Posted by Richard Murrow on November 24, 2001 at 07:09:52:
In Reply to: how many? (long) posted by longtime lurker on November 23, 2001 at 18:50:24:
Are there too many tubists? No! Are there too many tubists for the number of of positions offering full or part time employment to professional tubists? Yes? There are many very fine players on ALL instruments who will never be able to support themselves as professional musicians. Those individuals must decide for themselves when they should look at other career choices. The time between high school and college hardly seems like the right time to decide though. How many athletes are ready for professional sports when they leave high school? It usually takes that time between high school and the professional world to develop the skills, maturity, and confidence necessary to compete at a professional level and most often, in music, it takes even longer. That is what college helps to accomplish.
Unionization of orchestras is NOT what determines whether an orchestra is professional or not. Reasonable wages and benefits are! Although, almost all professional orchestras are union there are a very few that are not. Who determines whether the orchestra is union or not? We, the players do. To put it simply, a majority of the orchestras players have to request to management through some kind of secert ballot to unionize an orchestra. When management refuses, and they probably will, then the issue can be brought to the National Labor Relations Board. If the NLRB feels that there is sufficient resources in the company (something in excess of a $1 million endowment) then the management or company will be forced to bargin with the players whether the orchestra is in a right to work state or not. The union is there to help the players (tubists included) when the company is being unreasonable. If the management/company is perfectly willing to offer adaquate pay raises, pension, insurance, etc. like any other professional expects to receive then there would be no need for unionization. In a perfect world that might be the case, however in reality management usually does not want to let go of the $. Therefore, we have to have some form of collective representation and the ability to bargin. The American Federation of Musicians offers this. It also offers assistance in some cases if it ever becomes necessary to strike against management. Also remember this, your position in an orchestra can't be endangered because of union activities once the orchestra has been unionized. I hope this helps clear up some of the mystery of professional music for you.