OCSM Looks at Orchestras in Their Communities

The first order of business at this summers Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) Conference, held in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, was to dedicate the conference to the memory of a dear colleague and friend, Evelyne Robitaille, who passed away in February. Evelyne was a past president of OCSM and a violist in the Orchestre Symphonique de Québec. Those who knew her remember her as a feisty, determined advocate for Canadian symphonic musicians.

One of the goals of this conference was to explore ways to make OCSM a more effective organization. To that end, we engaged in some strategic planning, with the help of our keynote speaker, Arts Consultant Drew McManus. Focuses included better use of existing resources, ways to assist orchestra committees, succession planning, and internal communications. Several initiatives have been started, and the Strategic Planning Committee will stay active. We have also created a dedicated position to deal with all electronic media matters. This person will report to the OCSM Executive, serve as OCSMs representative to Musicians' Rights Organization Canada (MROC), and serve as OCSM's main point person for national media agreements. We are pleased to announce the appointment of Rob McCosh of the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra (board member of Local 547 and a past president of OCSM) to this position.

On the advocacy front, we are working with Orchestras Canada on two initiatives. One is a "Cultural Footprint Survey" an attempt to get real data on the impact of our orchestras in the communities where we live; not just producing concerts, but all the activities that having an orchestra in the community affects (teaching, freelance performing in other genres, other music-related businesses, and the economic impact). This will hopefully be a useful tool for demonstrating the value orchestras have in the community. We were also hoping to be involved in the Canadian Arts Coalition's (CAC) Day on the Hill, an event where arts advocates meet MPs in Ottawa during a sitting session of Parliament. However, the recent prorogation of Parliament has frustrated the CAC's plans. Stay tuned for more on this front.

As always, we had reports from AFM officers, AFM Symphonic Services Division staff, the Musicians' Pension Fund of Canada, and the Musicians' Rights Organization Canada (MROC). We are currently working with MROC to get all of our 1,100 musicians registered so we can begin the process of distributing royalties.

We share great concern with our sisters and brothers in the US over the heavy-handed bargaining tactics employed by managements, especially the recent situation with the Minnesota Orchestra. Therefore, the delegates voted to extend the reach of OCSM's Relief Fund (ORF). The OCSM executive now has discretionary powers to use a limited amount of the ORF for orchestras and locals throughout the AFM that are experiencing hardship.

OCSM delegates discuss and exchange information about a wide range of topics at each Conference. This year they included national and international auditions, workload issues, chamber music and education work done under symphony auspices, liability insurance while at work, employment insurance, policies on return to work after injury, relations between concert halls and orchestras, symphonic media initiatives, the CBC, the future of symphonic media, and more.

We said goodbye, but not farewell, to OCSM President Matt Heller of Local 547, who will continue to assist current executive officers, which now includes: President Robert Fraser (Victoria Symphony, Local 247), Second Vice President Elizabeth Johnston (Canadian Opera Company, Local 149), and Secretary Faith Scholfield (Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Local 566). Beginning the second year of two-year terms are First Vice President David Brown (Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, Local 145) and Treasurer Greg Sheldon (Windsor Symphony Orchestra, Local 566). Continuing in their roles assisting the executive officers are: Publications Editor Barbara Hankins (Kitchener-Waterloo Symphony, Local 226), Webmaster Ken MacDonald (Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Local 190), and Conductor Evaluations Administrator Michael Hope (The Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, Local 547).

by Robert Fraser, OCSM President and Member of Local 247 (Victoria, BC)