Musical News September - October 2010.indd - Musicians Union ...

Musical News 

Vol. 82, No. 5 September - October 2010 

SO WE DECIDED TO HAVE A PICNIC... by Erin Vang 

Last spring, Betsy London put 

an innocent-looking comment 

on Face book: “I’m thinking 

it would be fun to organize a 

picnic for union members and 

their families this summer. 

Does anybody want to help” 

Temporarily forgetting my 

vow never to join a committee 

voluntarily, I commented, 

“Sure!” 

A few more such replies 

and days later, Betsy, Daria 

D’Andrea, Steve D’Amico, 

Carole Klein, and I were 

caught up in a fl urry of email, 

starting to fi gure out the basics. By early June, we had a 

short list of priorities: fi gure out a better way to do this than 

email, fi nd a date, fi nd a place, and then do everything else. 

Somehow I’d become 

the committee chair. I 

was the least connected 

member, but I’m a 

veteran project manager 

and facilitator in my 

day job, and the others 

gave me the great gift 

of trusting me to lead 

us through it. I’m sure 

my leadership style was 

Jon Lancelle 

annoying and goofy at 

times, but they were all 

so cheerful and tactful that I never noticed them reining me 

in—although I’m sure they must have. 

LIFE MEMBERS 

Teressa Adams 

Stephen Bennett 

Brian Cooke 

E.C. “Jack” Frost 

Myron Mu 

Robert Hall Weir 

Carole Klein, Betsy London, Daria D’Andrea, 

& Steve D’Amico 

IN MEMORIAM 

Elvo D’Amante 

Ruth Dunlap 

Morris Latimer 

Vincent Mokiao 

How we got from fuzzy ideas in June 

to a successful party in September 

is the subject of this article, because 

the things we fi gured out about 

working together as a committee 

are approaches and attitudes I think 

we’ll all be taking with us to our other 

endeavors—perhaps even planning 

next year’s party! 

Values lead the way, and 

practical considerations 

follow 

On September 5th, over a 

hundred union members and 

their families met together 

on a beautiful summer day 

at serene San Pablo Dam 

Reservoir to enjoy burgers, 

dogs, potluck, beer, and most 

of all, each other. We got to 

reconnect with old friends 

and meet folks from different 

parts of the Bay Area music 

business, and I saw smiles 

everywhere I looked. 

One key to our 

success was 

that we agreed 

on some basic values almost 

immediately: we wanted the picnic 

to be ecologically reasonable, and 

we wanted it to be about fun and 

IN THIS ISSUE 

Eric Shifrin 

& Erin Vang 

continued on page 5 

General Notices ...................................................... p. 2 

President’s Message ............................................ p. 3 

Voting Information ................................................... p. 3 

New Members / Address Changes ....................... p. 4 

Life Member Luncheon .......................................... p. 8 

Golf Tournament ................................................... p. 10 

Board Minutes ...................................................... p. 11 

Members To Be Dropped / Dropped........................ p. 13 

Advertisements ...................................................... p. 14 

Savvy Musician Workshop .................................... p. 16

2 MUSICAL NEWS September - October 2010 

Musical News 

Official Bulletin of 

MUSICIANS UNION LOCAL 6 

American Federation of Musicians 

Gretchen Elliott, Editor 

Alex Walsh, Managing Editor 

Musicians Union Local 6 

116 - 9th Street 

San Francisco, CA 94103 

phone (415) 575-0777 

fax (415) 863-6173 

email: info@afm6.org 

website: www.afm6.org 

Office hours: 

Monday-Friday, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. 

The Musical News is published bi-monthly 

by Musicians Union Local 6, AFM. Any 

notice appearing herein shall be considered 

to be an official notice to the membership. 

The appearance herein of an article or an 

advertisement does not imply an endorsement 

by the editors. 

OFFICERS 

David Schoenbrun, President 

Ronald Blais, Vice President 

Gretchen Elliott, Secretary-Treasurer 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Steve Hanson, Trustee 

Patricia Heller, Trustee 

Betsy London, Trustee 

John Fisher, Director 

Josephine Gray, Director 

STAFF 

John Hunt - Treasury (x304) 

Maria Kozak - MPF, Death Benefi ts (x301) 

Tony Orbasido - Recording (x305) 

Joe Rodriguez - Casuals (x306) 

Donna Thomson - Payroll, Ads (x307) 

Alex Walsh - Member Services (x308) 

FINANCE COMMITTEE 

Melinda Wagner Steven D’Amico 

Arthur Storch 

LAW & LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE 

Melanie Bryson Julie Burkert 

India Cooke William Klingelhoffer 

James Matheson Gordon Messick 

David Peterson 

PRESIDENT EMERITUS 

Melinda Wagner 

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE 

OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED: 

New Year’s Day 

Martin Luther King Jr. Day 

Presidents’ Day 

Good Friday Afternoon 

Memorial Day 

Independence Day 

Labor Day 

Columbus Day 

Veterans Day 

Thanksgiving Day (and day after) 

Christmas Day (and day before) 

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

NEW LOCAL 6 DIRECTORY 

A new Local 6 Directory will be published in January 2011. If you have 

not already done so, please check your listing in the 2009 directory for 

accuracy (including your e-mail address, if applicable). In addition, please 

note that it is a requirement for all members listed in the new directory 

to be in good standing. This means that your dues must be paid 

through December 31, 2010. To verify your membership status and/ 

or to make any corrections or additions to your directory or instrument 

listings, please call the Local 6 offi ce and ask for Alex or John. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE – RECORDING WORK 

Local 6 is trying to stem the tide of non-union recording being done in 

our jurisdiction. Allowing such work to take place unchallenged can and 

will undermine our signifi cant efforts to bring more union recording work 

to the Bay Area. Therefore, when receiving offers of recording work, all 

members should be sure to ask if it is being done under a union contract. 

Do not agree to offer your services for non-union recording 

projects. Members doing so are subject to board-imposed fines or 

expulsion. Think long-term, and think collectively! 

2010 MEMBERSHIP DUES 

Regular Membership $50.00/Quarter 

35 Year Membership $36.00/Quarter 

Life Membership $22.75/Quarter 

70/20 Year Membership $26.75/Quarter 

Late Charge $5.00 

MEETINGS SCHEDULE 

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP 

October 25, 2:00 p.m. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS 

Bi-weekly board meetings are 

open to the membership. Call 

for meeting schedules. 

SUSPENSION JEOPARDIZES BENEFITS !! 

If you have been suspended or dropped as a member of Local 6 for nonpayment 

of dues, you have lost the following union benefits: death benefi t, defense and 

contract guarantee fund payments, the International Musician, access to the 

Lester Petrillo Fund and other benefi ts which require membership in Local 6. 

To avoid being suspended, members must pay their dues by the last day of each 

calendar quarter. Also, as a reminder, we do not bill for dues. However, we do print 

one or more of the following lists in each issue of the Musical News: Suspended, 

To Be Dropped, and/or Dropped. In addition, Late Notices are sent each quarter to 

the last known address of all suspended individuals prior to their being dropped. 

If you have been suspended, please pay your dues immediately in order to restore 

your lost benefi ts.

September - October 2010 MUSICAL NEWS 3 

LABOR DAY THOUGHTS by David Schoenbrun, President 

It’s been quite a summer – fi rst an AFM Convention that 

produced huge changes in our Union’s leadership, and 

most certainly its philosophical bent. Then came the 

ensuing Players’ Conferences, buzzing with excitement, 

expectations, and the promise of change. 

Notwithstanding the positive change promised by our new 

leadership, I too would like to see some change within 

our labor communities – to the territorial/jurisdictional 

fi ghts between our local and national labor unions, to the 

vilifi cation of labor unions by the right in the service of 

greed and political gain, to the continued ebb of union 

membership that has brought us to the lowest percentage 

of union membership among the U.S. labor force since 

its inception, to the sort of thinking that causes a players 

conference to poll its members as to whether they should 

remain AFM members, and to the continuing tug of war 

between the haves and the have-nots in the face of 

diminishing and off-shoring of our musicians’ work. And so 

I’d like to offer some belated Labor Day thoughts as we all 

ramp-up for another season of work: 

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said, “The Labor Movement was 

the principal force that transformed misery and despair 

into hope and progress.” We all need to remember that the 

power of collective bargaining has brought us the ability to 

negotiate fair wages, overtime pay, pensions, workplace 

safety provisions, and for some of us in our larger groups, 

paid vacations, holidays, and employer-paid health 

benefi ts. For all of us, Unions were the moving force behind 

Social Security, Medicare and unemployment benefi ts. This 

history and what it means to us is, unfortunately, lost on 

many – those who cannot access that institutional memory, 

and who know Cesar Chavez only as the new name for 

Army Street, and those who believe that practice, talent 

and playing a good audition are solely responsible for the 

wages and benefi ts that accompany landing what few really 

good jobs exist in the orchestral fi eld. 

Unions came into existence to help right egregious wrongs 

perpetrated on exploited workers everywhere – from farm 

workers to the most highly skilled members of our craft. 

And despite the ebb and fl ow of our unions’ standing and 

prominence in society, we will continue to be the most 

effective advocates for workers, so long as they are able 

to remember and believe in the power of collective thought 

and action. 

As far as our Union’s new leadership is concerned, I remain 

fully supportive of positive change. The trick lies in seeing 

what needs to change in our collective best interests, and 

then being willing to take the plunge. 

The 2010 Gubernatorial Election will take place on 

Tuesday, November 2nd. Not only are we faced with 

making a critically important choice in the race for the 

highest offi ce in our state, but there are several other 

signifi cant candidate races, including that for the federal 

senate seat currently held by Barbara Boxer. As has 

become the norm, there are also numerous other issues 

of importance to be decided at the state and local levels. 

To assist union members in the sometimes daunting 

task of reaching an informed decision, the AFL-CIO, 

California Labor Federation, and our various local labor 

councils, gather and provide information on federal, 

state, and local candidates for offi ce and on state and 

local ballot measures. 

VOTE ON NOVEMBER 2ND 

A candidate receiving labor’s endorsement has shown 

a commitment, based on personal interviews and/or 

voting records, to issues that are important to working 

people and their families, including: workers rights, a 

living wage, accessible health care, affordable housing, 

and a healthy environment. To access this information, 

visit the California Labor Federation’s web site 

(www.californialabor.org), which contains information 

and endorsements on state and federal election 

issues as well as links to the web sites of all local labor 

councils. If you do not have access to the Internet, just 

give us a call. We will gladly mail or fax you a copy of 

this information. 

REGISTER TO VOTE 

If you are not already registered to vote, your registration must be postmarked no later than October 18th. 

Also, keep in mind that you will need to re-register to vote if: 

• You Have Moved 

• You Have Changed Your Name 

• You Have Changed Your Political Party Choice 

For more information on the voter registration process, visit: www.sos.ca.gov/


CHANGES IN MEMBER CONTACT INFORMATION 

Bailis, Robert 

501 Los Palmos Dr 


Bauer, Dana 

162 Northwood Dr 

So San Francisco, CA 94080 

415-572-8007-C 

650-873-2523-R 

Cain, Tommy 

916-317-1828-C 

Einem, Jolianne 

3941 Dows Prairie Rd 

McKinleyville, CA 95519 

707-834-2479-C 

Gold, Russell 

162 Northwood Dr 


415-297-3320-C 

650-873-2523-R 

mail@russgold.com 

Green, Keith 

greentk@comcast.net 

Heller, Patricia 

patriciaheller2@gmail.com 

Hohensee, Matthew 

190 Wortham Ct 

Mountain View, CA 94040 

Justen, Gloria 

5816 Geary Blvd #3 


Katz, Deborah 

642 Alcatraz Ave #106 

Oakland, CA 94609 

Lai, Stephanie 

330 Ventura Ave #5 

Palo Alto, CA 94306 

NEW & REINSTATED MEMBERS 

Angel, Eleanor 

Violin, Viola 

386 Spring Hollow Rd 

Los Gatos, CA 95033 

408-353-4869-R 

650-388-8685-C 

eifi eangel@gmail.com 

Black, Ryan 

Trombone, Bass Trombone, 

Euphonium, Bass Trumpet, 

Contra Bass Trombone, 

Tuba 

45 Ardenwood Way 


850-322-7876-C 

contraeuph@hotmail.com 

Chafetz, Stuart 

Conductor, Tympani, 

Percussion 

829 Del Ganado Rd 

San Rafael, CA 94903 

510-504-1010-C 

paukenstu@aol.com 

Choi, Minna 

Piano, Vocals, Flute 

281 Dolores St 


917-848-7006-C 

minna@magikmagik.com 

Cifarelli, Joan 

Piano, Keyboards 

2069 Papallo Way 

Bay Point, CA 94565 

925-458-2453-R 

925-565-3378-C 

joancifarelli@comcast.net 

Clark, Meredith 

Harp 

900 E Stanley Blvd #135 

Livermore, CA 94550 

817-313-9807-C 

510-863-4277-B 

meredithclarkharp@gmail.com 

Foster-Dodson, Dawn 

Cello 

2004 Villa Dr #201 

Pittsburg, CA 94565 

925-209-4890-C 

925-385-0784-B 

Lee, Caroline 

4909 Davenport Ave 


Lewin, Daniel 

386 Spring Hollow Rd 

Los Gatos, CA 95033 

408-353-4869-R 

Likar, Amy 

28 Lost Valley Dr 

Orinda, CA 94563 

925-388-0951-R 

Marmarou, Michael 

46 Fox Ave 

San Jose, CA 95110 

McLean, Garrett 

350 Vernon St #405 


Krinitsky, Ann 

Conductor, Violin, 

Piano, Alto Saxophone 

829 Del Ganado Rd 

San Rafael, CA 94903 

510-410-0101-C 

akrinits@aol.com 

Micich, Ari 

Trumpet, Piccolo Trumpet, 

Flugelhorn 

1412 Market St #111 


515-371-8605-C 

arimicich@gmail.com 

Sanchez, Steve 

Clarinet, Eb Clarinet, 

Bass Clarinet 

408 Beech Ave 


650-255-4708-C 

woodwind650@yahoo.com 

Thomas, Ilana 

Violin, Viola 

1812 Galaxy Ct 

Livermore, CA 94551 

925-294-9490-R 

925-784-9611-C 

itzdat2002@gmail.com 

Miki, Kayo 

1835 Loyola Dr 

Burlingame, CA 94010 

Osabe, Shota 

happycoat@sbcglobal.net 

Perkoff, Miriam 

107 Stadium Ave #2 

Mill Valley, CA 94941 

415-888-2595-R 

Pimentel, Daisy 

8845 Fair Oaks Blvd #136 

Carmichael, CA 95608 

Woodcock, Robert 

825 Lincoln Way #101 


robwoodcock75@gmail.com 

Tingle, Chip 

Trombone, Bass Trombone, 

Tuba, Baritone Horn, 

Euphonium 

P O Box 437 

Novato, CA 94948 

415-898-8381-B 

Whitman, Allen 

Electric Bass, Vocals, 

Guitar, Drums, Keyboards, 

Organ 

4200 Park Blvd #118 


510-388-7707-C 

allen@fezguys.com 

Wiley, Colby 

Trombone, Alto Trombone, 

Bass Trombone 

1410 – 24th Ave 


360-202-9091-C 

colbywiley@gmail.com


PICNIC continued from front page 

enjoyment - not union politics or 

business challenges. We returned 

to these values again and again 

while working out the details of the 

event. 

Marty Simonds & her 

husband, David Peters 

Early on we realized that sending 

each other fl urries of email was 

making the problem harder 

instead of easier. It was clear that 

we needed to have some meetings, but have you ever tried 

to organize a weekly meeting of 

fi ve musicians Since we all had 

computers and internet access, we 

took advantage of that! 

Find a good meeting time: 

whenisgood.net 

We used “When is Good” to fi nd 

a weekly meeting time. This is 

a free website that facilitates 

the scheduling of meetings by 

consolidating information on 

participants availability, collected 

by email, on an online calendar. 

The organizer gets all the 

results back in the form 

of a color-coded calendar 

showing the times that work 

for everybody, or are least 

problematic. From the available 

times, the leader picks a time 

and sends out a meeting 

Bill Harvey & Josie Fath invitation. 

Meet by teleconference: Skype 

Since two of us were on the Peninsula and three of us were 

in the East Bay, it would have been hard to meet in person, 

so we mostly held meetings by teleconference. Each of us 

signed up for Skype accounts, which are almost free, and 

we met every week in a Skype audio 

conference. 

Work on spreadsheets together: 

Google Docs 

At first, I took 

notes during our 

meetings and then 

sent out minutes 

by email afterward, 

Jon Hammond inviting corrections 

by reply, but that 

quickly became too clumsy. We had 

a big mixture of decisions, tasks, 

questions, and ideas, and keeping 

those lists up to date by email was a 

pain. We decided 

to use shared 

documents instead by 

utilizing the Google 

Documents feature. 

From then on, when 

we started our Skype 

conference, each of 

us also went to the 

Google Docs web 

page so we could 

look at and edit the spreadsheet together 

while we were talking. Our spreadsheet 

grew! By the end we had a bunch of 

sheets. We started with our questions: 

when where what how about money 

children games And on and on. 

Goals and tasks 

Our fi rst goal was to put together a list of 

picnic sites to check out, with questions 

to ask at each place. Each committee 

member chose a site or two to research 

and added their fi ndings to our spreadsheet. At our next 

Skype meeting, we looked over the results together, 

eliminated a few candidates, and scheduled a fi eld trip to 

visit the sites that remained. 

We did another “When Is 

Good” to fi nd a Saturday 

morning that we were all free. 

We met at Carole’s house, 

then piled into Daria’s car 

to visit each site together. 

Along the way we had a great 

John Fisher & Jeff Neighbor time gossiping together, and 

I learned a lot! Since I have 

a day-job and am more of a casual 

freelancer, it was fascinating for me to 

learn from Steve about life in a full-time 

opera orchestra, union board challenges 

from Betsy, the debate Daria was having 

with herself about deciding between two 

festival gigs, and 

the kinds of things 

Carole is always 

Patricia Heller 

going through as a 

contractor. After we visited all of the 

sites, we reconvened at Carole’s for 

mimosas and discussion. Three days 

later, we’d made a reservation and 

put a “last day to cancel” date on our 

group calendar. 

continued on next page


We also had a 

rolling list of tasks 

(with deadlines), 

with initials showing 

who was going to 

do them. We spent 

most of our meeting 

time updating 

that list together. 

Sometimes we 

had to postpone deadlines, but mostly we stayed on 

our schedule because we knew we’d have to report 

on our assignments at the next meeting, which kept us 

from procrastinating or letting ourselves turn our tasks 

into something too 

complicated to tackle. 

It wasn’t long before 

we were building a 

budget for food and 

drink. Betsy asked the 

union board to kick in 

$500 as seed money, 

and right away half of 

that was spent reserving our picnic site at San Pablo Dam 

Reservoir—a place Steve had told us about. We wanted 

to make sure that vegans and vegetarians had something 

to eat, so we built our budget around a variety of grillables 

including Boca 

Burgers. We decided 

to get keg beer and 

sell refi llable cups for 

$5 to minimize the 

waste associated with 

bottled drinks. 

We didn’t want to 

have to charge 

people for food, 

because we didn’t want to discourage families from coming. 

Someone had the idea of putting together a raffl e, and by 

our next weekly meeting, we already had several donations 

and a growing list of potential donations. We had to start 

another spreadsheet to keep track of the details. 

Keep your 

outlook positive, 

and things fall 

into place 

Daria had a 

friend in the food 

business who 

kindly looked over 

our spreadsheet 

and suggested a 

few adjustments 

based on his 

experience in 

planning food for 

large groups. He 

also gave us a good 

tip on where to buy 

paper plates and 

other consumables. 

Having his wisdom on 

estimating our food 

and drink needs was a 

huge help. 

We agonized a bit on the subject of paper plates, plastic 

forks, and so on. For 

ecological reasons, we 

ruled out Styrofoam 

plates and cups, but 

the cost of non-plastic 

utensils was so much 

higher than the cheap 

plastic stuff that we 

reluctantly decided 

to go with the plastic, 

though none of us 

liked the idea. But then 

along came an anonymous donor who volunteered to pay 

the difference in 

price to upgrade to 

biodegradable service 

items! 

One thing that we all 

commented on as 

the picnic plans got 

underway was how it 

was working out just 

the way we expected. 

It happened naturally 

because we talked 

regularly and imagined the event from beginning to end, 

just the way we might have prepared a sonata for a recital.


Recently we did one last “When is Good” to arrange a date 

for getting together in person to celebrate our success 

as a team and wrap up the administrative details. Soon, 

we’ll be having pizza (and leftover beer, of course!) at 

Steve’s house, and our 

main task will be to plan a 

smooth succession to the 

committee that plans next 

year’s picnic. I’m looking 

forward to raising a glass to 

four colleagues I’m proud 

to call friends. 

planning and holding it this year that 

we’ve actually talked about staying 

together as the committee for one 

more year! But sooner or later, we’re 

going to need to hand this off to a new group, with fresh 

energy and new ideas. Perhaps the best thing would be to 

recruit some new people to join us for next year so they feel 

more comfortable leading a reconstituted committee the 

following year. If you’d be into giving it a try, please contact 

any one of us! 

Thank you! 

Many people made this 

fi rst-ever annual picnic possible. Betsy 

London started it all by taking a good 

idea, expressed by several union 

members, and putting it in motion. 

The committee worked diligently all 

summer to pull it off. The union board 

supported us all along, with seed 

money, encouragement, and logistical 

support. Generous union 

members donated almost 

$3000 worth of raffl e 

prizes. Our colleagues 

helped spread the word, 

came out on the big day, 

bought raffl e tickets, and 

prepared delicious side 

dishes to share. A big thanks to 

all of you and to the countless 

heroes who helped behind the 

scenes! 

Want to join us 

Would you like to be on the 

committee for next year’s party We had so much fun


2010 Life Member Luncheon! 

Bill Maginnis Stuart Gronningen Rudy Salvini John Moore Earl Cava Bob Belanski 

Ed Avril 

John Fisher 

Jim Zimmerman 

Alan Hall 

Waldo Carter 

Charles Athas 

Gene Falcone, Martha Wolohan 

Catts Suan 

Charlie McCarthy, Glen Deardorff, Jeff Neighbor 

Benny Velarde, Darrel Hutchinson 

Bill Rusconi 

Michael Wirgler Jo Gray Roger Torrey 

Gene Isaeff, Steve Halbe, George McNeil, 

Don Vidal, Wayne Colyer


Ruth Freeman David Schoenbrun Eugene Herrera Al Obidinski Thomas Fewlass Marie Fiatarone 

Donald Santos 

Betsy London Melinda Wagner Ken Crawford Wayne Colyer Dick Leland 

The 11th Annual Life Member Luncheon took place on August 11th at 

Nick’s Restaurant in Pacifi ca. Nearly 100 members gathered at the event to 

visit with old friends while enjoying a delicious lunch and listening to the terrifi c 

music provided by Jeff Neighbor, Glen Deardorff, and Charlie McCarthy. 

President Schoenbrun acknowledged Frank Orsolini in recognition of his 71 

years of membership in Local 6 and Gene Herrera, Local 6’s oldest member 

at age 103! 

Others in attendance who were given special recognition included: six of the 

23 new 50-year members since last year’s lunch – Bill Maginnis, George 

McNeil, Hank Niebolt, Russell Seyferth, Alan Thomas, and Roger Torrey, and 

fi ve of the 14 new life members since last year’s lunch – Brian Cooke, Glen 

Deardorff, David Litwin, Charlie McCarthy, and Billy Robinson. 

The yearly raffl e to support the AFM Legislative Action Fund raised a 

respectable $615. Local 6 thanks the following organizations for their 

generous donations of raffl e prizes: Nick’s Restaurant, Lamplighters Music 

Theater, Pocket Opera, New Century Chamber Orchestra, TheatreWorks, 

SF Ballet, SF Opera, and SF Symphony. Local 6 is pleased to honor some 

of our most loyal and esteemed members by providing them with this yearly 

opportunity to re-connect, reminisce, and celebrate long-standing friendships. 

Dick Snyder, “Buzz” Wilkes, 

Maria Kozak 

Terry Hilliard, Tom McElroy 

Enrique Bocedi, Frank Orsalini 

John Price, Larry Souza, Dean Reilly 

Steve Hanson, Patricia Heller


Golf Tournament Returns after Brief Hiatus by Alicia Telford, Golf Committee Chair 

Monday, August 9th, marked the return of the annual Local 6 

Golf Tournament. Now known as the Wayne Allen Memorial 

Tournament, the event was held at the Alameda Golf Complex on 

the Earl Fry North Course. 

We had a collective tee 

time of 11:30 a.m., so 

after buying Tempocontribution 

Mulligans for 

$5 apiece, all 38 golfers 

revved their respective 

cart engines and sped 

to their tees. We held 

a “shotgun” start so we 

could all fi nish at the 

same time and be able to 

socialize afterwards. 

Our big trophy winner this 

year was Matt Meblin, 

son of Local 6 member Sam Meblin, with a low gross of 76. 

Local 6 member Rich Bice won the low net trophy with a score 

of 65 (his handicap is a 32). Kim Newberry, guest of member 

Beth Zare, won the long 

drive hole. Closest to the pin 

went to Local 6 member Paul 

Rhodes (19 1/2 inches) and 

guest Peter Graves(5’10’’). 

Congratulations to ALL! 

Alicia Telford, Craig McAmis, & Eric Thompson 

Jeff Neighbor & Alicia Telford 

After posting the golf scores, the happy group retired to Jim’s on the Course Bar 

and Grill for cocktails, cocktail music by Local 6 pianist Benny Watson, and a hearty 

buffet BBQ dinner, with awards and a raffl e! Thanks go to Gretchen Elliott and 

Donna Thomson at Local 6 for their organizational skills, George McNeil, Craig 

McAmis and David Schoenbrun for their time and advice, Loren Tayerle for a case of 

his lovely wine and for manning the check-in desk, and to all the folks who donated 

raffl e items - A&G Music, Betsy London, Jo Gray and Local 6. This was my fi rst year 

as chair of the tournament, and there was defi nitely a steep learning curve involved. 

But, now that I know the ropes, I look forward to seeing a big turnout next year. 

Wayne Allen, we miss you! 

Craig McAmis, Loren Tayerle 

Bob Scott 

George McNeil, Al Obidinski, Gordon Messick


MINUTES OF MEETINGS 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING – JULY 22, 2010 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING – AUGUST 12, 2010 

Meeting called to order at 10:35 by President David Schoenbrun. 

Present: Schoenbrun, Blais, Elliott, Fisher, Gray, Hanson, Heller, London. 

The minutes of the meeting of July 1, 2010, were approved without 

objection. 

Applications and resignations approved as submitted. 

NEW MEMBERS: 

Nicholas Recuber (AFM Member: Local 308) – acoustic & electric basses 

– 7/2/10 

Graham Hsu – violin – 7/7/10 

Yuan Zhang – cello – 7/12/10 

Karen Hoexter (AFM Member: Local 154) – clarinet – 7/14/10 

Gulnar Spurlock (AFM Member: Local 153) – violin – 7/14/10 

READMITTED TO MEMBERSHIP: 

Brian Anderson – trumpet, piccolo trumpet, cornet, fl ugelhorn, rotary 

trumpet – 7/7/10 

Ruth Ann Stuart – oboe, English horn – 7/7/10 

Max Perkoff – trombone, piano – 7/9/10 

RESIGNATIONS (since 3/31/10): 

Jonathan Goldstein Gregor Pierce 

Krista Haslim Kathleen Robertson 

Esther Lee 

Bob Runnels 

Rich Lee 

Zehra Sak-Brody 

Curtis Metzgar 

COMMUNICATIONS: 

From the California Labor Federation advising us of a one-time-only 

per capita assessment of three months’ Federation dues that was 

unanimously approved by delegates attending the Federation’s statewide 

convention in support of its Million More Voters project, which is designed 

to reach 2 million “union-friendly” voters who are not union members, but 

whose votes are crucial to elect union-endorsed candidates in November. 

(Local 6 pays per capita of $325/month.) 

GENERAL BUSINESS: 

The following items were discussed: 

The 8/12/04 decision of the Board of Directors to self-insure the Local 6 

death benefi t: no deaths were reported during the month of June; eight 

deaths have been reported this year as of June 30th: M/S/C to continue to 

self-insure, with monthly Board oversight. 

REPORT OF OFFICERS: 

Secretary-Treasurer Elliott reported on the following: 

The June 2010 fi nancial report and statement of accounts: M/S/C to 

approve expenditures for June as submitted. 

Business expenses charged to the Local 6 credit card for the month of 

June. 

President Schoenbrun reported on the following: 

Activities and information regarding negotiations and contract 

maintenance for collective bargaining agreements with: ACT(for Tales 

of the City), Green Street Mortuary, SF Opera, SF Opera Center, SF 

Symphony, Shorenstein Theaters. 

Receiving signed collective bargaining agreements from the following 

employers: Festival Opera, Lamplighters. 

Ratifi cation by the bargaining unit of the collective bargaining agreement 

between Local 6 and Villa Sinfonia. 

Details regarding the upcoming Local 6 Golf Tournament. 

Meeting adjourned at 12:35 in memory of Sir Charles Mackerras. 

Submitted by Gretchen Elliott, Secretary-Treasurer 


Present: Schoenbrun, Fisher, Gray, Heller, London. 

Absent: Blais, Elliott, Hanson – all excused 

The minutes of the meeting of July 22, 2010, were approved without 

objection. 


NEW MEMBERS: 

Stuart Chafetz (AFM Member: Local 677) – timpani, percussion, conductor 

– 7/22/10 

Minna Choi – piano, vocals, fl ute – 7/22/10 

Ann Krinitsky (AFM Member: Local 677) – conductor, violin, piano, alto 

saxophone – 7/22/10 

Ilana Thomas – violin, viola – 7/22/10 

Ryan Black – trombone, bass trombone, contra bass trombone, bass 

trumpet, euphonium, tuba – 7/23/10 

Joan Cifarelli – piano, keyboards – 8/5/10 

Meredith Clark – harp – 8/5/10 

Ari Micich – trumpet, piccolo trumpet, fl ugelhorn – 8/5/10 

Colby Wiley – trombone, alto trombone, bass trombone – 8/10/10 


Eleanor Angel – violin, viola – 7/26/10 

Dawn Foster-Dodson – cello – 7/28/10 

Steve Sanchez – clarinet, Eb clarinet, bass clarinet – 8/10/10 

DECEASED: 

Ruth Dunlap – 7/1/10 

Morris Latimer – 7/16/10 



Proposed terms of a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement between 

Local 6 and ACT covering wages and working conditions for musicians to 

be employed for a production of Tales of the City, which is a part of ACT’s 

2010-11 season: M/S/C to approve. 


Local 6 and Magik*Magik, with permission from Local 153, for an 

engagement at Frost Amphitheatre: M/S/C to approve. 

1st Annual Local 6 BBQ/Picnic to be held on September 5th at San Pablo 

Reservoir: M/S/C to approve payment of $70 for a vinyl banner to be 

displayed at the event. 

The SF Labor Council’s Pre-Labor Day Breakfast on September 3rd, 

which will feature gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown: M/S/C to approve 

sending President Schoenbrun and Director Fisher at a total cost of $150. 




maintenance for collective bargaining agreements with: SF Symphony, 

Shorenstein Theaters. 

The status of efforts by Local 6 attorney David Rosenfeld to recover 

wages for musicians hired for an October 2008 engagement, covered by a 

Local 6 contract, that was cancelled by the client on short notice: we have 

received a judgment in our favor but are not yet in receipt of the money 

owed. 

Receiving a signed collective bargaining agreement from Masterworks 

Chorale. 

Attending the annual meeting of the Regional Orchestra Players 

Association (ROPA), which was held in Omaha from August 2nd – 5th. 

Appearing on a panel discussion entitled Productive Partnering:


Conversations with the Union at the 42nd Annual Conference of the 

Association of California Symphony Orchestras (ACSO), which was held 

in San Francisco from July 22nd-24th. 

The success of the Local 6 Golf Tournament, due largely to the efforts of 

committee chair Alicia Telford. 

Director Fisher reported on issues discussed at SF Labor Council delegate 

meetings of July 26th, August 2nd, and August 12th. 

Meeting adjourned at 12:35 in memory of Ruth Dunlap and Morris Latimer. 


(minutes taken by Maria Kozak) 

********* 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING – AUGUST 26, 2010 


Present: Schoenbrun, Elliott, Fisher, Gray, Hanson, London. 

Absent: Blais, Heller – both excused. 

The minutes of the meeting of August 12, 2010, were approved without 

objection. 



Chip Tingle – trombone, bass trombone, tuba, baritone horn, euphonium 

– 8/23/10 

DECEASED: 

Elvo D’Amante – 7/28/10 

COMMUNICATIONS: 

From the following life members who have written to thank Local 6 for 

hosting the 11th Annual Life Member Luncheon: Hank Segrove, 

Martha Wolohan. 

From Barry Green thanking Local 6 for its contribution in support of 

the International Society of Bassists Convention to be held at SF State 

University in June 2011. 



The 8/12/04 decision of the Board of Directors to self-insure the Local 

6 death benefi t: one death was reported during the month of July; nine 

deaths have been reported this year as of July 31: M/S/C to continue to 

self-insure, with monthly Board oversight. 


Local 6 and the UN Orchestra for an engagement on October 24, 2010 to 

celebrate the founding of the United Nations in San Francisco on 

October 24, 1945: M/S/C to approve. 

An invitation to join the South of Market Business Association (SOMBA), 

which works to boost SoMa’s image, connect neighborhood merchants, 

and increase business opportunities: M/S/C to join at a cost of $45 

(pro-rated for July - December 2010). 

Details regarding the 1st Annual Local 6 BBQ / Picnic to be held on 

September 5, 2010. 


Secretary-Treasurer Elliott reported on the following: 

The July 2010 fi nancial report and statement of accounts: M/S/C to 

approve expenditures for July as submitted. 

Business expenses charged to the Local 6 credit card for the month of 

July. 

The 11th Annual Life Member Luncheon held on August 11th: 99 members 

attended, and the raffl e for the AFM Legislative Action Fund raised $615. 



maintenance for collective bargaining agreements with: Marin Symphony, 

New Century Chamber Orchestra, SF Symphony, Shorenstein Theaters. 

Payment due to Local 6 musicians involved in a cast album recording 

for Berkeley Rep’s production of American Idiot: the issue has been 

satisfactorily resolved. 

Attending a meeting of the AFM International Executive Board, at their 

invitation, to discuss and provide input regarding the status of the current 

AFM Videogame Agreement. 

Meeting adjourned at 12:55 in memory of Elvo D’Amante, Richie Hayward, 

and Abbey Lincoln. 


NEW Login procedures 

for Local 6 website afm6.org 

The Local 6 website now has a login feature to access the members’ area. 

Username: (your email on record in Local 6 database) 

Password: your birthday, entered numerically with no spaces 

(ex. 03091999) 

Currently, the members’ area contains casual contracts and scales, bylaws, and the Musical News, 

with more to come.


MEMBERS TO BE DROPPED (for non-payment of 2nd quarter dues, updated through 9/16/10) 

Abondolo, Gianna 

Adcock, William C 

Aloise, Sean 

Bennett, Donald H 

Bridges, Stuart 

Burkert, Gene 

Burns, Dave 

Chun, Mary 

Della Santa, David 

Donehew, Robert M 

Eriksen, Jon 

Everett, William J 

Fasman, Kelly Z 

Fasman, Louis Adam 

Gemmer, Rebecca 

Glenn, Roger H 

Gronningen, Ellen K 

Grunberg, Peter 

Hogan, Austin 

Horner, Karen E 

Knight, Jonathan G 

Knight, Terri 

Kremer, Rudolph 

Makhijani, Natasha 

Meeks, Leslie Kim 

Menard, Steve 

Miller, Scott 

Mulder, Darren 

Parenti, Dan 

Peterson, David 

Quigley, Joe 

Regan, James P 

Revelo, Dean D 

Riccardi, Barbara 

Riccardi, Noah 

Rodseth, James 

Rojansky, Abby 

Scaggs, William 

Shaul, Aaron 

Sparling, Kent 

Stover, John A 

Thiessen, John 

Walker, Susan L 

White, Archie 

MEMBERS DROPPED (for non-payment of 1st quarter dues) 

Adams, Greg 

Amaral, Edmond L 

Baker, Jennifer 

Blea, Anthony 

Bove, James 

Cumming, Douglas ‘Jim’ 

Dove, Myron 

Feygina, Natalya 

Gaunt, Jack L 

Goldklang, David 

Gonzales, Orlando 

Kernan, Brent 

Levy, Andrew Newbery 

Lyons, Robert 

McLoughlin, Kate 

Mentz, Bill 

Muhler, Eric 

Munro, Michele 

Narell, Andrew 

Pankin, Jon 

Pimentel, Christopher J 

Robinson, Paul C 

Schuman, Allan Martin 

Schwartz, Nicholas 

Teich, Marlina 

Valentine, Janice 

EXPENDITURES 

The Board of Directors approved the 

expenditures listed below for the month of 

June 2010. 

Gross Salaries 

President 4,113.19 

Secretary-Treasurer 3,846.44 

Assistants 10,449.42 

Board of Directors 483.90 

Stenographers 2,613.08 

Total $ 21,506.03 

Other Expenses 

Employer Payroll Taxes 2,151.09 

Employer Pension 2,252.37 

Workers Compensation 338.99 

Health Insurance 3,949.81 

Reimbursed Med. Exp. 619.93 

Commuter Checks 1,334.63 

SF Labor Council Dues 200.00 

State Fed. of Labor Dues 325.00 

Postage 265.07 

Supplies & Services 78.16 

Telephone 314.70 

Offi ce Equip. & Rental 10.50 

Miscellaneous Stewards 200.00 

Offi cers’ Expense 103.00 

Legal Retainer 1,200.00 

Organizing & Recruitment 937.50 

AFM Delegates 188.98 

Musical News 1,519.70 

Building Outside Services 401.25 

Utilities 440.48 

Death Benefi ts 4,000.00 

Total $ 20,831.16 

The Board of Directors approved the 

expenditures listed below for the month of 

July 2010. 

Gross Salaries 

President 3,907.54 

Secretary-Treasurer 3,960.87 

Assistants 10,663.00 

Board of Directors 1,001.70 

Stenographers 2,690.82 

Total $ 22,223.93 

Other Expenses 

Employer Pension 2,318.94 

Health Insurance 4,244.51 

Reimbursed Med. Exp. 570.19 

Commuter Checks 1,593.37 

AFM Per Capita Dues 20,936.00 

SF Labor Council Dues 200.00 

State Fed. of Labor Dues 325.00 

Alameda Labor Council 97.50 

North Bay Labor Council 108.00 

San Mateo Labor Council 90.00 

Postage 258.20 

Supplies & Services 298.80 

Telephone 299.06 

Offi ce Equip. & Rental 10.50 

Miscellaneous Stewards 250.00 

Offi cers’ Expense 187.50 

Legal Retainer 1,200.00 

Legal - Other 730.00 

Organizing & Recruitment 1,500.00 

AFM Delegates 1,994.28 

Golf Tournament 1,330.00 

Building Supplies 13.47 

Building Outside Services 263.25 

Utilities 410.40 

Total $ 39,228.97 

MEMBERS PAYING 

DUES BY MAIL 

When member dues payments are 

received through the mail, the payment 

is posted to the proper account and a 

membership receipt is mailed back, 

usually on the same day the payment 

is received. If you mail a dues payment 

and do not receive a receipt within ten 

working days, please call Local 6 to 

check that your payment was received. 

There have been several instances 

lately of checks getting lost, and unless 

you call, we have no way of knowing 

that a problem exists. 

Pay your dues with 

PayPal 

Make your Local 6 dues payments 

through our Local 6 website and PayPal. 

You do not have to have a PayPal 

account, but you must have access to 

the Internet and a valid email address. 

A 5% convenience fee applies for all 

transactions. If you have any questions 

concerning this or any other method 

of dues payment, please contact 

John Hunt, Assistant Treasurer, at 

(415) 575-0777 ext. 304 

(john@afm6.org).


MPF JOBS 

DATE LOCATION LEADER MUS 

07/09 Laguna Honda Hospital Jon Hammond 1 

07/25 Laguna Honda Hospital John Capobianco 2 

07 04 Laguna Honda Hospital Dick Snyder 2 

07/11 Laguna Honda Hospital David Sturdevant 1 

08/08 Sigmund Stern Grove Tracy Davis 49 

08/01 Laguna Honda Hospital Lisa Sanchez 1 

08/22 Laguna Honda Hospital Jon Hammond 1 

08/13 Laguna Honda Hospital Mike Athanasatos 1 

08/29 Laguna Honda Hospital John Hunt 2 

PRO Musician Source 

www.promusiciansource.com 

CASUAL JOB REPORTS 

Listed below are the casual leaders who have made work dues 

payments between 07/16/2010 and 09/09/2010 and the dates of 

the jobs. If any of your engagements are not listed, it is possible 

that the leader/contractor has not remitted pension contributions 

and/or work dues on your behalf. In this case, please contact the 

union for assistance. 

06/04/2009 Queensryche 

09/19/2009 Brubeck, Dave 

10/01/2009 Welch, Gillian 

10/04/2009 Harris, Emmy Lou 

10/29/2009 Rusted Root 

11/15/2009 Hammond, John 

11/27/2009 Through 

11/29/2009 Tuck & Patti 

12/26/2009 Through 

12/28/2009 Butler, Jonathan 

02/28/2010 Tuck & Patti 

03/31/2010 Chicago 

05/24/2010 Through 

05/26/2010 Carter, Ron 

05/27/2010 Through 

05/28/2010 David Hidalgo & 

Louis Perez 

05/30/2010 Wainwright III, 

Loudon 

06/18/2010 Carney, Michael 

06/19/2010 Lauderdale, Jim 

06/22/2010 Kronos Quartet 

06/27/2010 Weinberg, Max 

06/28/2010 Deeter, Renee 

07/05/2010 Bangles 

07/05/2010 Heart 

07/10/2010 Klein, Carole 

07/12/2010 Newhart, Byrne 

08/01/2010 James, Boney 

08/06/2010 Adams, Terry 

08/29/2010 Deeter, Renee 

THE Local 6 online JOB REFERRAL SERVICE 

Now with Teacher Listings 

To Create Your Listing, Contact Alex Walsh 

415-575-0777, ext. 308, info@afm6.org 

GET THE MUSICAL NEWS BY EMAIL!!! 

Send a request to info@afm6.org to receive a PDF version. 

UNION MUSIC CO. 

Sales * Rentals * Repairs 

New & Used 

415-775-6043 

Instrument Lessons 

Rehearsal Spaces Available 

Brass, Woodwind & Orchestral String Specialist 

Large Selection of Sheet Music 

20% DISCOUNT TO LOCAL 6 MEMBERS 

Monday - Saturday 10 - 6p.m. 

1710-B Market Street 

(bet. Gough/Octavia) 


(415) 775-6043 

(415) 775-8432 FAX 

www.unionmusiccompany.com 

info@unionmusiccompany.com 

Proudly serving the San Francisco musician community 

since 1922 

Monterey Symphony 

Max Bragado-Darman, Music Director 

Positions immediately available/ Audition dates: 

Second Clarinet and Third/Bass Clarinet: 

Tuesday, November 9 th , 2010 

Second Horn: Monday, November 15 th , 2010 

Section Violin (four positions), Section Cello (one position), 

Section Bass (one position): 

Tuesday, November 16 th , 2010 

All auditions will be held at the Sunset Center, Carmel, CA 

2009-2010 season: Seven Subscription Triples, plus youth 

concerts. 2010-11 pay rates subject to completion of contract 

negotiations: Section Rates: 2009-10 season: $100/service 

Daily travel reimbursement may also apply. 

Mail, fax or e-mail resumes and mail a $50 refundable deposit 

to arrive not later than October 25th, 2010. 

Late applications will not be accepted. 

Make checks payable to: 

Monterey Symphony 

Mailing Address: 

Monterey Symphony Auditions 

2560 Garden Road, Suite 101 

Monterey, CA 93940 

Fax: 831-644-0669 

E-mail: info@montereysymphony.org 

http://www.montereysymphony.org/auditions.htm


Patrick Simms / Local 6 

Recording Studio 

(415) 373-8874 

- 24-track digital recording - 

- Pro Tools - 

- Large, comfortable live room - 

- Experienced engineer - 

- Complete recording services - 

- Remote recording available - 

- Special low rate for members - 

SELF-PAY HEALTH & 

DENTAL PLANS FOR 

MUSICIANS 

Local 6 members now have the 

opportunity to enroll in self-pay 

group medical and dental insurance 

programs. All of the plans offer 

guaranteed acceptance and 

coverage for pre-existing conditions. 

For rates and information on the 

plans, visit: 

www.afm6.org/ 

GroupHealthInsurance.htm 

Please contact Alex or Gretchen at 

Local 6 with any questions. 

Visit www.goprohosting.com if you’re 

interested in constructing a website. 

The plan starts at $19.00 a year and 

you get the domain name for $11.95 

a year. You can see examples of 

the fi nished product by clicking 

on Testimonials. Click on Hosting 

Plans and FAQ for more detailed 

information. 

LOCAL 6 

AVAILABILITY LIST 

Members: For a listing in the 

next issue send $3.00 to Local 6 

by November 9, 2010 

Stuart Bridges 

Songwriter / Guitarist 

(925) 274-1156 

Jon Hammond 

Organist, Bandleader 

Blues, Jazz, & Funk 

(646) 239-8544

MUSICIANS UNION LOCAL 6 

116 NINTH STREET 

SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94103 

Non-Profit Organization 

U.S. Postage PAID 

Hayward, CA 

Permit No. 900 

TIME VALUE 

Deliver by 

9/27/10 

To be successful in music, it helps to know the business behind it. 

Daniel Wood draws on his experiences as an entrepreneurial musician 

presenting an all day music business event. Whether you want to focus on 

one area artistically or branch out to many, these interactive workshops 

will help you make it happen. Isn’t it time you became a savvy musician 

www.SavvyMusician.com 

“The Savvy Musician” Workshop 

Presented by Daniel Wood 

Saturday, October 30 

9 am - 4 pm 

Musicians Union Local 6 

$60.00 per session, $100 for both 

1/2 price for Local 6 members 

Call 415-575-0777 to reserve a seat. 

(Minimum of 10 participants required) 

Savvy Musician books will be available: $20 book, $10 if sign up for whole day. 

9-12pm - This session will cover the entrepreneurial mindset, branding, business planning, marketing, print materials, and social 

networking. Learn how to map out your goals, create opportunities for yourself, build a working team, reach your clients and 

audience, improve your writing and publicity materials, and fully utilize the power of internet to attract business. Be prepared to 

outline artistic ideas you personally want to make a reality. 

1-4pm - This session will cover developing strong people skills, selling yourself, negotiation, funding your dreams, self-employed 

options, and extra-musical considerations. Learn how to network with confidence, understand your client’s and audience’s 

expectations, seek compromise effectively, raise capital for your projects, and brainstorm additional artistic avenues to pursue. 

Focused interactive activities such as role playing will be used in the afternoon session. 

Daniel Wood is an entrepreneurial musician living in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since 2000, he has worked for 

and mentored large and small arts nonprofi ts in the areas of management, marketing, development and board 

governance. As a founding member and executive director of the horn quartet, QUADRE - The Voice of Four 

Horns, he has performed hundreds of concerts throughout the county and released 3 albums. He teaches at the 

Community School of Music and Arts, publishes his music with Solid Wood Publishing, and lectures on the business 

of music nationally as a “Savvy Musician” advocate. He is thrilled to be returning to the SF Musicians’ Union to 

present his fourth workshop there.

Musical News September - October 2010.indd - Musicians Union ...

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