Lew Mancini

Whereas, Lew Mancini had a long and active career with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), beginning with his membership in Local 248 Patterson, New Jersey, and continuing through his work for seven different AFM presidents; and

Whereas, The AFM was a family business for Lew as the son-in-law of Bob Crothers, the former executive assistant to AFM President Hal Davis, and with his wife Laura, as his assistant during the last few years of his tenure with the Federation; and

Whereas, Lew joined the AFM staff in the Booking Agent Department in 1971 and, during a 44-year career, advanced to be appointed in 2010 to the newly designated position of Chief Operating Officer of the AFM; and

Whereas, Lew oversaw the day-to-day office administration at the Federation, coordinating with field staff, local officers and the AFM International President and AFM International Secretary-Treasurer, as well as dealing with national and international bylaw and policy interpretation, local compliance matters, local mergers and a whole host of meetings preparation and correspondence; and

Whereas, Lew was the man with the answer on any issue for the AFM, and oversaw biennial and triennial AFM conventions for years; and

Whereas, Lew Mancini retired at the end of the 2015 calendar year; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference offer their sincerest gratitude and thanks to Lew Mancini for a job exceedingly well done, and extends its best wishes to Lew for a long and satisfying retirement.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Antoinette Follett

Whereas, Antoinette Follett served as president of Bentley-Hall, Inc., the marketing company that publishes the American Federation of Musicians’ newsletter the International Musician; and

Whereas, For 16 years, Antoinette served as managing editor of the International Musician, and worked with AFM locals and ICSOM delegates and members to publish news about the activities of our orchestras; and

Whereas, ICSOM was pleased that Antoinette chose to attend the 2015 ICSOM conference held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and

Whereas, Antoinette recently joined Liberty Resources as Director of Marketing and Communication; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference wish Antoinette Follett every success in her new position with Liberty Resources, and thank her for her hard work and dedication to serve AFM members through the publication of its principal communication outlet, the International Musician.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Susan Martin

Whereas, Susan Martin, a principal in the firm of Martin & Bonnett in Phoenix, Arizona, has a distinguished list of accomplishments as counsel for thousands of union-side employees in a wide variety of employment, labor, pension and employee benefit cases; and

Whereas, Susan has been at the forefront of advocating for and representing private and public sector professional and blue collar employees in the areas of employment, pension and health care, and labor law; and

Whereas, Susan has advised, represented and served as attorney during negotiations for a number of ICSOM orchestras that include the Atlanta Symphony, Baltimore Symphony, Boston Symphony, Houston Symphony, Kansas City Symphony, Milwaukee Symphony, New Jersey Symphony, New York City Opera Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Phoenix Symphony, and San Francisco Symphony; and

Whereas, In 2011 Susan agreed to serve as General Counsel of ICSOM, where she could share her knowledge with all ICSOM’s member orchestras; and

Whereas, Susan stepped down as ICSOM Counsel in October, 2015; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference express their admiration and immense gratitude to Susan Martin and her firm Martin & Bonnett P.L.L.C., for their work on behalf of orchestra musicians across the United States; and be it further

Resolved, That ICSOM extends Susan Martin its best wishes for further successes in the future, both in her work for ICSOM’s member orchestras and in her work on behalf of workers and union employees across the country.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Nathan Kahn

Whereas, Nathan Kahn prepared for his life’s mission as an educator and negotiator for the Symphonic Services Division (SSD) of the American Federation of Musicians as a graduate of the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music with a degree in music education; and

Whereas, Nathan began his professional career as principal bassist of the Tulsa Philharmonic Orchestra, and later as principal bassist with the Nashville Symphony and, since 1991, as a member of the Colorado Springs Philharmonic (formerly the Colorado Springs Symphony); and

Whereas, During this same period Nathan also served on the faculties of the University of Arkansas, the University of Tulsa, Oral Roberts University, Tennessee Technological University, and for 15 years at the Sewanee Summer Music Center; and

Whereas, Prior to joining SSD staff in 1988, Nathan Kahn was a founder and first president of the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA) from 1984-1988; and

Whereas, For 28 years, Nathan has served as a SSD negotiator and advisor, assisting more than 250 different bargaining units and negotiating hundreds of symphony orchestra contracts, lecturing at US colleges and conservatories on the subjects of symphony orchestra career preparation and the role of the AFM in these future careers, and administering the AFM Symphony Audition Complaint Hotline to assist musicians with difficulties they encounter during orchestra auditions; and

Whereas, Nathan has announced his intent to retire from the AFM within the next few months; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference offer their appreciation and thanks to Nathan Kahn for his tireless work on behalf of symphonic musicians across the US, and offer best wishes and success for whatever path Nathan Kahn chooses to follow in the future.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Carla Lehmeier-Tatum

Whereas, Carla Lehmeier-Tatum, a cellist with the New Mexico Philharmonic (and prior to that, the New Mexico Symphony) for well over a quarter century, was elected President of the Regional Orchestra Players Association (ROPA) in 2008 and has since become the longest serving president in the history of that organization; and

Whereas, In her role as ROPA President she has overseen an impressive expansion of the organization, with the addition of 19 new member orchestras joining during her tenure; and

Whereas, As ROPA President, Carla has been an outstanding speaker in her yearly addresses to the ICSOM conference, at numerous American Federation of Musicians (AFM) conventions, and has been an effective representative of ROPA and the AFM during her addresses at the 2nd International Orchestra Conference in Amsterdam and the 3rd International Orchestra Conference in Oslo; and

Whereas, She also serves as President of AFM Local 618 in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Whereas, Carla’s visits with countless regional orchestra musicians across the United States have displayed visionary leadership that elevate the stature of all orchestral musicians across the world; and

Whereas, She has not only been a strong supporter of ICSOM, but she has also been a true friend and advisor to ICSOM Chairman Bruce Ridge; and

Whereas, Carla recently stepped down from her position as ROPA President at the 2016 ROPA Conference in Madison, Wisconsin; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference express their great admiration to Carla Lehmeier-Tatum for her many accomplishments, and extend sincere congratulations upon the completion of her tenure; and be it further

Resolved, That the musicians and leadership of ICSOM wish Carla Lehmeier-Tatum the greatest success and happiness in all future endeavors.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Tom Mendel

Whereas, Tom Mendel has been a very successful and highly sought-after bassist and pit musician since 1978; and

Whereas, He has served for six terms as the Chicago-Area Chapter President of the Theater Musicians’ Association (TMA) and for two terms as TMA Vice-President, and has just completed five terms as President of the TMA, having been elected in 2011; and

Whereas, Tom’s visionary leadership helped guide the TMA’s membership expansion to represent musicians from more than thirty cities with membership in one of TMA’s ten chapters; and

Whereas, He and the TMA forged a partnership with the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) that has elevated and greatly improved the information and services provided to TMA musicians and AFM locals; and

Whereas, Tom and the TMA have been strong advocates on behalf of theater musicians for continued investment in live music for all musical theater productions; and

Whereas, He has been a true and supportive friend to ICSOM Chair Bruce Ridge as ICSOM and TMA have strengthened their close and supportive relationship; and

Whereas, Tom has just stepped down as TMA President; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference extend their deep admiration and sincere congratulations to Tom Mendel for his successful leadership of the Theater Musicians’ Association, and wish him continued success and happiness in his musical career and in all of his future endeavors.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

John Beder, participants in 2015 Performance Anxiety Survey and interviews for Composed

Whereas, Filmmaker John Beder reached out to the ICSOM Governing Board in early 2015 to seek information and assistance about ICSOM’s 1987 performance anxiety study; and

Whereas, At the 2015 ICSOM Conference John Beder addressed delegates to request their participation, along with their orchestra colleagues, in a second survey of ICSOM membership to update the 1987 ICSOM study; and

Whereas, During the same 2015 Conference he exhibited a short clip of interview material that would later be used in his documentary Composed; and

Whereas, At this 2016 Conference, John Beder shared many of the findings from the updated survey with delegates and guests, and also exhibited a sizeable portion of finished footage from his soon to be completed documentary; and

Whereas, Earlier this season, the ICSOM Governing Board authorized a $1,000 sponsorship from ICSOM to assist with the cost of completing the documentary, because completion and dissemination of the information and interviews featured in Composed was deemed to be of great importance to current and future musicians who deal with performance anxiety; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference offer their gratitude to John Beder in recognition of his excellent work bringing performance anxiety and the associated mental and physical effects to the attention of music students and the general public through his documentary Composed; and be it further

Resolved, That the members of ICSOM participating in the 2015 performance anxiety survey and interviews for John Beder’s documentary be thanked for their candid responses to help others understand and find solutions to deal with this issue; and be it further

Resolved, That ICSOM offers its continued support to John Beder as he strives to spread this important information about performance anxiety to current as well as next generations of performers.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Hearing Issues

Whereas, Most orchestra halls are designed for unamplified performances and have built-in resonance that is unsuited for amplified sound; and

Whereas, Many orchestra managements appear to allow artists’ sound engineers seemingly free rein and impose little meaningful restriction on decibel levels; and

Whereas, Orchestra musicians are suffering physical injuries and, in many cases, permanent hearing damage from extreme levels of amplification; and

Whereas, Orchestra musicians and audience members alike suffer from these high levels of amplification; and

Whereas, Ear plugs are not a viable solution to extreme amplification, because the nature of some instruments precludes the use of ear plugs, and because widespread use of ear plugs causes ensemble, intonation and performance problems; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference call on orchestra managements to recognize that extreme amplification, particularly in rock-band pops shows, can do significant physical harm to musicians and audience members; and be it further

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference demand that orchestra managements, as employers and caretakers of their musicians, take a strong stand to protect their own musicians from the dangers of extreme amplification, rather than simply catering to the desires of guest artists; and be it further

Resolved, That orchestra managements should engage only those sound engineers who understand and are sympathetic to the needs of onstage orchestra musicians; and be it further

Resolved, That orchestra managements should not engage (or re-engage) artists whose acts are unsuited to halls that cannot handle extreme levels of amplification, especially while performing with an orchestra on stage; and be it further

Resolved, That orchestra managements should make it a priority to discuss the above issues with each other, including at conferences and annual meetings, as well as with the elected representatives of their musicians, and to communicate with each other regarding the use of amplification by specific artists.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

In Support of Substitute and Extra Musicians

Whereas, The Delegates to the 100th AFM Convention in June 2016 adopted Resolution #20, which seeks to achieve equal pay for substitute and extra musicians in salaried orchestra bargaining units, as well as their participation in the bargaining process; and

Whereas, Such conditions of unequal pay that currently exist are most often the result of demands by employers against the wishes of the bargaining unit; and

Whereas, Substitute and extra musicians are essential to the ongoing operation of any symphony, opera or ballet orchestra; and

Whereas, There exists no good reason for providing those musicians with any different wage than at least the scale wage on a pro rata basis; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference express their unqualified support for all musicians who try to make their living by performing the invaluable task of filling temporary vacancies and/or adding their talent to certain performances that require a larger ensemble; and be it further

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference call on all orchestral employers to end the exploitation of our short-term brother and sister colleagues by this practice of unequal pay for equal work.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

In support of continued advocacy for the arts

Whereas, The mission of the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) includes enriching the cultural life of our society; and

Whereas, ICSOM’s mission also includes preparing for an even greater future through advocacy for a thriving future for the arts in America; and

Whereas, In the past two months alone, reports from across the country have included positive stories such as increased funding for arts education, grant awards to provide music for health initiatives, and donations for the purpose of providing tickets to audience members who might otherwise be unable to afford to attend orchestral concerts; and

Whereas, ICSOM provides media releases about these stories on its social media sites, including Twitter and Facebook, for the education of and distribution by its membership; and

Whereas, All efforts to improve the arts at this time help to preserve our art form for future generations; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference promote good news stories throughout their membership; and be it further

Resolved, That ICSOM will encourage its communities to continue to fund arts programs so that the mission of ICSOM is carried forth; and be it further

Resolved, That future media releases about our industry continue to be distributed so that this good work is recognized by all.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board

Jennifer Mondie

Whereas, Jennifer Mondie has been a member of the viola section of the National Symphony Orchestra (the “NSO”) since 1995, and previously a member of the Colorado Symphony from 1993-95; and

Whereas, Jennifer was raised in a musical household where she was able to learn from her father, a double bassist in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, about the issues and concerns of orchestral musicians along with the importance of service; and

Whereas, Over the years, she took what she had learned and applied her knowledge while serving numerous times on the National Symphony Orchestra Committee, and, on numerous occasions, as Chair of the Orchestra Committee; and

Whereas, In 2003-04 Jennifer served as ICSOM Delegate, and from 2013 through 2016 as Alternate Delegate for the NSO; and

Whereas, In 2014 she was elected to the position of Member-at-Large and brought her energy and inquisitive mind to bear as a member of the ICSOM Governing Board for the past two years; and

Whereas, Jennifer has continued to serve as an experienced spokesperson and advocate for issues such as air travel with instruments, the use of endangered materials in the creation of antique musical instruments, and the importance of securing funding for the National Endowment for the Arts on Capitol Hill; and

Whereas, Jennifer has announced that she will step down from her position as Member-at-Large after the 2016 ICSOM Conference; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference offer their thanks and gratitude to Jennifer Mondie for her service to ICSOM as Member-at-Large, and for her leadership and dedication to improve the livelihoods of all orchestral musicians.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board Adopted by unanimous consent

Bruce Ridge

Whereas, Double bassist Bruce Ridge began his professional career at the age of 15 when he joined the Virginia Symphony; and

Whereas, Bruce joined the North Carolina Symphony Orchestra in 1987, serving as his orchestra’s ICSOM delegate from 1993-2002 and 2004-05, during which he was a strong advocate for orchestra-hosted conferences; and

Whereas, In 2004, Bruce was appointed and then elected to a Member-at-Large position, followed one year later by his election as ICSOM President, and then, in 2006, as ICSOM Chairperson; and

Whereas, During his tenure as ICSOM’s longest serving chairperson, Bruce has raised ICSOM’s profile through the use of social media on Facebook and Twitter, overseeing the expansion of ICSOM’s website and creating an online version of Senza Sordino that allows individual articles to be shared in other forums; and

Whereas, Bruce has worked tirelessly to change the message about orchestras, especially in the press, to elevate what is positive about orchestras, in contrast to the prevailing pessimism; and

Whereas, His prolific writing in every issue of the past 10 years of Senza Sordino, in multiple issues of the International Musician and Local 802’s publication Allegro have been a clarion call of optimism; and

Whereas, His addresses at ICSOM, the other Player Conferences meetings, AFM Conventions, and the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) conferences; his meetings during site visits with individual orchestras, their locals and managers; and his interviews for local television, radio and newspapers, have allowed him to make great inroads promoting his message of hope; and

Whereas, Bruce’s dedication to helping others is demonstrated by his activities as a member of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission, as a participant in numerous League of American Orchestras’ music director search seminars and “Orchestra Leadership Academy” workshops, as a keynote speaker and panelist at the University of Michigan’s second Orchestra Summit, as a guest speaker on the history of symphony orchestras in America at The Colburn School of Music in Los Angeles and Roosevelt University in Chicago, and as a witness during a hearing on the Economic and Employment Impact of the Arts and Music Industry before Congress in March 2009; and

Whereas, One of his greatest achievements thus far has been his leadership in the establishment of ICSOM Calls to Action that mobilized ICSOM’s membership to take collective action, and, beginning in 2007-08, to assist struggling orchestras, which has raised more than $1.5 million for 10 ICSOM, OCSM and ROPA orchestras; and

Whereas, Bruce Ridge will step down at the end of the 2016 ICSOM Conference after an unprecedented 10-year term; therefore, be it

Resolved, That the officers and delegates to the 2016 ICSOM Conference offer their immense gratitude and congratulations to Bruce Ridge for his friendship, dedication and service to ICSOM; and be it further

Resolved, That the entire membership of ICSOM, along with orchestras around the world, offer their undying appreciation, friendship and admiration to Bruce Ridge for his tireless work on behalf of orchestras everywhere; and be it further

Resolved, That ICSOM extends to Bruce Ridge its profound thanks, appreciation and hearty wishes for every possible success in any and all of his future endeavors, and with confidence that he will remain a staunch advocate for the success and support of orchestras throughout the world.

Submitted by the ICSOM Governing Board Adopted by unanimous consent