The American Music Fairness Act, a joint effort by the AFM and the MusicFIRST Coalition, aims to bring attention to a decades long injustice that denies payment to music creators when their music is played on traditional radio. Continue reading
At the AFM Local 47 General Membership Meeting held via Zoom on October 25, 2021, a quorum was reached. A resolution to amend the bylaws to permanently allow electronic meetings was presented and discussed, as well as an amendment to that resolution.
Due to COVID-19 safety regulations, Local 47 is currently conducting all business electronically, including voting. Therefore, with the approval of the AFM and the Local 47 Election Board, we conducted this vote via Election Buddy, a secure electronic balloting system. Of the 62 attendees at the General Membership Meeting, 37 chose to participate in the voting process.
Resolution #1 passed with yes 32, no 4, abstention 1.
Amendment to Resolution #1 passed with yes 31, no 5, abstention 1.
– Paul Sternhagen, Election Board Chairperson
The full text of the Resolution and Amendment may be found in the members-only section of our website on the “Scales and Documents” page.
Life Member. Composer
3/14/1943 – 10/20/2021
by the Messina family
Frank Jerome Messina passed away in McMinnville, Oregon on October 20, 2021, of heart disease. He was 78.
Frank had a lifelong passion for music, especially the trumpet. He started as a studio musician for MGM in the ’60s. In college, he went on to tour with both the Beach Boys and Paul Revere and the Raiders, playing trumpet, flugelhorn and providing backup vocals. Continue reading
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Former Life Member. Violin
12/8/1924 – 10/21/2021
Local 47 Life Member, Russian born and internationally renowned violinist, Daniel Shindarov, passed away on October 21, 2021, in Hollywood at the age of 97.
Former concertmaster in the USSR of Moscow’s Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Orchestras, Daniel began his musical training with Pyotr Stolyarsky, who had also been the teacher of Misha Elman, Nathan Milstein and David Oistrakh, with whom Daniel later studied at the Moscow Conservatory.
After emigrating to the US in 1975, Daniel Shindarov served as concertmaster of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra, as well as long-time member of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra, the Master Symphony, the Seattle Symphony as well as numerous other ensembles. As a prominent studio musician in Los Angeles, Daniel also performed in many Film Scores and recording sessions.
A public memorial service will be held at 12 noon on November 7, 2021 at Mount Sinai Memorial Park, 5950 Forest Lawn Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90068 (Forest Lawn Drive Exit on the 134 Freeway).
Former Life Member. Composer/Orchestrator
5/27/1927 – 10/18/2021
Ralph Carmichael, prolific composer, Emmy Award winning arranger/conductor for Nat King Cole, Jack Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Roger Williams, composer of “The Blob” movie score and considered to be the Father of Contemporary Christian Music, died October 18, 2021, in Camarillo, Calif. He was 94. Continue reading
Member. Violin
7/18/1948 – 9/29/2020
by Cheri Jamison and La Mirada Symphony
As a student of Albert Gillis, James Stark began his violin studies at the age of seven in the San Francisco Bay area. In 1980, he was appointed concertmaster for the Heidelberg Chamber Orchestra and toured extensively in Europe and the United States performing in the major capital cities as a soloist in over 150 concerts. Continue reading
Life Member. Guitar
3/5/1934 – 9/16/2021
A Renaissance man with a deep love of music, flying, teaching, his rose garden, Cadillacs and especially Leah, his wife of 38 years, Ralph Santo Grasso was born March 5, 1934 in Newark, NJ; he left us on September 14, 2021 following heart surgery. Continue reading
“A unified voice makes for a happier workplace.”
– Rachel Berry, Horn
Member since 1995
Life Member. Piano
10/19/1931 – 8/1/2021
Pearl was a member of Local 47 for 64 years. She began her career at 14 by winning the UCLA Young Artist and the Los Angeles Outstanding Musicians auditions. Pearl was a trailblazer for female musicians in the film and recording industries. She was awarded scholastic and performance scholarships to the University of Southern California (USC), where she received both her Bachelor and Master Degrees in Music where she graduated Phi Kappa Phi, Pi Kappa Lambda, Summa Cum Laude, and was honored as the most outstanding student in the School of music where she studied under John Crown. Pearl taught piano and coached opera at USC under the direction of Walter Ducloux for three years. She appeared as a soloist with the Los Angeles Festival Orchestra, California Chamber Symphony, Ojai Festival Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic among numerous other orchestras. Continue reading