It was a great privilege for me to serve as ICSOM President again this year. The bylaws describe the President’s duties as, “the supervision of the operation of the organization, subject to the directions of the chairperson, and for such other duties as directed by the Governing Board. As chief operations officer, he/she shall be responsible for the ICSOM-related activities of all member orchestras.” This report will highlight some of my activities this year.
1. Immediately following the 2008 ICSOM Conference held in San Francisco, ICSOM Secretary Laura Ross and I participated in a provocative strategic planning retreat hosted by AFM Local 7 (Orange County, CA) and members of the Pacific Symphony Players’ Association. Laura and I flew to Orange County and were joined by SSD Negotiator Chris Durham and ROPA President Carla Lehmeier. Local 7 and the Pacific Symphony Players’ Association thoroughly examined their service schedule structure with the Pacific Symphony in order to better understand how future agreements might address current musician concerns. On a related note, our meeting might well have been the first of its kind involving an AFM Local, players’ musician committee and representatives of SSD, ROPA, and ICSOM.
2. In early September, ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge and I traveled to the Eastman School of Music for a discussion about Polyphonic.org. Together with committee chairs from several ICSOM orchestras and other participants, we provided feedback to Polyphonic staff members regarding the impact of the Polyphonic.org website. We agreed that Polyphonic.org continues to provide a valuable and interesting resource to symphonic musicians, to aspiring musicians yet in school, and to others interested in the various aspects of a musician’s life.
3. One of ICSOM’s most important services is to facilitate frequent and effective communication between delegates, the governing board and our orchestras. A prime example includes negotiating orchestra committee conference telephone calls. During each of the past five years several calls have been organized by the governing board to provide immediate access to and share important information with negotiating orchestra committees. Given the economic recession that has affected practically every ICSOM orchestra; several rounds of calls were held beginning in January. Participating orchestras included Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Metropolitan Opera, Minnesota, New York City Opera, New York Philharmonic, North Carolina, Oregon, Philadelphia, Saint Paul, San Antonio, San Francisco and Virginia. These calls typically included committees and their chairs, ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge, newly appointed SSD Director Chris Durham, our own DILC (Distinguished ICSOM Legal Counsel, aka Lenny Leibowitz.)
Management proposals and strategies as well as musician counter-strategies were discussed in depth. These calls provide an ideal forum for the comprehensive and confidential exchange of ideas with ICSOM colleagues in similar circumstances regarding the difficult negotiating environments many orchestras encounter. Conference calls will continue this summer and into the fall. Our Tuesday evening negotiating orchestra caucus for those who have negotiated this year or are about to begin will be at 7:30 PM on August 18 in Norfolk. Please contact me if you are interested in attending.
4. The Conductor Evaluation Program was administered by ICSOM Treasurer Michael Moore. I am grateful to Michael for taking this on again this year. The CEP provides a valuable and yet under-utilized opportunity to evaluate music directors and other conductors. The statistical analyses afforded through the data’s unique format have been used by musicians and managers alike for decades to give the musicians’ voice a significant role in the selection and retention of conductors.
5. 2008-09 marked my seventh year on the ICSOM Media Committee. Chairperson Bruce Ridge, Secretary Laura Ross and Members-at-Large Matthew Comerford and Cathy Payne from the Governing Board also served. The Media Committee continues to be capably led by Chairman William Foster of the National Symphony. In addition to the reports from other officers, there will be a presentation and discussion during the Conference on what turned out to be a very intense year of media activities.
6. ICSOM continued its support of the Sphinx Organization, which held its annual Competition in February. Sphinx focuses on building diversity in classical music and arts education. ICSOM sponsorship helps to underwrite the finalist scholarship awards to the Sphinx Competition senior level winners.
7. In an attempt to help ease the enormous workload of our Editor of Senza Sordino and long-time Directory Supervisor Richard Levine, Member-at-Large Paul Gunther and I volunteered to assume some of the Directory duties this year. To be more accurate, I cajoled Paul into accepting this additional task. I can honestly state that I had little knowledge of just how much work is involved with producing the Directory. I am also deeply in awe of the incredible expertise and attention to detail Richard contributes to ICSOM through both the Directory and Senza Sordino. Paul did an amazing job as well with the numerous Directory tasks. Our hope is to produce the Directory even earlier next year. However, our delivery timetable is completely subject to each and every delegate’s completion of data input into the online database.
8. ICSOM President Emeritus David Angus and I continue to serve as the ICSOM Trustees to the AFM Symphony and Opera Strike Fund. The Trustees’ decision in mid-2007 to move the Fund’s assets into safer and more liquid investments protected the Fund from catastrophic losses suffered by pension plans and other investment vehicles as a result of the deep recession. With the steady guidance of AFM Controller Lorraine Bartlett and AFM Strike Fund Administrator Deborah Newmark, the Fund’s assets remain in money market and other short-term fixed income instruments.
In early June the Trustees met in the New York office to review the Fund’s investment policy and performance. We also discussed several policy issues related to the Fund Manual. One such important issue was the withholding of benefits during “dark weeks.” As you may recall, the Trustees encountered this situation with our colleagues in Columbus last year. Ultimately we agreed to extend benefits during their “dark weeks.” The Trustees believe we have resolved this issue. David Angus and I will provide further clarification during our report at the Conference.
9. The Governing Board held a successful mid-winter meeting in Chicago without the travel delays as encountered during last year’s event in Kansas City, I am pleased to report. I also enjoyed answering many phone calls and email messages from ICSOM colleagues around the country as well as writing articles for Senza Sordino.
10. In early August I will accompany Chairperson Bruce Ridge to Dayton, Ohio for the 25th ROPA Conference. Given the significance of their historic meeting as well as the many common issues facing ICSOM and ROPA orchestras alike the governing board felt it was important to send us both.
In addition to my duties as ICSOM President, I again found myself chairing the KCS negotiating committee when we were asked, as were many other orchestras, back to the table. Our team pored through reams of KCS financial information and then requested additional information including precise, current compensation figures for senior management and conductors. As you may imagine, it was a rather intense time for us. The relative success of our negotiations though, was due in great part to prompt access to ICSOM and AFM resources and contacts. KCS Musicians continue to benefit greatly from being integrally involved with the network of ICSOM musicians. It is a distinct advantage and privilege that we in Kansas City do not take for granted.
In closing I would like to acknowledge and thank the Governing Board Members and DILC for their tremendous dedication, expertise and warm friendship. A unique rapport exists within this group. Their combination of valuable experience, astute strategic thinking, and selfless gift of time and energy continue to make this role one of my most rewarding endeavors.
Our fearless leader, one of the most honorable individuals I have ever met, continues to serve above and beyond the call of duty. It is not an exaggeration to state that Bruce carries the weight of ICSOM and our livelihoods squarely on his shoulders. On a daily basis I learn from this charismatic leader, eloquent speaker and brilliant problem-solver. Thank you, Bruce, for everything you do to so significantly demonstrate ICSOM’s increasing relevance. Musicians across the country will forever be in his debt and none more than I.
Respectfully submitted,
Brian Rood, ICSOM President
July, 2009