably a lot of fun just to watch," said Barry Gold, a cellist with the orchestra for the past 27 seasons. "He's very active on the podium. My wife often says when he's conducting it's like he's dancing salsa or something. The sounds just permeate his body, it resonates his whole being, so he's moving to the music. He's just so full of enthusiasm, and when you combine that with this great ability that he has, it's really unique."

"I think we're riding a tidal wave of a lot of media right now," said personnel manager Jeff Neville, who also sometimes performs trombone with the orchestra. "But there's a lot there to back it up, because if there wasn't that would fizzle out really fast in this business. It's just growing. The fact that with his background, coming out of the El Sistema program in Venezuela, and that he started to conduct an orchestra down there at age 15, I think the development and the mentors that he's had in that program really got to him because of his down-to-earth personality. There's this humbleness that he has. I can't think of another 28-year-old person who would be music director of a world-class orchestra."

Who is This Guy?

Having begun his conducting career at age 15, Dudamel honed his skills, while still a teenager, as conductor of his native Venezuela's Simón Bolivar National Youth Orchestra. He made his U.S. conducting debut with the LA Phil at the Hollywood Bowl in September 2005, and in April 2007, during a guest conducting engagement with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Dudamel was named the LA Phil's next music director. In September he succeeded Esa-Pekka Salonen in the 2009-2010 season, conducting two unprecedented inaugural concerts with the LA Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl and Walt Disney Concert Hall in October.

Now in its 91st season, the LA Philharmonic has seen its fair share of music conductors. Walter Henry Rothwell became the symphony's first music director in 1919, followed by 10 more renowned conductors serving at the helm of what has become recognized as one of the world's foremost orchestras. And while the Los Angeles Philharmonic has long been regarded as one of the most contemporary and innovative orchestras in the world, the arrival of Dudamel has, in no uncertain terms, given the orchestra an added measure of repute.

"It's one thing to hear the buzz about a conductor beforehand, and in our line of work we tend to distrust that," said clarinetist David Howard who's played with the orchestra for 28 years. "But the actual experience with Gustavo is magnificent. When I meet people who find out what I do for a living, they say, 'Oh, that must be wonderful.' And yeah, it is wonderful… but this is wonderful."

A Touch of Apprehension...

Despite the bravado about Dudamel, replacing Salonen, who led the orchestra for 17 seasons, naturally caused some level of uncertainty for the orchestra — especially with contract negotiations taking place at the same time, having been completed just last month.

"Obviously when you change music directors there's always a little apprehension because we have a new boss on the podium," Neville said. "They've been used to Esa-Pekka for the last 17 years and they knew what to expect from him, and now all of a sudden we have a new boss, and this boss does not have a track record behind him. So it's kind of like they're out setting new breaking ground.

"All the musicians were very nervous because of the economic environment that we're all experiencing at this particular time," Neville continued. "But riding the wave of the expectation of Gustavo over the last couple of years has really generated, economically, a positive force for this orchestra."

How They Got Him

The move to get Dudamel to Los Angeles happened largely under wraps. It was so secretive that only a few members of the orchestra even knew the search for a new music conductor was on.

"It wasn't publicized that we were in this search because Esa-Pekka hadn't announced that he was leaving," Neville said. "Esa-Pekka was committed to making sure that this orchestra was handed over to the right person, so a lot of things happened underneath the surface. There were members of the orchestra too that didn't necessarily know this was going on. It was basically handled on the committee level."

The orchestra's Artistic Liaison Committee, made up of elected orchestra members, played a key role in the push for the organization to snatch up Dudamel as quickly as possible.

"In the search process in trying to get Gustavo here, the musicians worked with Deborah (Borda, LA Philharmonic President/CEO) and management and the board in bringing him here," Neville said. "The musicians were a very important part of that, because Gustavo didn't want to come to a place where he was not necessarily welcomed or did not have the input from the players. In some orchestras, all of a sudden an announcement is made, 'This is our new music director,' and the musicians really haven't had the input that they should have."

"Gustavo's ratings were so extraordinarily unanimous and enthusiastic that neither Deborah nor the committee had to convince each other that they'd better take this seriously and act fast to acquire this person," Trembly said.

"The fact that we collectively, the management as well as the orchestra, found Gustavo and literally watched his meteor rise over these last several years, and the fact that we moved ahead as quickly as we did to pursue him and woo him and get him to come here, has been very exciting for us," Neville said.

Pasión

The enthusiasm surrounding Dudamel goes beyond just what's generated by the media. Every member of the orchestra we spoke with expressed having experienced a palpable energy they say emanates from within the young conductor.

"You can't ignore it," Trembly said. "It radiates toward you. He enfolds you with his energy. It's almost an intoxication."

"He wants 100 percent from people all the time," Neville said. "He's driving himself along those lines but he also expects the response from the orchestra as well."

"It's very inspirational," Gold said. "We want to go to that place that he's trying to take us. With him it feels so collaborative. With every conductor we try and do our best to focus in on their directions and where they want the orchestra to go musically, but with Gustavo, he's coming from such a unique place that's full of energy, and love of course. Every note has to have this… meaning."

The saying "you give what you get" plays out in a very real way in the symphonic world. When the stars align just right, what a music director puts out will come back from the orchestra. In Dudamel's case, it's working.

"His enthusiasm is the overriding quality of him," Trembly said. "It's genuine, sincere, intense enthusiasm, and that's wonderful to be around. He loves music and what music can do for people, and he loves people."

This love of people is real; Gustavo regularly hugs the musicians during rehearsals. His personality fits right in with the positive atmosphere the orchestra members have enjoyed for years.

"You really sense from your colleagues that they are giving for Gustavo 150 percent," Gold said. "And the camaraderie offstage has always been there. It's a very friendly orchestra to be in from my perspective. When Gustavo's offstage he's very friendly, extremely approachable, he doesn't go off and function in his ivory tower. He likes to be there for us."

So Happy Together

A music director's dynamic with the orchestra is a crucial part of the overall organization's success. So far, the musicians of the LA Philharmonic don't seem to have any complaints about Gustavo.

"What most people look for in a conductor is clarity in ideas and the technique to describe what he wants to the orchestra," said first violinist Mitch Newman, who's been with the LA Phil since 1987. "And not to only communicate that verbally, but with their gestures and body. It doesn't necessarily have to be with the baton, but with something that lets the orchestra know exactly what the conductor wants. Gustavo does very, very well with that. He works very hard when he's there. He's completely involved in what he's doing."

"With Esa-Pekka it was all about clarity and the proper balances," Gold said. "With Gustavo, that's an important ingredient, but he takes that mixture and tries to throw in a little bit more seasoning that he has being Latin. There's more of a hot-blooded feeling. He's going for a different type of sound. And being a string player himself, he really lets us play. Even in the softest dynamic, he's constantly saying, 'Play forte with the left hand, but pianissimo with the bow.' So the intensity of the sound is always there."

"He's definitely after a certain sound depending on what piece he's working on," Neville said. "He really works on it until he gets the sound that he wants, and if one way he's trying to explain what he wants doesn't necessarily work he finds another way. It's not a demanding way from him to the musicians; it's a very 'work with me on this' approach. Because he asks things in a very down to earth, one-on-one basis, he gets a wonderful response from the players. The musicians want to work with somebody like that, and it's enjoyable because they obviously want to play the best they can."

"To Gustavo, music means more to him than just an art form," Newman said. "It's a way of communicating. And he's a great communicator. I don't think to him it matters what kind of music it is, as long as he's able to bring something to life and have a group of people, like an orchestra, touch another group of people."

"In this day and age, a music director really has to be more than just a person on a podium, he has to be a personality in the community," said John Lofton, who was appointed bass trombonist two seasons ago. "Dudamel is in a situation where he has much of the charisma and desire to really connect with people. He really wants to be considered 'one of us,' the musicians, and really work with us to make really good music. And he does seem to have this desire to be a part of the community, to reach out and help young people experience some of the joy that he experiences in the music business. Something about that really transcends across the stage and to the actual people. That's what he's really been very effective at; bridging that perceived gap."

"In these troubled financial times for the nation, for our orchestra in this troubled profession right now to be at such a solid footing, financially, artistically, and in the community, and having this wonderful concert hall to work in, the stars are all aligned," Trembly said. "All the factors are positive for us. We're very, very fortunate."


Published in the November 2009 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.

Orchestra Musicians Face the Music

Published in the May 2009 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


Orchestra Musicians Face the Music

An astonishing number of orchestras across the nation have re-opened their contracts in reaction to the economy, subjecting players to salary and benefit reductions, cutbacks, and shortened seasons.

And those are the lucky ones.


By Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


Symphony orchestras across the nation are downsizing, negotiating salary cuts, cutting rehearsals and performances, and in some cases shutting down altogether. In the face of shrinking endowments and dwindling ticket sales, orchestras are asking for unprecedented concessions from their musicians. And they're getting them.

"Nearly every orchestra from ICSOM and ROPA has had some discussion either about its regular contract expiration or some modification to an existing agreement," said Chris Durham, newly appointed director of the AFM Symphonic Services Division and former violinist and orchestra committee chair with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. "It's a large number."

About one-third of orchestras within the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians, which represents 51 orchestras across the nation, have agreed to re-open contracts in the past year. So have many within the Regional Orchestra Players Association, which includes more than 70 orchestras.

Though re-opening contracts is undesirable for musicians and their local unions, when the only other option is bankruptcy, there isn't much choice.

"In my career as a musician, I've never heard of this many major orchestras re-opening their existing agreements," said Peter Rofé, LA Philharmonic bassist and longtime negotiator for Philharmonic musicians and member of the AFM Symphonic Audio/Visual Agreement committee.

Even the mighty "Big Five" weren't immune — the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Cleveland Orchestra and Boston Symphony all re-opened their contracts in recent months, accepting concessions and givebacks.

"In general, when the economy suffers, orchestras have a tough time," said Meredith Snow, LA Philharmonic violist and ICSOM delegate. "I don't know that there are any orchestras out there right now that aren't struggling with management."

Urban, rural, big and small, orchestras of all sizes and varieties are feeling the pressure. Concessions, cutbacks and compromises are being made by management, musicians and unions alike.

"In the symphony world, ticket sales surprisingly are doing pretty well," said Durham. "The main area of decline is loss of revenue generated by endowments because they've gone the way of everything else in the stock market. In some cases, an orchestra's endowment is down 25 to 30 percent."

Feeling the Pain

In recent months, the Baltimore Opera Company has filed for bankruptcy; the Santa Clarita Symphony canceled their 2009 season; Honolulu Symphony musicians are struggling to get paid; and the Pasadena Symphony Association announced a recovery plan that cuts season programming, switches venues and slashes ticket prices.

Orchestra musicians in Cincinnati, Virginia, Grand Rapids, Atlanta, New Mexico, Utah and Buffalo have also taken recent hits, including pay cuts of up to 11 percent, slashed benefits, reduced number of services, and unpaid furloughs.

"We have had 43 requests for negotiating help from all conferences (ICSOM, ROPA, etc.), unaffiliated orchestras, and five theaters — the most ever," Durham said.

Musicians who have seen their paychecks slashed are increasingly taking to other methods of survival. Some are taking "day jobs," finding career paths unrelated to music, or turning toward teaching.

Scrambling to Survive

Before a request from management to re-open an existing contract can be acted upon, it must be approved by the local union and by a majority vote of the orchestra players. Generally, approval is granted only when management has done everything in their power, including laying off administrative personnel, taking pay cuts, and/or doing extra work for no additional pay, to deal with their financial problems before asking concessions of musicians.

"Before re-opening a contract, musicians have to look at the orchestra's finances to make sure they aren't being given a song and dance from management," said clarinetist Paul Castillo, former ROPA delegate, Local 353 Secretary/Treasurer and Local 47 Trustee.

Once a contract is re-opened, management often looks toward concessionary bargaining, where musicians are asked to accept cutbacks to the existing terms of employment. Common requests include deferred or skipped payrolls, fewer number of services performed, pay cuts, and reduced health care and other benefits.

"Concessions from musicians have to be looked at as a loan," Durham said. "Part of the problem is that management can't go to get money because the bank won't give it to them. At some point there should be a recovery plan to restore that. But musicians probably take up 30 percent of budget. They shouldn't be responsible to fix 100 percent of the problem."

Another recent trend is for orchestras to extend their existing agreements.

"Because the local situations are so different in every community, some places are simply inserting an extra year in the contract," said Bruce Ridge, ICSOM chairman and double bassist in the North Carolina Symphony. By extending a contract, an agreement previously expected to be renegotiated (usually synonymous with increased wages and benefits) instead retains its existing terms. This effectively amounts to a wage freeze, a term of contract fervently frowned upon by ICSOM bargaining committees.

"In 2008, there was much following the rules of concessionary bargaining. Now, we're really in a crunch," Castillo said. "We're now grasping for wage freezes, which is not a good precedent to set."

Before Taking That Cutback...

While there is no doubt we are suffering one of the worst recessions in history, musicians and Locals should not simply take it for granted that cutbacks are, in fact, necessary.

"The American Symphony League has this apocalyptic 'new economic reality' view where they're saying all orchestras across the board need to take cutbacks," Snow said. "But this isn't necessarily the case. Places like Detroit are hurting more than L.A., which has a stronger economy."

"It's very unfortunate the League is doing it this way," Durham said. "Some employers look at this as a financial opportunity and ride on the surf of the orchestras having problems. In some cases it's simply not true. I've been involved in situations where employers have requested re-openers and we've refused."

"You can't take it on blind faith," Snow said. "Everybody's hurting, so chances are it's true, but management may be asking for more than they need."

Panic Attack

Orchestras are cautioned to be careful not to get caught up in the panic of the global economic meltdown.

"We are seeing an attempt by orchestras to change the rhetoric of the industry in what some managers are calling the 'new economic reality,'" Ridge said. "Our response is, What's so new about it? Recessions occur. And we are responding. Our heads aren't in the sand. But we cannot allow the permanent reduction of an operating budget by, say, a third, with the idea that it will continue like that in the future. We have to continue pushing for growth."

"We don't need to make radical changes and long-term shifts," said Durham. "We need to make changes one step at a time, and only when it's verified that there's a problem. It's too easy to give up hard won gains because of a short-term problem."

Gains Against the Grain

Bleak as the outlook is for some, not all orchestras are in dire straits.

"There are several orchestras that are having great success," Durham said. "Certainly Los Angeles has a strong orchestra, and San Francisco just reached a very positive agreement. In the theater world, most for-profits are bargaining raises."

In February, the San Francisco Symphony ratified a new four-year contract providing for wage increases and significant gains in local media provisions. Last month the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra reached a new three-year agreement that includes significant advances in salary and benefits.

"There's a tendency to look at the situation as a one-size-fits-all problem, with a one-size-fits-all solution, when really the problems are localized," Ridge said. "It's not as if you can label the economy as the overriding situation; it's how it has affected each individual institution."

Ridge advises musicians to investigate all options before making any drastic changes.

"Question everything," he said. "For every gloom and doom report released, there is an equally compelling story of success and positive change."

The Silver Lining

"The arts are good business," Ridge said. "In times of recession, all organizations need to look at managing their debt. In a recession, you can't be concerned with balancing the budget; you have to manage your debt. If we allow management to fundamentally alter the organization, then we will be ill-equipped to take advantage of recovery that lies ahead."

Before the recession, America saw a great resurgence of classical music in America, which the LA Times in 2006 called a new "Golden Age." Classical concert attendance was up, and opera attendance has risen 40 percent since 1990.

"We feel that after this recession ends, this trend will continue," Ridge said. "We see this as a temporary cyclical economic downturn. It is important that we don't lose the message of growth and advocacy. The recovery is going to come, and the arts are going to play a big part in that."

Ridge has no doubt that musicians will weather this crisis and urges them to keep hope intact.

"I have been inspired by the unity we have demonstrated. Soon there will be even more opportunities for activism, within our communities, and within our union," he said. "I know we will all respond."

Cello Without Boundaries: Interview with Tina Guo

Published in the May 2009 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


Cello Without Boundaries

From classical to prog rock to metal, cellist Tina Guo pushes her instrument to a realm of endless possibilities

by Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


Cellist Tina Guo has never been one for cookie-cutter labels. A virtuoso on the classical cello, the 23-year-old crossover artist is equally skilled as a powerhouse shredder on electric cello, masterfully balancing classical elegance with her inner metal child.

Tina began her musical training at age 3 in Shanghai before moving to the United States when she was 5. In the classical realm, Tina has appeared as a soloist with many orchestras internationally, including the San Diego Symphony, Thessaloniki State Symphony in Greece, Petrobras Symphony and Barra Mansa Symphony in Brazil, Vancouver Island Symphony in British Columbia, and most recently she performed the "Shostakovich Cello Concerto" with the National Symphony Orchestra in Mexico. She has also recorded with artists such as Stevie Wonder, Josh Groban, Michael McDonald and John Legend.

On what she calls her more visceral side, Tina plays electric cello on her own metal music as well as in progressive metal band Off the Deep End and has performed with rock artists including Zakk Wylde, Derek Sherinian and Persian superstar Andy Madadian.

Tina speaks with the Overture about coming to terms with her divergent musical identities, her upcoming projects, and her lust for life.


You started music at a very early age, which I understand wasn't always easy.
Both my parents are musicians. My father's a cellist, and my mom plays violin. Plus, they're Chinese, so they're very strict! It's very rare for a kid to want to sit in a room eight hours a day practicing. My parents forced me to, and I hated them. But after I grew up a little and came to L.A. for college at USC, my love of music developed. I realized it wasn't just a punishment. I found that having the technical control of the instrument gave me the ability to express myself freely. It's a very good foundation. Actually, pretty recently I've repaired my relationship with my parents.

You play classical on acoustic cello and metal on electric cello. How do each enable you to express yourself?
The beauty of classical music is being able to push and pull within a defined boundary, being able to work magic within what's allowed. I think classical and metal are the two closest, emotionally, in music, because they're very deep. There's a lot of depth and emotion. In metal, usually it's more tortured emotion. When you play metal, there is no box, you can do whatever you want. I feel most spiritually connected to the universe through classical music. But metal, that's primal. It's carnal, it's visceral. It's not on a higher realm of being. Classical, for me, is more enlightened. They're both on each side of the extreme.

What inspires you most as a musician?
Emotionally and mentally, for a human being, at least for me, I think you have to experience life in order to express it in your music. I mean, what is your music going to say if you don't know anything?

What are you working on right now?
I have my solo classical stuff, and I'm just starting to work on my solo metal project. I'm working on a metal version of "Flight of the Bumblebee."

You're also in a progressive rock band.
I have a band, with my boyfriend, called Off the Deep End. We are off the deep end – we're crazy! My boyfriend has more of a classic rock influence than myself. It's an interesting mixture. Our very first gig was the official wrap party for the Sundance Film Festival. We only had two songs, because we had just started the band. So we played our opening song, our closing song, and got off the stage.

Who has had the most influence on you musically?
When I was at USC I played at Disney Hall in a quartet with Midori. She's a great musician. I learned a lot from her. I'm naturally really crazy, up and down emotionally. She taught me there's something beautiful about control, and when you do decide to go over the edge, it's really something major.

Who have you worked with on the metal/rock side?
Recently I played on a track with Zakk Wylde, the guitar player for Ozzy. Most of the time people still use string instruments and cello for pretty things, which is fine, but my metal side wants to replace the lead guitar and do all that with electric cello.

These days a lot of traditionally orchestral instruments are going electric.
I think it's definitely a movement that's starting. Electric guitars once didn't exist, but somebody decided to plug in a classical guitar, and now electric guitar is like second nature.

You joined Local 47 a year ago. Has being a union member had an impact?
When I was at USC I met Mark Robertson, a union member who plays violin, who told me about it. Being in the union's great. All of the major session work and TV shows and movies – you can't do them if you're not in the union. It's a great safety net with the economy the way it is. They have the Relief Fund, there's a Pension Fund, there's health insurance... I was amazed when I found out about it, because being a freelance musician and not having a retirement fund is really scary.

Do you have any advice for aspiring cellists?
I don't mean to be cliché, but just be yourself. I can't tell anyone to be wild and do everything, 'cause maybe that will make someone unhappy and miserable. You just have to do what you love to do. But also be realistic. If you find that something isn't working out, don't stick in there until your life falls apart. Also, I think marketing yourself is very important. You have to meet people to get places. Sitting in a practice room for 10 hours a day is not gonna get you anywhere.

Classical and metal are seemingly at opposite ends of the spectrum. How do you account for being able to so seamlessly delve into both realms?
You only live once, and you have to embrace life. You have to do everything that you can do – without killing yourself. I don't drink at all, I don't do any drugs. I guess I find my excitement in other ways, and I try to artistically pursue as much as I can to the very extreme without going overboard. Whatever you tell me I can't do, I'm gonna do it just to make you angry. Sometimes that gets me into trouble, but for me personally, I'd rather be the lion than the lamb.

Visit Tina Guo online at www.tinaguo.com.

Tickling the Ivories With Roger Williams

Published in the March 2009 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


Tickling the Ivories With Roger Williams

by Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


Pianist Roger Williams is used to being in the limelight, but you wouldn't know it from speaking with him. Modest about his talent, he speaks more of his joy of music rather than his accomplishments – which are many. Throughout his seven-decade career he's accumulated 18 gold and platinum albums and can perform an estimated 10,000 songs from memory, a feat he proves every year during 12-hour marathon performances in the name of bringing music back to public schools. In December, his latest CD, "Roger Williams in the Crystal Cathedral," became the #1 seller in the Readers Digest catalogue. He speaks with the Overture from his home in Encino.

You've performed for so many U.S. Presidents, you're known as "Pianist to the Presidents."
I've played for nine presidents now. The first one I ever played for was Harry Truman. I didn't realize how much Truman knew about piano. He asked for everything from Bach to Shostakovich. When I got through, he said, "Now I'm gonna play for you, Roger." I figured he'd sit down and play something like "The Missouri Waltz," but he played the Chopin "C-Sharp Minor Waltz." When he got through, I said, "Mr. President, you would have made a great pianist." He said, "I had a choice between being a whorehouse pianist or a politician. Many times I thought I made the wrong choice."

How did you meet Ronald Reagan?
We started in the same radio station in Iowa. He was a sportscaster, and I had my own radio show. The last time I played for him he said, "Can you remember the theme song from my TV show 'Death Valley Days'?" I said, "You sure got me on that one!" He said, "I'm only kidding. Play 'The Impossible Dream.' That encompasses everything I've tried so hard to do for this great country." He was quite a guy.

Have you performed for President Obama?
I was at the White House in December and played for all the foreign and current ambassadors in the East Room, but I haven't played for Obama yet. But this will happen... I hope!

Every year you perform 12-hour piano marathons to raise awareness for music education in schools.
The last one I played was 14 hours, and believe me, my fingers are bleeding at the end. When people come to these performances we hand them a piece of paper at the door, and they write what they want me to play. A lot of musicians come, so they ask for all these difficult things. So it's a very exhausting performance before I'm through.

What inspired you to get involved with bringing music to students?
I'm really upset about a lot of things. I loved Reagan, but he's like me – he's the greatest guy in the world, except when he isn't. He largely took music out of the schools. Kids are not really inspired. I would like really seriously to get music back into the schools, which has proved to make better students – they get better grades, they're happier, the whole thing.

Do you still enjoy playing as much as you did when you first began your career?
I am playing better than I've ever played in my life, and I can't understand that. I'll be 85 my next birthday, but I play better than I did when I was 20. I've got a lousy knee that I got playing basketball in high school, but outside of that I'm in great health, and I feel great, so I'm playing up a storm!

You've performed practically everywhere imaginable, from Carnegie Hall to the White House to Vegas casinos. What's been your favorite?
So many musicians will tell me, "I think Milwaukee is lousy, I was there last month and I hated it." What they're usually trying to say is they were bad that night. No matter where I am, if I'm in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and I play a great concert – I love Cedar Rapids, Iowa! But if I louse up…

You are a frequent guest on the "Hour of Power" TV show with Dr. Robert Schuller. How did that relationship develop?
Duke Ellington was playing a concert at the Crystal Cathedral. He got sick and asked me to substitute for him, so I went in to play. My manager forgot to bring the music for the orchestra, so I asked the musicians to make a few requests. Someone asked for "Jesus Loves Me," so for almost an hour I improvised in the style of all the composers. Schuller came up afterwards and just flipped out, saying he'd never heard anything like that in his life, and asked me to be on his program. I told him I don't charge for these religious things that I play – I just come in and try and thank God for the gift that he gave me. So he said, "Would you like to testify?" I said I don't know, because I believe in so many religions and have so much respect for so many religions. So he said, "I tell you what. You pray through your fingers." I said, "If that's good enough for you, that's good enough for me!" I have played with him now for over 30 years, whenever I'm in town. And of course we have a union orchestra out there, but I just don't charge.

I heard that to get you to practice piano as a child, your mother had to bribe you with milk and cookies.
She always had a plate of cookies and a pitcher of milk on the piano when I got home from school, and I practiced until the cookies ran out. Music always came so easy for me. I never really had to worry about it, so I didn't like to practice.

You used to aggravate piano teachers because you could play back exactly what they played to you.
All along the way I had trouble. Even in the university, the heads of the department were very jealous. This is something that we have to face in life. You have to pay for the things that you get in life. I was given a gift. I know about 10,000 different songs. I can read music, but I just don't fool with it. And I can play them in any key. But I'm a lousy golfer.

Is it true you were expelled from Drake University for playing "Smoke Gets in Your Eyes"?
For my girlfriend, yes. In those days Drake had a policy of the three B's: Bach, Beethoven and Brahms. My girlfriend came in the practice room one day and asked if I knew that song, and just then the head of the department came in, screaming, "We don't do that here!" As Truman would say, "whorehouse music."

I understand in high school you wanted to be a boxer.
My father was a former boxer. Have you ever heard of a PK? It's a preacher's kid. And the combination of preacher's kid and musician spelled sissy in school. So my dad put a pair of gloves on me! And when I got in the Navy, I won the championship. I broke my nose two different times boxing, so I stopped.

What led you to a career in music?
When I was a kid, my father had the largest Lutheran church in the country. People would buy their kids trumpets and violins and everything else, and the kids would get tired of playing them after a couple of years and they'd donate them to the church. So we had all those instruments there and I just played anything that came in. by the time I was 12, I played about 13 different instruments. I play anything. I just love music.

What drew you to the piano?
It was a process of elimination, really. I really felt closer to the piano than anything else. We all gotta do what we feel. That's why I hate to make rules for anyone in life, because we're all so different mentally, chemically, religiously – how dare we tell the other guy he has to be that way! Live and let live. I believe in Darwin, I believe in evolution. I think that basically we're all animals, and I think that when we try and rise above the animal, that's when we become truly men and women.

In 2005, Steinway & Sons created the Roger Williams Limited Edition Gold Piano, the first piano ever named for an artist in the company's 153-year history.
They made a gold Steinway for me, and it's just beautiful. They've never done that for an artist before, and I was the first one to receive the Steinway Lifetime Achievement Award, too. Steinway's been awfully good to me.

That sounds like every pianist's dream come true.
Well, it certainly was mine.

When did you join the musicians union?
I was 11. My dad took me and said, you're playing on the radio now, it's time to the join the union. And I did, and I've been a union member ever since. That was in Des Moines, Iowa.

How important do you think it is for young musicians to join the union?
We have to have somebody standing up for us. We do. And we have to establish a base. I always pay my musicians over scale. But if you don't have anything to go by… I strongly believe in the union. Except when I don't.

What's your advice to budding musicians just getting started in the business?
It's the kind of advice that they probably wouldn't take because they've heard it from the beginning: Work your butt off. I'm the luckiest guy in the world, and I mean that. That doesn't mean my knee doesn't hurt. But compared to much, I'm a very fortunate man.

Battle of the Airwaves

Published in the March 2009 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


Battle of the Airwaves

Performers, advocates and lawmakers renew their fight to close the radio-play loophole denying royalties to performing artists with the Performance Rights Act

by Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor

Whenever a song is broadcast over radio, royalties are paid to nearly everyone involved with the recording – except the people who actually performed on the record.

Every time you hear Aretha belting out her powerful version of "Respect" on the AM/FM dial, you might think that, as the performing artist, she's receiving some sort of compensation. But you'd be wrong. The estate of the late Otis Redding, who composed the tune, receives a check from BMI, as does the song's publisher, Irving Music Inc. But Aretha doesn't see a dime.

Where's the R-E-S-P-E-C-T for performers?

Consider that when this same tune is played on satellite radio, a cable music station, or a webcast – even a webcast of the above-mentioned terrestrial station – checks are sent to the Redding estate, the publisher, and to Miss Franklin.

If this sounds peculiar, it is. Besides the United States, only a few countries do not provide a terrestrial broadcast performance right on radio, including Iran, North Korea and China. At least 75 nations, including most European Union member states, do have a performance right for radio.

Traditional-Radio Loophole

Why does U.S. radio get the golden exemption? Since the advent of commercial broadcasting in the 1950s, broadcasters have contended that airplay increases album sales, thereby serving as adequate compensation. Because labels were content with receiving this "free advertising," for decades broadcasters have been able to convince Congress that they should be exempt from paying the public performance royalty for sound recordings.

But not everyone sees this as a win-win. At a Grammy Town Hall meeting last month, Supremes singer Mary Wilson countered the argument that radio airplay is solely a promotional tool that drives sales and touring for artists and thus serves as fair compensation. Anyone who wanted to buy the Supremes' music has likely long since done so, she argued. Many such artists are no longer touring or producing new albums, but radio continues to reap benefits from their decades-old songs.

Performance Rights Act

Lawmakers are seeking to close the "corporate radio loophole" with the Performance Rights Act. First introduced in December 2007, the bipartisan bill was resubmitted to Congress last month as H.R. 848 and S. 379 by its sponsors, Sens. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT). Supporters claim the bill would have minimal affect on most radio operators in the United States, with over 75 percent capped at a $5,000 blanket license as long as they stay under revenue benchmarks. Non-profits would be capped at $1,000.

Performing artists and advocates including the AFM, AFTRA, recording artists, the U.S. Copyright Office, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and members of Congress from both parties and houses support the bill, which would require terrestrial stations to pay performance royalties to artists, musicians and master recording owners.

The AFM has actively urged Congress to pass the legislation since it was first introduced. In June 2008, Local 47 Vice President (then Vice President) Vince Trombetta joined other AFM members and performers in an effort organized by the AFM and the Music FIRST Coalition urging Congress to support the expansion of the public performance royalty. They lobbied members of the House and Senate Judiciary Committees and other key members of Congress such as Rep. Dan Lungren (R-CA), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) and Rep. Hilda Solis (D-CA), and AFM President Tom Lee and recording artist Nancy Sinatra testified before a House Subcommittee hearing about the importance of fair performance rights on radio.

Importance of Royalties

The RIAA maintains that it is "fundamentally unfair that publishers and songwriters receive royalties from terrestrial radio broadcasts while labels and performing artists do not." Royalties are generated when a copyrighted song is publicly performed – whether on a radio station, at a sports event, or on a jukebox. In the U.S., these royalties are collected by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC and distributed to the member songwriters and publishers. And we're not talking chump change: in 2007 ASCAP distributed more than $741 million; BMI paid out $786 million last year; and by the end of 2007, SoundExchange, which collects royalties for digital music transmissions, had collected royalties of over $248 million, so far having distributed more than $150 million to artists.

Brief History of Residuals

The residual system started in U.S. network radio. Live radio programs with nationwide audiences were usually performed multiple times to account for different time zones between the coasts. The performers were paid for each performance. Audio "transcription disc" technology became available in the late 1930s and was used by radio networks for time-delaying the west coast broadcast, eventually eliminating the need for multiple performances. The performers were kept on standby and paid for a second performance in case there were technical problems with the recording. This established the precedent for residual payments from recorded performances.

Digital Media: A Wrench in the Works

When digital streaming technology came along, it upset the happily symbiotic relationship between radio broadcasters and labels. Americans began spending less time flipping the AM/FM dials, opting instead for newer technologies such as Internet and satellite radio, and iPods. The new availability of "on demand" media was seen as a threat to album sales, which led to the passage of the Digital Public Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995, giving artists and labels a right to collect royalties when their sound recordings are performed via digital media. Traditional radio remained exempt from this new performance right act, however, as it only applied to new media.

Today, music consumption continues to move further away from CD sales and toward digital media. Physical album sales fell 20 percent to 362.6 million in 2008, from 450.5 million in 2007. Meanwhile, sales of digital music continued to soar with more than 1 billion songs downloaded last year, a 27 percent increase from 2007. These figures indicate that the likelihood of performers being compensated based on traditional CD retail sales will only continue to decline as digital media gains popularity.

Radio's 'Unfair Free Ride'

With new media platforms have to make royalty payouts to songwriters, publishers and performers, traditional radio's performance right exemption is more and more being seen as unfair. Broadcasters of digital performances – digital cable and satellite television, Internet and satellite stations like XM and Sirius, and webcasts – have to obtain licenses from ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, which compensate the songwriters and publishers, and must also pay royalties to the performers. Terrestrial radio which remains the only medium which broadcasts music but does not compensate artists or labels for the performance.

Opponents of the Performance Rights Act

A major opponent to the Performance Rights Act is the Free Radio Alliance, a coalition of individual terrestrial radio stations and other organizations such as the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB). They argue that while a performance right sounds good, most of the money would not, in fact, trickle down to the artists; a full 50 percent of the fee would not go to performers, but rather the owners of the recorded works (i.e. the record labels). They add that the money wouldn't even be going to American-based companies – three out of the four major record labels (EMI, Sony BMG and Universal) are foreign-owned and headquartered outside the United States.

Calling it a "tax" that would cripple broadcast radio, opponents say the bill would cause more stations to turn to talk and news programming, resulting in less exposure for musicians which fuels their concert and record sales. At a hearing on the controversial bill last June, Charles Warfield, on behalf of the NAB, said that a performance fee would "take money out of the pockets of local radio stations and put it in the hands of record companies and a few top-grossing performers," arguing that a performance fee "would not alleviate any economic concerns if the artists themselves continue to lack bargaining power in their relationships with the record labels." Opponents say the bill would create a slippery slope, fearing that over time institutions other than radio would be included, such as restaurants, bars, gyms and even offices.

Performance Rights' Effect on Radio

If performance right fees are levied on local radio, some fear that stations would be forced to increase advertisement to compensate for the additional expenditure – meaning less time for music, news, sports, weather and public service or community service programming. Many smaller, community or specialty radio stations unable to afford the fees would be forced to shut down, and even those larger stations which could sustain the fees would have a smaller revenue pool to provide local news and information.

Those against the bill argue that although as currently written it would give favorable treatment to smaller stations (nonprofits capped at $1,000 and the majority of stations capped at $5,000), there exists the threat that the fees would expand, as has been the case with Internet radio. In 2007, the Copyright Royalty Board ruled that the fee to play a music recording on web radio should increase from 8/100 of a cent per song, per listener in 2006 to 19/100 of a cent in 2010.

Opponents see the PRA as disastrous for the very recording artists and record companies who are pushing for its enactment, arguing that the revenues many artists and labels seek in exchange for performance of their copyrighted recordings would be reduced, while the essentially free broadcast advertising of concerts (and related merchandise) that has existed for years would dwindle, leaving everybody involved worse off than before.

Supporters of the legislation maintain these claims are largely overrated. They argue that land-based radio has enjoyed margins of up to 75 percent on some music formats, such as smooth jazz or classic rock. And because terrestrial stations here don't compensate American or foreign performers, foreign stations don't pay U.S. performers when their songs are played abroad. Between 40 and 50 percent of all music played by foreign broadcasters is American, and estimates range from tens to hundreds of millions of dollars as far as how much money for U.S. performers, musicians and master owners is kept abroad because of the lack of a performance right here in the States.

Fighting for Fairness

Proponents of the Performance Rights Act are stepping up efforts to get the legislation approved by Congress. A Grammy Town Hall meeting Feb. 6, 2009, aimed to re-stimulate the grassroots movement in support of the bill. The two Judiciary Committee chairs, Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and John Conyers (D-MI), with an assist from a bipartisan posse of U.S. Representatives, have joined with the AFM and the musicFirst Coalition in a "nationwide push" to extract performance royalties from radio stations.

The AFM, AFTRA and ASCAP have urged Congress to pass the bill "as quickly as possible." National Music Publishers' Association President and CEO David Israelite issued a statement in support of the bill, proposing the concept of "One Music" urging the entire music community to "be supportive of each other regarding the value of music."

"Recording artists fuel the business that sustains radio in the U.S.," said AFTRA National Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth. "The federal government now has an opportunity to correct this area of inequity by creating a performance right for all recording artists to receive fair compensation for the value they bring to the American airwaves, and our culture as a whole."

"The Performance Rights Act will ensure that musicians get fair compensation when corporate AM/FM radio stations broadcast their recorded work," Local 47 President Trombetta said. "May the radio Gods shine upon us."

Amalgamation to Inauguration: A history of Local 767, Local 47 and our nation's new President

Published in the February 2009 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


Amalgamation to Inauguration
A history of Local 767, Local 47 and our nation's new President

by Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor

Having just elected our first black President, our nation has come further than ever before in erasing the color line of inequality. But it wasn't all that long ago when segregation was in full force, a time when it was accepted as a given that blacks should be separated from whites in society.

Our very union was among the many and varied institutions in the nation enforcing racial segregation. During this time, the AFM had more segregated Locals than any other international or national union. Up until the early 1950s, Los Angeles musicians belonged to one of two Locals: the all-white Local 47, or the all-black Local 767.

"Segregation was a way of life," explained Marl Young, recently retired from the Local 47 Board of Directors and who was instrumental in the amalgamation of the two Los Angeles musicians unions. "Nobody thought too much about it at the time. It was taken for granted as just being the way things were."

Under union segregation, black musicians received some protection. The Federation ruled that its black members came under the jurisdiction of the black Local, no matter what type of engagement they played. For example, if black musicians performed in a white club, the black Local had to enforce the wage and working conditions of the white Local, a rule meant to ensure equal pay. The Federation also ruled that if a black musician were denied admission to a Local, he or she could join the nearest Local that would accept the musician and should receive all the privileges of membership of that Local.

Segregation continued in the AFM for 51 years until a group of L.A. musicians decided that having two separate unions for one group of musicians just didn't make sense. The Bylaws of each Local stated that the purpose of each organization was to unite all the professional musicians of the Los Angeles area. They maintained that "all" should be inclusive of black and white musicians.

Starting around early 1950, prominent black musicians including Buddy Collette, Ernie Freeman, Bill Douglass, Percy McDavid, John Ewing, Gerald Wiggins, Jimmy Cheatham, John Anderson, Red Callender, Gerald Wilson, Marl Young and Bobby Short, joined by white musicians including George Kast, Gail Robinson, Seymour Sheklow, Roger Segure, Joe Eger, Henry and Esther Roth, Erica Keen, and Emma Hardy Hill, with the support of Josephine Baker, began making concerted efforts to arouse public interest in the fight for equality within the musicians union.

After years of dedication and hard work, the first merger of black and white Locals took place in 1953 in Los Angeles when Local 767 amalgamated with Local 47. In the pre-civil rights era of the early 1950s, this was an extraordinary feat. Marl Young wrote the amalgamation proposal that took effect April 1, 1953, forever eradicating racial segregation from the musicians union of Los Angeles. This historic merger set the precedent for other Locals throughout the nation to follow suit and end segregation within the entire AFM.

Now, five decades later, the equal rights movement has come further than ever before in creating equality in our society. The nation watched as Barack Obama was sworn in on Jan. 20, 2009 as our 44th President. Without the steadfast dedicated efforts of our brothers and sisters fighting in the equal rights movement, this vision could not have been realized.

Go Green - Musicians can do their part to maintain a healthy planet

Published in the October 2008 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


Go Green

Musicians can do their part to maintain a healthy planet

by Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


Environmental awareness is no longer reserved for those with an affinity for hemp clothing, Birkenstocks and granola. Participation in recycling programs, usage of reusable bags at grocery stores, conversions to renewable energy options in households, and the number of energy-efficient cars on the road have spiked in recent years, signaling that "going green" isn't just for neo-hippies.

Conservation efforts aren't limited to individuals, either. Many companies and organizations are doing their part to go green, and Local 47 is no exception. Starting Oct. 27, members will be able to view and download paperless monthly dues statements online. Very soon, members will also be able to access new statements and pay dues online – all without producing one scrap of paper waste. (See sidebar on page 7 for more information).

If you're looking to jump on the enviro-friendly bandwagon, there are many ways by which musicians can conserve energy and reduce waste.


Out of Town Gig? Travel Smart

According to a 2007 Gallup poll, Americans spend an average of 46 minutes commuting to and from work each day. This equates to about 200 hours – almost eight full days– spent in traffic every year. A whopping 85 percent burn all this gas sitting by their lonesome in their car or SUV; only 6 percent carpool, and a scant 4 percent take mass transit.

For the traveling musician, these figures can be much higher. It is not uncommon for the typical freelancer to drive up to 100 miles to a single gig. Some musicians have reported driving up to 50,000 miles per year to and from gigs alone. Today, this would cost about $27,000 for a small car and $45,000 for a mid-size SUV annually in fuel costs.

To ease up on CO2 emissions (and on your wallet), take public transportation or buddy up with a musician headed to the same gig whenever possible. If driving your own auto is your only option, consider upgrading to an energy efficient vehicle such as an electric or biodiesel hybrid model. Additionally, simple things as avoiding sudden starts and stops, keeping your tires properly inflated and going easy on the A/C will increase fuel efficiency and lower the CO2 emissions of your vehicle.



Turn Your Studio Eco-Friendly

As musicians know, it takes a lot of energy to maintain a recording studio. Electricity is needed to power computers, equipment and instruments, for lighting, and for maintaining a nice, cool work space with air conditioning.

Energy-efficient lighting is good for the environment and for your electricity bill. CFL bulbs use 30 percent less energy as incandescent bulbs and last around 10,000 hours, saving you about $30 in electricity costs over the bulb's lifetime. LED bulbs can reduce energy consumption by up to 90 percent and last around 100,000 hours. Using ecofriendly lamps and light fixtures can also help reduce greenhouse waste.

Eco-friendly air conditioning is another great way to "greenify" your studio. A single air conditioning unit can omit 1.34 pounds of carbon dioxide every kilowatt hour. By replacing older air conditioning units, you could save several hundreds of pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

Another way to save energy is to add the green power option onto your electric utility bill, which utilizes renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. And, of course the simplest way to save energy is to turn off lights and equipment when not in use. Even electronics that sleep on a standby setting continue to pull a current, so be sure to completely shut down any equipment that won't be used for an extended period of time.


Don't Dump That E-Waste!

Has that old amp or keyboard finally gone kaput? Make sure electronic waste doesn't end up in the landfill; this socalled "e-waste" can contain hazardous components and non-recyclable material that is environmentally unsafe. The City of Los Angeles operates a number of facilities called "S.A.F.E." centers where the public can deposit their unwanted electronics free of charge every weekend. To find one near you visit the City of Los Angeles website at www.lacity.org and enter search keyword "e-waste."

Alternatively, if you have electronics that are still usable that you simply no longer want, post a free listing at LACoMAX, a countywide online materials exchange website, or donate them to charity – many will accept broken, but repairable, electronics as donations.


Green Tours

According to National Geographic's Green Guide, a typical stadium concert releases 500 to 1,000 tons of carbon dioxide – about 50 times more than the average American produces in an entire year. That number does not even take into account fans' transport, which amounts to over 80 percent of a concert's CO2 footprint – nor does it account for the immense amount of garbage produced at each show.

Some bands and concert organizers have taken strides to minimize touring's environmental impact. Festivals such as Lollapalooza and Britain's Glastonbury Festival have switched to biofuel-powered generators. The organizers of last summer's Osheaga Festival in Montreal hired Hydro Quebec to supply their main stage with emission-free geothermal energy.

Advocacy groups such as Reverb engage musicians and fans to promote environmentally responsible music tours. Reverb encourages organizers to offer reusable aluminum canteens rather than plastic water bottles, and to set up "Eco-Villages" with information on how fans can minimize their carbon footprints outside the concert venue. The group also advocates on-site recycling, waste reduction, green bus supplies and cleaners, biodegradable catering products, energy efficiency, a green contract rider, eco-friendly merchandise and green sponsorship. Local 47 musicians who have "greened" their tours with Reverb include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Maroon 5 and Sheryl Crow.

To go green on your next tour, visit www.ReverbRock.org.


Eco-Smart Fashion

When looking for that perfect outfit for that all-important performance, opt for eco-friendly clothing. Organic, sustainable clothing made of bamboo, recycled fabrics and biopolymers do little to no harm to the environment and are becoming more than just a fad, but a mainstay among designers. Veteran chic designers like Givenchy, Rogan, Bottega and Marc Jacobs all offer ecofriendly styles that make not just a fashion statement, but an environmental one as well.


Make Your Own Instrument

Using readily available materials to make music is commonplace around the world. In tropical climates people play music with gourds, coconuts and bamboo; in other parts of the world, washboards, jugs, spoons and bones are used as musical instruments. Here in the States, AFM percussionist and composer Donald Knaack, known as "the Junkman," exclusively composes for and performs on "junk" and recycled materials, having been introduced to the concept by renowned composer John Cage. New York-based Bash the Trash Environmental Arts raises environmental awareness through art by teaching people to create such homemade instruments as cardboard tube horns and trombones, percussive instruments made from cans, bobby pin finger pianos, and even "Styrocellos."


Recycle Used Guitar Strings

One musician's trash can be another's treasure. The Second String Project based in Connecticut sends minimally used guitar strings to musicians in third world countries who can't afford new ones. Canadian rockers Barenaked Ladies donate their used strings to jewelry company Dream World Designs, where they are recycled into trendy necklaces, bracelets and earrings. Try reusing them yourself in creative ways, such as to hang picture frames, plants or lights – even as a cheese slicer.

As an individual you can make a positive difference for the environment. If every person chooses to make changes in their lives that will benefit the earth, all those small changes will end up having a huge impact on preserving our planet.

ILCA 2008 Media Contest Awards

Just received a letter from the International Labor Communications Association informing me that I won a few awards in their 2008 media contest, one of which for a piece I wrote about New Orleans musicians when I attended the ILCA Media Contest in that fair city last year, which you can read here.

Though I didn't fare quite as well as last year, it's still nice to be recognized for my work! (Click on the links below the awards to see the winning entries.)


BEST NEWS STORY
THIRD AWARD
Linda Rapka
"New Orleans Musicians Weather the Storm"
Overture
Professional Musicians Local 47
sub-category: Local Unions

BEST DESIGN
THIRD AWARD
Linda Rapka
April 2007 "Jazz Appreciation Month"
Overture
Professional Musicians Local 47
sub-category: newspapers, Local Unions

BEST PHOTOGRAPH
HONORABLE MENTION
"Thousands Rally for WGA" - Linda Rapka
Overture
Professional Musicians Local 47
sub-category: Local Unions

(awards cited from ilcaonline.org)

Meet 'The Wrecking Crew' - interview w/ Denny Tedesco

My interview as published in the June 2008 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47.


L.A. Studio Musicians of the '60s Profiled in New Documentary

Session players behind Frank Sinatra, the Beach Boys, Phil Spector's 'Wall of Sound' featured in Denny Tedesco film

by Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


You may not know their names, but there's no mistaking their music.

The soundtrack of the late 1950s and 1960s was largely recorded by a group of Los Angeles studio musicians known as the Wrecking Crew. The Beach Boys, Frank and Nancy Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Jan & Dean, Elvis Presley, the Monkees, Gary Lewis and the Playboys, the Mamas & the Papas, Simon and Garfunkel, the Tijuana Brass, Ricky Nelson, Johnny Rivers, and even Alvin and the Chipmunks are but a small few of the hundreds of popular artists for whom the Crew recorded, though more often than not were left uncredited on the album sleeve.

Typically knocking out several tracks in a single three-hour session, the musicians – who also comprised Phil Spector's famed Wall of Sound – played on anything from rock tunes to TV and film scores to jazz arrangements and even cartoon soundtracks, able to churn out any style of music with unmatched skill. Hopping from studio to studio, the musicians during their heyday sometimes played up to four dates per day.

Denny Tedesco, son of one of the most recorded guitarist in history, late Wrecking Crew member Tommy Tedesco, tells the surprisingly little-known tale of this group of musicians who recorded the unmistakable soundtrack of the '60s in his documentary, "The Wrecking Crew." He speaks about his labor of love and the film's upcoming L.A. premiere.

How did these musicians come to be known as "The Wrecking Crew"?
It's become something of folklore almost. The legend goes they were called the Wrecking Crew 'cause the older guys, the traditional studio guys from the '40s and '50s, weren't taking the rock dates 'cause it was beneath them, so they said these guys were gonna wreck the business.

The Wrecking Crew is an unparalleled phenomenon in recording history. How did this one group of musicians come to play so many different sessions together?
When they're breaking in the early '50s and early '60s, rock 'n' roll was still in its infancy, as were recording techniques. You didn't have ProTools, DVs, CD players, computers to help you learn how to play music or even record music. In those days you had to be all in one room together as a band, together 'til the end, everybody flawless.

What inspired you to make the film?
I started the documentary when I knew my father was going to pass away, in 1995, when he was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I knew he didn't have much time and I figured we've already lost a lot of these musicians – Ray Pohlman was gone, Steve Douglas was gone. I felt if I don't record this, nobody's going to. There were so many stories I used to hear, the laughter from all these musicians. It was always fun listening to these guys. So I decided I'd put together a roundtable discussion to start things off, and in 1996 brought together Carol Kaye, Hal Blaine, my father and Plas Johnson. I was influenced by "Broadway Danny Rose," the Woody Allen movie where they sit around that coffee shop and just talk about Danny Rose. It was like you were a voyeur to this conversation, and that's what I wanted this to be. Unfortunately my father passed away before he saw anything cut.

When was the main period of recording for the Crew?
It was a time period from the late '50s early '60s to almost the late '60s, where things started turning in a different direction. Group albums became popular at that time, so now you didn't want so many studio musicians on some of these albums. The highlight year for record dates was probably 1967 or '68 in that area. There were 400 dates, contracts that we could find. If you take weekends and holidays off, you must be doing three or four dates a day.

How did you get the rights to the music?
The record companies have been amazing. Warner Bros. was one of the companies I first met, and they said, "We're not gonna mess with you. It's not a documentary about a chicken coop. It's about our business and these people. We want this to be out there." This isn't like a kiss-and-tell book, this is a positive look at something that is not always so positive.

How did you line up the other interviews?
One of the first star talents to come on board was Cher. She was 16 when she worked with these guys as a backup singer for Phil Spector's groups. She knew them as the older guys – they were all in their late 20s and 30s, and she was just a kid. Then Dick Clark gave me an interview. Then I got Julius Wechter and Lew McCreary. Julius was a great percussion player and Lew was a great trombonist. That was a rush in time because I knew Julius was sick. I didn't know Lou was sick. They both passed away about six months later.

If someone has a favorite song from the '60s, chances are good they'll hear it in this film.
It's probably one of the biggest soundtracks in movies because there are so many songs. When putting it together I would meet with people – I won't mention names – but someone came up with the idea that since there were so many songs, we should get "sound-alikes." I said, are you kidding?! The whole point is about the sound. These people were the sound! The other thing people would say was, "Well could you narrow it down to 20 songs?" I said no. You don't have the music, you don't have the doc, 'cause it's really about the quantity of music this group of people in Los Angeles at the time did. They went from Sinatra to the Chipmunks, from Zappa to the Beach Boys – it was all over the place. They didn't have technically "a sound." They could play with anybody.

How did the musicians feel about being largely uncredited on the several hit records they played on?
These guys didn't complain. They weren't whiners. They enjoyed what they did. They got paid for what they did. My father used to tell his students, "You pick up the guitar because you love to play guitar. You don't start because you want to make a living of it. If you get paid for it, it's a bonus. If you make a living at it, you're in a small minority – congratulations."

With documentaries like "Standing in the Shadows of Motown," it seems like there's a strong public interest in what goes on behind the scenes.
I was thrilled that it came out, but I was more thrilled that it was successful, because it's basically the same kind of behind-the-scenes story. Mine's a different slant on it, but it does show that the public is interested and wants to know. There is a curtain, and us as humans it's natural that we want to learn something new.

What was it like to be growing up, hearing all these songs on the radio and knowing that was your dad playing on most of them?
Most of the time I never knew it was my dad on the radio. These guys were doing three to four dates a day, they didn't even know they were on some of these songs! There's certain songs, like the Beach Boys where you know Hal was playing all the time, but my father wouldn't know. You figure these guys did two, three, four dates a day for a while, and sometimes the groups weren't there, it was just laying down the tracks. Don't forget, there were hundreds of hits, but there were thousands of bombs.

I didn't realize the impact he and his friends were making. I don't think they had an idea of the impact of what was going to happen 40, 50 years later, the fact that people are still listening to these songs. When you go 50 years before them in 1960, you're talking 1910. Were they listening to songs from 1910? It never happened.

How was it trying to find a balance telling your father's story and the story of the Wrecking Crew as a whole?
It was a big problem. When I started the film, I was never going to focus on my father, and I surely wasn't going to be part of this. It was about this group of musicians. A friend of mine looked at our first 30-minute cut a few years ago and said, 'It's a History Channel documentary.' That killed me. But he was right. The way I made that transition was by going, Here's a story about my father and his extended family, the Wrecking Crew. Because you can't have one and not the other.
It's about having the story and not just the facts, which is what you did with this film.

I think unconsciously I was trying not to let go. I didn't want Dad to leave and this was my way of holding on.

The film took 12 years to complete.
If I'd finished this in two years, five years or eight years, even 10, it would not have been as good because not just what I got later, but understanding the story more.

The film has been a success at festival screenings earlier this year.
We started at South by Southwest (SXSW) and it coincided with the music festival.Then we were invited to Nashville as the closing film. That was an honor in itself, but then we sold out two screens before the festival even opened, the first time in the history of the festival. We had the greatest time. All these Nashville greats like guitarist Brett Mason as well as transplants like drummer Ed Green, and bassist Bob Babbitt from the Funk Brothers, were there. As well as another guitar hero of mine, Peter Frampton. They were so enthusiastic and supportive, it was amazing. Some of the musicians were saying, "I've gotta have my kids see this." And that's a thrill.

Don Randi, who's been very supportive, came out to play after the festival with Al Kooper, Mike Deasy, Lyle Ritz and Al Delory. They played some of the hits that they recorded on, and the audience went nuts! There were probably about 700 people in the room.

What I've noticed about the film is the fact its working on two levels. Musicians understand it from the inside. They understand what it takes to be a musician, and you've got the music lovers, who are blown away – "Wow, that's what happened?!"

Where was the very first public screening?
There was an event at the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and they asked if come down with Hal Blaine, so we showed a 30 minute teaser. It was a packed audience of 150 people, and they gave us a standing ovation. It was a great feeling of love in the room. The MC started asking Hal questions, and Hal started crying. I thought he was joking, but I looked behind his sunglasses and saw tears. Hal said, 'When I saw all my friends up there, it brought back a lot of memories to me.' Which is a sweet, beautiful comment. So I felt, OK, if I made Hal happy and if I could make these musicians happy by telling the truth, then I've done my job. They were honest with me, so I wanted to be sure I was honest to them with this story.

It was quite the labor of love.
I used to hate that term. But it's true. I had to finance it myself. It might have taken 12 years to actually make it, but it took a lifetime to understand it.


The Los Angeles premiere of "The Wrecking Crew" will take place during Grand Performances at a free outdoor screening at California Plaza in downtown L.A. Saturday, June 28 at 8 p.m. For more information about the documentary and the musicians, visit www.wreckingcrew.tv.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

A few songs recorded by the Wrecking Crew:

The 5th Dimension
"Let the Sunshine In/Aquarius"
"Stoned Soul Picnic"
"Up-Up and Away"
"One Less Bell to Answer"

The Association
"Windy"
"Never My Love"

The Beach Boys
"California Girls"
"Don't Worry Baby"
"Fun Fun Fun"
"God Only Knows"
"Good Vibrations"
"I Get Around"
"Sloop John B"

The Byrds
"Mr. Tamborine Man"

Glen Campbell
"By the Time I Get to Phoenix"
"Gentle on My Mind"
"Wichita Lineman"

Captain & Tennille
"Love Will Keep Us Together"

The Carpenters
"Close to You"
"We've Only Just Begun"

Cher
"Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves"
"Half-Breed"

The Chipmunks
"Chipmunks Theme"

Nat King Cole
"Ramblin' Rose"

Sam Cooke
"Twistin' the Night Away"
"You Send Me"

The Crystals
"Then He Kissed Me"
"Da Doo Ron Ron"
"He's a Rebel"

Bobby Day
"Rockin' Robin"

Defenders
"Taco Wagon"

Shelly Fabares
"Johnny Angel"

Richard Harris
"MacArthur Park"

Jan & Dean
"Dead Man's Curve
Surf City"
"Little Old Lady (From Pasadena)"
"Balboa Blue"

Gary Lewis and the Playboys
"Everybody Loves a Clown"
"Sure Gonna Miss Her"
"This Diamond Ring"

Barry McGuire
"Eve of Destruction"

The Mamas & the Papas
"California Dreamin'"
"Dedicated to the One I Love"
"Monday, Monday"

Henry Mancini
"The Pink Panther Theme"

The Marketts
"Out of Limits"
"Surfer's Stomp"

Dean Martin
"Everybody Loves Somebody"

Scott McKenzie
"San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair)"

The Monkees
"Mary Mary"

Chris Montez
"Let's Dance"

Ricky Nelson
"Fools Rush In"

Wayne Newton
"Danke Schoen"

Jack Nitzsche
"The Lonely Surfer"

Harry Nilsson
"Everybody's Talkin'"

The Partridge Family
"Come on Get Happy"

Elvis Presley
"A Little Less Conversation"
"Viva Las Vegas"

Paul Revere & the Raiders
"Indian Reservation"

The Righteous Brothers
"Unchained Melody"
"You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"

Rip Chords
"Hey Little Cobra"

Johnny Rivers
"Poor Side of Town"

Tommy Roe
"Dizzy"

The Ronnetts
"Be My Baby"
"I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"

Routers
"Let's Go"

The Sandpipers
"Guantanamera"

Lalo Schifrin
"Mission: Impossible"

Simon and Garfunkel
"Mrs. Robinson"

Frank Sinatra
"Strangers in the Night"
"That's Life"

Nancy Sinatra
"These Boots are Made for Walkin'"
"Drummer Man"

Sonny and Cher
"The Beat Goes On"
"I Got You Babe"

T-Bones
"No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)"

Nino Tempo & April Stevens
"Deep Purple"

The Tijuana Brass
"The Lonely Bull"
"Spanish Flea"
"Taste of Honey"
"Whipped Cream"
"Zorba the Greek"

Ike and Tina Turner
"River Deep Mountain High"

Ritchie Valens
"Donna"

Bobby Vee
"The Night Has a Thousand Eyes"

The Ventures
"Hawaii 5-O"

Mason Williams
"Classical Gas"

Roger Williams
"Born Free"


* * * * * * * * * * * *

The Wrecking Crew & Friends

Drums/Percussion
Hal Blaine
Jim Gordon
Johnny Guerin*
Earl Palmer
Jessie Sailes
Ed "Sharky" Hall*

Percussion
Frank Capp
Gary Coleman
Gene Estes*
Victor Feldman*
Emil Richards
Milton Holland*
Julius Wechter*

Guitar
Al Casey*
Dennis Budimir
Billy Strange
James Burton
Glen Campbell
Mike Deasy
Barney Kessel*
Jerry Cole
Lou Morell*
Don Peake
Bill Pitman
Louie Shelton
Tommy Tedesco*
Howard Roberts*
Ben Benay*
David Cohen

Bass
Jimmy Bond
Chuck Berghofer
Carol Kaye
Larry Knechtel
Joe Osborn
Ray Pohlman*
Lyle Ritz
Bob West*
Arthur Wright

Piano
Leon Russell
Larry Knechtel
Al DeLory
Don Randi
Ray Johnson
Lincoln Mayorga
Mike Melvoin
Mike Rubini

Sax/Horns
Gene Cipriano
Steve Douglas*
Jim Horn
Bill Green*
Plas Johnson
Jackie Kelso
Jay Migliori*
Nino Tempo

Trombone
Louis Blackburn*
Lew McCreary*

Trumpet
Ollie Mitchell
Tony Terran
Roy Caton
Bill Peterson

* deceased member

Interview - "Michael Giacchino Squeaks Out a Winner With 'Ratatouille'"

My interview as published in the March 2008 issue of the Overture, official publication of Professional Musicians, Local 47:

Giacchino Squeaks Out a Winner With 'Ratatouille'

Earning a Grammy win and Oscar nod for his score to last year's Disney/Pixar animated hit, composer Michael Giacchino describes recording in Los Angeles with "the best musicians in the world."

By Linda Rapka, Overture Managing Editor


If you are a fan of animated films, hit TV series or popular video games, chances are you know the work of composer Michael Giacchino.

His colorful and energetic score for "Ratatouille," an animated feature about a Parisian rat-turned-master chef, earned Giacchino a Grammy as well as his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score, an honor shared with two fellow Local 47 members (first-time nominee Marco Beltrami for "3:10 to Yuma" and seven-time nominee James Newton Howard for "Michael Clayton"). The film was director Brad Bird's follow-up to "The Incredibles" for which Giacchino wrote an equally formidable score, earning him two Grammy nominations and the L.A. Film Critics Association Award for Best Music Score.

His path to TV and film began with video games. In 1997 Giacchino was approached by the newly formed DreamWorks Studios to score the PlayStation video game based on Steven Spielberg's box-office hit "Jurassic Park: The Lost World." Spielberg liked the music so much he wanted it to be fully orchestrated instead of synthesized. A longtime fan of the Local 47 musicians whom he'd listened to on film soundtracks during his formative years, Giacchino has since become one of the leading advocates for using Los Angeles musicians on scoring projects.

Giacchino's work scoring video games over the next several years, including Spielberg's popular "Medal of Honor" video game series, led to his involvement in the ABC television shows "Alias" and "Lost" created by writer/director J.J. Abrams – the producers of the show contacted the composer because they were fans of the games he had worked on. He soon came to the attention of Brad Bird and other directors and his film-scoring career took flight, establishing him as one of the most sought-after composers in Hollywood.

Michael Giacchino spoke with the Overture the day after the Oscars about his recent accolades and what it's like to work in Los Angeles with whom he calls "the best musicians in the world."

First off, congratulations – "Ratatouille" fared very well in the award department, earning a Grammy as well as your first Academy Award nomination.
Thank you. I wasn't able to attend the Grammys because we were recording at Warner Bros., and I was with a bunch of the orchestra members that played on "Ratatouille" when we found out that we won the Grammy. That was a lot more fun than actually having been there. I went on the loudspeaker and said, "Hey guys, you just won a Grammy!" I was in the middle of writing and getting ready to score "Speed Racer" when I heard "Ratatouille" was nominated for an Academy Award. I had so much on my mind – I think my parents had a lot more fun with that than I did. It's probably good that you don't have too much time to think about these things. At the Oscars, a lot of my friends in my band were playing in the pit orchestra, so that was fun. You know, most of the time I'm stuck holed up somewhere writing, so the only sociable part of my job is when I'm with them, and it's great.

What influences do you draw from when composing a film score?
I have a very eclectic taste. I listen to anything and everything. I always have, even while growing up. I love jazz and classical music, and the fusion of both. The idea of a jazz orchestra is great. But I'm comfortable keeping 'em separate or doing both – I'm comfortable doing new things. And I know the guys here [in Los Angeles] will just get it. I don't have to worry about the thing I'm trying to do working or not as far as the musicians, because they'll know exactly how to do it. I've been a lot luckier than most composers being able to do it here.

It sounds like you really enjoy working with Local 47 musicians.
It's the greatest. Los Angeles is my first choice no matter what. I grew up loving that idea of a town that creates entertainment, and when I came out here I wanted to be a part of that process. It's been a part of my charter to be part of that, and it's an identity that Los Angeles has in particular that no one else does. It's true that the world is getting smaller and you can go anywhere to record, but you've got the best people in the world here. I could not have taken "Ratatouille" or "The Incredibles" to just any place – those scores go from jazz to classical and are all over the map, and these guys just know how to do it. A lot of the musicians I grew up listening to, and I'm awestruck every time! To be able to work with people I listened to as a 10-year-old kid with headphones – Frank Morocco, Abe Laboriel, Tony Mason – there's just no one else like them in the world.

You spent the better part of your childhood making 8mm stop-motion animated films using your brother's ping pong table as a sound stage for miniature movie sets.
One of my favorite things to do was find records in my dad's collection and put music to them and make the music work with the film. This started my whole interest in film scores.

What was one of your favorite self-made childhood films?
There's one that my brother starred in. He's upstairs supposed to be doing homework and imagines himself to be Luke Skywalker.

You're currently working on "Speed Racer," the live-action big-budget version of the 1960s animated Japanese series, set to open in May.
As a kid I was obsessed with "Speed Racer," so this was a dream job. Plus the Wachowski brothers were directing it. They have a very specific, original take on filmmaking. A lot of other people would not have done this justice. I'm just so picky about these things, but for them I was like, "Absolutely!" We scored for two weeks straight in February.

You actually finished recording a day early.
That's how good the musicians are – we finished early. I'm not one to sit there and be laboring over a cue. It's more of a feeling – if it's right, it's right, and we'll move on. I know we were losing a day of work, but I think it's good to show the studio that we can get work done early and efficiently. Part of the reason big studios leave [Los Angeles] is that it's so expensive, so it's important to take a more responsible approach to the process so the studios see that you can do work in Los Angeles without it being unreasonably expensive. And the musicians were great about it. I told them, "It's your own fault for being so good!"

You have another remake project lined up after this – "Star Trek."
We're going to start working on that around October. I'm doing "Star Trek" because J.J. Abrams is directing it and I would follow him everywhere. He's one of my favorite filmmakers. It's relationships that guide a lot of these things. These are guys I don't have to question whether it's going to be good or if their intentions are proper – it's always gonna be great.

For updates on Michael Giacchino's latest projects, visit his website: www.michaelgiacchino.com.


###
Download PDF of this article