keynote the pros home of - detroit federation of musicians ...in karl pituch, ken thompkins, bryan...

KeynoteOfficial Publication of the Detroit Federation of Musicians – Local 5, AFM, AFL-CIO

Volume 77Number 4Q4, 2014

new day for detroitmusicians.net–

a new day for you? see page 9

Home of the Pros

LIVE Links to What’s in This Issue

The Music Stand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

WindWords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

The Scoop on ListenUp! . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Get Local 5 Gear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

New detroitmusicians .net website . 9–11

Member Newsline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Welcome, New Members . . . . . . . 13, 14

DFM Member Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Member Directory Info . . . . . . . . . 15, 16

MusiCares for Music People . . . . . . . . 16

Local 5 Support Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Detroit Musicians Fund Gifts . . . . . . . . 17

Classified Advertisements . . . . . . . . . . 18

DFM Referral Gigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Tempo Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Comedy Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Membership/Board Minutes . . . . . . .20-25

Sec-Treas . Annual Financial Report . . . . 25

Managing Your Own Bottom Line . . . . 25

Remembering Sam Fanfalone . . . . . . . . 26

Closing Chord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27

About eBilling Notification . . . . . . . . . . 27

Local 5 Office Closings• Nov. 27–28: Thanksgiving, day after• Dec. 24–25: Christmas Eve, Christmas Day• Dec. 31, Jan. 1: New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day

January 1, ThursdayDue date for 1st quarter dues

January 12, MondayAnnual Super Day Plus...

• 11 am: TMA Annual Membership Meeting (to be held in Board Room)• Noon: Current New Member Orientation, followed by Winter Open House (Local 5 Hospitality Room)

January 15, ThursdayClosing deadline for 1st quarter Keynote materials

Calendar of Local 5 Events

11 am: TMA Annual Membership Meeting

Noon: New Member Orientation and Meeting

Followed by Winter Open House with usual food, frivolity & festivities

MONDAy, JANuAry 12

LOCAL 5 HOsPITALITy rOOM

Annual Local 5 Super Day Plus...

These fine folks helped bring you this issue of Keynote . Your support will assure their continued advertising .

Bugs Beddow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Dave Hunt Jazz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18David Horger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Detroit Musicians Fund . . . . . . . . . . . 19Johnny Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Michael Weeden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14WSU Music Department . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Our Advertisers

Keynote4th Quarter 2014

• results of latest Local 5 labor negotiations outlined in “The Music stand,” beginning on page 1

• The Listenup! initiative to resist offshore film and TV scoring; their effects on member pensions, page 4

• Inside story on detroitmusicians.net, Local 5’s new website, pages 9-11

Special Features in This Issue

continued on page 2

Square Deal, New Deal, Fair Deal

“Let’s Make a Deal” should probably have been the title of my offering for this edition of “The Music

Stand,” but after watching the great series by Ken Burns on the Roosevelts, I reflected back on this year’s six nego-tiations and resulting agreements, and felt the chosen title reflects more of what was accomplished. My column will look back on what we did this past year regarding our col-lective bargaining agreements under which quite a bit of our membership performs, and I felt square, new, and fair could be found in the description of many of the aspects that were achieved. For those not old enough to remem-ber, or not up on early 20th-century history, in a nut shell, the Square Deal described Theodore Roosevelt’s vision of America with regard to workers and corporations in the first decade of the 1900’s.The New Deal was Franklin Del-ano Roosevelt’s description of a way to get America out of the Great Depression the 1930’s, and the Fair Deal was Harry S. Truman’s approach to post WWII America.

Those of you who attended our orientation/open house last January heard me describe the six collective bargaining agreements that were all due to expire on August 31, 2014, and that it would be a busy year. Well, it was. Actually, when I spoke that night I already knew that we had reached an agreement with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, but I was not at liberty to speak publicly on it for a couple more days.

DsO Negotiation

Work on this negotiation actually started for me during the summer of 2012, immediately after the election. There was much to learn and many to talk to. To recap what oc-curred, we reached an agreement with the Detroit Sym-phony Orchestra on January 6, 2014, eights months before expiration. The agreement is in effect from September 1, 2014, through August 31, 2017. There were pay increases of two percent a year, six percent in all, and a signing bo-nus paid to all musicians at ratification. There were changes to health care provisions that seem agreeable, as well as

added flexibility in use of personal days, added categories in doubling pay, and orchestra compliment remains at 85 plus two librarians. We have a great negotiating committee in Karl Pituch, Ken Thompkins, Bryan Kennedy, Robert Stiles, Peter McCaffrey, and a rising star in legal council Kevin Case.

Detroit Jazz Festival

With the DSO contract settled early, I moved on to the Detroit Jazz Festival, which we were able to extend for a February gig and reached a two-year agreement through March of 2016. Improvements made included a wage in-crease and cartage language. Hats off again to Chris Collins for another outstanding Detroit Jazz Festival this past Labor Day weekend. I had the pleasure of listening to a Jimmy Wilkins reunion concert and honoring Jimmy for his 60 years in Local 5.

The Music Standby

George Troia, Jr.Local 5

President

At the 2014 Detroit Jazz Festival, Local 5 President George Troia honors Jimmy Wilkins for his 60 years in Local 5 .

Keynote u 4th Quarter 2014 u 2

Editor George Troia, Jr .

Managing Editor Susan Barna AyoubGraphic Designer

Virginia L . HuntPrinted by

Messenger Printing ServicePublished by

Detroit Federation of Musicians Local 5,

American Federation of MusiciansKeynote Ad rates

Full page $225 .00 2/3 page $155 .00 1/2 page $120 .00 1/3 page $80 .00 1/4 page $60 .00 1/6 page $40 .00 1/8 page $30 .00

25% discount to members All ads must be union compliant.

Call for rate card and full details .Materials deadlines: January 15,

April 15, July 15, October 15

LOCAL 5 COMMITTEEsNote that Pres . George Troia is ex-officio member of all committees .Community Orchestra Committee: Susan Barna Ayoub, Dennis Carter II, Lydia Cleaver, Robert Hawkins, Mike McGillivray, Mike McGowan, Ray RiggsDOH Negotiating Committee: Al Ayoub, Greg NearDsO Negotiating Committee: Bryan Kennedy; Peter McCaffrey; Karl Pituch; Robert Stiles; Ken ThompkinsDsO Orchestra Committee: Ethan Allen; Dave Everson, Bryan Kennedy; Haden McKay; Robert StilesFisher Negotiating Committee: Al Ayoub, Susan Barna Ayoub, Keith Claeys, Paul Onachuk, Cheryl ZetterholmMOT Negotiating Committee: Emily Barkaki, Chris Durham, Greg Near, Amanda Sparfield, Barbara Zmich MOT Orchestra Committee: Greg Near, chairman; Carrie Banfield-Taplin, vice president; Bill King, treasurer; Barbara Zmich, ROPA delegate; Charlotte Merkerson, secretary; Andrew Pelletier, member at large; Robert Reed, union steward

The Music stand, continued from page 1

Community OrchestrasFebruary was also the contract-man-dated filing for a successor agreement with the Community Orchestra sig-natories, thus formal negotiations for this agreement began.

We found that this agreement af-fects a bargaining unit of 130 mu-sicians. We did reach a favorable agreement with seven signatory orchestras, including the Dear-born Symphony, the Grosse Pointe Symphony, the Livonia Symphony, the Michigan Phil-harmonic, the Motor City Sym-phony, (formerly known as the Warren Symphony), the Redford Civic Symphony, and the South-ern Great Lakes Symphony. We are pleased to announce raises in all categories – performance, dress and regular rehearsals, as well as increases in pension pay-ments to the AFM-EPF. The total package is over six percent with pension contributions reaching 10 percent in the final year. Many thanks to our committee members, Susan Barna Ayoub, Dennis Carter II, Lydia Cleaver, Bob Hawkins, Michael McGillivray, and Mike McGowan, as well as our management counter-parts, Sandy Butler, Jeff Cutter, Wil-liam Hulsker, Brenda Lamecha, Rose Kachnowski, Charlie Mahoney, Beth Stewart, Don Soenen and Clifford St.Peirre – all of whom worked hard to find a fair and square deal.

Michigan Opera Theatre

On to the Michigan Opera Theatre, where we had some familiar negotia-

tors as well as new players, including myself and new MOT CEO Wayne Brown, who is in his first year in this position.

AFM negotiator Chris Durham headed our side along with Emily Barkakati, Greg Near and Amanda Sparfeld. We agreed to a two-year deal with modest raises in both years

(one and two percent). Again, thanks to our team as well as MOT Director of Operations David Osborne, and Wayne Brown.

Fisher Theatre

The Fisher Theatre brought me back to at least 12 years ago when I first got involved with negotiating the-atre contracts. Our committee of Su-san Barna Ayoub, Alan Ayoub, Keith Claeys, Paul Onachuk, Cheryl Zetter-holm, and myself worked with theatre manager Alan Lichtenstein, to reach a

continued on page 5

President Troia poses with Local 5’s Regina Carter at the 2014 Detroit Jazz Festival.

Keynote


President George Troia, Jr ., ext . 1

pres@detroitmusicians .netVice President

Douglas Cornelsen dcl2dso@sbcglobal .netsecretary-Treasurer

Susan Barna Ayoub, ext . 3 sec-tres@detroitmusicians .net

Executive Board Robert Conway David Denniston Robert Lymperis Alonza McKenzie Paul N . Onachuk

A.F. of M. Convention Delegate Gordon Stump

Michael McGowan – AlternatePresident Emeritus

Gordon Stumpsecretary-Treasurer Emeritus

Byron X . TaylorAssistant to the President

Mary Johnstone, ext . 5 mary@detroitmusicians .net

Membership Administration Membership, ext . 6 & 0

local5@detroitmusicians .netDME referral Agent Referral Agent, ext . 4

pros@detroitmusicians .netAddress & Telephone

20833 Southfield Road, Suite 103 Southfield, Michigan 48075

248 .569 .5400Fax Number

General Office: 248 .569 .4716Website

www .detroitmusicians .netHours

Monday – Friday, 10 am – 4 pmHoliday Closings

New Year’s Day, M .L . King Day, Presidents’ Day, Good Friday,

Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Columbus Day, Election Day,

Thanksgiving Day and Friday after, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day,

New Year’s Eve

All views and opinions expressed in Keynote articles by non-elected mem-bers are those of the authors them-selves and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policy of the Keynote staff or the Board of Directors of the

Detroit Federation of Musicians .continued on page 4

Fall 2014 has been extremely busy! Starting off with VP Joe Biden’s

appearance at the beginning of this year’s Labor Day Parade, Local 5 also hosted a Free Dental Clinic in Sep-tember, at which 23 musicians were treated. A huge thanks goes out to MusiCares for funding this program and to the Mobile Dentists of Michi-gan Smiles program! Thanks also to New York Bagel for donating bagels for all who participated.

Later in the month, the AFM MidAmerica Conference took place in Cleveland. It started with an in-formal female delegates meeting this year, hopefully the beginnings of a trend begun by the women’s caucus I was honored to co-chair at the 2013 AFM Convention.

AFM Diversity Committee

In addition to keeping busy with a number of local labor events this fall, I attended the AFM Diversity Com-mittee meetings in Las Vegas in early October. AFM International Presi-dent Ray Hair is altering the focus of the group, shifting our attention to the AFM ListenUp! campaign that you have probably read about in the International Musician. (See page 4 for more info about ListenUp!). The shift in focus for the committee also in-cludes local organizing drives in our

own communities. Local 5 will have access to direct input and advice from Paul Frank, Director of the AFM Or-ganizing and Education Department. I’m looking forward to reaching out to previously underrepresented com-munities of musicians in the Detroit area with the help of the AFM!

Annual Financial report

Putting on my Treasurer cap now: Each year the 4th Quarter issue of the Keynote contains a financial report from the previous fiscal year, which ends on March 31. Compared to a year ago, the union’s financial picture is optimistic. On a mostly upward trend, the current fiscal year also war-rants some discussion.

At the end of March, in spite of a loss of $22,027 over the year, Local 5 was clearly in an improving financial picture. Our cash assets at the end of March were $285,466 and described as adequate by CPA Paul Walter. Ideal, however, would be to have one year of expenses in savings – about double the current amount.

Mr Walter expressed the opinion that the various steps the local has taken to address its finances are appro-priate. These steps include the assess-ment approved by the membership last year, which provided for a tempo-rary increase in dues. Also, officers and staff continue to work hard and spend carefully. During the past fiscal year, our expenses were lower than those of the previous year by $5,789. This makes 7 years in a row that our local union has cut expenses over the pre-vious year, for an accumulated savings of $288,800 – which also happens to

by Susan Barna Ayoub,

Local 5 Secretary-Treasurer

AFM Local 5“Home of the Pros”


WindWords, continued from page 3

be just a bit more than our reported cash assets at the end of the past fiscal year

To Benefit the Bottom Line

Looking at Calendar Year 2014 thus far, a couple of obvi-ous trends emerge: The increase in membership dues in-come has made a huge difference to our financial position.

The members made a tough decision, and happily we have not seen a reduction in membership. Also, the officers are doing our part to “share the pain” in order to balance the budget. By far the largest decrease in spending ($25,000) has come from a reduction in the cost of officer benefits – specifically, health insurance premium reimbursements. President Troia is taking advantage of his teacher retiree benefit, which is quite inexpensive. I switched to HAP via the healthcare.gov website, cutting the Sec/Treas health insurance premiums in half. Bottomline: We are projecting a balanced budget for the current fiscal year – an important development for us and our future!

As we near the end of 2014, I wish you a peaceful Holi-day Season and a happy, healthy 2015! In solidarity!...sba

The Scoop on ListenUp!ListenUp! is led by rank-and-file musicians to halt

the offshoring of film and television music scoring,

starting with Lionsgate Entertainment – a major

TV and film production company . Lionsgate is tak-

ing advantage of tax credit incentives meant to at-

tract filming, but sending post-production work

(which includes film scoring) overseas where the

work is done cheaper and below industry-stan-

dard working conditions .

In 2014, Lionsgate reported receiving 82 mil-

lion dollars in tax credits . CEO Jon Feltheimer’s

pay went up by 400% to a reported $66 .3 million

in compensation for 2014 . Lionsgate has the films

Twilight and Hunger Games and the award-winning

series Orange Is the New Black, among others .

Currently, Lionsgate has expanded its franchise

reach with the film Divergent, and is currently film-

ing The Last Witch Hunter in Pittsburgh, with the

help of $15 million from tax payers and the hopes

for it to become a successful franchise . The com-

pany was set to release Hunger Games, Mocking-

jay, Part 1 in November . Between 2011 and 2013,

only two of Lionsgate’s more than 20 films were

scored to industry standards set by AFM .

Beyond harming recording musicians, these ac-

tions also harm AFM members who do not work

directly on film and television scoring, but who

rely on the union’s pension program for retire-

ment benefits . Are you interested in joining us in

this campaign? Go to listenupnow .org!

Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub (standing behind, in sunglasses, Paul Frank, AFM Organizing Director) attended the AFM Diversity Committee meetings in Las Vegas in October . Ray Hair, AFM International President, sits at top left . (More about Paul Frank in “AFM Diversity Committee,” above .)

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Want to be better known?Fill out our Member Survey, page 15,

or, better yet, create a profile on detroitmusicians.net, page 9



LEFT: Pres . George Troia with DSO representative

Craig Rifel

three-year agreement (2014–2017) that will see wages in-crease seven percent over three years.

Detroit Opera House

A similar agreement was reached at the Detroit Op-era House for attractions presented at the Detroit Opera House (not including the Michigan Opera Theatre). That committee included Alan Ayoub, Greg Near and myself. We were happy to also reach a three-year agreement with a raise in wages of two percent a year and an additional one percent increase in contributions to the AFM-EPF in the last year, raising the pension contribution rate to 12.99%, the highest rate under any Local 5 CBA.

All agreements were overwhelmingly ratified by the var-ious bargaining units, so, thank you, voters, for your partici-pation! Also, a very heartfelt thanks to all of our committee

members who worked very hard to bring these agreements to fruition, which would not have been possible without your collective support and participation. I not only appre-ciate the solidarity of our bargaining units as they work to make life better for their respective memberships, but I also appreciate those of you who have answered my call in my very first “Music Stand” column. To refresh your memory, I asked for those of you who could to file that gig, even if it is only a single engagement, on an LS1 form.

Getting the Most out of the Ls1 Form

Many of you have been doing just that in venues ranging from Freedom Hill, Soundboard at the Motor City Casino, DTE Music Theatre, and even the Grosse Pointe Perform-ing Arts Center. They are not only helping themselves with pension contributions but all of us by not underselling their own talented work. Square Deal – all sides benefit equally;

RIGHT: Flanking Pres . George Troia: TMA Pres . Tom Mendel; Ed Malaga, Pres . AFM Local 161-710 Wash ., DC .; and Dallas/Ft . Worth TMA Chapter VP Debbie Brooks

Los Angeles, August 2014– a brief overview of attendees at the ICSOM Conference

BELOW: Pres . George Troia with ICSOM secretary, Nash-ville Symphony violinist and

former Royal Oak resident Laura Ross

continued on page 6


New Deal – we are set for the immediate future; Fair Deal – we are paid an honest wage for an honest day’s work.

It gives me a good feeling to know there will be some-thing more in our holiday stockings this year besides the lumps of coal in the forms of the higher taxes that Gover-nor Rick Snyder seems to dump yearly on working peo-ple.* With that, I would like to thank you all for staying with us, and wish you and yours the Happiest of Holiday Seasons and hope for a very joyous, healthy, and prosperous New Year!* See “Michigan Taxes: Businesses pay less,you pay more.” DFP, 10/4/14.


AFM Legislative-Political Director Alfonso Pollard, Sec-Treas . Susan Barna Ayoub and Pres . George Troia at the AFM MidAmerica Conference in Cleveland in September .

Get Local 5 Gear. Pick up your Local 5 T-shirt and/or decal at the Local 5 reception window, order online at www.detroitmusicians.net or by mail. To order your Local 5 gear by mail, fill in all appropriate blanks.

One T-shirt $12.50 One car decal $2.35State sales tax per shirt .75 State sales tax per decal .15S&H per shirt 2.50 S&H per decal 1.00Total cost per shirt $15.75 Total cost per decal $3.50

_____T-shirts x $15.75 = $_____________ _____decals x $3.50 = $______________

For T-shirts only, circle T-shirt size(s): M L XL 2XL Circle T-shirt color(s): Black Light blue

GRAND TOTAL: T-shirt total $_______ + Car decal total $_______ = $____________

Name ________________________________________ Daytime phone ______________________________

Street ________________________________________ Email address ________________________________

City___________________________ ______________ State ________ZIP ____________________________

Please make check or money order in the amount of the grand total above payable to Detroit Federation of Musicians and mail to: Detroit Federation of Musicians, 20833 Southfield Road, Southfield, MI 48075

If questions, call Local 5 at 248.569.5400, Monday–Friday, 10 am to 4 pm.


Department of Music

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The Wayne State University Department of Music gives you access to excellence

undergraduate concentrations PerformanceMusic EducationComposition Jazz StudiesMusic Technology Music BusinessBachelor of Arts in Music

7 graduate and certificate concentrations PerformanceJazz PerformanceTheory/Composition Conducting Master of Arts in MusicGraduate Certificate in Orchestra Studies

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visit music.wayne.edu for more information

Study with members of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and Michigan Opera Theatre orchestra, as well as Detroit’s most acclaimed classical and jazz performers

Perform at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra


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ted by the “what if” situations.

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Life insurance from American Income Life Insurance Company can address these needs to help ensure that your family can continue to thrive while remaining in the home you have provided for them. Coverage is available to provide for money to replace a portion of the income they will lose if you are not there. You can make sure your children are able to have a college education. Life insurance helps protect the legacy you have worked so hard to provide.

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DISCLAIMER: Local 5 membership now includes an additional Life Insurance benefit of $2,500 for Accidental Death. In order for the local to get this free-of-charge, the board agreed to allow some mailings from AIL to members, offering an insurance needs assessment. The union is not necessarily recom-mending that you respond to these mailings, nor do you have any obligation to respond to these mailings. They are the “price of admission” for this additional ADD coverage as part of your membership. Please feel free to contact Local 5 with any questions pertaining to these mailings. The union is not sharing your address with the insurance company.


detroitmusicians.net: THE INSIDE STORY

While you and the world at large are free to roam the public areas of the new detroitmusicians.net site, its benefits to you as a member begin only when you gain access to the Local 5 Members Area. To do this you need to register. Old user names and pass-words from the previous site will no longer work, so you’re starting from scratch.

1. Go to detroitmusicians.net. Click on the LOGIN button at the far right of the nav bar. The WEL-COME page below will appear. Next, click on the red REGISTER NOW button.

The JOIN OUR TEAM page will appear. Input a Username, First, Last Name and Email. For Gender, go with Musician. For Type of Profile, go with Soloist for now. Click on the red type link to check out terms of service and check off that you agree.

2. After clicking on REGISTER, momentarily you will receive an email from the Detroit Federation of Musicians repeating your username and supply-ing you with a temporary password (which you can change later). Click on the LOGIN button again and return to the WELCOME page. Use your username and new password to sign in. The window below will appear. You do not have to set up a profile un-less and until you wish to promote yourself or your group. Clicking on the right button, SKIP THIS STEP, takes you into the Members Area.

You now have access to all the Local 5 information you could ever want as well as the ability to set up and manage your profile, look at FAQs, etc.

When logging in later from scratch, the WEL-COME BACK page opens; click on the MEMBERS button in the nav bar to go to the Members Area.


When you wish to use the DME site to get gigs, you need to set up a profile. You start by filling out the DME Online Application, which is available in the Members Area under YOUR DETROIT MUSI-CIANS PROFILE, as shown below.

This form asks for your name or your group’s name, your instruments, members of the group and simi-lar information. As an online form, you type your responses right into the PDF form on your comput-er. When you are done, click on the SUBMIT button in the lower left corner, and the form will be deliv-ered directly to Local 5 for approval.

detroitmusicians.net: SETTING UP A PROFILEWhen you have Local 5’s approval, you will input your profile information. Back in the Members Area, under YOUR DETROIT MUSICIANS PRO-FILE, shown at left, click on “My Dashboard.” Then click on the “My Account” tab to bring up Step 1 of profile setup, as shown below. Fill in your con-tact information; when finished, click on the SAVE AND CONTINUE button.

Step 2 is providing information about the type of music you play, for what type of events, and your instrument(s). The “About” field enables you to de-scribe your group and tell why prospective clients should hire you. When finished, click on the SAVE AND CONTINUE button.


Step 3 is“My Media,” where you will provide your photos, PDFs and sound files. Upload your photos first, which must be JPEG or PNG only. Disregard the other options in the “Type” category. If you up-load more than one photo, later you can select the one that looks best in your profile. When finished, again click to SAVE AND CONTINUE.

The next part of Step 3 is uploading PDFs of your set list, group resume and any other hard copy docu-ments that would make your group more attractive to prospective clients. When finished, again SAVE AND CONTINUE. Next, if you wish, upload some demo tracks, which must be in the form of mp3 files. Finally, you may upload or link to your video files. For more information about the different types, go to the Members Area and click on FAQs under IN-FORMATION AND SUPPORT. Again SAVE AND CONTINUE.

SETTING UP A PROFILE, continuedThe big payoff happens when you click on the “View My Profile” tab, for that’s the first time you get to see all your files and photos come together in the page the general public will be able to view and to learn all about you. But you may not like everything you see or what you wrote about your group.

Go edit. Return to the Profile Setup pages, delete anything at any time, upload new and better pho-tos, or replace your play list. Once you get the hang of it, it’s actually quite easy. Plus, being able to in-stantly review your changes in preview mode puts you in total control of the process.

Now, while you’re reviewing your page, take the time to put yourself in the shoes of prospective cli-ents. Will they really be clear on the styles and tunes you play? Check out these bullet-proof examples:

Next Keynote: More on how to get the most out of your very own detroitmusicians.net website.

Thanks to Keynote Graphic Designer Virginia L . Hunt for this special section about the union’s new website . . . .sba


Member Newsline

Neal Campbell has been invited to appear as guest art-ist/clinician for the Midwest Regional Tuba Euphonium Conference to be held at Bowling Green State University in May 2015.

Membership survey Feedback

Susan Nye would like you to know that she is a private teacher and performer on the cello. She is interested in ad-ditional work in the theater and for weddings.

We want to hear your news, too . Simply contact Sue Barna Ayoub . You don’t have to write a thing, but any-thing you do write would be gratefully appreciated .

There was lots of big brass on hand for the Democratic fund-raiser on Labor Day. L-R: Andrew Pelletier, John Ruth-

erford, Jacob Cameron (Local 228, Kalamazoo), U.S. Vice Pres. Joe Biden, Derek Lockhart and David Ammer.

Local 5 Members Walter White and Charlotte Merk-

erson at the Detroit Jazz Festival on Labor Day weekend.Local 5 board member Al McKenzie proudly salutes his latest crop of InAccord scholarship winners.


Welcome, New Members

Kimberly Allen re-ceived her undergradu-ate degree from Bob Jones University in South Carolina and her graduate degree from Wayne State University. She studied with Local 5 Member and Assistant Concertmaster of the

Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Hai Xin Wu. Kimberly says, “Music has been a huge part of my life since I was a young child. There is nothing more exciting to me than being a part of something bigger than myself. I am a team player and enjoy contributing in anyway I can. I would love to be a part of any shows (musicals) or out-of-town groups that need a violinist. I have experience in playing in opera productions and other musical shows.”

Andrew Bishop is associate professor of jazz & contem-porary improvisation at the University of Michigan and is seeking work in jazz, classical and music theatre.

Kevin Brown is the new Principal Bass in the DSO. Be-fore his appointment to the DSO, Brown also appeared as guest principal bass of the Atlanta Symphony.

Jerry Collett is a member of the group Jam Knights and Knight Eagle.

Joshua Drake Jones is a new member of the DSO per-cussion section as the African-American Orchestral Fellow. He says he is easy to get along with and is very passionate about youth community service whether it be mentoring or clinics or lessons. He would also like orchestral, chamber or band substitute jobs as well as master class opportunities.

Patrick Fitzgibbon is a lecturer in World Music at Oak-land University.

Mary Johnstone plays in the Michigan Flute Orches-tra and is Local 5’s Assistant to the President.

Sawsan Kizy is an Arab-American singer/songwriter.

Roschelle Laughhunn has been singing since the age of 7. In high school she modeled and sang in talent shows. Just after graduating, she was discovered by the owner of The Gatsby club, located in the Colonial Hotel in Mt. Clemens. The owner of the hotel introduced her to a band looking for a lead singer. Their former singer (Anita Baker) had left to sign a recording contract. She also cohosted a radio talk show with Rosemary Summers, called The Ro & Ro Show and sang backup vocals for the Jr Walker Allstar Band. Ros-chelle currently sings with The Original Vandellas.

Paul Rivera plays bass and contrabass trombones and de-scribes himself as a multi-faceted performing artist at the professional level. With extensive performance experience, he prides himself on his ability to handle and maintain his musical business. He is passionate and attentive to his work.

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Demetrius Nabors has been a producer for Kemistry Records LLC. He enjoys performing, producing, sessions, being a copyist and teaching.

Jill Opal Oliver sings a broad variety of vocal genres, including techno, pop, jazz and R&B. She has performed at a num-ber of venues, including the State Theatre, Baker’s Keyboard Lounge, Black Finn Restaurant, the Gem Theatre, the Fox The-atre and Carnegie Hall in NYC. She also appeared in the jazz opera produc-tion of Porgy and Bess for the Opera Grand Rapids at the DeVos Performance Hall. She has performed as a concert soloist for the Annual Festival of Trees: A Benefit for Children’s Hospital of Michigan and has been a finalist in the Detroit Stars Singing Competition for radio stations 105.9 FM and 102.7 FM. Jill was chosen to be one of 4 vocalists who performed in the Tribute Concert to Whitney Hous-ton for the Sparkle Premiere Red Carpet Party held at the Royal Oak Emagine Theater. Jill has sung the “Black

Anthem” and the “Star-Spangled Banner” for the Mont-ford Point Detachment Marine Corps. She has performed in the Hot Summer Nights Music Festival, as well as on the Detroit Princess cruise ship. Most recently, she has been performing at the Hotel St Regis.

Alexander Shier is a native of Port Huron, Michigan. A singer-songwriter, he has an array of influences from rock, blues, pop/rock, jazz, and classical music. In the 13th season of American Idol, he made it through four rounds of compe-tition. He is a very versatile musician and is looking to get exposure in the music industry.

Ralph Skiano, Jr., is the new Principal Clarinet with the DSO. He was appointed principal clarinetist of the Rich-mond Symphony in 2002 and principal clarinetist of the Des Moines Metro Opera in 2006.

Mingzhao Zhou is a new member of the DSO second violin section. Before joining the DSO, she served as a vio-linist in the San Diego Symphony and the Albany Sym-phony Orchestras.

Our apologies to new AFM Booking Agent

Dawn Trapp, of FIES Entertainment, over whose last name we

tripped badly in the last issue of Keynote .

The Terry Jean Pollard Tribute AlbumIn memory of extraordinaire jazz pianist and vibraphonist Terry Jean Pollard, Babysoulove Productions are seeking song submis-sions for a very special Tribute CD in her honor. Selected songs will be a part of a 2-volume compilation CD series. All Detroit Local 5 Musicians and especially female musicians submissions are highly welcomed for consideration. For more information on this project, please email Michael Weeden at [email protected] or Dan Hosper at [email protected].

http://queenofthevibes.wix.com/terrypollard

New Members, continued from page 13


HOW TO sTAy IN GOOD sTANDING

To avoid being expelled, be sure to pay your member-ship dues during the first month of each quarter . Your next payment is due on Thursday, January 1. On Monday, February 2, all members who have not paid their dues will be suspended .

Expelled Members (7/15-10/25/14)Backos, AnthonyBatayeh, EmadBlack, DanielColista, Alexander Falvay, DavidFarmer, TerenceGurin, NathanielHughes, PerryIio, Takashi

Isabell Jr, ClarenceKieme, MarkMartinez, MatthewPage, T ElaineReed, IrisSheridan, DennisTrammell Jr., RaymondZalewski, Nancy

New Members (7/15-10/25/14)

Allen, Kimberly40829 Gulliver DriveSterling Heights, MI [email protected], trumpet, pianoBishop, Andrew4730 DawsonAnn Arbor, MI [email protected] Saxophone, clarinet, fluteBrown, Kevin15 E Kirby #1229Detroit, MI [email protected] bass/double BassCollett, Jerry6434 Inkster RdInkster, MI 48174 313-292-5615,/[email protected], Patrick579 East Saratoga StreetFerndale, MI [email protected], steel drumsJohnstone, Mary124 N BerkshireBloomfield Hills, MI [email protected], Joshua1935 Chene StreetDetroit, MI [email protected], Sawsan24250 Scotia RdOak Park, MI 48237248-399-8222, [email protected]

Laughhunn, Roschelle120 Roanoke LaneRochester Hills, MI 48309 248 221-1914/[email protected], Demetrius41146 Canton CourtCanton, MI [email protected], Jill23382 Portage Way Dr. #2102Novi, MI 48375248-348-6185/[email protected], Paul6245 Wellesley DriveWest Bloomfield, MI 48322248-821-8662 [email protected], bass/contrabass tromboneShier, Alexander3779 Grant AvenueFort Gratiot, MI [email protected], piano, drums, vocalistSkiano Jr, Ralph669 West Canfield - Coach HouseDetroit, MI [email protected], Mingzhao1431 Washington BoulevardDetroit, MI [email protected]

Detroit Federation of MusiciansMember survey

To get listed in the Local 5 Intune database as a performer or teacher, you must submit your information. The easiest way, if you don’t do a profile at detroitmusicians.net, is to fill out the form below and email, snail-mail or fax it in.

Local 5 Member Survey(please print)

First/last name: ________________________________

Email address: __________________________________

Website: ______________________________________

What do you want known about you as a musician?

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

_____________________________________________

What kinds of work might you be looking for?

Theater q Symphony q Club q Studio q Weddings q Parties q Receptions q

Other________________________________________

I give private lessons on the following instruments:

_____________________________________________

Clip and mail or fax this survey to Local 5 at:Detroit Federation of Musicians20833 Southfield RoadSouthfield, MI 48075Fax: 248.569.1393Email: [email protected]

The Detroit Federation of Musicians respects your right to privacy and will not sell or otherwise distribute this information to any third party..


MusiCares Foundation assists musicians, songwrit-

ers, composers, recording engineers and other

music industry professionals experiencing person-

al, medical or financial emergency . As one of The

Recording Academy’s (GRAMMY’s) two charitable

foundations, MusiCares reaches out to assist music

professionals struggling with medical crisis, addic-

tions issues, loss of livelihood, dental emergencies,

HIV/AIDS and other unforeseen crises . MusiCares’

assistance consists of emergency financial grants,

and/or referral to other helping resources . The

application process is quick and user-friendly, and

respects the confidentiality and the dignity of the

applicant . For more information, contact Dee Dee

Acquisto, M .S ., Senior Director of Health & Hu-

man Resources toll-free at 877-303-6962 or visit

www .grammy .com/MusiCares .

MusiCares for Music People

HOME ADDRESSWilliam Allport24128 Baldwin AveWarren, MI 48092Raymond De Ceco18414 Waydale LoopHudson, FL 34667-0021Ronald George1354 Sandy Somerville DrLondon, ON N6K 5R4Shelley Heron1354 Sandy Somerville DrLondon, ON N6K 5R4Daniel Johnson413 WoodlawnRoyal Oak, MI 48073Jack Kotter45505 Essex DrMacomb Twp, MI 48044Donnie Lewis1825 Yosemite Suite 10Birmingham, MI 48009William Lucas2427 LondonderryAnn Arbor, MI 48104

Lynne Mangan21630 Stanstead RoadNorthville, MI 48167Patrick Raeburn1 McGwire Road, Apt 160Ladera Ranch, CA 92694José RiojasPO 1395Lincoln Park, MI 48209John Turo, Jr17528 Kingsbrooke Circle, Apt. 101-5Clinton Twp, MI 48038Adam Unsworth2694 Wayside DrAnn Arbor, MI 48220-1232James Waring10805 Borgma AveHuntington Woods, MI 48070HOME PHONEJudy Breitenbucher586-859-5997Fred Breitenbucher586-859-5997

Ronald George519-204-4945Shelley Heron519-204-4945Jack Kotter586-991-5901Donnie Lewis248-792-6009Hektor Qyteti586-421-5493Patrick Raeburn949-441-7147John Turo, Jr586-354-0955Adam Unsworth734-929-2501CELL PHONEJavier Barrios248-787-3036Robert Hawkins734-546-1058Patrick Raeburn248-767-9865Adam Unsworth215-203-4495

EMAIL ADDRESSMark [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Directory Changes (7/15-10/25/14)

Resigned Members (7/15-10/25/14)Dibello, Gina Ding, Ian

Reinstated Members (7/15-10/25/14)Bell, NormaDeShazor, LeslieHughes, JamesJames, CurtisJensen, RobertMartin, Kassia

McKeever, Shane Newsome IV, CharlesSmith, DarrellTrudell, JeffreyUnsworth, Adam

What is so special about January 12? Hint: See the Local 5 calendar on the contents

page and all will be revealed.

DON’T GO MIssINGWant to know what’s going on?

Want gigs? Want to keep in touch?

When you move, get a new phone number or email address, let us know.


The orchestras and theaters listed below support the musicians of Local 5 through collective bargaining agreements.The groups and individual players likewise comply with the Local 5 policy by filing contracts, steward reports and work dues. Please support all of them in return.

CLUB/SINGLE ENGAGEMENTSbugs Beddow & the GooD STuff (Note: The

band has a new name.)

Dec. 14: Motor City Casino Chromatics Lounge, 866.PLAY.MCC; bugsbeddow.com

OPERA AND THEATER PERFORMANCES

Nov. 15–23: Michigan Opera Theatre, Madame Butterfly; 800.982.2787; michiganopera.org

Dec. 10–Jan. 4: Detroit Opera House, Wicked; 800.982.2787; michiganopera.org

Jan. 15–23: Fisher Theatre, Kinky Boots; 800.982.2787; broadwayindetroit.com

ORCHESTRAL & OTHER CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCESNov. 20–22: Detroit Symphony, “Gershwin in

Paris,” featuring James VanValkenburg, viola; Kenneth Thompkins, trombone; Hai-Xin Wu, violin; Jennifer Wey, violin; Dahae Kim, cello; 313.576.5111; dso.org

Nov. 23: Detroit Chamber Winds & Strings, “Some Like It Hot,” featuring Corbin Wagner, French horn; 248.559.2095; detroitchamberwinds.org

Dec. 6: Livonia Symphony, “Holiday Merriment”; 734.451.2112; livoniasymphony.org

Dec. 7: Grosse Pointe Symphony, 313.640.1773; gpsymphony.org

Dec. 7: Redford Civic Symphony, redfordsymphony.org

Jan. 11: Michigan Philharmonic, “Miniature Masterpieces,” featuring Joseph Deller, violin; Dennis Carter and Shelly Rouse-Freitag, flute; 734.451.2112; michiganphil.org

Feb. 13: Dearborn Symphony, “Annual Pops Con-cert”; 313.565.2424; dearbornsymphony.org

Local 5 support Line

The Music of GivinG

Would you like to help support music scholarships or a fellow member of Local 5 who is struggling with an emergency situation? Members can make tax-deductible donations to the Detroit Musicians Fund in two ways:

Monetary giftsSend by mail to Local 5 Headquarters or through www.detroitmusiciansfund.org. For more informa-tion, you may contact the fund either via email at [email protected] or call 248-569-5400, ext. 3.

Non-monetary givingNote: As of January 1, 2014, the Detroit Musicians Fund is no longer accepting donated instruments.

Contributions in 3rd Quarter, 2014Our sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who helped out financially during the last quarter:

Susan Barna AyoubJames Wilkins

TOTAL = $110

Finally, as part of regular ongoing donations made by

Mrs Anne-Marie Matchulat in loving memory of her

late husband, Local 5 member Ernest Matchulat, a do-

nation of $100 was made by their children, Michele, Da-

vid, Christen and Danielle, in loving memory of their

father.

about aMERICaN INCoME LIFE:

Local 5 disclaimer to company ad:

you should read this, page 8.


— Comedy Corner —We walked into the classroom; a test paper was waiting for us on the desk . The questions were:1 . What is the best-selling genre of music in North America ?2 . List the ingredients of Coca Cola .3 . Describe Mozart’s father .So I’m thinking to myself, “Man, I hate these pop quizzes!”

I was in the music department of a big store, and a clerk said they had a special going, the collected works of J .S . Bach for $50 . It sounded like a bargain, but I had to tell him it’s the end of the month and I’m baroque .

Our “Comedy Corner” editor is Joe Podorsek . If you have a comedy item you would like to submit for

consideration, please email Joe at basso@aol .com .

This is a free service to Local 5 members . Cost to others

offering or seeking musical products or services is 30¢ a word . Submit to Susan Barna Ayoub at Local 5

(sec-tres@detroitmusicians .net) .

FOR SALE: Extensive vinyl record collection (classical, jazz, vocal, big band, ethnic). Call for list: 734.522.1152.IN MEMORY of extraordinaire jazz pianist and vibra-phonist Terry Jean Pollard, Babysoulove Productions are seeking song submissions for a very special Tribute CD in her honor. Selected songs will be a part of a 2-volume compilation CD series. All Detroit Local 5 Musicians and especially female musicians’ submissions are highly wel-comed for consideration. For more information on this project, please email Michael Weeden at [email protected] or Dan Hosper at [email protected]. http://queenofthevibes.wix.com/terrypollard

Classified Ads

TEMPO Contributions, 3rd Quarter, 2014

Paul BowlesWallace FitzGuido Fucinari, Jr.

John Urban, Jr.David WilsonRobert Murray

TOTAL = $51.00

DFM Referral Gigs

Date Leader Players City7/4 Cliff Erickson 1 Kimball8/16 Ed Pelts 1 Sterling Heights8/31 Cliff Erickson 1 Kimball9/20 Faith Demorest 2 Clay Township

PLANNING TO BE AWAy TEMPOrArILy?

Please let us know, because the post

office charges Local 5 for

returned issues of Keynote!

Also in print format at amazon and B&N.Critically acclaimed by jazz bass pros.Geared to all true jazz fans, not just bassists.

www.davehuntjazz.comemail: [email protected]

IDEAL HOLIDAY GIFT

No shopping. No shipping. No waiting. No wrapping.One size fits all.Last minute OK.

Kindle ebook at amazon.com; Nook ebook at bn.com; coming soon for iPad.

Keynote is your newsletter, now available in COLOr via email and at

www.detroitmusicians.net.We value your input and welcome your

articles and ideas . Contact us at 248 .569 .5400, ext . 0 .


• Alleviating hardship with financial aid to struggling musicians

• Easing the difficulties of disabled musicians through grants

• Partnering with MPTF to serve the community at large

• Supporting promising music students through scholarships

Proudly ServingLOCAL 5...

To learn more:[email protected]

248.569.5400, ext. 3


Minutes: Semi-Annual Membership Meeting, 10/21/13

The Semi-Annual Membership Meeting of the Detroit Federation of Musicians was called to order at 7:05 PM, President George Troia being in the chair, as well as Vice President Douglas Cornelsen and Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub being present. Executive Board Members also present were Robert Conway, David Denniston, Robert Lymperis, Alonza McKenzie and Paul Onachuk.

President Troia asked all in attendance to introduce themselves.Secretary-Treasurer Ayoub read the minutes from the March 2013

General Membership Meeting. On motion by Paul Hunt, seconded by Philip Grameno, to approve the minutes as amended, they were approved unanimously.

President Troia spoke about the $10 per member yearly increase in AFM per capita tax as well as the increases in recording work dues that were put into place at last summer’s national convention. Both President Troia and Sec/Treas Ayoub fought the increases by giving testimony be-fore the AFM Law and Finance committees and on the convention floor. The local union itself hasn’t raised membership dues since 1993. (Any seeming increases since then have been AFM per capita increases only.) Reasons given by the AFM for the increase included the need to relocate the AFM offices (by purchasing two floors of a building in a different, less expensive area of Manhattan), to rehire staff that had previously been laid off, to be able to spend more on the locals themselves and to hire recruiters. Alan Ayoub asked about the AFM property in New Jersey that is being used for storage. President Troia responded that location contains contract archives to which there would be better access if they could be located with the AFM offices. He also spoke about the move made by the Pension Fund to a less expensive area of Manhattan, as well as the move by the AFM West Coast office to space in Los Angeles Local 47’s build-ing. James Wyse asked how much money the local sends in per capita to the AFM. Sec/Treas Ayoub responded that the current per capita is $14 for regular members and $10 for life members per quarter. Mr Grameno commented that AFM President Ray Hair has a background in real estate and has a good grasp on the issues; doing this now is a good idea. Mr Grameno is a former Local 5 Delegate to the AFM Convention.

Resolution No. 1 reads as follows:“Musicians belonging to the American Federation often relocate dur-

ing their careers. Reasons for relocation may range from employment opportunities, family obligations and retirement, just to name a few.

The Detroit Federation of Musicians rewards long-term membership in the Local by marking a member’s thirtieth anniversary with the status of being referred to as a thirty-year member. Included in this recognition is the presentation of a gold membership card, and

Whereas, a member may move to and from various locals during his/her career and still maintain membership in the American Federation of Musicians in good standing, and

Whereas, a member may have kept consecutive membership in good standing in the AFM,

Thus, be it resolved that Article II-Membership, Section 2(a) be amended to read,

Any member of the Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local 5, who has continuously remained in good standing in this Local or any other local and the American Federation of Musicians for thirty (30) consecutive years, shall be known as a Thirty-Year Member.”

Glenn Anderson asked if we know how many members this would

affect. President Trioa answered no. Mr Wyse asked if this would include Canadians. President Troia responded yes. On motion by Mr Wyse, sec-onded by John Putnam, to amend the resolution by including the entire name of the AFM, i.e. of the United States and Canada, it was approved unanimously. Board Members McKenzie and Onachuk handed out bal-lots. Board Member Conway passed around the ballot box. President Troia showed photos taken by Local 5 member Ray Riggs at the 30/50-year party and invited members to look and take some. Mr Conway, Heather Buchanan-Gueringer and Mr Denniston counted the ballots. Mr Conway announced the results: 28 yes, 0 no. Resolution passed unan-imously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub read applicable procedures from Roberts Rules gov-erning member debate.

Resolution No. 2 reads as follows:

“Article IX-AssessmentsSection 1. When it becomes necessary to tax the members by assess-

ment there shall be at least five (5) days’ notice given to each member of the Local of the time and place of the meeting for the purpose of it....

Whereas, the Detroit Federation of Musicians has been able to finan-cially survive into the second decade of a new millennium despite the economic collapse resulting in the “Great Recession,” and

Whereas, declining work opportunities and the passing of older members is resulting in declining membership of the local, and

Whereas, a period of declining work and a major work stoppage by the Detroit Symphony Orchestra resulted in a decline of revenue from work dues, and

Whereas, other than increases in per capita taxes that have been man-dated by the AFM, Local 5 membership dues have not been increased since the 1980’s, and

Whereas, expenses have been cut deeply though responsibly, cuts themselves have not been sufficient to balance the budget, and

Whereas, a budget deficit still remains after these measures, Thus, be it resolved that a temporary Assessment be imposed of the

General Membership in accordance with Article IX of ten (10) dollars for the calendar years of 2014 and 2015, and the assessment will appear as an addition to each member’s annual dues statement for those years.”

President Troia explained how the dues increase would work in con-junction with the AFM per capita tax increase. Sec/Treas Ayoub spoke about her research on the reports that AFM locals in the US provide annually to the Labor Department. She pointed out the portions of that research that appeared in the most recent Keynote. In terms of the num-ber of members, Local 5 is #10. In terms of assets, the local is #20. And, in terms of the amount charged for membership dues, the union is in a 6-way tie for #40. Local 5’s membership dues are a bargain – compara-tively quite low. Mr Onachuk spoke about the cutbacks in the weeks of theater work and smaller orchestrations, providing less work dues to

IMPORTANT REMINDERPlease keep your life insurance beneficiary

information up to date. Your heirs will love you for it.



The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to order at 10:10 am, President George Troia being in the chair, as well as Vice President Douglas Cornelsen and Secretary-Treasurer Susan Bar-na Ayoub being present. Also present were Executive Board Members Robert Conway, David Denniston, Robert Lymperis, Alonza McKen-zie and Paul Onachuk.

On motion by VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr Lymperis, to approve the agenda, it was approved unanimously.

On motion by Mr McKenzie, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to approve the minutes of the previous meeting as presented, they were approved unanimously.

The next meeting of the Executive Board will take place on Monday, August 18 at 11:00 am.

President Troia gave the following report:The union has reached a tentative agreement with the Michigan Op-

era Theater for a successor agreement pending ratification. Details will be forthcoming. Congratulations to all involved.

The union received a counter proposal from the community orchestras, which our committee reviewed. In essence, the union has rejected the lat-est proposal. We are awaiting a response to our latest counter proposal on Monday.

New Use Checks for Searching for Sugar Man have gone out from the AFM. The local is awaiting a check from the Detroit Medical Center for additional payments for “Reach Out”. We have been informed Local 5 will disperse the checks.

This year’s Labor Day Parade will take place on Monday, September 1, 2014. We will meet at the corner of Trumbull and Michigan at 8:30 am with a 9 am step off. Please wear Local 5 T-shirts. We have a new supply in a variety of sizes M-XXX. Performance tees are also for sale in size XL only.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented reports of Monthly Income, Cash Disburse-ments and Comparative Fiscal Year-to-Date. On motion by Mr Onachuk, sec-onded by Mr Lymperis, to receive the reports, they were received unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Payroll reports. On motion by Mr Con-way, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to approve the reports, they were approved

unanimously.Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Officers’ Expenses and Charge Cards

reports. On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to ap-prove the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from Allen Dennard, Alyssa Kochyan, Jenny Wan, Sean Mallare, Mary Beth Orr and Virtis Taul. On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Den-niston, to accept the applications, they were accepted unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of member reinstatements, resigna-tions, suspensions/expulsions and deaths, as well as a Local Census report.

On motion by, Mr Lymperis, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to confirm the results of a board e-poll, approving the request by a member who is experiencing financial hardship that the union pay for a quarter of mem-bership dues.

Sec/Treas Ayoub read aloud the following Resolution:

Resolution No. 1 Youth MembershipWhereas, young members are essential to the growth of Local 5 and its

sustainability into the future, andWhereas, the cost to maintain membership in the union is a particular

burden for young musicians, andWhereas, musicians under the age of 21 currently comprise only 5 out

of 930 members, andWhereas, the Bylaws of the American Federation of Musicians allow

locals to adjust the periodic membership dues rate charged to Youth Mem-bers, defined in the AFM Bylaws as a classification that enables people 20 years or younger to join the Local as Youth Members and remain in that classification until their 21st birthday, and

Furthermore, whereas, the importance of enabling young people to learn more about what it is to be a professional musician and – especially – to encourage familiarity with unions in a younger generation during this time in which the State of Michigan maintains the anti-union designation of ‘Right-To-Work’, therefore, be it

Resolved that, in accordance with Article 9, Section 3(b) of the By-

the union. Whereas shows used to come into town for 6-week runs, the last time that happened was 2004. Now the maximum run of a show at the Fisher Theatre is 2 weeks. The Detroit Opera House will have some longer runs, but biggest problem is the reduction in the size of the pit orchestras. Mr Denniston reminded all present about the loss of the CBA at the Masonic Temple Theatre. Mr McKenzie talked about how much larger the local was when he joined in 1980, saying the union needs to reinvent itself in order to bring in more revenue. Bill Grasty asked for further clarification of how a membership dues increase would work. He mentioned seeing Miss Saigon, which was great, but observed that there were a number of doublers, i.e. fewer individual players

Directors Denniston and McKenzie spoke about the new Develop-ment Committee, mentioning that it is made up of President Troia, Sec/Treas Ayoub, Mr Onachuk and themselves. The committee is working on combating long-term trends and looking at new ways to attack problems. They spoke about the importance of protecting our venues, approaching new ones and giving non-union musicians additional reasons to want to belong. The committee is looking for new ways to add value to union membership, such as the upcoming workshops, as well as simpler con-tracts that would be more appealing for freelance musicians to use. Presi-dent Troia mentioned that Mr Denniston is the new webmaster and is

retooling the Detroit Musicians Entertainment portion of our website to better promote our members. President Troia also mentioned that he is using and encouraging the use of the LS1 – the contract that allows contributions to be made from single engagements.

Mr Grameno talked about the booking agency work he did for years for Local 5 and the importance of basic hustling for gigs. In response to a query from Mr Wyse, Sec/Treas Ayoub spoke about the fact that the AFM is not allowing locals to absorb the per capita increase, effectively causing a dues increase in addition to the increase needed by the local union.

Ballots were handed out, collected and counted. Result: 26 yes, 2 no. Resolution passed.

President Troia spoke about the MPTF money that has been offered to Local 5 for use in the Detroit Public Schools.

8:32 PM On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Grameno, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.

Other members present in addition to those mentioned above: Robert Finzel, Joe Podorsek, Joe Buono, George Benson, James Tatum, Charles Taylor, Felton Jones, Mark Berger, José Riojas, Molly Hughes, Ruth Myers, Al Tedrick.


Minutes: Executive Board Meeting, 7/11/14


7/11/14 Executive Board Minutes, continued from page 21

laws of the American Federation of Musicians, Article II, Section 4(c) of the Bylaws of the Detroit Federation of Musicians, which governs Youth Membership, be amended to read as follows:

(a) Local 5 shall establish a Youth Membership classification, which shall enable musicians 20 years or younger to join the union as Youth Members and remain in that classification until their 21st birthday.

(b) Youth Members shall have all of the rights and obligations that Reg-ular Members have, and they shall be subject to all Federation and Local rules, regulations and Bylaws.

(c) A Youth Member shall pay quarterly dues at the same rate as Regular Members rate of $24 per quarter (or $96 per year) as set by Local 5, and Work Dues where applicable, but shall not pay Local or Federation Initia-tion Fees. In order to moderate the cost of Youth members to the Local, such members will receive electronic Keynotes and invoices only, not hard copies mailed via the US Postal Service.

Respectfully submitted to the Executive Board of Local 5,Susan Barna Ayoub, Local 5 Secretary-Treasurer

On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to approve the Resolution to be published in the Keynote and voted on by the member-ship at the October Semi-Annual Meeting, it was approved unanimously.

President Troia read a thank you letter from State Representative Can-didate Bo Karpinsky for the local’s endorsement. He pledged to fight for the repeal of Right To Work.

11:04 am Meeting recessed11:11 am Meeting resumed 11:11 am Special orders: Lisa Bennett, representative from American

Income Life joined the meeting.Ms Bennett thanked the board for allowing her to speak at the meet-

ing. AIL is the only 100% union insurance company. They fundraise, give scholarships and support the working class agenda and political candidates.

Ms Bennett works with the Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo AFM locals, offering insurance to their memberships. AFM International President Ray Hair sits on their board and supports them. Ms Bennett belongs to OPEIU Local 277 (the Office and Professional Employees International Union). AIL is rated A+. Mr Denniston asked who AIL serves. Ms Bennett replied that they partner with unions across the US and have a labor advisory board that guides them. AIL offers strike and layoff insurance, meaning they will waive premiums during a strike that do not have to be paid back. Their reps will participate in picket lines. They are one of the largest contributors to food banks. If we let them know we have needy members, they can give them food and a $25 gift card to Meijers. AIL offers no-cost benefits to union members, including Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage of $2,500, as well as a health services discount card for chiropractic, vision, and prescriptions, etc for entire family. The card can be used in addition to current insurance coverage. Their free child safety kit is endorsed by national police officers’ and teachers’ associations. The free family informa-tion guide is useful for estate planning. What do they want in return? They would want to do a couple of mailings to our members on our letterhead without keeping our mailing list. AIL pays the postage and printing. There will be a postage-paid post card if members are interested in more informa-tion. A rep will give them no-cost information and will probably try to sell the members additional insurance. S/he would do a needs-based analysis to see if they have holes in their coverage. They expect to get a 20% response to the mailings. About ¼ of those will have a need for coverage through the company. AIL will keep the premiums of their offerings to within 3% of the prospective client’s income. Ms Bennett said AIL will then send out another round of letters in 2 years.

11:41 am Ms Bennett left the meeting.VP Cornelsen suggested the local do some investigating of AIL through

Consumer Reports and also see the actual letter on our letterhead before say-ing yes or no. Mr Conway suggested googling them for customer reviews.

11:56 am On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Denniston, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.


The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to or-der at 11:05 am, President George Troia being in the chair, as well as Vice President Douglas Cornelsen and Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub being present. Also present were Executive Board Members David Denniston, Robert Lymperis, Alonza McKenzie and Paul Onachuk.

On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to approve the agenda, it was approved unanimously.

11:08 am Robert Conway joined the meeting.On motion by VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr Denniston, to ap-

prove the minutes of the previous meeting as amended, they were ap-proved unanimously.

The next meeting of the Executive Board will take place on Thurs-day, September 11, at 11:00 am.

President Troia gave the following report:The union has reached a tentative agreement with the Michigan

Opera Theater for a successor agreement, pending ratification. A signed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is in place and plans are be-ing made for ratification.

The union has also reached an agreement with the signatories of the Community Orchestra Agreement. Several signed MOU’s have been received, and plans are being made for ratification of the agreement.

Finally, the union has reached an agreement with Nederlander

L.L.C. for a successor agreement at the Fisher Theatre. A signed MOU is in place. An informational meeting will take place this Thursday night, August 21, with the bargaining unit, after which ratification bal-lots will be mailed out.

Negotiations for the Detroit Opera House agreement are planned for early September.

There has been discussion about the donated service clause of the new DSO agreement, after which a final side letter was drafted and sent. Upon executing the agreement, final plans will be made as to its printing.

New Use checks for Searching for Sugar Man have been mailed out. Local 5 is awaiting a check from the Detroit Medical Center for ad-ditional payments for the re-use of “Reach Out” in its commercials. In both cases, AFM Sec-Treas Sam Folio has been notified that all checks have not found their way to the recipients.

The Labor Day Parade will take place on Monday, September 1, 2014, stepping off at 9:00 am at the corner of Trumbull and Michigan. Marchers are asked to meet there at 8:30 am and wear Local 5 T-shirts. We have a new supply of size M-XXX, in addition to Performance Tees in XL only. [Subsequently, it was announced that VP Joe Biden would speak to the marchers before the parade. Thus, the timeframe changed.]

Moving on to the Sec/Treas report: S/T Ayoub mentioned that the local now has a new, more secure wireless router, installed by Local 5



Member Alan Ayoub. Since most board reports are presented electroni-cally each month using a projector, laptop and the wireless router, the new device is in use.

Sec/Treas Ayoub thanked Mr Denniston for his long hours spent working on the website, which has now been launched. His work and expertise is much appreciated.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented reports of Monthly Income, Cash Dis-bursements and Comparative Fiscal Year-to-Date. On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to receive the reports, they were received unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Payroll reports. On motion by Mr McKenzie, seconded by Mr Denniston, to approve the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Officers’ Expenses and Charge Cards reports. On motion by Mr Conway, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to approve the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from Stephen Grady, Donald Capshaw, Jack Johnson, James Russell, Will Haapaniemi, Hae Jeong Han, Kasan Belgrave, Nolan Young, Sawsan Kizy and Alexander Shier. On motion by VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to accept the applications, they were accepted unanimously.


Moving to Old Business: On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to approve the results of an e-poll setting the date of Monday, October 20, at 7:00 pm for the October Semi-Annual meet-ing, it was approved unanimously.

On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Denniston, to ap-

prove the results of an e-poll, adding an additional Accidental Death & Dismemberment life insurance policy from American Income Life Insurance to Local 5 members. In the ensuing discussion about benefits, President Troia reported that Local 5 member Faith Demorest com-mented to him how much she likes the AFM Union Plus credit card.

Moving to New Business: Mr Denniston suggested the union con-sider doing a fundraiser to pay for the parking lot to be redone since it is in bad shape. President Troia had been working on getting bids and will redouble his efforts. Mr Denniston also suggested setting up a computer workstation for members to use for completing applications and setting up profiles. S/T Ayoub suggested there is an extra computer in the office that could be brought online for that purpose.

Moving to Correspondence: President Troia read a thank you note from the family of recently deceased Local 5 Member Ernie Rodgers’ family, in addition to a note from Local 5 Member Jimmy Wilkins who will be in town to be honored at the Detroit Jazz Festival. President Troia is creating a Certificate of Recognition for Mr Wilkins. Mr McK-enzie announced that his organization In-Accord will hold an event in September to honor Mr Rodgers, in addition to raising money to cre-ate an endowment at WSU in Mr Rodgers’ name. President Troia read a letter from the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, asking for a $500 donation toward Labor Day Parade barricades and portajohns – items that used to be paid for by the city. On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to donate $200 to the Metro Detroit AFL-CIO, the dona-tion amount was approved unanimously, with the stipulation that Local 5 be thanked for its donation.

12:51 pm On motion by VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr Lymperis, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.

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The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to order at 10:40 am, President George Troia being in the chair, as well as Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub being present. Also present were Executive Board Members Robert Conway, David Denniston, Robert Lymperis, Alonza McKenzie and Paul Onachuk.

On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Denniston, to ap-prove the agenda, it was approved unanimously.

On motion by Mr McKenzie, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to approve the minutes of the previous meeting as presented, they were approved unanimously.

The next meeting of the Executive Board will take place on Thurs-day, October 16, at 11:00 am.

President Troia gave the following report:A ratification vote is under way for the new Michigan Opera The-

atre agreement.There are six signatories for the new Community Orchestra agree-

ment, and the ratification vote is under way. The signatories are: the Dearborn Symphony Orchestra, the Grosse Pointe Symphony Orches-tra, the Livonia Symphony Orchestra, the Michigan Philharmonic, the Redford Civic Symphony and the Motor City Symphony Orchestra, formerly known as the Warren Symphony Orchestra.

The new agreement at the Fisher Theatre has been ratified by a vote of 25 - Yes, 0 - No. Nederlander L.L.C. has the newly amended Agreement.

The negotiation for a successor agreement for the Detroit Opera House took place on Tuesday, September 2. The committee consist-ed of Alan Ayoub, Greg Near, Barbara Zmich (resigned 9/8/14) and President Troia. President Troia is happy to report that an agreement was reached, which will see wages increase by 2% in each of the next three years and an increase of 1% to the AFM-EPF in the final year to 12.99%, the highest contribution rate in Local 5. Ratification will be under way soon.

President Troia attended the 52nd ICSOM Conference in Los An-geles during the week of August 25, along with retired DSO mem-ber Craig Rifel. President Troia will report on this more fully at next month’s meeting.

In an update on New Use payment for Searching for Sugar Man, all six living recipients have confirmed receipt of their checks. Reuse pay-ment to members for the Detroit Medical Center commercial should arrive within the month.

President Troia expressed his thanks to Susan Barna Ayoub, Alan Ayoub, Al McKenzie, Paul Onachuk, Deblon Jackson, Haden McKay, Nadine Deleury, Larry Barrone, Sandy Dziedziula, and Becky Ham-mond, for making it through a long rally and marching in the Labor Day Parade! Sec/Treas Ayoub mentioned that Rudy Nero and Sonny Kendrick attempted to march in the parade but couldn’t get through the Secret Service perimeter! Local 5’s involvement in the parade was mentioned in the Free Press.

Special Orders: 11:14 am Local 5 CPA Paul Walter joined the meeting.Mr Walter reported on the recently finished the annual audit, as well

as the filing of the Department of Labor annual LM-2 report and the IRS annual 990 report. He gave the union’s accounting an unquali-fied positive evaluation. In his estimate, the local is doing fairly well financially in spite of the relatively small loss of $22,027. While he calls the union’s savings “very adequate,” ideal would be to have one year of expenses in savings – which would be about double the current

amount. Mr Walter expressed the opinion that the various steps the local has taken (including an assessment approved by the membership) are appropriate. The union has done and is doing everything possible to stem expenses and won’t be able to carve out much more. There has been a big cut in officer compensation – specifically in health insurance premiums. Some investment has been put into building repairs and maintenance. Mr Walter encouraged the board to think long term – 5 years out and create benchmarks to reach the goals. Since it is easier to get money when one doesn’t need it, he put forth the idea of establish-ing a line of credit now while we don’t need it – depending on what the union would be charged annually. President Troia asked Mr Walter for his opinion about whether it would be advisable to continue the membership assessment. He replied yes. Sec-Treas Ayoub commented that, if the board recommends it to the membership, the question of whether to continue the assessment would be considered at the Octo-ber 2015 Semi-Annual Membership Meeting.

11:30 am Mr Walter left the meeting.The board discussed the labor law differences between strikes and

lockouts.On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by Mr Denniston, to approve

the audit and by extension the expenses for Fiscal Year Ending March 2014, it was approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented reports of Monthly Income, Cash Dis-bursements and Comparative Fiscal Year-to-Date. On motion by Mr Conway, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to receive the reports, they were received unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Payroll reports. On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Denniston, to approve the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Officers’ Expenses and Charge Cards reports. On motion by Mr Denniston, seconded by Mr Lymperis, to approve the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from Demetrius Nabors, Jerry Collett, Jill Oliver, Andrew Bishop, Paul Rivera, Roschelle Laughhunn, Kimberly Allen and Patrick Fitzgibbon. On motion by Mr Conway, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to accept the applications, they were accepted unanimously.


President Troia reported that he has had no responses to his inquiries for bids on repair to the parking lot.

President Troia asked the board to approve the usual $100 stipend to each of the members of the negotiating committees (Fisher, Com-munity Orchestra, Michigan Opera Theatre and Detroit Opera House) who are now finishing up their work. On motion by Mr Denniston, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to approve the stipends, they were ap-proved unanimously.

President Troia spoke about the union’s past practice of offering bibles of various denominations to the beneficiaries of members who pass away. After some discussion, the board decided to continue the practice.

President Troia handed around programs from the funerals of Don Davis and Edward Karpinski. He also spoke about the Labor Legacy Monument at Hart Plaza, for which the AFL-CIO is seeking donations for restoration. Sec-Treas Ayoub commented that her family made a do-nation for the restoration and for the family name(s) to be engraved in the appropriate area of the monument. Mr McKenzie invited the mem-



bers of the board to attend the upcoming In-Accord event, at which the first steps would be taken toward raising enough funds to create an endowment for scholarships to Wayne State University in the name of recently deceased Local 5 Member Ernest Rodgers. On September 30th, President Troia and Sec-Treas Ayoub will attend and help provide music for a protest organized by Michigan United, entitled the Billionaires’ Ball that will take place outside the governor’s office in Lansing. Mr Conway brought up the AFM ListenUp! campaign against the film company Li-onsgate that is currently recording the music for its movies primarily in Europe, while reaping huge profits from state tax incentives.

On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned at 12:26 pm.

Secretary-Treasurer’s Financial Report – April 2013 through March 2014

Income Work Dues $ 279,258 .00 Membership Dues 133,206 .00 Rent 44,695 .00 Misc . Income, incl . 30/50 Party, Health Ins . Fees, Keynote Ads, Hospitality Room Income & Merchandise Sales 11,775 .00 Initiation Fees 2,223 .00 Interest Income 297 .00

Total Income $ 471,454.00

Expense Officer Wages, Expenses & Directors’ Fees $ 119,544 .00 Per Capita, Work Dues, Initiation Fees & other payments to the AFM & other Labor Affiliates 107,329 .00 DSO Committee & ICSOM Expenses 47,067 .00 Employee Healthcare 30,232 .00 Members’ Life Insurance 25,216 .00 Building Maintenance & Repairs 25,165 .00 Staff Wages 23,311 .00 Utilities 18,890 .00 Payroll Taxes 13,646 .00 Insurance General 12,824 .00 Accounting Fees 12,750 .00 Employee Pension 9,806 .00 Property Taxes 7,245 .00 Miscellaneous Expenses 6,545 .00 Printing 5,712 .00 AFM Convention & Conference Expenses 5,231 .00 Depreciation 4,115 .00 Legal Fees 3,860 .00 Telephone & Internet 3,716 .00 Postage 3,486 .00 Keynote Layout Services 3,019 .00 Office Supplies 2,460 .00 Committee & Player Conference Expenses, including ROPA and TMA 2,312 .00

Total Expense $ 493,481.00

Total revenues $ 471,454.00Total Expenses $ 493,481.00Increase in Net Assets $ (22,027.00)

Current Assets Cash & Equivalents $ 406,829 .00 Accounts Receivable (Restr Funds/DSO Members only) 6,428 .00 Prepaid Expenses 5,678 .00Fixed Assets Land, Building & Equipment 80,911 .00

Total Assets $ 499,846.00

Liabilities Escrow, Insurance and Tempo Payable $ 319 .00 Taxes & Payroll Deductions Due 5,835 .00 Unearned Dues 78,831 .00 Unearned Rent 1,825 .00 Tenant Security Deposits 2,135 .00

$ 88,945.00Total Liabilities Unrestricted Operating 283,074 .00 Temporarily Restricted 127,827 .00Total Net Assets $ 410,901.00

Total Liabilities & Net Assets (incl. DsO Members Fund) $ 499,846.00

DsO MEMBErs FuND FyE 2014Income DSO Member Fund (Restr/Contr by and for DSO Members only) $ 47,526 .00Expense DSO Member Fund Expenses 30,524 .00

Increase in Net Assets $ 17,002.00

DETrOIT MusICIANs FuND FyE 2014Total Current Assets

Cash & Equivalents $ 257,434.00

Managing Your Own Bottom Line

Although it’s not tax season yet (thankfully), the end of the year is fast approaching, and it will soon be time to begin thinking about getting your tax records in order. As you do so, keep in mind that membership and work dues paid to Local 5 and contributions to the Detroit Musicians Fund are all tax de-ductions. Feel free to contact Local 5 if you would like an official record of what you’ve paid in for 2014.

9/11/14 Executive Board Minutes, continued from page 24


Margaret Keeler, daughter of long-time member Sam Fanfalone, submitted this bio at the time of her father’s 100th birthday last year, and we are reprinting it:

Samuel Fanfalone was born on June 18, 1913, in Detroit to Cristopho Fanfalone and Francesca Scalabrino from Sicily. His baptismal name is Savior, but always used the name of Samuel. His siblings were Mary, Vin-cent and Barbara.

As a child of immi-grants in the early part of the 20th century, he learned from an early age about hard work. His parents were determined to keep their sons off the street and to take advantage of the opportunities afforded to them in their adopted home-land. Francesca nurtured her sons in the arts. Samuel was enrolled in the Detroit Institute of Musical Art.

He was fortunate to have received violin lessons from Ilya Schkolnik, who also held the position of concert-master from the 1919-20 concert season through the 1943-44 concert season with the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Violin lessons were given in exchange for Francesca’s hard work in laundering and ironing Mr. Schkolnik’s formal orchestra clothing. Samuel remem-bers carrying his violin and a basket full of cleaned, starched and folded clothing through the streets and on the trolley cars of Detroit to get to his weekly lessons.

Vincent also learned music and became a very ac-complished clarinet and saxophone musician. Vincent was married to Lena, Mary was married to Frank and Barbara was married to Vito and later to Harry.

Samuel graduated from high school in 1931 in the midst of the Great Depression. This was also an incred-

ible time in musical his-tory. He learned clari-net, saxophone and bass so he could play along with the big band sound. He tells stories of setting up gigs at great places such as the Vanity Ball-room and going to oth-ers around the Detroit area. He saw some of the great jazz musicians and big bands. He has been a proud member of the Detroit Federation of Musicians for 68 years.

He traveled to Cali-fornia when he was age 18 in a caravan of 18 Plymouth cars. He

stayed there several months. Eventually, he returned to Michigan and looked for work, ultimately finding work in Columbus, Ohio.

He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942. He trained in New York as an airplane mechanic and eventually based in Virginia Beach, VA. He met and married Peggy (Mary Margaret) Duggan. Their first child was born in 1944.

With Samuel’s musical background, he played music during the war and continued to play after. As he and Peggy raised nine children in Allen Park, he contin-ued to play music 1–3 nights per week in addition to working at Ford Motor Company. Peggy and Samuel shared 60 rich years of marriage and family life before she passed in 2003.

On June 18, 2013, Samuel turned 100. He continues to play music. He still picks up and plays his clarinet and occasionally his saxophone. One of his greatest plea-sures is to listen to the songs of the big band and swing era and sing along. His children and grandchildren have had the good fortune to share time and stories with Samuel through his golden years. He is one of a kind.

Sam Fanfalone (left) is greeted at his 100th birthday party by Local 5 member Greg Knas .

Remembering Sam Fanfalone, 69-Year

Member of Local 5


Annette “Bonnie Lynne” Burtner passed away on July 21, 2014 at the age of 87. She was born on November 21, 1926 in Detroit and affiliated with Local 5 in 1943. A 70-year member, she played the saxophone, clarinet and piano. When Annette was 20, she started a band named Annette’s All Girl Band and performed in many bars and lounges throughout Detroit. After marrying, she was a pi-ano and organ teacher for many years. She taught all 3 of her children, who still play music to this day. Later on in life, she directed the Troy Senior Citizens Choir and was a church organist for 10 years at the Troy Christian Chapel. She loved music deeply until the day she died.

Walter “Wally” Duda died on August 24, 2014 at the age of 88. He was born on June 14, 1926 in Detroit and affili-ated with Local 5 in 1941. A 67-year member, he played the trumpet. Stationed in Germany during WWII, after-wards Wally was asked to join the 98th AFG Army Band in Heidelberg, Germany, with which he entertained General Eisenhower and his staff. Later he played at nightclubs in Marseilles, Paris and Monte Carlo.

Back home in Detroit, Wally Duda and His Orchestra performed Polish and big band music for many, many years. It was his full-time career and, as such, made him one of the most influential trumpeters of his time. Until very re-cently, he was still one of the most popular Polish/big band leaders in the Detroit area. Wally was a trumpet player for 83 years.

Irving Dworkin passed away on August 13, 2014 at the age of 92. He was born on April 15, 1922 in Detroit and af-filiated with Local 5 in 1943. A 73-year member, he played the trumpet. Irv played at the Michigan Theatre, the Cass Theatre and a number of Detroit nightclubs. He was very proud of having auditioned for Benny Goodman. He also played on the D&C Boat Cruises from Detroit to Macki-nac to Harbor Springs and back.

After WWII, Irv continued playing professionally until 1952, after which he practiced law, built homes and raised a family. He started practicing the trumpet again in 1992 and cut his first album with the studio help of his grandson-in-law. As he said after he starting practicing again, “You never know when another paying gig will come along”!

Closing Chord bbSamuel Fanfalone passed away on October 6, 2014 at the age of 101. He was born on June 18, 1913 in Detroit and affiliated with Local 5 in 1941. A 69-year member, he played the saxophone, clarinet and violin. The 3rd Quarter 2013 Keynote ran an article about Sam when he turned 100. (See page 26.)

Edward Karpinski died on September 3, 2014 at the age of 93. He was born on July 10, 1921 in Detroit and affili-ated with Local 5 in 1941. A 73-year member, he played the clarinet and saxophone. Ed was a music teacher in the Detroit Public Schools for 42 years.

Also, Local 47 Los Angeles and former Detroiter and Local 5 member Gerald Wilson, big band leader, composer and arranger whose career spanned more than 75 years, died on September 8, 2014 at the age of 96. Originally from Shelby, MS and an alumnus of Cass Tech, Mr Wilson began his ca-reer in the late 1930s as a trumpeter for Jimmy Lunceford’s band before forming his own big band in 1944, featuring female trombonist Melba Liston. He played and worked as a composer-arranger with Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Benny Carter and Dizzy Gillespie, and he arranged music for Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Charles, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Bobby Darin. Wilson led his own bands in the ’50s and ’60s, but took frequent hiatuses as he became one of the most in-demand arrangers and orchestrators in jazz and pop music. He wrote more than 60 charts for Charles, scored motion pictures such as Otto Preminger’s Anatomy of a Murder and served as the conductor and music director of TV’s The Red Foxx Show.

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