volume 78 number 3 q3, 2015 - detroit federation …•in memoriam• official publication of the...

•In Memoriam•

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

Volume 78 Number 3 Q3, 2015

Home of the Pros

Keynote

Free dental clinic for musicians

LIVE Links to What’s in This Issue

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

Election 2015 Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .2

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

DFM Referral Gigs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Labor Day Parade Details . . . . . . . . . . . .4

AFM Pension Fund 101 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Local 5 Resolutions 1 and 2 . . . . . . . . . . .8

Comparison of AFM Locals . . . . . . . . . . .9

Harry Lester Tribute . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Local 5 Support Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Comedy Corner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Classified Advertisement . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Tempo Contributions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

MusiCares Musician Dental Clinic . . . . .13

30/50-Year Party Photos . . . . . . . . . . 14-17

Welcome, New Members . . . . . . . . 19-20

Member Newsline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20

Member Directory Info . . . . . . . . . . 21-22

About eBilling Notification . . . . . . . . . . .22

Executive Board Minutes . . . . . . . . . 23-28

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

Detroit Musicians Fund Gifts . . . . . . . . .28

Local 5 Office Closings• Labor Day: Monday, Sept. 7 (parade details, page 4)• Columbus Day: Monday, Oct. 12• Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3

September 10, ThursdayFree MusiCares dental clinic for musicians

October 1, ThursdayDue date for 4th quarter dues

October 15, ThursdayClosing deadline for 4th quarter Keynote materials

October 19, MondaySemi-annual Membership Meeting (see info above)

Calendar of Local 5 Events

Financial resolutions to be considered (specifics on page 8)

• No. 1: Youth membership

• No. 2: Article II, Membership Section 3 (related to dues)

MOnDAy, OCTOBER 19, 7 pmLOCAL 5 HOSPITALITy ROOM

Semi-annual Membership Meeting

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

Bugs Beddow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Detroit Musicians Fund . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Johnny Rodriguez . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

McKenzie Academy of Music . . . . . . . . . . 22

WSU Music Department . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Our Advertisers

Keynote3rd Quarter 2015

• President Troia’s memories of Marcus Belgrave, Tony Russo in “Music Stand,” beginning on page 1

• AFM Pension Fund basics, page 6

• Tribute to labor lawyer Harry Lester by Ed Zelenak, page 10

• 30/50-year Party of 2015 photo coverage appears on pages 14–17

Special Features in This Issue

continued on page 2

We’re Back....

“Hello Again, Hello, Hello My Friend, Hello,” just very happy to borrow these lyrics from Neil

Diamond, Conway Twitty and Alan Lindgren as a way of reintroducing myself to you for the next three years! I am again honored, humbled and thrilled to continue working for you, and I sincerely want to thank those of you who voted in the most recent election. I will use this edition of “The Music Stand”to inform you of changes, look ahead at what we expect to encounter over the next three years, and again ask for your help. I will also take a moment to re-flect back on two gentlemen that gave us so much through their music as both performers and teachers.

I would like to extend a sincere thank you to our outgo-ing board members, Robert Conway (12 years) and Alonza Mackenzie (8 years) for their service to Local 5. Welcome back to incumbents, Vice-President Douglas Cornelsen, Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub, Executive Board Members Paul Onachuk, Dave Denniston and Robert Lymperis, and a warm welcome to our new members, Lynne Marie Mangan and Patrick Zelenak. Congratula-tions to our Delegate, Mike McGowan, and new Alternate Delegate, Dave Horger. Also, a sincere thank you to our Election Committee – Michael McGillivray, Ben Pruitt, Sr., and Pat Terry-Ross.

There’s Much to Do

As you will discover by reading this edition of the Keynote, we have been hard at work helping you make the most of music. Personally, it is my goal to get things done – some of which will be quite visible, such as repaving our parking lot and actually being able to pay for it! Others are not so vis-ible, unless you work under one of the many agreements we have renegotiated and will continue to do so. All agreements are expected to come up for renegotiation during the next three years, starting this summer with the FOX (Olympia Entertainment), which has already begun. In 2016, we will see the Michigan Opera Theatre and the Detroit Jazz Festi-

val come due, and in 2017 it will be the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, the seven signatories of the Community Orches-tra Agreement, the Fisher Theatre, and the Detroit Opera House. We will continue to work toward growing the mem-bership, which is nearly at the same level we were at three years ago, 900 plus. We work daily at increasing our visibility to the public through social media as well as a hands-on ap-proach by going out to our schools, colleges and local ven-ues. I will also work for some basic services that I promised in my initial campaign, like a printed, published directory – something we have not had since 2006. There is much to do and I look forward to doing it!

October 19: A Very Important Semi-Annual Meeting

At our semi-annual meeting in the fall of 2013, you gra-ciously approved an assessment in our annual dues that contributed to our finally being able to balance our bud-get. We again have two resolutions scheduled to be voted on at our semi-annual meeting on Monday, October 19.

The Music Standby

George Troia, Jr.Local 5

President

President George Troia welcomed guitarist Pat Metheny of Kansas City Local 34-627 when he appeared at the Detroit Jazz Festival Announcement event .

LEn

KA

TZ

Keynote u 3rd Quarter 2015 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 COMMITTEESFox Theatre negotiating Com-mittee: David Denniston, Christa Grix, Paul Onachuk, George Troia, Susan Barna Ayoub

Local 5 Development Commit-tee: George Troia, Susan Barna Ayoub; David Denniston; Alonza McKenzie; Paul Onachuk, Patrick

Zelenak

The Music Stand, continued from page 1

One is for a special youth member-ship that we can offer students in an effort to attract young people to the Federation. The other would be to leave the assessed dues increase in our dues structure. We believe both are necessary for us to move forward to a solvent future. We also feel that we are still fairly and reasonably priced in the hierarchy of annual dues compared to other cities around the country. Please make every effort to attend our semi-annual meeting.

Anthony (Tony) Russo and Marcus Belgrave

By this writing, most of you will al-ready know of the passings I referred to above. On May 18, 2015, we lost long-time member Anthony (Tony) Russo. He was 93 and a 75-year member of

Local 5. Later that very same week, we lost Marcus Belgrave, who died on May 23, at the age of 78. Both shared a passion for music with their playing, but also nurtured several generations of musicians through their teaching. Both were also lifetime members of the union, which we deeply appreci-ated. I was privileged to have known and worked along side both.

When Tony came to the 30/50-Year Party a year ago in May, he con-gratulated me on my presidency and told me how much he enjoyed my ar-ticles. I in turn not only thanked him for the compliment but also thanked him for his mentoring over the years and being such a great role model. I also told him that with guys like him to emulate, how could I go wrong? I

continued on page 5

Local 5 2012 Election Results

Ballots Counted 364President

George Troia, Jr .* 345Vice President

Doug Cornelsen* 341secretary-treasurer

Susan Barna Ayoub* 357executiVe Board

Paul N. Onachuk* 317Patrick J . Zelenak* 310Robert L . Lymperis* 309David Denniston* 305Lynne Marie Mangan* 303

aFM conVention delegate

Michael McGowan* 248David Horger (Alternate) 83

* Elected to Office

Local 5 2015 Election Results

Election Follow-upA very special round of applause goes

to our Election Committee for the

unseen time and effort they put into

assuring that fairness ruled. Thanks,

Michael McGillivray (chair),

Benjamin Pruitt, Sr., and

Patricia Terry-Ross. And thanks,

also, to everyone who participated in

this exercise in democracy.

Detroit Federation of Musicians AFM Local 5.

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 David Denniston Robert Lymperis

Lynn Marie Mangan Paul N. Onachuk Patrick Zelenak

A.F. of M. Convention Delegate Michael McGowan

David Horger – AlternatePresident Emeritus

Gordon StumpDME Referral Agent Mary Johnstone, ext . 4

pros@detroitmusicians .net mary@detroitmusicians .net

Membership Administration Membership, ext . 6 & 0

local5@detroitmusicians .netLocal 5 Agent

Ralphe Armstrong LA3501@aol .com

Address & 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 EveAll 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

Sure has been a long time since we brought you an edition of the

Keynote! In each Local 5 election year, the 2nd Quarter issue comes out about one month early. So, we have lots of info for you in this publication!

Another Free Dental Clinic

First of all, I’m happy to announce that Local 5, MusiCares and the Mo-bile Dentists will once again collab-orate to bring to you a Free Dental Clinic on Thursday, September 10. Please see page 13 for information on how to apply. Appointments must be scheduled in advance. Note: All pro-fessional musicians may participate – not only members of Local 5. So, please make your appointment early!

Pension news for All Members

On page 6, there are Pension Basics for you. This is key information for you about the American Federation of Musicians and Employers Pension Fund – whether you are new to the union or not, symphony player or freelancer. Please take a moment to study it.

An important note that appears at the end that I would also like to em-phasize here: If you have no benefi-ciary on file with the AFM-EPF and you become vested and die before your benefit begins, no one will re-

ceive a death benefit (with the excep-tion of a legal spouse). This is not the same as the beneficiary card you have on file with Local 5 for life insurance.

Resolution no. 2: Dues

As you can see from Resolution No. 2, posted on page 8, your officers and executive board are asking you to make permanent the temporary in-crease in membership dues you ap-proved in 2013. Local 5 had not raised its dues in many years. The increase you approved gave us the first bal-anced budget we have had in a num-ber of years.

Since 2013, we have continued to review our income and expenses. Our CPA, Paul Walter, continues to advise us that we must focus on increasing revenue, in order to build our savings. Prior to asking you for the increase, I had researched the reports that the AFM locals in the US (not Canada) provide annually to the US Labor Department. At that time, in terms of the number of members, Local 5 was #10. In terms of assets, we were #20. And, in terms of the amount charged for membership dues, we were in a 6-way tie for #40.

Recently, I went back to the US Labor Department website to see how we compare now – two years later. You will see on page 9 we are still #10 based on number of mem-bers, still #20 in assets and now in a 4-way tie for #26 based on the tem-porary increase you approved. What does this mean? We have not lost ground compared to our colleagues and are still a great deal!

Bottom line: We need to maintain

AFM Local 5“Home of the Pros”by Susan

Barna Ayoub,Local 5

Secretary-Treasurer


WindWords, continued from page 3

the current membership dues level in order to build on the service we give you. And, we need your involvement in order to do that. Please plan to attend the October Mem-bership Meeting to listen, discuss and vote on this very important matter.

Resolution no. 2: youth Members

Moving to Resolution No. 1: It’s clear that we need to in-vest in the future – meaning, invest in young musicians and their education about the importance of collective action. To that end, Local 5’s board made a decision last year to recommend to you that we take advantage of the AFM by-law that allows locals to adjust the amount Youth Members (those under the age of 21) are charged for membership.

On page 8 you will find a resolution that was presented at the 2014 October Semi-Annual Membership Meet-ing. At that time, we did not have a quorum and therefore could not vote on this. We would like to make this reso-lution a part of an initiative that involves young people in the union in order for them to understand right from the beginning its importance to their careers throughout their lives as professional musicians. With only nine mem-bers under the age of 21 in Local 5, this will not cut into our bottom line. But it will increase our possibilities for the future. Please give this some thought and join us at the meeting on Monday, October 19.

Honoring Our Own

On May 9, the Detroit Blues Society paid tribute to ac-claimed blues guitarist, harmonica player, composer and Local 5 member Eddie Burns in an event at Detroit’s Scarab Club. (Mr Burns had passed away in 2012.) At the suggestion of Local 5 member Aaron “Little Sonny” Wil-lis, I presented a Proclamation of Respect from the Local 5 Executive Board to his daughter, Marie Burns McDade.

Finally, please allow me to once again express my deep-est appreciation to you for placing your trust in me. I can-not thank you enough for granting me the opportunity to continue to serve you in the capacity of Secretary/Trea-surer, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.

Until autumn......What? sba

DFM Referral Gigs

Date Leader Players City

4/1 Cliff Erickson 1 Denton, TX4/19 Dennis Carter 2 West Bloomfield4/23 Pamela Wise 1 Detroit5/1 Sean Smith 1 Detroit5/5 José Riojas 1 Westland5/16 Faith Demorest 1 Flat Rock5/22 Silven Koltyk 1 Bloomfield Hills (aka Phil Cole)5/24 Cliff Erickson 1 Kimball, MI6/13 Michael Mainguth 1 Grosse Pointe Farms6/15 Ola Hemphill 1 Detroit6/24 Ed Pelts 1 Detroit6/26 Steve Wood 2 Detroit

It’s That Time Again:Labor Day

Parade InfoDate: Monday, September 7, 2015Place: Corner of Michigan and Trumbull Time: Meet at 8:30 am to step off at 9 amAttire: Local 5 blue T-shirt, comfortable shoes

We will furnish a free cotton T if you need one .

Route: Michigan Ave . to UAW Ford Building (formerly Veterans Memorial) adjacent to Hart Plaza

Afterward, all are invited to stay for the UAW Labor Fest at the UAW Ford Building .

HA

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The Music Stand, continued from page 2

was very honored to present him with his recognition of 75 years of membership in Local 5 that day.

Tony’s work at Dearborn High produced members of the Detroit Symphony, various other symphonies, and popular groups like the Mark Phillips Band. He was active as a performer on trombone and violin, and played with his own big band and combo, as well as being a freelancer, leading the Tony Russo Concert Band, and was a benefac-tor of the Dearborn Symphony.

We cannot talk enough about the influence Marcus Bel-grave had on generations of musicians in Detroit. I believe I first met him in Eddie Nuccilli’s Plural Circle, where we would again play together before Ed’s passing in 2008. I have fond memories of playing the musical Selma with him

for a six-week run at the Music Hall in 1976, and then on recording dates for Johnny Allen.

While attending the University of Michigan, one of my trumpet playing friends was talking about Marcus and I mentioned that I knew him. When he asked if Marcus would consider taking him on as a student, I said I did not know, but gave him his phone number. Marcus did indeed take him on, and when I hear this person play today I hear the Marcus influence there. Of all the playing he did none was more touching than hearing him at Ed Nuccilli’s fu-neral. Marcus played with oxygen tank in tow and tubes in his nose. I will never forget what a heartfelt genuine hu-man being he was.

God bless both of our fallen brothers and rest assured the music will play on because we had people like you to inspire us!

Tony Russo accepts his 75-year membership certificate from President George Troia at the 2014 30/50-Year Party .

Marcus Belgrave (left), attends a live concert with longtime musical companion Johnny Allen .

Important Semi-Annual Membership MeetingMonday, October 19, 7:00 pm • financial resolutions to be considered

• networking to satisfy your social needs • refreshments to make your tummy happy

Local 5 Hospitality Room


The American Federation of Musicians and Employ-ers’ Pension Fund (AFM-EPF) was created in 1959 to

ensure that musicians would have access to a defined ben-efit pension plan upon their retirement. It is administered by a Board of Trustees made up of both union officers and employer representatives. The AFM-EPF is protected un-der the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

You are eligible to participate in the Fund if:

• YouareemployedasamusicianorbytheFederation,and

• YouremployerhasenteredintoaCollectiveBargainingAgreement, Pension Participation Agreement or signed an LS-1 Contract that agrees to make contributions to the Fund on your behalf.

You will become a Participant of the Fund once:

• Youearn$750inCoveredEarnings(i.e.underanyofthe above named agreements) during any calendar year – as of the beginning of that year.

You become vested (i.e. entitled to benefits) once:

• Youcomplete5yearsofVestingService (i.e. employ-ment during which you have a specified amount of Covered Earnings), or

• Youreachage65andhavebeenaParticipantfor5ormore years.

You earn Vesting Service based on your Covered Earn-ings in each calendar year, by the following schedule:

Covered Earnings = years of Vesting Service

$3,000+ (per calendar year) 1 $750 (per calendar year) ¼

Ifyouearnbetween$750and$3,000inacalendaryear,the years of Vesting Service are calculated to be between ¼ and 1 full year.

You will become eligible to receive a Regular Pen-

sion Benefit if you file a complete application with

the Fund Office and:

• Youreachage65whileyouarestillaParticipant,or• Youreachage55,areFullyVested,andretire fromall

Covered Employment. The amount of your Regular Pension Benefit is calculated based on (1) the total con-tributions made on your behalf and (2) your age when you begin receiving your pension. Forexample:Ifyouearn$10,000/yearincoveredearn-

ings for 20 years with a pension contribution of 10%, con-tributionsof$20,000wouldhavebeenmadeonyourbe-half.

Basedonthecurrentreturnrateof$1.00per$100con-tributed,youwouldreceiveamonthlycheckof$200.00beginning at age 65. In less than 9 years (before age 73), youwill have received back all of your $20,000 contri-bution. In another 4 years (before age 77) you will have receivedatotalof$28,800fromthefund.Inadditiontobeing more than your pension contribution, this is also more than the work dues you paid on the covered earn-ings and more than the membership dues you paid during those years.

Registering at the AFM-EPF Website:

If you have at least 1/4 year Vesting Service and have re-ceived an annual Covered Earnings Report, you will have received your Pension ID number and will be able to reg-ister at www.afm-epf.org.• YouwillbeabletoviewyourannualCoveredEarnings

Reports from 2000 to the present.• Youcanuse theonlinePensionCalculator to see the

approximate monthly benefit you are on track to re-ceive between the ages of 55 and 65.Important: If you have no beneficiary on file with the

AFM-EPF and you become vested and die before your benefit begins, no one will receive a death benefit (with the exception of a legal spouse). This is not the same as the beneficiary card you have on file with Local 5 for life insurance.

* IMPORTANT: This information is basic and has

been necessarily simplified for space considerations.

AFM Pension Fund 101*Retirement may be far off in the distant future for you, but time will not wait until you are less busy and can think about it. Hey, it

just passes – especially when you’re not paying attention. Below is some basic information to help you start the planning process, and

the sooner you start, the bigger your bottom line will be when you need income up the road.


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Whereas, young members are essential to the growth of Local 5 and its sustainability into the future, and

Whereas, the cost to maintain membership in the union is a particular burden for young musicians, and

Whereas, musicians under the age of 21 currently com-prise only 9 out of 906 members, and

Whereas, the Bylaws of the American Federation of Mu-sicians allow locals to adjust the periodic membership dues rate charged to Youth Members, 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 profes-sional 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 des-ignation of “Right-to-Work,” therefore, be it

Resolved, in accordance with Article 9, Section 3(b) of the Bylaws of the American Federation of Musicians, that Article II, Section 4(c) of the Bylaws of the Detroit Federa-tion 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 classifi-cation until their 21st birthday.

b. Youth Members shall have all of the rights and obli-gations that Regular 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 rateof$24perquarter(or$96per year) as set by Local 5, and Work Dues where ap-plicable, but shall not pay Local or Federation Initiation 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.

Submitted by the Executive Board of the Detroit Federation of Musicians

on 7/11/14

Resubmitted by the Executive Boardof the Detroit Federation of Musicians

on 6/18/15

Resolution No. 1: Youth Membership

Whereas, the membership of the Detroit Federation of Musicians, AFM Local 5 overwhelmingly voted for a tem-poraryassessmentinmembershipduesof$10peryearfor2014and2015,raisingregularannualduesfrom$150to$170per year (the additional $10of the annual $20 in-crease was assessed by the AFM in Per Capita increase at the 2013 convention), and

Whereas, the said assessment has helped create a balanced budget for first time in many years, and

Whereas, the financial health of the local is improving but not yet at the level recommended by our Certified Public Accountant, and

Whereas, we would like to continue to improve the fi-nancial condition of the local,

Therefore, Be It Resolvedthatthe$10assessmentrati-fied at the October 2013 Semi-Annual Membership Meet-ing be made permanent in the Local 5 Dues structure and thatRegularAnnualDuesremainat$170.

Submitted by the Executive Board of the Detroit Federation of Musicians

on 6/18/15

See comparison of AFM locals in terms of mem-

bership, assets and member dues on next page.

Resolution No. 2: Article II, Membership Section 3 (Dues)

Let Your Voice Be HeardThese resolutions and other issues that are critical to Local 5 members will be on the agenda at the Semi-annual

Membership Meeting on Monday, October 19, at 7 pm. All members are urged to attend and participate.

Let Your Voice Be Heard


LOCAL # MEMBERSNew York City 802 7546Los Angeles 47 7164Nashville 257 2264Chicago 10-208 2180San Francisco 6 1779Boston 9-535 1565Dallas/Fort Worth 72-147 1500Washington, DC 161-710 1342St Paul/Minneapolis 30-73 1266DETROIT 5 908Houston 65-699 905Atlanta 148-462 827Orange County, CA 7 727Philadelphia 77 716St Louis 2-197 707Pittsburgh 60-471 670No. New Jersey 16-284 643Denver 20 641Cincinnati 1 627Las Vegas 369 592Cleveland 4 590Orlando 389 585Buffalo 92 569Hartford/New Haven 400 569Portland, OR 99 550Baltimore 40-543 525Indianapolis 3 524San Diego 325 504New Orleans 174-496 463Kansas City 34-627 445Seattle, WA 76-493 408Syracuse 78 404Milwaukee 8 375Austin 433 365Columbus 103 353Providence 18-457 352Phoenix 586 332Grand Rapids 56 320Louisville, KY 11-637 315Miami 655 301Omaha 70-558 301Honolulu 677 298Albany, NY 14 298Rochester, NY 66 277Springfield, MA 171 271Sacramento 12 232Wilmington, DE 21 226Edison, NJ 204-373 222Canton, OH 111 213Richmond, VA 123 210

LOCAL # ASSETSNewYorkCity 802 $10,242,517Seattle,WA 76-493$5,331,960Chicago 10-208$3,506,125Boston 9-535 $3,206,267LosAngeles 47 $3,118,517SanFrancisco 6 $2,342,077Washington,DC 161-710$1,987,624Cincinnati 1 $1,479,572Nashville 257 $1,260,078NewOrleans 174-496$1,036,738Honolulu 677 $975,911Houston 65-699 $957,057Pittsburgh 60-471 $876,610Atlanta 148-462 $855,923OrangeCounty,CA 7 $810,838Cleveland 4 $684,989SanDiego 325 $681,228LasVegas 369 $601,535StLouis 2-197 $557,322DETROIT 5 $499,846Syracuse 78 $480,437Indianapolis 3 $436,780Dallas/FortWorth 72-147 $404,517Denver 20 $402,351Portland,OR 99 $330,667No.NewJersey 16-284 $283,960Philadelphia 77 $271,643SantaBarbara 308 $230,861Richmond,VA 123 $226,709Baltimore 40-543 $216,169Huntington,WV 362-691 $202,612Springfield,MA 171 $177,497Rochester,NY 66 $166,933Canton,OH 111 $163,331StPaul/Minneapolis30-73 $150,600Albuquerque 618 $145,248GrandRapids 56 $139,151Columbus 103 $131,793Hartford/NewHaven400 $126,550Wilmington,DE 21 $118,888NewLondon,CT 285-403 $117,724Phoenix 586 $114,139Miami 655 $102,977Omaha 70-558 $96,957Sacramento 12 $96,328SanJuan,PR 555 $91,883Milwaukee 8 $80,494Louisville,KY 11-637 $75,053KansasCity 34-627 $72,663Birmingham,AL 256-733 $63,875

LOCAL # DUESNashville 257 $249NewYorkCity 802 $220Chicago 10-208 $212LosAngeles 47 $210SanFrancisco 6 $210Honolulu 677 $210LongBeach 353 $209Sacramento 12 $205Seattle,WA 76-493 $202Philadelphia 77 $200Austin 433 $197Larchmont,NY 38-398 $195Witchita 297 $194Providence 18-457 $192Toledo 15-286 $190Milwaukee 8 $187OrangeCounty,CA 7 $184Portland,OR 99 $180Baltimore 40-543 $180Columbus 103 $178Boston 9-535 $177NewOrleans 174-496 $176Miami 655 $176Washington,DC 161-710 $172StLouis 2-197 $172DETROIT 5 $170Edison,NJ 204-373 $170LasVegas 369 $170StPaul/Minneapolis 30-73 $170SanDiego 325 $168Indianapolis 3 $165Denver 20 $164Hartford/NewHaven 400 $164Flint 542 $164Norristown,PA 341 $163Birmingham,AL 256-733 $162Houston 65-699 $160Pittsburgh 60-471 $160Cleveland 4 $160Phoenix 586 $160GrandRapids 56 $158AnnArbor 625 $157Syracuse 78 $152Canton,OH 111 $152Pontiac 784 $152No.NewJersey 16-284 $150Wilmington,DE 21 $150Buffalo 92 $150Shreveport,LA 116 $150Rochester,NY 66 $148

Comparison of AFM Locals on the Basis of Number of Members, Assets, and Member Dues*

* All data based on 2014 Labor Management Reports.


Harry Lester was fond of quoting prose, poetry and words of wisdom from the classics. He peppered

them with the dust of the coal mines of West Virginia and the heat of the blast furnaces of steel mills along the Detroit River. So one would imagine, in learning of the recent passing of Harry Lester at the age of 85, that his death would be marked with the words of wisdom of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas to his own father on his death bed:

“Do not go gentle into that good night,Old age should burn and rave at close of day;Rage, rage against the dying of the light.” —Dylan Thomas, 1951But not so with Harry Lester. He passed away quietly,

unremarkably, like one’s next-door neighbor. He passed with the dignity of one who understood the nature of labor negotiations and the finality of the ruling of the arbitrator. Organized labor was his life, and when presented with an unfavorable ruling in a contentious arbitration, his comment was simple: “That’s the decision. It’s time to move on.”

There are lessons learned from the study of the lives of leaders. Some leaders are created. Others, like Harry, are natural-born. I had the good fortune of spending several decades learning the craft and skill of organizing, nego-tiating, mediating, facilitating and litigating from Harry, who had the wisdom, intellect, drive, charisma and charm to have an impact on the quality of life for everyone liv-ing and working downriver, and the skill to protect the rights of the unionized and the unrepresented across North America. In terms of a labor leader, his skills rivaled that of UAW’s Walter Reuther, the Teamsters’ Jimmy Hoffa, and James Petrillo of the American Federation of Musicians.

My relationship with Harry began when I was a law stu-dent at Wayne State University. I was pursuing labor studies, and needed assistance on an arbitration class. Harry proved to be a good mentor, but the relationship became one of friends and equals almost immediately: we had much more in common than one could imagine. Harry had lost his father as a child, as I did. We were both committed to the labor movement and seemingly radical political causes, and I was able to write, counsel and embark with Harry on a quixotic campaign that landed him in the director’s seat as

one of America’s most trusted and respected labor leaders, a position he held for decades.

They were tumultuous times. Worker’s compensation laws changed. The rights of organized workers were be-ing routinely decimated by legislation and outsourcing of jobs. Steel, the “material that made America great,” accord-ing to Harry, was being “insourced” from foreign competi-tors. And the steel was shoddy, cheap and worthless. He predicted in 1980 of the disappearance of the American manufacturing industry, which he believed “made America strong … made America first in the world.”

As soon as Harry took office as a national steelworker director, organized labor took a major hit from the Reagan administration: Air traffic controllers belonging to PATCO went on strike for better wages, and were summarily fired and replaced by those Harry considered being “scabs” and “second-rate.” This was the first of many protests and boy-cotts with which I joined Harry; one that landed me in a pickle with the radio station where I worked. Management there received complaints that I was presenting a one-sided view of a national labor issue, demanding equal time. Harry and history were on my side, as he reminded me that Presi-dent Reagan promised to repeal the Fairness Doctrine at the Federal Communications Commission, and apparently no opponent of organized labor had the courage to appear on my late-night talk show to counter labor’s opinion.

I traveled with Harry to protests, pickets and rallies all over the Midwest. Our efforts became pronounced when plans were announced to shutter McLouth Steel. What marked these efforts was that none were about Harry; they were about those he had promised to help, those who moved to the Midwest for a promise of a better life, had made an investment and suddenly discovered that every-thing they believed in and negotiated for was being taken away. It became the “Harry Lester Road Show,” on buses loaded with protestors, musicians, politicians and com-munity leaders, either picketing at the White House, or outside some factory that was bringing in strikebreakers. Harry and I attended the Democratic National Conven-tion in New York in 1980 and San Francisco in 1984, he

Harry Lester: Labor’s Love, LostBy Local 5 Member Ed Zelenak

continued on page 11


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as a delegate and I as a broadcaster. And it was in 1984, when former Vice President Walter Mondale faced a pal-pable challenge from Jesse Jackson and Gary Hart, and was ultimately resoundingly defeated by President Reagan in November. Shortly after, Harry proclaimed to me on one radio program that “politics is changing, and organized la-bor has fallen out of step with those changes.” He believed that the Democratic Party had forgotten its commitment to the working class, and that they and the republicans had blurred the distinctions between the two.

His efforts in political campaigns changed after the 1984 convention. Harry became committed to organizations that devoted their resources to curing debilitating ailments, to improving the standards of those who were jobless, homeless and hopeless. He became more introspective and resolute in seeking answer in prayer.

He still remained a national icon in labor, wont to quot-ing and commenting with a coal-miner’s sarcasm, about the fall of American manufacturing. He didn’t make many

friends in China and Japan, but his story played well on Main Street USA. When he retired from union leadership because of union constitutionally mandated age require-ments, Harry did not fade from the scene. He left his suc-cessors the roadmap he devised, and immersed himself in quality-of-life issues nationwide.

Through it all, he never left the geography of downriver. He remained our Harry, our friend, our mentor and a man who passed, as I disclose, many opportunities to be a na-tional leader, in order to stay at the place he called home. He came from a coal mining town, remained true to his beliefs and passions. And when he died, it was as if the arbitrator had ruled that Harry did the best he could. He presented a sound argument for improving the quality of life of his friends and neighbors. Harry won this one. Case closed. Softly, and quietly.

Ed Zelenak is the city attorney for both Lincoln Park and South-gate. Article reprinted with permission from the Downriver publi-cation The News-Herald of April 23, 2015.

Harry Lester, continued from page 10


The orchestras and theaters listed below support the musi-cians 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.

CLUBS/SINGLE ENGAGEMENTS/FESTIVALS

bugs Beddow & the Good STuFFAug. 7: Dearborn Homecoming Festival, Main

Stage, 8-10 pm; 313.943.5478; http://cityofdearborn.org/homecoming

Aug. 21: Stray Cat Lounge, Clinton Twp, 9:30 pm; 586.741.8544; reverbnation.com/bugsbeddowband

Aug. 26: River Crab, St. Clair, 6-10 pm; 810.329.2261; rivercrabbluewaterinn.com

Sept. 18: Farmington Harvest Moon Dance, 7-11 pm; 248.473.7276; http://www.downtown-farmington.org/Downtown-Events

Sept. 19: Grosse Pointe Woods Fall Festival, 6-10 pm; 313.343.2440

Sept. 4–7: Detroit Jazz Festival, dedicated this year to the memory of Local 5 member Marcus Belgrave, 1936-2015; 855-JAZZDET; http://www.detroitjazzfest.com

OPERA AND THEATER PERFORMANCES

Oct. 17–25: Michigan Opera Theatre, La Boheme; 313.237.SING [7464]; michiganopera.org

Nov. 10–15: Fox Theatre, How the Grinch Stole Christ-mas; 800.745.3000; olympiaentertainment.com

ORCHESTRAL & OTHER CLASSICAL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCESSept. 19: Michigan Philharmonic, “Haflah! Arab

Fusion Fest”; 734.451.2112; michiganphil.orgSept. 20: Dearborn Symphony, “Music on the

Meadow”; 313.565.2424; dearbornsymphony.org Oct. 4: Detroit Chamber Winds and Strings,

“The Echo of Tin Lizzie,” featuring David Buck, flute; 248.559.2095; detroitchamberwinds.org

Oct. 17: Livonia Symphony, “Dance Around the World”; 734.421.1111; livoniasymphony.org

Nov. 12–14: Detroit Symphony, “Debussy’s Sensu-ous La Mer,” featuring Yoonshin Song, violin; 313.576.5111; dso.org

Local 5 Support Line

Sing a SongJohn’s wife likes to sing . She decided to join the church choir . From time to time she would practice while she was in the kitchen preparing dinner . Whenever she would start in on a song, John would head outside to the porch .

His wife, with hurt feelings, said, “What’s the matter? Don’t you like my singing?”

John replied, “Honey, I love your singing, but I just want to make sure the neighbors know I’m not beating you .”

When I’m sad, I just sing; then I realize my voice is worse than my problems .

I used to sing a lot but had trouble with my throat . (Audiences kept threatening to cut it.) Since I couldn’t find anyone to sing with me, I went out and bought a Duet Yourself book .

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 .

IMPORTANT REMINDERPlease keep your life insurance beneficiary

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

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 ([email protected]).

FOR SALE: Hammond organ, B-3, & Leslie speak-er. Beautiful, great-sounding instrument. Dark wood, coveredback,bench.$3,000;YamahaDX21keyboard-Speaker-Scorpion,$500; Yamahababygrandpia-no, $5,000.ContactNancy at 248.477.9314or email [email protected]

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TEMPO Contributions, End of 1st Quarter through 2nd Quarter

Marcy ChanteauxWallace FitzWallace FitzStephen McKenzie

Robert MurrayRobert Murray

TOTAL=$21.00

— Comedy Corner —

http://reverbnation.com/bugsbeddowband

http://www.rivercrabbluewaterinn.com

http://www.downtownfarmington.org/Downtown-Events

http://www.michiganopera.org

http://www.olympiaentertainment.com

http://www.michiganphil.org

http://www.dearbornsymphony.org

http://www.detroitchamberwinds.org

http://www.livoniasymphony.org

http://www.dso.org


Chris nordman, Federation Sponsor

and main entertainer at the party

Phil & norka Grameno

Doug & Minka Cornelsen

The Great 30/50-Year Party of 2015

Federation Sponsors($100 and up)

Not pictured: Ed ZelenakAl McKenzie George Troia


PAR

Ty

PH

OT

OS

By

RA

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IGG

S

Partnership Sponsors($75–$99)

Not pictured: Al Ayoub, Ray Duk, Peggy Tundo

Linda BorushkoSue Ayoub

Congratulations, Honorees!

Phil Grameno, 70 years

Earl deForest, 70 years

Gerry Gravelle, 70 years Dave Pydyn, 50 years

Sam Tundo


Bonus Party Photos

< DFM Executive Board members at the party (l-r): Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub; Bob Lymperis; Al McKenzie (outgoing); President George Troia (in front); Vice President Doug Cornelsen; new members Patrick Zelenak and Lynne Marie Mangan


30-year MembersScott Armstrong

Paul Becker

Douglas Beddow

Leonard Bizon Sr

David Booker

Brian Buckmaster

David DeClark

Lawrence Fratangelo

Karen Hofbauer

Janet Houston

Marshall Hutchinson

Stefan Kukurugya

William Lucas

Michael Pashenee

Luis Resto

Marla Smith

50-year MembersPaul Ganson

Walter Mison Jr

Carol Ober

Robert Pinterich

David Pydyn

Gerald Robotka

Richard Wigginton

70-year MembersMargaret Cannon

Earl DeForest

Philip Grameno

Gerald Gravelle

Joseph Oddo

Frank Rizzo

75-year MemberHarry Gordon

LOCAL 5 HONOR ROLL 30/50-Year Party Sponsors New 30/50 (and More) Members

Federation Sponsors$100 and up

Stevland (Stevie Wonder) Morris

Ed Zelenak

Phil Grameno

George Troia

Doug Cornelsen

Al McKenzie

Chris Nordman

Partnership Sponsors$75–$99Ray Duk

Sam & Peggy Tundo

Linda Borushko

Sue & Al Ayoub

Friendship Sponsors$50–$74

Keith Claeys

Laura Larson

Greg & Helen Near

Jerome Perry

Special thanks to the donors who lightened the 30/50-Party load on Local 5’s budget . We extend our

gratitude and appreciation to all of you angels .

Ray Riggs was photographer. See all his party photos at: http://www.rayriggsphotography.com/Other/Musicians2015/49685177_WQh444

Bob Jones is congratulated on his Royal Oak Fine Arts Award as well as his 100th birthday .

An unexpected treat at the 30/50 Party was the perfor-mance by flutist William Underwood III . He is this year’s recipient of the Detroit Musicians Fund Kaplan Scholarship – a $1,000 annual scholarship to a music student at Wayne State, as selected by the music department faculty . To learn more, see the DFM information on page 18 .

• LOCAL 5 HONOR ROLL •

Keynote u 3rd Quarter 2015 u 18Keynote u 3rd Quarter 2014 u 19

• 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



Welcome, New and Reinstated Members

Dionna Beavers reports: “I have been playing the drums professionally since 1996. I am passionate about music and especially any and all things pertaining to drums. I am a graduate of Berklee College of Music. Although, I love all kinds of music when it comes to playing I excel at R&B, funk, pop, rock and gospel. I have had a number of eclectic musical experiences that include being the drummer in the pit orchestra for productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Fiddler on the Roof. I, along with my writing partner, wrote, arranged and performed the music for an original gospel play entitled ‘Tell Somebody.’ I have performed with numerous Detroit artists including the late Motown legend Rudy Robinson, Detroit’s Daughter of the Blues Ejuana ‘Fire’ Taylor, The Donald Baker Band, Darrin McKinney and the Prisms of Jazz, and Straight Ahead to name a few. I am currently the drummer for Church of the New Cov-enant Baptist–Detroit. I am also the drummer for Yvette Meadows & The Family. I am always looking for any op-portunity to play, but at this juncture in my career am par-ticularly interested in fulfilling some of the things on my musical ‘bucket list,’ Some of those things include but are not limited to finding positions that include traveling and touring. I would also be interested in a position playing music on a cruise ship or playing Las Vegas.”

Nicole “Sky” Covington is a native Detroit singer/songwriter and a multi-award-winning musician, includ-ing multiple categories of the Detroit Music Awards and Detroit Black Music Awards. She has opened for and toured with other Detroit notables, such as Straight Ahead and The Original Vandellas. Her influences reflect a varied palette, from Nina Simone to Erykah Badu, from midcen-tury jazz vocalists, 70s disco and funk to current house and world music. Sky traveled the world for 9 years, eventually landing in New Orleans where, with the help of fellow poet-activist John Sinclair, she settled into residency at the Audubon Hotel. Over the next 9 years in New Orleans, she came into her own, working with top musicians. Since she returned to Detroit, she has released various albums and a book of poetry entitled The Reflections of a Lazy Brain.

Gerald and Carol Ervin want us to know that they are lead vocalists in the Sounds of Imani, which is a contem-porary gospel duo/group performing since 1996. They are

a Season 4 Prayze Factor Award-winning artist in two cat-egories: contemporary gospel duo/group and urban con-temporary gospel duo/group. They were also 2015 Detroit Music Award nominees for the Gospel Artist and Gospel Recording Must be an Angel. Plus, they are versatile in per-forming gospel-jazz cover songs, original material and more.

Garrett Gaina says he is a dependable young musician who wants to get his career going. He has played primarily in jazz formats but has classical experience on saxophone and clarinets and pop R&B experi-ence on baritone saxo-phone.

Renee Gunn writes, “Music is my passion, not just as a performer, but as one who has a general appreciation of the arts. I enjoy singing/directing. I am an alto. I want to work locally but my end goal is to travel abroad. I am interested in being booked with a live band as well as stage musicals both singing and acting. I teach choral arrangements, jazz ensemble, gospel Christian contemporary, traditional and barbershop.”

David Huckaby subs with the Detroit Symphony Or-chestra and is seeking additional work in the area.

Daniel Isaac, Jr. is a former member of the United States Navy Band.

Joseph O’Mara is a member of the Modern CAP Band who says: “I am a composer, arranger and multi instrumen-talist. Seeking work in shows, theater work and jazz gigs.”

Dr Jacqueline Shannon has a BA, MA and DMA in Music and has played Assistant Principal Horn with the San Diego Symphony on 2 hours’ notice. She is seeking work in orchestral, band, pit, chamber and all kinds of music. She also gives private French horn lessons.


Matthew Younglove is a South Carolina native who is an emerging artist and teacher of the saxophone. He cur-rently serves on the faculty of Wayne State University. He is pursuing the Doctor of Musicial Arts degree in Con-temporary Music at Bowling Green University in Ohio, where he was the saxophone teaching assistant for Dr. John Sampen. Additionally, he has served on the faculties of the University of South Carolina and Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. He was a Presser Scholar and graduated Summa Cum Laude from the University of South Car-olina, where he earned his Bachelor of Music degree in Saxophone Performance. He completed graduate studies at Northwestern University, where he earned a Master of Music in Saxophone Performance. His prinicpal teachers

include Connie Akers, Frederick Hemke, Clifford Leaman and John Sampan. He embraces new music and has com-missioned and premiered works by composers Ian Dicke, George Felmer, Simon Fink, Kurt Isaacson, Girar Kratz, David Maslanka, Marilyn Shrude, Benjamin Taylor, Amy Williams and Eric Wubbels. As a member of the award-winning Assembly Quartet, he frequently tours the US performing concerts and engaging in educational outreach performances. As a Conn-Selmer Artist Clinician, he plays Selmer (Paris) saxophones exclusively and is seeking work in orchestral saxophone, chamber music, section big band work and concertos. Wei Yu is the new Principal Cello with the Detroit Sym-phony.

Welcome, new and Reinstated Members, continued from page 19

Member Newsline

We want to hear your news, too . Simply contact Sue Barna Ayoub . You don’t have to write a thing, but anything you do write

would be gratefully appreciated .

Carl Karoub would like you to know that he has ready access to chamber music groups, as well as jazz groups, trios, quartets and quintets. He is looking for work in the theater, with orchestras, in clubs and studios, for weddings, parties and receptions, as well as at schools and senior residences. He also gives private lessons on French horn.

In April, international jazz artist James Tatum and his Trio Plus gave a smashing Educational Lecturer Perfor-mance sponsored by the Adult Learning Institute (ALI) of Oakland Community College, Orchard Ridge Campus – Smith Auditorium. Tatum’s theme was “Jazz Music: One of America’s Richest Forms of Cultural Heritage.” Mary Sugerman, president of ALI said: “[Your] brief History of Afro-American Music was both interesting and helpful. Your emphasizing that Jazz depends on the art of listening was a total revelation. It is such a gift to be able to express yourself and your feelings through Music.” The topics on the program were “What Is Jazz,” “How to Listen to Jazz,” “Periods of Jazz Styles” and “Improvisation in Jazz.”

The Local 5 band that played for Clawson’s July 4 parade, here assembled at the park (L-R): George Troia, Mike Zelenak, Bob Finzel, Bill Buckeyne and Joe Podorsek .

Don Ozga appears to have all his bases covered as a musi-cian. When he filled out his latest membership survey and responded to the form’s query, “What do you want known about you as a musician?”, he said: “The right notes, in the right place, at the right time, at the right volume, in the right style – and in tune.” He practices his musicianship in theater, symphony, studio work and brass ensembles. You may reach him at [email protected].


HOME ADDRESSLanny Austin43032 W. Kirkwood Dr.Clinton Twp., MI 48038Rayse Biggs3981 GuilfordDetroit, MI 48224Andrew Bishop4730 Dawson Dr.Ann Arbor, MI 48103Ann Cannell3126 Linwood Avenue Unit 7Royal Oak, MI 48073Vincenso (Vincent) Consiglio9300 ManorAllen Park, MI 48101Vittoria deRanieriVia Michele Rosi 73, 55100 Lucca, ItalyAnthony Di Maria741 Apple Hill LaneRochester, MI 48306John Douglas2946 Royal AveBerkley, MI 48072Hunter Eberly19200 Collinson Ave.Eastpointe, MI 48021Carol & Gerald Ervin15868 HuntingtonHarper Woods, MI 48225Renee Gunn1457 BlaineDetroit, MI 48206Philip Horn251 High StMonroe, NY 10950Takashi Iio23434 Middlebelt Rd.Farmington Hills, MI 48336

Jack Johnson6745 Forestview DriveClinton Township, MI 48036Velma Jones23200 Orleans Place Apt. 4028Southfield, MI 48033Rachel Klaus29501 Fryer DriveGibraltar, MI 48173Peter McCaffrey1405 Mohawk AveRoyal Oak, MI 48067Hong-yi Mo3468 Ashburnam RoadAnn Arbor, MI 48105Frank Rizzo31601 BreezewayChesterfield, MI 48047Michael Robinson Jr1330 N Chesnut StreetLansing, MI 48906-4757Kenneth Scribner8010 Blossom Heath BlvdSt. Clair Shores, MI 48080 Jacqueline Shannon9160 AndersonGrosse Ile, MI 48138Danny Shaw100 Evelyn Joy DriveSummerville, NC 29483Sharon Sparrow599 St Clair AveGrosse Pointe, MI 48230Michael Steiger1974 Traver Road Apt. 108Ann Arbor, MI 48103Jiamin Wang4103 Benjamin Ave, Apt 4Royal Oak, MI 48073

Jennifer Wey929 Kirts BlvdTroy, MI 48084Johanna Yarbrough90 Glynn Ct.Detroit, MI 48202Mingzhao Zhou1431 Washington Boulevard, Apt 1904Detroit, MI 48226HOME PHONEVincenso (Vincent) Consiglio313-386-2890John Hair231-343-9358Jacqueline Shannon310-871-4253Danny Shaw843-900-5560CELL PHONERonald English313-971-3810Carol Ervin313-308-5935Gerald Ervin313-308-5936Dennis (Maurice) Garcia734-652-7750

Renee Gunn313-926-0126Catherine Thomas313-405-3556EMAIL ADDRESSJoan [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected].

Directory Changes (3/20-7/20/15)

New Members (3/20-7/20/15)

Beavers, Dionna15001 Brookview Dr, Apt 301Riverview, MI 48193734-284-8737/[email protected], Nicole “Sky”1970 YemansHamtramck, MI [email protected], composer

Gaina, Garrett9969 Royal GrandRedford, MI [email protected] sax, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, alto sax, tenor saxHuckaby, David2791 Somerset Blvd #111Troy, MI [email protected]

Muir-Cotton, Jonathon4606 Sycamore DriveYpsilanti, MI [email protected] guitar/electric bassO’Mara, Joseph1519 S LakeshoreCarsonville, MI 48419810-622-9565/[email protected], flute, clarinet

Younglove, Matthew24111 Meridian Rd, Apt 118Grosse Ile, MI [email protected], Wei3909 Woodward Ave, #506Detroit, MI [email protected]

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.


MusiCares Foundation assists musicians, songwrit-

ers, composers, recording engineers and other music

industry professionals experiencing personal, medi-

cal 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, addictions issues, loss

of livelihood, dental emergencies, HIV/AIDS and oth-

er unforeseen crises . MusiCares’ assistance consists

of emergency financial grants, and/or referral to oth-

er 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 & Human Resources toll-free at 877-303-

6962 or visit www .grammy .com/MusiCares .

MusiCares for Music People

HOW TO STAy In GOOD STAnDInGTo 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, October 1. On Monday, November 2, all members who have not paid their dues will be suspended .

Expelled Members (3/20-6/30/15)Allen, KimberlyBerry, CharleneBlack, WoodyBrandon, DavidBrantley, LanarCanaday, EdwardCarter, WillieDonald, DenzelFairman, BradFarmer, MarthaFitzgibbon, PatrickGacki, CasimirGonthier, JohnGoodson, KathrynGroesbeck, KennethHobbs Parker, MicheleJablonowski, JerryJackson, DeblonJaworski, Mitchell

Jensen, GeraldJohnson, GeoffreyKochyan, AlyssaKosins, MartinLasister, BobbieLaughhunn, RoschelleMayer, LawrenceMiller, MarcusNabors, DemetriusPedraz, JeffreyRainey, PeterSmith, DarrellSmith, JamesStefanko, Scott FThomason-Redus, Caen Tolstyka, KyleToney, JohnYoung II, Jay

Resigned Members (3/20-6/30/15)Balmer, MatthewBredesen, DianeBuchanan-Gueringer, Heather

Edwards, DonnaFriedenzohn, EliasStillman, Jeffrey

Reinstated Members (3/20-7/20/15)Byerly, MarkColista, AlexanderDaniel Jr, IsaacDouglas, JohnErvin, CarolErvin, GeraldGunn, Renee

Hair, John DrJames Peters, ArleneNichols, AndrewShannon, JacquelineYoung, NolanZeigler, Ashaki

eBilling Important Notice

Members who give the union their email address will receive dues billings via eBill only unless they opt out of eBilliing . Please contact

Local 5 if you are unsure of your status or options .


Minutes: Executive Board Meeting, 3/17/15

The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to order at 11:09 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 Mr Onachuk, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to approve the agenda as presented, it was approved unanimously.

On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by Mr McKenzie, 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 Tuesday, April 28, at 10:00 am.

President Troia gave the following report:Regarding the DSO, a special letter, concerning a past practice that

was not in the previous agreements regarding move-up pay in the first violin section, was drafted, accepted, and signed. Also, the orchestra voted ‘Yes’ on ratifying the new AFM Integrated Media Agreement. Finally, a special letter was also agreed upon covering subs and extras as it pertains to the IMA.

A ratification vote by the Michigan Opera Theatre orchestra also on the AFM Integrated Media Agreement is currently underway via US Mail.

Finally, President Troia thanked the members of the Board for attend-ing the Nominating and Membership Meetings held on the previous Sunday. He expressed his appreciation for their service, as well as their willingness to serve.

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

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from Donell Snyder, Andrea Yun, Alison (Yu-Chia) Chang, Joseph Wor-rall, Brianna Ray, John Juco, Sean Smith and Daphna Raz. On motion by VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr Conway, to accept the application, it was accepted unanimously.

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

11:53 am Meeting recessed.12:05 pm Meeting resumed. President Troia and Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a budget to the Board

for fiscal year 4/1/2015 to 3/31/2016. Discussion took place regarding the need for major repairs to the parking lot. Though the union has more than enough savings to pay for the repairs, Mr Denniston suggested there be a fundraiser (or fundraisers) to replace the assets spent. Mr Onachuk suggested the proceeds from the raffle at the 30/50-year party go towards this purpose. Sec/Treas Ayoub suggested a fundraising committee be formed to take on and oversee the task of raising the money. Mr McKenzie said our biggest asset is that we are entertainers. If a venue were donated,

significant funds could be raised by a special event (or events) for this purpose. On motion by Mr McKenzie, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to approve the budget, it was approved unanimously.

President Troia and Sec/Treas Ayoub reported that the union has been receiving complaints from members about the particularly aggressive sales approach being used by American Income Life. Mr Conway sug-gested the union investigate the possibility of severing relations with AIL and that President Troia speak again with AFM International President Ray Hair about this, since he is a member of the AIL Board. The board continued to discuss its options. Executive session was called.

Moving on to another insurance-related topic, Sec/Treas Ayoub re-ported that the agent through which the union purchases its life insur-ance for the members (the insurance referred to in the local bylaws – a distinct policy from the one referred to above) is under investigation by MetLife and the insurance departments of the states of Florida, Con-necticut and Oregon. MetLife has terminated its relationship with this agent (located in Florida).

Subject to approval by the AFM International Executive Board, MetLife is offering to issue a new policy directly to the AFM to cover existing enrolled locals (such as Local 5). The new policy would honor the rate guarantee for the duration of the term of the old policy. Sec/Treas Ayoub is working directly with the AFM and Metlife on this issue. Both the AFM and MetLife have made this transition quite seamless.

President Troia read a thank you note to the officers from Phyllis Plis-kow, widow of recently deceased Local 5 member Dan Pliskow.

Mr McKenzie reported that he recently hosted a town hall meeting in his studio at Local 5 headquarters – the purpose of which was to discover church musicians’ perception of the union and ultimately to entice them to join. Fifteen people attended, representing a cross-section of church musicians in the area.

Many had never been to the building before and were not famil-iar with the benefits, such as insurance and contracts. Many are used to working under a ‘hand shake’ agreement. Other church musician asso-ciations do exist for them. Mr McKenzie plans to hold another meeting next month and believes the union could play the role of negotiator and be beneficial in that capacity to both sides.

1:04 pm On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.

PLAnnInG TO BE AWAy TEMPORARILy?

Please let us know, because the post

office charges Local 5 for

returned issues of Keynote!




The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to order at 10:01 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, Robert Lymperis and Paul Onachuk.

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

10:09 am Alonza McKenzie joined the meeting.On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Conway, 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 Wednesday, May 20, at 11:00 am, as per Local 5 Bylaw: “The installation of Officers and Board of Directors shall take place on the Wednesday immediately following the date of the election at an Executive Board meeting.”

President Troia gave the following report:The recently negotiated AFM Integrated Media Agreement has

been ratified by the Michigan Opera Theater Orchestra. They had pre-viously taken advantage of the agreement for the recording of the opera Cyrano. President Troia attended an open dress rehearsal of the opera Frida at the Detroit Institute of Arts. He was informed the published start time and the original time the orchestra was given were a half-hour off. However, the performance ended in time to comply with the agreement language. The opera was outstanding, as was the chamber opera orchestra.

President Troia attended a special lecture and rededication of the reading room at the Walter P Reuther Library. Dr. Philip Mason, a founding board member, gave the dedication and spoke about the founding of the library 40 years ago on the WSU campus. The library not only houses the documents of the UAW, but also the AFT, AFSME, UFW, and many more. President Troia is exploring ways to have a pos-sible relationship with the library as a repository for the union’s records.

As a follow-up to Board Member Conway’s request, President Troia made contact with Sherri Chmiel, co-coordinator for special events at the Detroit Zoo, and invited her to visit the local’s website and consider our musicians when setting up their summer series, Wild Nights.

Payment was received by musicians of Locals 802 and 5 from a broadcast that aired in October, 2014 on WBGO/NPR, New Jersey. The performance originally occurred at the 2014 DJF with Wallace Roney. There was quite a bit of ‘back-and-forth’ between Bob Pawlo, Local 802; Pat Varriale, AFM Director of Electronic Media; Sec/Treas Ayoub, President Troia and National Public Radio to make this pay-ment come about.

President Troia attended the annual performance presented by the James Tatum Foundation for the Arts, Inc. at Orchestra Hall on Sun-day, March 22. The concert showcased the extraordinary talents that the Foundation nourishes. Congratulations to James Tatum and his Foundation. President Troia also attended the April 17th concert of the Dearborn Symphony, featuring DSO Principal Trombonist Ken Thompkins. He and the orchestra were outstanding. President Troia expressed his disappointment at the size of the audience. Mr Conway spoke about a problem a student of his had with not being paid – that the Dearborn Symphony refused to do right thing and give the student information about how payment works with them. He and his student spoke with Sec/Treas Ayoub about this, and Mr Conway appreciated

being able to get tangible proof with his student of why it matters to be in the union.

Sec-Treas Ayoub and President Troia attended a free training session presented by attorneys Richard Mack and Robert Fetter of Miller-Cohen PLC at the AFSME building on Monday, April 20. The officers heard very informative presentations on organizing and right-to-work, as well as labor law updates on both subjects. The officers have handout materials for any Board member interested.

10:28 am David Denniston joined the meeting.This being the last formal board meeting of the term, President

Troia thanked the directors for their service to the union and, especially, in helping him through his first term as president. He looks forward to working with those who plan to continue. He offered a sincere thanks and best wishes to both Mr Conway and Mr McKenzie who are leav-ing the board. On behalf of the union, he presented a certificate of appreciation to both gentlemen for their service.

President Troia passed around one of the thank you notes sent to the officers by Idele Beltzman after the death of her mother. Ms Beltzman is a former Local 5 employee, who later worked for the AFM in Cali-fornia in electronic media.

President Troia spoke about live music at the local’s 30-year party and that there had been comments that last year it was loud for conver-sation. In the recent past, live music had been kept down to one player only. The board agreed to go back to that plan.

About the complaints that the office has been getting about the ag-gressive approach being used by the sales agents from American Income Life: Complaints seem to be fewer now. The board was read the terms of the informal agreement made between the local and the company, pertaining to restrictions on how union members are contacted by the company.

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 Onachuk, seconded by Mr McKenzie, to approve the reports, they were approved unanimously.

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

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from David Huckaby, Dionna Beavers and Wei Yu. On motion by Mr Conway, seconded by Mr Denniston, to accept the applications, they were accepted unanimously.


Sec/Treas Ayoub reported that she had been asked by the Detroit Blues Society to present a Resolution of Respect for deceased Local 5 member Eddie “Guitar” Burns to his family at an upcoming perfor-mance in their Blues Heritage Series, which is a tribute to Mr Burns. She handed around the Resolution to be signed by the members of the board.

11:33 am On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.




11:15 am A moment of silence was observed in memory of Local 5 76-year member Tony Russo, who recently passed away.

Immediately afterwards, AFM Local 542-Flint President Joseph Boettger swore in the newly elected Local 5 officers who were in atten-dance: George Troia, Susan Barna Ayoub, David Denniston, Lynne Marie Mangan, Robert Lymperis, Paul Onachuk, Patrick Zelenak and David Horger. After the Official Installation of officers, President Boettger and Mr Horger left the meeting.

The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to order at 11:18 am, President George Troia being in the chair, as well as Secretary-Treasurer Susan Barna Ayoub being present. Also present were Executive Board Members David Denniston, Lynne Marie Mangan, Robert Lymperis, Paul Onachuk and Patrick Zelenak.

While the board studied the agenda, President Troia announced that he would like to move the Officer Election business to the beginning of the meeting. On motion by Mr Denniston, seconded by Mr Lymperis, to approve the agenda as amended, it was approved unanimously.

PresidentTroiaaskedtheboardtoapprovestipendsof$100eachforthe members of the Election Committee (Michael McGillivray, Ben-jamin Pruitt Sr and Patricia Ross-Terry), as well as for Local 542-Flint President Joseph Boettger for his time and travel to come to the union and swear in the board. On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Ms Mangan, to approve the stipends, they were approved unanimously. Presi-dent Troia went on to report that Mr Pruitt attended the counting of the ballots by the American Arbitration Association, along with himself and Sec/Treas Ayoub. Ms Ayoub shared the certified results of the election, which were good percentage-wise compared to other locals. There are always things to be learned from each election. Next time there will be additional emphasis placed on the importance of following the directions on the ballot and the importance of submitting a Representative Autho-rization Form before the Nominating Meeting – regardless of whether you plan to be in attendance or not.

11:26 am Meeting recessed.11:34 am Meeting resumed.On motion by Mr Zelenak, 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 Thursday, June 18, at 11:00 am.

President Troia gave the following report:President Troia offered his congratulations to the entire board. He is

honored and thrilled to look ahead to the next three years with the ex-pectation of making the lives of the members better. He stated, “We have a great opportunity to enhance the way we can make music an integral part of the ongoing recovery in southeast Michigan and beyond to wher-ever our membership lives. Thank you for committing to being a part of this. Each of us can do many things, but together we do most anything.”

President Troia reported that, in continuing to encourage a collabora-tion with the Reuther Library, he was given a more extensive tour of the facility on Friday, May 15 by Dr. Jones. They discussed the possibilities of housing some of the local’s records there. The library already houses re-cords from AFT, AFTRA, the UAW, the UFW, the city of Detroit, Focus HOPE and the DSO.

Negotiations with Olympia Entertainment for work at the Fox The-atre will commence this summer in anticipation of the expiration of the current agreement on August 31, 2015. Olympia and the Federal

Mediators will be notified next week. The Committee, which consists of Susan Barna Ayoub, Christa Grix, Dave Denniston and Paul Onachuk, in addition to President Troia, will meet on June 10, 2015 to discuss the successor agreement.

President Troia thanked the board members for attending and sup-porting Local 5’s annual 30/50 year party! It was a very successful event. Discussion and planning for next year will take place in the coming months.

Before diving into Sec/Treas Ayoub’s monthly report, the board dis-cussed Local 5’s finances, as well as some AFM issues that impact national finances. The AFM had the intention of moving its New York offices but nevertheless has continued to be headquartered as renters on Time Square. The AFM West Coast office was relocated into offices of the Los Angeles Local 47 in order to save money. In October 2013, Local 5’s membership approved an assessment (temporary membership dues increase) for two years. The assessment, in addition to continued ‘belt-tightening’ at the local, has moved our finances into the black.

Ms Ayoub will do an updated comparison of the AFM locals’ Labor Management reports, including information such as annual membership dues amounts and number of members, to see how we are doing in comparison to other similar-sized locals and inform near-future decision making.

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

12:31 pm Meeting recessed. 12:36 pm Meeting resumed.Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Payroll reports. On motion by Mr

Lymperis, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to approve the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Officers’ Expenses and Charge Cards reports. On motion by Ms Mangan, seconded by Mr Lymperis, to ap-prove the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from Isaac Daniel Jr and Garrett Gaina. On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Zelenak, to accept the applications, they were accepted unanimously.


Moving on to Old Business: On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to confirm a board email poll, approving a hardship request from a member, it was confirmed unanimously.

President Troia shared information on the bids he had gathered for major repairs of the parking lot that he considered to be the best. The costwillbearound$55,000.Discussionfocusedonthedepthofthebase,as well as on work currently being done by the city of Southfield on wa-terlines that is impacting the parking lot and its driveways. The city work should be completed by July 4.

Moving on to New Business: President Troia spoke to the newly elected board about general protocols as they pertain to attendance and board business.

1:24 pm On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Lymperis, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.



Executive Board minutes continue on page 28


The regular monthly meeting of the Executive Board was called to order at 11:00 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 Lynne Marie Mangan, Robert Lymperis, Paul Onachuk and Patrick Zelenak.

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

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

11:10 am David Denniston joined the meeting. He was greeted en-thusiastically by the other members of the board. Mr Denniston reported that his first scans after his chemotherapy treatments came back all clear.

The next meeting of the Executive Board will take place on Thursday, July 16 at 11:00 am.

President Troia gave the following report:The Local 5 2015 Election Committee met on Friday, June 5 to review

the recently concluded election. In attendance were committee members Michael McGillivray and Ben Pruitt Sr; Local 5 officers George Troia and Susan Barna Ayoub; and, Local 5 legal counsel Mami Kato. Preparations for the election, the nominating meeting, and subsequent election were dis-cussed, with emphasis on making the process more efficient in the future. The committee stands as formally discharged with gratitude.

The Fox Theatre Committee met on June 10 to discuss proposals for talks regarding the successor agreement at the Fox with Olympia Enter-tainment. Nine proposals were agreed upon and presented to a manage-ment team at the Fox Theatre the next day.

Final bids were entered for the demolition and rebuilding of Local 5’s parking lot. Based on previous discussion, price and recommendations, True North Asphalt has been hired to do the work, which is planned for lateJuly, for thepriceof$52,900.00.Thisprice includesreplacingthedrain basins and rear drain system, as well as replacing the current lot with four inches of new asphalt, covering approximately 19,000 square feet.

President Troia expressed his appreciation to those present who at-tended the Marcus Belgrave funeral on June 1. There was a genuine outpouring of sympathy and respect for Mr Belgrave, a truly beloved member, and his family.

President Troia attended the Biannual State Convention of the Michi-gan AFL-CIO on Wednesday and Thursday, June 3 and 4, at the Motor City Casino Convention Center. A “union of unions representing one million current and retired members in Michigan,” there were 235 del-egates present representing 155 unions. Awards were presented to US Senator Carl Levin and US Representative John Dingell among others. Central themes for the convention included Working for the middle-class, Closing the gap in income disparity, Opportunities for younger workers and Resolutions packages that addressed Quality of Life-Jobs and Economic Justice. Statewide bills to look out for include the Prevail-ing wage bill, HB 4052 - Designed to strip municipal authority, HB 4311 – Easier to decertify union representation, HB 4312 – Extend RTW to police and firefighters, HB 4428 – Force union to recertify periodically, and SB 280 – Reallocate electoral process. Finally, the newly elected President of the Michigan AFL-CIO is Ron Bieber, son of former UAW President Owen Bieber. President Troia also mentioned that American Income Life had representatives present at the convention.

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 VP Cornelsen, to receive the reports, they were received unanimously.

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

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented the Officers’ Expenses and Charge Cards reports. On motion by Ms Mangan, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to ap-prove the reports, they were approved unanimously.

Sec/Treas Ayoub presented a report of New Member Applications from Jacqueline Shannon, Matthew Younglove and Jonathon Muir-Cot-ton. On motion by VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr Onachuk, to accept the applications, they were accepted unanimously. Sec/Treas Ayoub will research what is involved to use Paypal automatic withdrawal from mem-bers’ bank accounts for regular payments with an opt in.

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 VP Cornelsen, seconded by Mr Denniston, to approve a request from the Leo Rea Band (the Rea Deal) for permission to donate services for a church benefit on June 28, it was approved unanimously.

On motion by Mr Onachuk, seconded by Mr Zelenak, to approve the date of October 19 for the 2015 Semi-Annual Membership Meeting, it was approved unanimously. Sec/Treas Ayoub will set it up as an Event at the union’s Facebook page to raise member awareness of the meeting.

Two resolutions will be presented to the members: one will be a re-presentation of the Youth Membership Resolution that was put to the members in 2014. Unfortunately, there was no quorum at that meeting, so the resolution could not be voted on. The board discussed the basis for the resolution, specifically the “age heavy” demographic of the local and the importance of planning for the future by encouraging younger musicians to join. The union currently has 220 members over the age of 70. It is im-portant to bring in significant numbers of young people to fill their places. On motion by Mr Denniston, seconded by Ms Mangan, to bring this reso-lution again to the membership for a vote, it was approved unanimously.

The second resolution is as follows:Resolution 2 for the Semi-Annual Meeting 10-19-15

Article II Membership Section 3 (Dues)Whereas, the membership of the Detroit Federation of Musicians,

AFM Local 5 overwhelmingly voted for a temporary assessment in membershipduesof$10peryearfor2014and2015,raisingregularan-nualduesfrom$150to$170peryear(theadditional$10oftheannual$20increasewasassessedbytheAFMinPerCapitaincreaseatthe2013convention), and

Whereas, the said assessment has helped create a balanced budget for the first time in many years, and

Whereas, the financial health of the local is improving but not yet at the level recommended by our Certified Public Accountant, and

Whereas, we would like to continue to improve the financial condi-tion of the local,

Therefore,BeItResolvedthatthe$10assessmentratifiedattheOc-tober 2013 Semi-Annual Membership Meeting be made permanent in theLocal5DuesstructureandthatRegularAnnualDuesremainat$170.

On motion by Mr Zelenak, seconded by Ms Mangan, to approve bringing Resolution 2 to the membership for a vote, it was approved unanimously. The board continued its ongoing discussion about the fu-ture development of the local and the importance of engaging youth and emerging genres of music by the union.

The officers spoke with the board about a request received by the



Grace “Carroll” Banks passed away on February 22, 2015 at the age of 100. She was born on August 4, 1914 in Chillicothe, OH, and affiliated with Local 5 in 1943. A 72-year member, she played the piano and solovox and sang. Grace started her career singing on a Portsmouth, OH, radio station with two of her sisters known as The Carroll Sisters. She continued her solo music career play-ing piano and singing at numerous lounges in the Detroit area. She was also a registered Parliamentarian who taught parliamentary procedure at Detroit Public Schools.

Marcus Belgrave died on May 26, 2015, at the age of 78. He was born on June 12, 1936, in Chester, PA, and affiliated with Local 5 in 1968. A 44-year member, he played the trumpet, bass, piano and drums. A jazz and educational icon, he chose De-troit as his home when he came off the road with Ray Charles’ band in 1963. He was attracted to the steady work at Motown

and became a central figure in the Detroit jazz community. He and pianist Harold McKinney mentored an astounding number of younger musicians who went on to be well-known and influential in their own right.

Over the years, he performed with Charles Mingus, Dizzy Gillespie, McCoy Tyner and Aretha Franklin. He is survived by a large family, including his widow, Local 5 member Joan Belgrave, and son, Local 5 member Kasan Belgrave.Aladino Cimarelli passed away on March 6, 2015 at the age of 97. He was born on March 23, 1917 in Longacre, WV, and affiliated with Local 5 in 1936. A 79-year member, he played the accordion. His career of more than 50 years began at age 11 when Al started playing accordion at events in Detroit. Part of the

Closing Chord bbMen About Town trio, Al performed on WJR radio, trav-eled for the Ford Motor Company and played at Topinka’s Country House restaurant. In the 1950’s Al owned and operated Detroit’s Blue Danube restaurant, serving recipes from his family’s home Italian province of Tuscany. Later, when he moved to Arizona, he and his sons owned and operated the Hub Cafe in Cordes Junction and the Hub Steakhouse in Prescott Valley.Raymond Groesbeck died on May 10, 2015 at the age of 78. He was born on January 22, 1927 in Detroit and af-filiated with Local 5 in 1952. A 63-year member, he played the bass and saxophone. Ray graduated from Cass Tech’s Music Department and, at age 16, started his own band called the Ray King Band.William Hart passed away on January 14, 2015 at the age of 73. He was born on June 16, 1941 in Cedar Rapids, IA and affiliated with Local 5 in 1965. A 50-year member, he played the trumpet. Bill toured with the Tommy Dorsey Orchestra for six months and then returned to Michigan State University obtaining his Master’s Degree in math-ematics. He taught math at Macomb Community College for 46 years and was named Michigan’s “Professor of the Year” in 1989.“Lucky Linda” Hunter died on June 5, 2015 at the age of 58. She was born on August 4, 1956 in Dearborn and affiliated with Local 5 in 2000. A 10-year member, she played the piano, guitar and omnichord. Lucky Linda also sang and composed music. Joseph “Joe Karr” Krejci passed away on April 20, 2015 at the age of 96. He was born on June 14, 1918 in Detroit and affiliated with Local 5 in 1935. An 80-year member, he played the saxophone, clarinet, piano and organ. Joe was a member of the Detroit Concert Band under Leonard Smith for 15 years; served as organist and choir director of the Scovel Presbyterian Church for over 25 years; taught band/orchestra in the Detroit Public Schools for 35 years, and entertained in all major Detroit venues and shows during his professional life in the area. Joe’s grandfather (also named Joseph Krejci) was a founding member of the Detroit Musicians’ Mutual Protective Union (founded in 1881), later incorporated as The Musicians’ Protective



and Benevolent Association of Detroit. This organization joined the American Federation of Musicians in 1903 and at that point became known as The Detroit Federation of Musicians, Local 5.

To quote Local 5 President William Bailey, “When we realize that in those days the Musicians as well as the other useful members of society did not take kindly to the idea of cooperating for their mutual benefit, and if they did at-tempt to organize, were called anarchists and enemies of society, we must agree that we owe a debt of gratitude to those intrepid pioneers in their early attempts at organiza-tion.” Indeed...Dr. Marjorie Ross died on April 14, 2014 at the age of 95. She was born on November 10, 1918 in Detroit and affiliated with Local 5 in 1937. A 76-year member, she played drums, flute and viola. As a child, Dr Ross received a violin from her grandfather and became very proficient on the instrument. She also learned to play the flute and the drums. During World War II, Marge was the drummer in an all-women USO band that played in various venues for the troops.

She was past president of the Battle Creek Symphony. Professionally, Dr Ross was the first female optometrist in Battle Creek, first female president of the Michigan Op-tometric Association and first woman to chair the Michi-gan Board of Examiners in Optometry. She received the Board’s first Keyman Award and First Lifetime Achieve-ment Award.Anthony “Tony” Russo passed away on May 18, 2015 at the age of 93. He was born on December 16, 1921 in Detroit and affiliated with Local 5 in 1939. A 76-year member, he played the trombone, violin, bass, trumpet and baritone horn. Tony was a long-time teacher and band director at Dearborn High School, as well as conductor of his own Tony Russo Concert Band.

Closing Chord, continued from page 27

union from a researcher who would like to have access to the local’s re-cords. Discussion ensued. Mr Denniston suggested the researcher provide the board with an overview of his project, the scope of his research, what he hopes to publish and when.

1:24 PM On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned. On motion by Mr Zelenak, sec-onded by Ms Mangan, to approve bringing Resolution 2 to the mem-bership for a vote, it was approved unanimously. The board continued its ongoing discussion about the future development of the local and the im-portance of engaging youth and emerging genres of music by the union.

The officers spoke with the board about a request received by the union from a researcher who would like to have access to the local’s re-cords. Discussion ensued. Mr Denniston suggested the researcher provide the board with an overview of his project, the scope of his research, what he hopes to publish and when.

1:24 PM On motion by Mr Lymperis, seconded by VP Cornelsen, to adjourn the meeting, it was adjourned.

6/18/15 Executive Board Minutes, continued from page 26

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.

Contributions from end of 1st Quarter, 2015, and 2nd QuarterOur sincere thanks and appreciation to all those who helped out financially during the last quarter:

TOTAL = $200

Finally, the children of Mrs. Anne-Marie Matchulat and her late husband, Ernie Matchulat, donated an additional$100aspartofregularongoingdonationsin his memory.

Carl Karoub Alonza McKenzie

Robert Welch

volume 78 number 3 q3, 2015 - detroit federation …•in memoriam• official publication of the...

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