NOW HIRING

Local 148-462 Office Manager Needed

Now Accepting Resumes at office@atlantamusicians.com

Atlanta Federation of Musicians Local 148-462 is a significant chapter of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) representing around 700 musicians throughout Georgia, including the metropolitan areas of Atlanta, Athens, Augusta, Columbus and Macon. Our professional members perform every imaginable style of music – including blues, classical, country, ethnic/world music, hip-hop, jazz, rap, rock, and soul.

Every day, we help musicians negotiate fair agreements, protect ownership of recorded music, secure benefits like pension and Health and Welfare, and communicate with our Georgia and Federal legislators. The AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape, both locally and nationally.

The Office Manager position is key to streamlining communication and assisting in the running of the Local office. Working alongside the Secretary-Treasurer, they will manage the day-to-day tasks and collaborate on special projects. This person should have knowledge of the music industry and an interest in the Labor movement. Training through the AFL-CIO and American Federation of Musicians will be available.

Duties include:

Desired qualifications include:

NEA HERITAGE FELLOWSHIP

William Bell Honored as Mentor, Trailblazer for "Memphis Soul"

Longtime Local 148-462 member William Bell was awarded the highest honor our government can bestow upon an artist as the recipient of a 2020 National Endowment for the Arts Heritage Fellowship. As an early artist with Stax Records in Memphis, Tennessee, Bell was a game-changing contributor to what is now known as the “Memphis Sound”. Moving to Atlanta in the late ‘70s and a member of the Local since the mid-’80s, Bell continued to top the charts and hone his craft.

Heavily involved in the Stax Music Academy and the Take Me to the River Foundation, Bell has dedicated his spot in the limelight to passing on the legacy of Southern soul music to the next generation of young, aspirational artists.

Sitting down for a conversation, LEB Director John McCutcheon spoke with Bell about this honor and the importance of passing on the art of storytelling through his music.

2021 Educator Award

Ronda Respess’ Dedication to Music Excellence Lives on Franklin Pond Road

Ronda is the epitome of Music Education Excellence, not just through her previous work with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra Talent Development Program, but through her continued dedication to strengthening the skills of young musicians through Franklin Pond Chamber Music. As part of this award, the OTF is granting her $500 to contribute to a music education cause of her choice.

Founded in 2001, Franklin Pond Chamber Music began as a “Summer Intensive Program after realizing Atlanta’s need for a high quality summer program for serious string students”. From there, the program quickly grew into a year-round study of chamber music, enriching the lives of young musicians and allowing them to not only broaden their own horizons, but also bring the joy of music to their communities.

Since 2017, Franklin Pond Chamber Music has also held a yearly Chamber Music Competition, providing an opportunity to reward students for their music excellence.

Ronda is a retired violinist with the ASO, and Franklin Pond Chamber Music has garnered national attention for her students and intensive programs (affectionately named after the street where the program began).

Organizing Task Force

2020 Educator Award Winner: Meghan Yost; Violist

As the new school year begins and music educators face a difficult semester, our Local Executive Board and Organizing Task Force are extremely proud to present our Second Annual Educator Award to Local 148-462 member Meghan Yost.

Nominated by her peers within the Local throughout last Spring, Meghan was selected as the winner for her dedication to music education and her pursuit of professional development to be a true example of excellence for her students. Meghan approaches teaching by seeing the future of her students and giving them the musical tools to push through its challenges, be it during practice or in life.

As part of the award, Meghan was gifted a prize of $500 to be put toward a music education cause of her choice. With this award, she specifically chose to work with Atlanta Music Project, an organization dedicated to intensive, tuition-free music education for underserved youth in Atlanta, to set up a scholarship fund to sponsor students going through their annual AMP Summer Series.

Learn more about Meghan and this year’s award by .

If you would like to donate to Meghan’s scholarship fund, please , and designate “AMP Summer Artistic Excellence Scholarship “ in the “Anything Else We Should Know” memo box.

Expanded Streaming Rights

Electronic Media Agreements Remain Flexible Amid Shifting Working Conditions

By Christina Ottaviano

Recently, the AFM and the Electronic Media Association reached agreement on a side letter to the Integrated Media Agreement for the 2020-21 season, this agreement takes into account the unique challenges of the COVID work environment.

The side letter offers expanded streaming rights for orchestras committing to a percentage of their usual live compensation for the year. The Integrated Media Agreement is the primary Agreement used by Symphony Orchestras for recorded media. In our Local, the Atlanta Symphony, the Atlanta Ballet, and the Atlanta Opera work under the IMA, and all are considering special recording projects for the coming year.

Unsurprisingly, electronic media is taking a central role across the industry at the moment.

Several non-symphonic streaming agreements are also available as detailed in the July Podium, and for this year only, the Music Performance Trust Fund is offering grants for projects meeting specific criteria streamed live through their Facebook feed.

For more information, or to apply for one of these grants, contact the Local office. For more information on the range of Electronic Media Agreements available through the AFM, don’t miss the excellent primer in this month’s .

Off-Site Operations

Secretary-Treasurer's Notes: Continuing Relief Efforts

By Christina Ottaviano

The last couple of months have brought extraordinary change to the music industry. While there is much yet unknown about what lies ahead, the Atlanta Federation of Musicians is making every effort to adapt and prepare for an uncertain future. Office operations continue as usual, albeit remotely, with the dual goals of directing resources to the immediate needs of our membership and emerging from this crisis stronger than ever!

Among the initiatives we’ve been pursing is an earmarked fund for COVID relief for Georgia Musicians within MusiCares. To date, over $10,000 has been contributed to the fund with $5,000 of that being matching contributions from Local 148-462. If you’d like to contribute to this fund, you may do so at www.gofundme.com/GeorgiaCOVID-Musician-Relief-Fund. If you are in need of aid, you can apply for these funds by filling out the application at www.grammy.com/musicares.

In conjunction with the national office, we’ve been working with Local employers to establish a path forward in this new landscape. The American Federation of Musicians’ Electronic Media department has been working hard on solutions for this unexpectedly abrupt transition to digital performance, and talks are underway throughout the country to help our members and employers continue work in the digital realm. While there is no knowing what the timeline will be, The AFM is prepared to continue these conversations through the transition back to the concert hall.

As we continue to address the challenges of the present, we also have an eye toward the post-pandemic world. 2020 is an election year for Local 148 -462, and we encourage all of you to consider running for the office of your choice. Your voice is more important than ever in determining the direction of our Local. Nomination notices will be in your mailboxes later this month with more information on how you can participate.

A new website launch is on the horizon for late this summer. We are very excited to be rolling out an entirely new interface, complete with a repaired and improved directory, and a more intuitive and informative member portal. You may have noticed the Logo update in the header of this Podium, which is a small part of this project.

While in many ways this is a time with more questions than answers, our membership is working together to chart a course. There is no shortage of energy, creativity, and initiative among us, and one way or another, the music will play on.