LIBRETTO April 2013
Hamilton Musicians’ Guild, Local 293, CFM
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
This April marks the 110th anniversary of Local 293. While we have weathered some rough times this past decade we’ve managed to overcome some real obstacles and move forward. The Neil Murray case has finally come to an end in the courts and a seven year ordeal is finally over. On February 22nd Mr. Murray was found guilty of breach of trust and theft over $5000 and was sentenced to two 15 month sentences to be served concurrently. He has been ordered to pay the Local restitution to the tune of $100,000. He was given three years probation and ordered to submit a DNA sample. He can no longer hold any position of trust as a condition of his sentence. This Board welcomes this conclusion to a regrettable chapter in our history.
On a more positive note the Local is on an upswing with more than 157 new members since I took office last year. Our membership drive and an energized Board can account for the renewed confidence in our Local. We now stand at a total of 440 members and we have the full support of both the CFM and the AFM executives. Our membership drive has been extended to June of this year so I urge all members to get the word out about this rare opportunity to save the $105 initiation fees.
On February 28th the Local put on a Survival in the Music Business Seminar in partnership with The Spec with proceeds going to the Spec Summer Camp Kids Fund. The event was moderated by the Spec’s own entertainment editor Graham Rockingham who did a great job. Special thanks go to Ian Thomas who donated his time for the cause. Entertainment lawyers Paul Sanderson and Paul Spurgeon shared a wealth of information with our attendees who were overwhelmingly positive in their appreciation of the event. We managed to raise $1000.00 for the Fund and garnered articles in the Spec and View Magazine that were very positive. Paul Sharpe filmed the event for a webcast on the AFM site for any member to view at their convenience. Special thanks go to Paul Sharpe and the Freelance Co-Funding Program for underwriting 55% of the cost of putting on the event. This was essential for the success of the event. Thanks also to Lily Sazz, Glen Brown, Brent Malseed, Paul Panchezak and John Balogh for all their time and effort to make this happen.
Lastly, the Board welcomes Reg Denis to the position of Director on our Board. Most of you know Reg and it’s good to have him back in the fold once again. He brings with him a wealth of experience and a genuine concern for the well-being of our members. We look forward to his input.
Yours in solidarity,
Larry Feudo
Secretary-Treasurer’s Report
Now that we are on the downside of another fairly uneventful winter (weather wise) I hope you all had a musically and financially rewarding season. Thanks to the CFM/AFM, we have been granted one final extension on our membership amnesty program taking the cut-off date through to the end of June of this year. Our membership currently stands at 440 which is a reflection of how well musicians have responded to this offer. Talk to your musically inclined friends and get them to check out the websites or have them call the office and inquire about the advantages of being a CFM member before June 30 as this offer is not likely to be repeated anytime soon.
Our accounts remain strong with our chequing currently standing at $13,324.76 and our savings remaining steady at $4,450.76. Our 2012 per capita payments came in at $20,659.00 and our per cap arrears totaled $4,500.00. One thing I would like to mention to the members sending cheques from the States while touring, if the funds are drawn in U.S. currency, please remember to add a $10.00 processing fee to the total dues being sent. This concludes my report to date.
J. M. Pope
Welcome New Local 293 Members
John Dauphinee, Kyle Fisher, David Nardi, Keegan Powell, Eric Ruscinski, Sara Traficante, Andrew Roy, Michael Monson, Wes McClintock, Kalan Comba, Stephen Pitkin, Matthew Fleming, Tony Gosgnach, Luke Bentham, Dan Medakovic, Joel Blanken, John Morley, Hannah Jackson, Caroline Olsen, Adam Payne, Stanley Windels, and Anthony D’Avanzo
Members Suspended
Andrew Aldridge, Terry Ball, Sara Green, and Jeremy Widerman.
Members Expelled
Paul Henderson, Adrienne Lloyd, Kiyomi McCloskey,
Laura Petracca, Monica Tietz, and Michele Truman.
The Libretto is now available by e-mail
Here’s another reminder that you can now receive Local 293’s “Libretto” newsletter via direct e-mail. It cuts cost for the Local and makes for quick and direct delivery. If you would like to take advantage of this offer contact the office by phone or e-mail and state your intention to forego your hard copy.
Your Local Has All the Answers
The Hamilton Musicians’ Guild seminar, “How to Survive in Today’s Music Business” held on a cold February night at the Spectator Auditorium in Hamilton proved to be a great success. A large turnout for the session was joined by an on-line audience of over 700 that tuned in from as far away as Florida. Musicians of all ages were advised, informed and educated on a wide variety of topics relating to the modern, diversified and often confusing music business. As a secondary benefit the Guild shared the proceeds from the event with the Spectator’s Summer Camp for Children Program. If by chance you weren’t there you can still tap into this wealth of practical knowledge by following the link at the HMG website or Facebook page to watch a replay of the live webcast. The event came together with the hard work and co-operation of quite a number of people. Thanks to the members of the Guild’s Executive Board along with Lily Sazz and Glen Brown for their organizational skills. Thanks to the Hamilton Spectator and in particular entertainment columnist Graham Rockingham who acted as moderator for the evening. Thanks to Paul Sharpe and the American Federation of Musicians’ Free Lance Co-Funding Program for their financial assistance and help with the webcast. Thanks of course to our three experts who generously contributed their time and shared their vast knowledge and practical advice – Ian Thomas, Paul Spurgeon and Paul Sanderson and, above all, thanks to all the Local 293 members who came out and made this event the success we had hoped for. This is the first in a series of programs the Guild will be staging to inform, educate and more. Our goal is to present our members with the tools to give them a professional edge in a competitive and challenging musical market.
What’s Up Brother (and Sister)?
Hey Local 293 members don’t keep your light under a bushel. If you’ve accomplished something you want your colleagues to know about whether it’s a new CD, an upcoming special show or concert, if you’ve contributed soundtrack to film or television, received an award or accolade or any other achievement you feel is noteworthy please let us know at the Guild and we will include the information in an upcoming Libretto and/or on our website and Facebook page. We want to know what you’re up to musically speaking.
Here’s another reminder that you can now receive Local 293’s “Libretto” newsletter via direct e-mail.
It cuts cost for the Local and makes for quick and direct delivery.
If you would like to take advantage of this offer contact the office by phone or e-mail and state your intention to forego your hard copy.
Executive Board — Local 293 CFM
The following members constitute the Executive Board for 2012/2013.
President Larry Feudo
1st Vice President Brent Malseed
2nd Vice President Steve Sobolewski
Secretary-Treasurer John M. Pope
Marshall Lorne Lozinski
Sergeant at Arms Paul Panchezak
Director Janna Malseed
Director John Balogh
Director Reg Denis
Emeritus Officers: Matt Kennedy Harry Waller
General Membership Meeting
Election of Delegate(s) and Alternate Delegate(s) to the
Canadian Conference and AFM Convention
Date: Monday, April 08, 2013
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Place: The Admiral Inn
York and Dundurn Streets, Hamilton
Admittance is by paid up membership cardd
Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for members wishing to pay dues (cheques only)
Social hour to follow
Any notice appearing in this bulletin shall be considered an official notice to all members of Local 293 CFM.
Special Limited Time Offer Extended Until June 30, 2013
Here’s a money saving deal you will want to pass on to your friends.
For a very limited time the Hamilton Musicians’ Guild is waiving our one time initiation fee. This applies to new members looking to turn pro and former members who have let their dues lapse to the point of being expelled. All they need pay is their annual dues ($150 per year – $37.50 per quarter) in order to be a part of one of Ontario’s longest standing musical communities “One Hundred and Ten Years and Counting”
List your band on the Hamilton Musicians’ Guild online live music referral site by using the AFM Go Pro Music Referral Service (www.GoProMusic.com). This online resource enables consumers to easily locate and engage local bands and musicians for their special engagements and events.
Do you need a reasonably priced Web Hosting Service
to help you develop the perfect web site?
See the information on page 4 regarding GoPro Hosting.
Do You Need Web Hosting Services at a Reasonable Cost?
The AFM offers professional web hosting services to help you develop the perfect web site. There are four affordable plans to choose from exclusively for AFM members.
Get A Free Website — AFM Adlib
Members can now start with a fully functioning website using AFM Adlib, and begin editing immediately through an easy-to-use web interface customized with musicians in mind. You can add, edit, and delete text, photos and sound files as well as easily create new pages. For more information and a demo, go to www.afmadlib.com