Category Archives: Features

Bowled Over – Celebrating 25 Years With the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra

by Linda A. Rapka

In July of 1991, after a three-decade hiatus, the notion to revive an orchestra from the obscurity of distant memory became reality with a string of Independence Day concerts at the Hollywood Bowl. Rebranded in both name and impetus, the new Hollywood Bowl Orchestra made its debut under the leadership of LA Philharmonic Association executive vice president/managing director Ernest Fleischmann and the newly appointed principal conductor, John Mauceri. A quarter century later, HBO stands as a pioneer in the orchestral world and continues to deliver an eclectic repertoire as diverse as Hollywood itself. Continue reading →

68th Emmy Awards

Congratulations to all of the Los Angeles Local 47 & AFM members who received 2016 Annual Emmy Awards nominations and awards, and to all of the talented L.A. musicians who performed on over FIFTY of this year’s nominated series, commercials & TV specials! Winners were announced Sunday, Sept. 18. Continue reading →

H&W: Get Healthy, Stay Healthy

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Professional Musicians, Local 47 and Employers’ Health & Welfare Fund

Your health matters, to you and to your family

Getting healthy and staying that way doesn’t have to be complicated.

You can reduce your risk of many health problems by taking care of the basics, like preventive tests and exams and paying attention to your eye health, which might hint at bigger health issues.

Concentrate on these areas to get and keep yourself on track. Continue reading →

Meet the Musicians of the Pasadena Symphony Orchestra: Lisa Gass

Lisa Gass: Master Bass Crafter

Pasadena Symphony Orchestra member Lisa Gass not only knows how to play the bass – she knows how to build one.

The founding owner of Los Angeles Bass Works since 1984, Lisa showed an early aptitude for wood sculpture as a child after she received woodworking tools as a birthday gift. By age 13, having toyed around with piano and violin, she decided her true love was the string bass. Continue reading →

Orchestra Novo Honors Violinist Kathleen Lenski With Scholarship Fund

kathie Orchestra Novo has created a scholarship fund to honor acclaimed violinist, former Local 47 Life Member Kathleen Lenski. Fifty individuals contributed a total of $7,100 for students attending the Orchestra Novo Summer String Music Academy.

Twenty-three students from across the country attended the Academy, an immersive summer camp for committed music study. It took place at Camp Arroyo Grande July 17-24 and included string orchestra rehearsals, chamber groups, sectionals, individual coaching, as well as social activities, games, and swimming. In total, Orchestra Novo distributed $12,750 in scholarship funds to students attending the camp. Continue reading →

Final Note: Frederick Tinsley

Life Member. Bass
(4/17/1947 – 9/19/2016)

Credit: Mathew Imaging

by LA Philharmonic Association

Frederick (Fred) Tinsley, double bass player in the Los Angeles Philharmonic, passed away on September 19, 2016.

Mr. Tinsley, born March 3, 1940, is survived by his wife Juanita Tinsley, children Frederick Douglas Tinsley Jr., Tania Tinsley Little, and Karen Tinsley Williams, and stepchildren Danielle Acoff and Dion Acoff. Continue reading →

ProMusicDB.org Announces Free Webinar in Advance of 9/28 Launch Date

The launch date for enrollment with ProMusicDB.org, the first artist-controlled authority of music credits, is just around the corner on September 28 and the organization is offering a free launch party/webinar for any interested songwriters, musicians, producers and engineers. Registration is free at www.promusicdb.org.

In addition, some of the industry’s most respected organizations are already singing the praises of ProMusicDB.org’s revolutionary new platform:

“Protecting the best interests of musicians is the top priority for us, and ensuring proper credit to the work of musicians in the digital age is a major challenge. ProMusicDB.org is not only educating musicians on how important data is to preserving their musical legacies; it is also offering a valuable solution to collect and maintain musicians’ data through its platform.” – AFM Local 47 Continue reading →

Don’t Get Penalized! File for Your LA Business Tax & Creative Artist Exemption

business-tax If you are defined as a “creative artist” under the Los Angeles Municipal Code, you might be eligible for the Business Tax Exemption provision.

Under the Small Business Exemption, no tax is required of creative artists whose total annual taxable and nontaxable gross receipts attributable to creative activities do not exceed $300,000.

This exemption applies strictly to individual “creative artists” (individual, individual acting as a loan-out corporation, or individual acting through a limited liability company), when performing “creative activities” for “entertainment or aesthetic purposes.” It only applies to those receipts the creative artists earn from their creative activities and does not include income from any other source.

The exemption is available as of Jan. 1 during the business tax renewal period. Businesses must file a renewal in a timely manner in order to receive the exemption.
Continue reading →

Why Should You File for Unemployment Benefits?

by Lewis N. Levy, Esq.

Even the off-handed mention of filing for unemployment benefits sends most professional musicians scurrying for cover. Filing for unemployment benefits conjures up thoughts of waiting in long lines, dealing with unresponsive bureaucrats, and requires an understanding of the process. But what is most critical to any successful claim for unemployment is a finding by the California State Employment Development Department (EDD) that the musician (or other employee) seeking unemployment benefits is, as a matter of California law, a statutory “employee” of his/her employer, as opposed to a finding that the claimant is an independent contractor. Continue reading →

Made In Hollywood Honors For Television 2016

Made In Hollywood Honors Television 2016 took place at 1600 Vine the morning of Sept. 7, 2016 - AFM Local 47 EMD Administrator Gordon Grayson, Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, Recording Musicians Association International President Marc Sazer, AFM Local 47 Vice President Rick Baptist. (Not pictured: AFM Local 47 Secretary/Treasurer Gary Lasley)

Made In Hollywood Honors For Television 2016 – AFM Local 47 Electronic Media Division Administrator Gordon Grayson, Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund Executive Director Kim Roberts Hedgpeth, Recording Musicians Association International President Marc Sazer, AFM Local 47 Vice President Rick Baptist. Not pictured: AFM Local 47 Secretary/Treasurer Gary Lasley. (Photo: Linda A. Rapka)

The 4th Annual Made In Hollywood Honors For Television awards honored this year’s Emmy-nominated shows produced in California and the Los Angeles area in a star-studded program the morning of Sept. 7, 2016. Continue reading →