DUANE EDDY - Nashville Musicians Association

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State of the Local By Dave Pomeroy Last year saw many challenges and changes for Nashville and the music community. I am proud of the way so many people helped each other and glad we could help so many people with our flood relief fund. Thanks again to everyone who contributed and donated gear to those who were affected. We can all take pride knowing that we have come together as a city like never before. Please keep former Local 257 secretarytreasurer Billy Linneman in your thoughts and prayers as he continues to recover from a series of medical issues. Our best to you, Billy. Local 257 is a very diverse group. From symphony and road musicians to artists, songwriters, teachers, studio players, retirees, and students, everyone has a unique story. New members are joining, former members are returning, and we feel the energy growing. The response to our increased communication and outreach is encouraging, but your active participation is absolutely essential for us to be effective in helping you. I believe that 2011 brings us to a crossroads. We can work together, or we can drift towards an “everyone for themself ” mentality and run the risk of destroying what has taken over 100 years to build. We must all recognize that short-term choices have longterm consequences. We are only as strong as our collective belief in ourselves and our willingness to look out for each other. This is what “solidarity” means. It’s not about politics. It’s about communicating and doing what’s best for all of us going forward. The challenges musicians face are more complex now, but not impossible. We must learn from each other and find workable solutions. It’s not easy, but it must be done, and we must do it together, and discuss problems openly and honestly. We work hard to help members and try to fix things when they go wrong. It took the entire 2009 NFL season to get Tim McGraw’s band paid for the NFL openingnight kickoff concert. No paperwork was signed at the concert, but once we became aware of the problem, we went after the NFL — and won. This year, Taylor Swift played the opening and the NFL did the right thing and paid promptly — because they knew we were paying attention. Luke Bryan and his band did a non-union reality TV show and it took months to sort it all out and get the band what they deserved. It took a long time, but we did it. In each case, a bandleader came forward, took responsibility and worked with us to solve the problem. A few years ago, a well-known producer came to town and paid everyone a “day rate” for a film soundtrack. When the paperwork was filed, it was misrepresented as a record, and because no player brought it to our attention at the time, it was never questioned. What happened? They missed out on many thousands of residual dollars, and got a few hundred dollars in new use payments instead. The next time the same producer came to town, the union got involved, made sure it was filed properly, and those players, who worked for the same day rate as before, have received well over $50,000 in residuals so far. Yes, it pays to pay attention. We are committed to having every member’s back, and being there when problems arise. But we need your help, and your willingness to stand together, so that our strength and ability to fight for you is never diminished. Another subject needs to see the light of day: non-union session work, also known as “dark dates” or “scab” sessions. Nashville has always had a high level of union versus non-union work, perhaps the highest of any recording center. Back in the day, this was due to influential producers like Owen Bradley and Chet Atkins, who made sure things got done right. We still have great relationships with the vast majority of our employers, but the music business today is a much different environment, and you need to take steps to protect yourself. We can help you learn what to say to a potential employer when the subject of union contracts arises. The paperwork is not difficult and we can walk you through it. We are here to help you, not hinder you. It’s not hard to figure out that there is more and more work being done off the card. With the rise of home recording, it is easier than ever to work under the table and “get away” with it. However, think about this: What are you really “getting away” with? You are most likely making less than scale, with no overtime or doubling payments. You’re giving up your pension contributions, as well as losing any realistic chance of a new use or re-use payment if the song goes into a movie, television show, or advertising jingle. Finally, you will get no credit from the Special Payments fund, either. It’s really not such a good deal, is it? If even a modest percentage of the nonunion sessions that happen every day were done on the card, it would have a huge impact. If you take the seemingly “easy” route and bypass the union, the problems only get worse. Please remember that we have different contracts and rates for nearly any situation, including independent records and joint band ventures. Keeping your work under a contract protects your intellectual property, and totally transforms what we can do for you if there is an issue getting paid. On a similar note, I would also like to remind you that the Single Song Overdub ‘I believe that 2011 brings us to a crossroads.’ Scale is available for those of you who are doing overdub and home recording work for independent artists and labels. For more information, see SSOS Overview and Guidelines on the website, or ask the Local 257 Recording Department for help. So I am asking you, our members, to keep all this in mind. There is much to gain if we stick together. The alternative is to let our collective bargaining power disappear, and watch our union die. We can help you help yourself, but it’s up to you to take that first step. The atmosphere in our office is upbeat and everyone is focused on continuing to improve our services for you. Talk to us. That’s what we’re here for. Now, more than ever, people from all over the world are looking to Nashville for leadership in the future direction of the music and entertainment business. We have a unique opportunity to show the world that Music City is a place where the work of musicians is respected and they are paid fairly. This dream that can be our reality – but only if we stick together and “do the right thing.” The choice is yours. Dave Pomeroy is president of AFM Local 257. You can reach him at dave@afm257.org. 4 January - March 2011 The Nashville Musician
By Craig Krampf Greetings my Fellow Brother and Sister Musicians. Michelangelo said “The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” It is only natural to meet a new year with plans, resolutions and new ideas about what we want to accomplish. I have some personal goals set for myself, and Dave and I have many ideas and plans for our union. Will we accomplish success? It is possible, as long as we give full effort to our high goals. We want you to know we will work hard and will need your help. This is our union and we are all in this together. The Goal of the AFM I hope you have followed news about the AFM during the past year. The election of Ray Hair as our AFM president, and so many new AFM IEB members — including our own Local 257 president — has given me the most hope I have had for the future of the AFM in a very long while. The reign of exclusion is over. All AFM members, no matter the field of expertise, have a voice that will be heard by our IEB and acted upon. It is what our union is supposed to be. We are all brother and sisters who have been brought together by this incredible, very unique profession. Many people have commented on AFM Secretary-Treasurer Sam Folio’s column in the January, 2011 edition of The International Musician. Some feel the column has an element of bleakness because it addresses many of the AFM’s financial problems. I see it as a positive step towards fixing wrong policies and business decisions made in years past. To me, Sam’s column is a reality check, and that is always necessary to implement positive change. I believe Sam’s statement, “Let’s be a union, and if it can be organized, let’s do it,” is a great goal for the AFM. The Financial Goal Finances have been our priority at Local 257 since we took office. We have had an ongoing mission to reduce costs and improve service to members. We will save more than $4,000 by not spending money on a mass printing of the Local 257 Directory, so we have put this on hold for now. We will be happy to print a directory for any member who wants one. However, please remember that the online private directory on our website is updated at least once a month and is also printable. Go to www.nashvillemusicians.org and click on “directory” for access. We will continue cost-cutting efforts this year and hope to be able to pass along more positive news about our financial condition next quarter. A Goal for The Emergency Relief Fund We want to say thank you to all who have given the voluntary $2 contribution to the Emergency Relief Fund (ERF). The ERF has come to the aid of many musicians going through hard times and is something very special our local offers. In January the IRS granted The Nashville Musicians Association Flood Relief Fund 501c3 classification, which allows contributors to be able to claim their donation as a tax deduction. My hope is that this year the ERF will also attain 501c3 tax classification. The legal process to attain the 501c3 status for the ERF is now in the beginning stages. Hopefully, attaining this tax status will encourage larger and more frequent donations to the ERF. The Goal for New Membership We have taken big positive steps and our number of new members has grown over the last two years. We will continue to spread the word about the benefits of being a union musician, and we need your help. Whenever possible, talk with non-union musicians and explain why you are a member and what the benefits mean to you. Make the point that there is strength in numbers and if we stand in solidarity, we all gain much more than if we have an everyman-for-himself mentality. If we don’t stand together, wages will fall and musicians will be taken advantage of. Our union has worked for over a hundred years to make sure this won’t happen. Help spread the union word. These personal interactions are key to success with gaining new members. Communication and explanation are important elements with any relationship. We get to interact frequently with nonunion musicians; young road musicians, musicians playing live gigs such as The Opry, and even the occasional non-union musician on a recording session. Instead of The Nashville Musician January - March 2011 New Grooves the old-fashioned threats, we explain all the positive reasons for being a union musician. We tell non-members that the union is in the business of helping musicians. The new methods are working — negative perceptions are being changed! Our goal is to improve on the last two year’s number of new members. The Goal to Inform So many phone calls and emails are devoted to the same questions. Our job is to help you in any way that we can, and we will gladly take the time to help answer your questions. But in the interest of trying to inform, I will devote the rest of my column to two of these topics. Life Membership There are two requirements in the AFM Bylaws. First, members have continuous membership in good standing with the AFM for a period of thirty-five years. Second, members must have reached the age of sixtyfive. Members meeting both requirements shall automatically become Life Members. You don’t have to be a member with thirtyfive years of good standing membership of Local 257. Membership in any local is also counted, as long as it has been continuous membership in the AFM. In most cases, our records only go back until when you joined our local and so, please let us know if Life Membership hasn’t kicked in for you when you meet the requirements. We will then check with the AFM New York office. The Pension Fund As a rule, the pension fund will not release any information about an individual’s pension, except to that person. Please contact the American Federation of Musicians and Employers Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) at afm-epf.org or write to American Federation of Musicians and Employers’ Pension Fund, One Penn Plaza - Suite 3115, New York, NY 10119. You may also call 800-833-8065, Ext. 1311 Epilogue One of our union musician brothers, Les Brown, the famous bandleader, said, “Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.” My wish is for you to aim high and to have success in reaching your goals and what is possible this year. My wish for our Local 257 is for the same. May we meet the future with hope, faith, love and peace. Craig Krampf is secretary-treasurer of AFM Local 257. You can reach him at craig@ afm257.org. 5
Page 1 and 2: REVIEWS: DENNIS TAYLOR • ALIAS
Page 3 and 4: Official Journal of the Nashville M
Page 5: Minutes of the Membership meeting,
Page 9 and 10: New AFM Pension Trustees energized
Page 11 and 12: Neil Young at Mercy Lounge Neil You
Page 13 and 14: Inside the Guitar Laboratory: The M
Page 15 and 16: The Nashville Musician interview: K
Page 17 and 18: The Nashville Musician January - Ma
Page 19 and 20: Eddy’s single “Rebel Rouser”
Page 21 and 22: DENNIS TAYLOR’S CROWN JEWEL Saxop
Page 23 and 24: and Merle Haggard thrown in. There
Page 25 and 26: one of the first to include musicia
Page 27 and 28: By Laura Ross There’s no place li
Page 29 and 30: By Austin Bealmear Nashville pianis
Page 31 and 32: John Thomas Crain 1951-2011 Souther
Page 33 and 34: Suspended cont. Richard C Domenico
Page 35: The Nashville Musician is your BACK

DUANE EDDY - Nashville Musicians Association

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