Since our last ICSOM Conference, we have published five issues of Senza Sordino, including an August issue your orchestra should have received shortly before this Conference. I wish to thank the many delegates and rank-and-file musicians who throughout the year have contributed very interesting articles that have kept the content of Senza Sordino both varied and current. A special thanks is due to Secretary Laura Ross, who has had more bylines than anyone else in the recent past.
I believe that the issues that have gone to print have been well received and of high quality (apart from a few typos that still haunt me). One of the very special articles during the year was Ken Mirkin’s story of the New York Philharmonic’s historic trip to North Korea. Unfortunately, we have also had quite disturbing news to report from some of our orchestras. We continue to hear that there is much interest in the Orchestra Newslets column. Please remember that column during the next year, and continue sending us items of interest that arise in your orchestra. Our members at large join me in trying to help put your news into a readable form, so don’t worry if your submission is not polished.
The Governing Board has always believed that it is important for musicians to receive a printed copy of Senza Sordino—at the workplace if at all possible. This has been the case even though an online version of Senza Sordino has been available on the ICSOM website for quite a few years. However, we have made an effort to get Senza Sordino to musicians even when an orchestra is between seasons. When delegates notify us that they are out of session, we have mailed issues directly to musicians using the most recent ICSOM Directory addresses.
We hope that you and your musicians find Senza Sordino to be valuable both internally, as a resource for current information about what is happening elsewhere, as well as a tool for educating and befriending others who may be of help to your orchestra in the future. In that regard, please let me know if you are receiving too many or too few copies.
As always, please continue to remind musicians in your orchestra that their articles and other submissions, and even their ideas for articles, are always welcome. If you have an interesting photo, even without a story to accompany it, please send it in. Also, please do discuss with me any delivery problems, issues, or preferences.
Richard Levine