802 NOTES: the electronic newsletter of Local 802

This edition: March 11, 2015

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DON'T GIVE AWAY YOUR RIGHTS!

Warning: musicians who work under Local 802 contracts should not get paid as "corporations"

There is an alarming trend among musicians. Many have decided to form corporations and work under the guise of corporate entities rather than as individuals. This trend has become especially prevalent among music directors and conductors who work on Broadway productions.

Why is this wrong? Click here to read the story by Harvey Mars, as published in the March 2015 issue of our union magazine Allegro.

AS A CLASSICAL MUSICIAN, DO YOU KNOW WHAT UNION SCALE ACTUALLY PAYS?

When you get called to play a classical engagement, are you absolutely sure of what you're owed as per union scale? Local 802 recently published an explanation of the classical single engagement contract, which may answer some of your most frequently asked questions. Whether you are new to contracts or just haven't thought about them for a while, we hope this guide written by Local 802 concert rep Karen Fisher will inspire you to know what you're worth when it comes to union scale.

Click here to read our guide, as published in the February 2015 issue of our magazine Allegro.

The March issue of our union magazine Allegro contains three incredible feature spotlights as well as tax tips for musicians, tributes to our recently deceased musicians...and much more! Click on any picture to read this issue of Allegro.

GIG ALERTS!

Any musician who has been asked to be engaged for the

Temptations and the Four Tops for any upcoming gigs must contact Local 802 immediately. Please call John O'Connor at (212) 245-4802, ext. 110 or click here.

Local 802 requires that this engagement be under an agreement so that the musicians can receive the appropriate wages and benefits.

In addition, here are other recent gig alerts by the AFM:

1. If you get called to play with recording artist Jackie Evancho, please click here!

2. If you get called to play with the Miami Symphony Orchestra, please click here!

3. If you get called to play with the South Florida Symphony (formerly the Key West Symphony), please click here!

Please share these alerts with your musician friends around the country.

DEMAND YOUR FARE SHARE FOR ONLINE MUSIC!

Online music services have transformed the music industry, but performing artists are not getting their proportionate share from revenues. A 50-50 sharing of online revenues with record producers certainly meets these criteria. Currently, this is far from being the case. The share performing artists receive from online uses is neither fair, nor proportional to its value, nor balanced with other contributors. This situation must be remedied. New frameworks must be imagined, developed and promoted in order to establish an environment that is as fair to performers as to the other parties concerned, including consumers. To this end, the participants of the International Federation of Musicians conference on online music held in Budapest on November 20-21, 2014 call upon performers and their representatives to join them in creating the widest possible coalition of artists aiming to achieve fair, proportional and balanced remuneration for the online use of their performances by all appropriate means supported by their community.

Click HERE to learn more about the campaign!

FREE PILATES CLASSES FOR

MUSICIANS!

Do you want to improve your endurance, stop masking performance pain, give your body a tune-up, and learn strategies for lifelong health? Join bodyworker instructor Karin Fantus for a series of free classes! You must be a Local 802 member, and pre-registration is required. Classes fill up early. We offer a beginner body awareness class and a Pilates exercise class. (You must have taken a class with Karin previously in order to register for the Pilates class.)
To register, contact Anya Turner at (212) 397-4802 or click here. Location (in Midtown Manhattan) will be given out once you register.

MANAGING YOUR MUSIC CAREER

A FREE WORKSHOP IN THREE MOVEMENTS

Who: Professional musicians of all genres (union affiliation NOT required)

What: An overview of resources and strategies available to working musicians in New York City. Expert facilitators will also focus on building presentation skills and maximizing the power of social media to network and find jobs.

Where: Local 802

When: (NEW DATES): April 22, April 29, and May 6th (all Wednesdays), each from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

How: To guarantee a spot, click here. Limited same-day registration available

Presented by the Musicians' Assistance Program and The Actors Fund Work Program

FOR RENT

FOR RENT: 310 Riverside Drive at 103rd Street, on Manhattan's Upper West Side. On the ground floor of The Masters, an architecturally significant building with a classic art deco lobby, the space is 750SF and has 12ft ceilings and original detail. The walls are thick and the space would be easily soundproofed. Ideal for music or video production/post production. Asking rent $3,750 per month.

Please contact:

James Marquand - Charles Rutenberg LLC
(718) 864-8144

Hearing services for musicians: www.EastSideHearing.com

Click the ad above for more details. Tell them you saw their ad in the Local 802 electronic newsletter! To advertise, click here.

Musicians: do you have a legal concern? Click the link below to reach Local 802's lawyer Harvey S. Mars:

Click the ad above for more details. Tell them you saw their ad in the Local 802 electronic newsletter! To advertise, click here.

To respond to this newsletter directly or to give any comments, click here

To reach Local 802 by phone, call (212) 245-4802. For more information on our services and departments, see www.Local802afm.org

Paid ads in 802 NOTES support your union and keep your costs down. You can advertise here and reach thousands of your peers. E-mail Allegro@Local802afm.org for more information.

Local 802 AFM

322 West 48th St
New York, NY 10036
(212) 245-4802

Mikael Elsila is the editor of Allegro magazine and the 802 NOTES electronic newsletter. He can be reached at: Allegro@Local802afm.org

Local 802 mourns the loss of Lew Soloff, a Local 802 member since 1959, who died on March 8 at the age of 71. Mr. Soloff's obituary will appear in the upcoming April issue of our union magazine Allegro (see all of our current obituaries here). For updates on a memorial service for Mr. Soloff, click here.

please save the date

A tribute and celebration of
Mary Whitaker

(1952-2014)

Sunday, May 3rd at 8 p.m.

Cathedral of St. John the Divine

(West 112 Street at Amsterdam)

Details to follow in upcoming issues of Allegro and 802 NOTES

A memorial service for Wilmer Wise (1936-2015) will be held on Monday, April 27 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.

THE MARCH ISSUE OF ALLEGRO IS ONLINE NOW

Sell your instrument with an Allegro classified ad! Click here.

Great news: Allegro is number one! Our publication won first place for general excellence in its circulation class among all other labor publications in New York City -- and second place in the entire nation! These annual labor journalism contests are sponsored by the International Labor Communications Association and its New York City chapter.

TAX TIPS FOR MUSICIANS
How do you "depreciate" your instrument to reduce your taxable income? Click here!

WATCH OUT FOR AUDITIONS ON BROADWAY!

It has come to the attention of the Theatre Department that some Broadway musicians and substitute musicians are being asked to audition for theatrical productions on Broadway. Auditions are not allowed for Broadway shows without the full cooperation and notification of the Local 802 Executive Board. If you are asked to audition for any position on a Broadway show, contact the union immediately. Auditions have only been allowed in the past under very special circumstances after approval of the Local 802 Executive Board and only if the appropriate wages, including pension and health benefit contributions, are made to the musicians involved. Please let us know immediately if you are asked to audition on Broadway. Your anonymity and confidence will always be respected and ensured. Call (212) 245-4802 and ask for the president's office or the Theatre Department.

ARE YOU A BANDLEADER WHO HATES PAPERWORK? LET US DO IT FOR YOU!

Are you a bandleader who hates

paperwork? Let us do it for you!

LEGIT 802 is Local 802's payroll service! Let's say you get called to play a wedding or a restaurant gig. When it comes time to pay

your musicians, you simply write one check to us. Then we handle

everything else: mailing the checks to the musicians, withholding

taxes, mailing payments to the state and the feds, taking care of

unemployment and workers' comp payments and paying the union

benefits and work dues. It's a complete one-stop service that's fast and efficient. If you would like to learn more, please contact Ronnie Gent at (212) 245-4802, ext. 175, or click here.

Click above to watch a video exposing Guitar Center's union-busting tactics

SUPPORT WORKERS AT THE GUITAR CENTER

Workers at the Guitar Center continue to fight to improve their wages and working conditions. Do you work at Guitar Center or know someone who does? Click here to contact a Guitar Center organizer or call (212) 684-5300 to join the campaign. All responses are confidential. Guitar Center is hiring divide and conquer union busters workers are standing stronger than ever. Check out this video that the workers from Chicago put together on the anti-union tactics that Guitar Center used at their store and share it on social media! Thanks for the continued support!

This is a graphic of the symbol for health care

LOCAL 802 ANNOUNCES IMPORTANT CHANGES TO ITS HEALTH PLAN

MUSICIANS: GET HEALTH INSURANCE UNDER OBAMACARE?

DO YOU CONTRACT MUSICIANS? IF SO, YOU NEED TO CHECK OUT LOCAL 802'S BRAND-NEW...

CONTRACTOR'S CHECKLIST

Click here to read it now.

Have you visited the Local 802 FACEBOOK PAGE yet?

If not, you've missed out on exclusive stories and announcements.

Get special tips, and network with other musicians on our Facebook page. Click here to get started.

LOOKING FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING?

Did you know that there's a housing project for musicians where the rent is only $635 a month? Click here to learn more!

CAN MUSICIANS GET UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS?

If you are a Broadway musician and your show closes, can you apply for unemployment? Yes. While you are collectingunemployment, can you sub on other Broadway shows, teach lessons, and play other freelance gigs? Yes, but your unemployment check may be reduced.

What if you're a club date musician and your leader or office hasn't booked you on a wedding gig in months? Can you apply for unemployment in that case?

For the answer to that question and more information on musicians and unemployment benefits, click here to read a story written by Local 802's counsel Harvey Mars with the Workers Defense Fund.

WANT TO HELP MUSICIANS, MAKE CONNECTIONS AND HAVE FUN?

Interns at Local 802 make a tremendous impact on the lives of musicians while gaining valuable experience and connections. You or someone you know can help us make a big difference. The union is now accepting applications for interns. Spread the word and click here for more information!

NEED FINANCIAL AID?

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THE EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND?

The Emergency Relief Fund helps musicians in need. Financial assistance is provided in the form of a directed grant to the musician's creditors; for example, to a landlord, physician, etc. The eligibility requirements are:

A minimum of two years' membership in the union;
Union membership in good standing, with all dues paid;
"Dire need" as defined by the fund's trustees. This can include: threat of gas, electric or telephone cutoff; eviction; medical debts; costs incurred due to the theft of instruments; auto repairs vital to continued employment; and other emergencies.

To apply, contact the union's social worker Siena Shundi by clicking here or calling (212) 245-4802, ext. 180. Siena can also help you apply for other financial help from sources like the Actors' Fund and other relief organizations.

Click the ad above for info.

JAZZ JAM!

There is a jazz jam on most Mondays at Local 802 (322 West 48th Street), from 7 to 9:30 p.m. For more information, call Joe Petrucelli at the Jazz Foundation of America at (212) 245-3999, ext. 10, or click here.

DO YOU HAVE MONEY WAITING FOR YOU?

Somtimes the union may have a check in your name, but no way to get it to you because your address is outdated. To see if there's money waiting for you, click here.

Paid ads in 802 NOTES support your union and keep your costs down. You can advertise here and reach thousands of your peers. For more information, click here.

Click the ad above for info.