Paul Gray: "Management demands will force quality musicians to leave symphony, community"
July 3, 2008
People of good conscience should be outraged at the deplorable condition being forced upon members of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra by the orchestra's board of directors and management. Members of the orchestra have the same needs as other people; they have families to support, make house and car payments. And they are expected to do this, and more, on the near poverty level yearly salary of just $12,683. The orchestra's management and board think this is too much money. It makes one wonder what these same people would say if their yearly incomes were only $12,683. Would they want to live on that? The answer, of course, is no. Yet, now they want the orchestra to have a yearly income of just $3,123. Management would have us believe that the musicians will be better off with a per service pay of just $60.15. They are playing with words and deceiving the public. This is the well-known "smoke and mirrors," employed when obfuscation is the intent. In order for that $60.15 to make up for the loss of 75 percent of income, the orchestra would have to play 211 services. They tell us this while cutting back on the number of services to be provided by the orchestra.
The Shreveport Symphony is a first-rate orchestra because it maintains quality musicians. If these cuts continue, those quality musicians will, of necessity, leave, and our community will be left with a second- or even third-rate orchestra because no quality musician is going to come here, family in tow, to play on a per service basis, and anyone who thinks otherwise is ignoring reality.
It is curious that management claims to want to improve the situation for the symphony but has done nothing after recommendations were made to them for increasing much needed revenue and expanding the orchestra's base of support. Worse than that, while cutting the orchestra salaries, there is no mention of cutting management's salary. Who is really the more important — management or the orchestra, which people buy season tickets to hear? If the orchestra must take a 75 percent cut in wages, shouldn't everyone involved take the same 75 percent cut?
Shreveport's entire musical culture will suffer from the loss of the quality musicians that make the orchestra the leader in the musical life of the community. Businesses come to communities that have a strong culture. Without that culture, businesses will lose interest in coming to the area. The Shreveport Symphony is an important part of the culture of Shreveport and the risk of doing something to harm that relationship should not even be up for discussion.
One member of management allegedly makes a yearly income in excess of $70,000 but wants to prevent the musicians from earning even the near poverty-level income of $12,683 and replace that with the pathetic sum of just $3,123. This is a slap in the face of the musicians who constantly maintain a high level of performance, bringing good music to Shreveport. This insulting state of affairs is completely unacceptable by any standard.
If management or board members have so little respect for musicians of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, then those people have no right to be in management or on the board of directors. The board of directors and management should be made up of people who are proud of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra, and who not only support the orchestra, but also recognize that it leads the arts in maintaining the level of culture that a city the size of Shreveport deserves. They must also recognize that the orchestra educates the youth of our community, bringing music into the schools and setting an example for talented children to emulate and encouraging this talent. This will all be lost if the quality musicians are forced to go where they will be more appreciated.
It has become quite evident that certain members of management do not recognize these facts, or simply don't care about them, and for the sake of the future culture of Shreveport, those members lacking the necessary foresight to insure the future culture of our community must be replaced. We owe our future generations of Shreveport a cultured society, and certain members of management and board of directors are a direct impediment to the culture of that future society. This cannot be tolerated.
Paul Gray lives in Shreveport.
Yeona DaCosta-Auld: Shreveport Symphony deserves unwavering support, May 5, 2008
As members of the Centenary Suzuki Parents Association, we are deeply concerned about the troubles facing the musicians in the Shreveport Symphony. We feel it is important to express our thoughts regarding the effect symphony players have had on the lives of our children and the community as a whole. We fully understand our community is having financial difficulties supporting a full-time symphony, and we wish to contribute to a constructive solution. At the same time, we believe it is important the community is aware of the far-reaching consequences of proposed changes. Current proposals would lead not to a modest scale-back in programming, but rather, we believe the unraveling and attrition of the classical music community in Shreveport-Bossier City — a loss which would adversely affect all of us and especially our children.
The symphony orchestra and the Centenary Suzuki music program — staffed by many orchestra musicians — are a vital part of the community. It is a proud achievement that we have had a full-time symphony for the past 75 years. Classical music is unfortunately a dying art in many communities across the United States, including many larger than ours. Symphonic music offers powerful and timeless appeal; it can speak to people of any background.
Educating our children in classical music fosters the next generation of music appreciators, who will grow up to be leaders not only of our community but also throughout the country. Our current battle isn't merely local. Orchestras across the country face dire challenges. If they are allowed to die, one by one, it will be hard to ever revive them.
The following excerpts are representative of the broader sentiments and concerns expressed by the various members of the Centenary Suzuki Parents' Association. They are all motivated by a deep concern proposed reforms would force many area musicians and music teachers to leave our community.
"Our Suzuki School would have to drastically limit its enrollment, there would be no youth symphony, many current string players will be left without teachers, and many aspiring young children will have to forgo music for their after-school enrichment studies. The Suzuki program has an enormous influence on the various school orchestras at all levels. Winning competitions at the state and national levels would be unthinkable without this great program."
"We are personally overwhelmed by the professionalism, dedication, unselfish enthusiasm and nurture which our kids have received from our teachers. Although they "wear many hats" in order to play music professionally, they are so accommodating because of their love for music and our kids. The primary reason our kids enjoy music is the quality of their teachers who demonstrate the love of their craft in such a fun manner that it is infectious."
"Our Centenary Suzuki teachers share their talents with our children, teaching them one note at a time with the utmost patience and care. We are one of only a couple of places in the state where we can rely on professional musicians to consistently see our children through their entire string instrument education from kindergarten to high school graduation. These teachers have invested their lives in our community, playing in our city's symphony orchestra, committing to building that dimension of an urban center that sets it apart from other cities of the same size. The Suzuki program and the fine musicians who have made Shreveport their home are an integral part of the educational framework that our children depend on to make them competitive for the future."
"The number of children who are able to attend great colleges on music scholarships is the best testimonial to the success of this program and we cannot spare any resources to ensure its continued success."
"The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra and the Centenary Suzuki school are crown jewels of our community. The symphony has always been — and remains — instrumental in recruiting high-caliber music professionals and their families to this area. The quality of life they add to our community extends far beyond the realm of arts and culture. As community leader Virginia Shehee recently suggested, the presence of the symphony and the environment it fosters contributed to Bossier City being awarded the Cyber Command."
A failure to sustain the symphony and, by extension, the Suzuki School would deprive current and future generation music lovers of the magic of live symphonic concerts. It also would mean the loss of dedicated members of our community who teach our children the arts of music appreciation and performance. But even more, it would deprive our community of an institution that has been at the heart of our cultural and economic vibrancy. Losing a full-time symphony and its musicians isn't only about the music; it is about the values, people and quality of life that define our community.
We plead with the people of Shreveport-Bossier to support the symphony in any way, shape or form.
Yeona DaCosta-Auld is president of the Shreveport Suzuki Parents Association.
Letter to the Editor, The Times, Larry Gardner (Secretary, Regional Orchestra Players Association, Fresno, CA) April 1, 2008
As secretary of the Regional Orchestra Players Association, I'm painfully aware of the cuts our colleagues of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra have been taking for the last several years.
According to national statistics, the arts generate $166.2 billion in economic activity annually. Arts spending supports 5.7 million full-time jobs and brings $30 billion in revenue to local, state and federal governments every year. Collectively the three levels of government spend $4 billion annually in support of the arts, reaping an amazing 7:1 return on their investment. Additionally, besides the ticket, the average audience member spends $27.79 in expenses for items such as restaurants and parking.
So what happens when the Shreveport Symphony leaders downsize the musicians' jobs and presence in the community? For starters, $300,000 is gone from the local economy, not to mention the hit on local restaurants and other establishments people patronize before and after concerts. The versatility of having musicians perform educational concerts during the day and masterwork concerts in the evenings will go away. It will be harder to find qualified music teachers, and if the current trend continues, one day there will be no Shreveport Symphony for the current leaders to lead. It seems that current leaders are leading the symphony down and out, not upward and onward.
The action against the musicians of the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra is being monitored across the United States. Our 75 member orchestras and more than 5,000 musicians are watching the situation carefully.
Letter as printed in The Times, Rev. Pike Thomas, March 29, 2008
At Easter, we meditated on life triumphing over death. Our beleaguered symphony knows about this phenomenon, for it has been here before. Let us rally to them again! The finances are not that challenging. If you read the figures, it seems $100,000 per year more in donations would do the trick, although $200,000 would make more stability possible.
This symphony is one of the few first-class attractions of which we can boast. I, who have heard every great symphony in the U.S. (because I simply am a classical music "nut") and have been a season subscriber to Chicago, New York, Baltimore, New Orleans and Los Angeles symphonies over my younger life, can tell you that we have a rare treasure. Financial stress over the years has downsized the professional core to a point that any further cuts will change its character irrevocably. Let us not allow this to happen. A professional symphony is the backbone of any musically vibrant area, and makes many other musical endeavors possible, including opera, ballet, theater, chamber groups, and music for weddings and other gatherings. A symphony the class of ours also makes potential corporations and other business ventures take notice that our community is culturally alive and good for its employees.
I have been a season ticket holder for many years and have given as much as I dare within moderate means to the annual fund of the organization. I have three pleas: 1) Send financial support to the symphony NOW. 2) Purchase season tickets for next year's performances. 3) Trumpet its promise to friends and acquaintances that we may once again celebrate a "resurrection."
Letter to the Editor - The Times, March 28, 2008, Cathy DeRousse, Shreveport
I would like to express my support for the musicians of the Shreveport Symphony in the recently announced elimination of full-time positions in the orchestra.
As a professional musician, I know that performing music involves much more time than just group rehearsals and performances. Often hours of individual practice are required to prepare the music before the first rehearsal. Obviously this has been considered part of the full-time players' duties. Will the symphony board now be willing to compensate the musicians for this time as well on a "per service" basis?
Under the proposed changes, symphony players will still be required to be available for services from 9:30 a.m. to midnight with 30 days notice, as if they were still full-time. Realistically, this commitment precludes the musicians from taking any significant long-term positions with other institutions in order to supplement their loss of salary.
The symphony is one of the best assets of our area and helps to enrich our culture, providing enhanced quality of life to area residents and making our area attractive to companies considering relocation. Having lived in a city of comparable size prior to moving to Shreveport, I was astounded by the quality of the SSO. I believe that high quality is due largely to the professionals who form the full-time core of the SSO. In addition, many of the musicians provide services occasionally for other arts organizations, such as the opera and ballet, in addition to events in the community. It would be a great loss to our community if they were forced to relocate in order to provide for their families.
I urge the symphony board to reconsider all the possibilities for reducing expenses in other areas as well as additional means of increasing income. According to information supplied by the SSO to the Shreveport Times, administrative expenses have increased 26 percent and development has increased 121 percent since 2001, while the music administration costs have decreased 17 percent. The board needs to examine the causes for the decrease in donations to the symphony as well. Our symphony's musicians have contributed greatly to our community. It is time for our community to support them as well.
Letter - The Times, March 26, 2008, James Popboy , Shreveport
As a resident of Shreveport, I am highly disturbed and disgusted by this latest outrage committed against the musicians employed by the Shreveport Symphony.
My wife and I moved to this city in 2003 from New Orleans and were delighted to discover the Shreveport Symphony was of such high quality. Both of us are non-professional musicians and have sought out various venues in this area as well as in major metropolitan areas. The symphony here rivals many others because its players play with more emotion and feeling. We watched as the Louisiana Philharmonic in New Orleans sank into despair after various pay cuts and management disagreements. Ticket sales fell due to the poor quality of the players, many of whom were part time and had been hired after full-time players were forced to quit due to low wages and reduced benefits.
The fact that the board for the Shreveport Symphony finds this new contract to be acceptable is another reason why Shreveport will never rise to the cultural level for which it has the potential. To pay professional musicians this rate is a disgrace and an insult. In New Orleans, musicians (especially classically trained) fetch anywhere from $75-$100 per hour with a 2-3 hour minimum. The problem is that the board and many citizens of this city do not see musicians as professionals, but as minimum wage servants. These are artists who have toiled for their craft and hold advanced collegiate degrees.
If money is such a problem for the symphony then it is up to the management and the board to organize events and performances that will generate top dollar. Use the outdoor amphitheater on the river front to hold performances to generate interest in the symphony. Make these performances picnic style and allow wine and beer consumption/sales. Work out dinner specials with the restaurants downtown to bring more young people to the performances. How many 30-year-olds want to have dinner at 5 p.m. at the Cambridge Club? The Symphony is not just for the old and stodgy of Shreveport. All of these ideas have worked for other symphonies.
If this city wishes to attract young professionals then it would serve its best interest to fund the arts (both private and public funds). The young professionals will keep this city alive long after the established oil and gas money has died off. Does this city honestly believe that it can attract the kind of civilian professional that would staff the Cyber Command Center when it tries its best to stifle the arts?
What will Shreveport do when the professional musicians leave for greener pastures? Many may be forced to seek work elsewhere. Many teach your children in private lessons or instruct at the local university. And all of them contribute to the cultural backbone and heritage of the community.
James Popboy is a Shreveport resident.
Letter to the Editor - The Times, March 23, 2008, Dorothy Rivette , Shreveport
I am a season ticket holder for the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra concerts, and I am very concerned about the severe pay cuts for musicians being proposed by the board of directors.
The majority of the full-time musicians have very shallow roots in this area, having moved to Shreveport explicitly for the purpose of taking a full-time job with the Shreveport Symphony. Most of them have no family here other than their immediate family members. The lack of full-time employment here would cause most of them to go elsewhere to seek jobs. These are people who have all earned degrees in the field of music, some at the master's and doctorate level. They are very unlikely to start brand new careers at this point in their lives.
It is true that they all have some part-time work at various jobs in order to supplement the meager salaries they make as performing musicians. But it is impossible for them to work at normal full-time jobs and be available for rehearsals and performances whenever needed. I could give my boss all the notice in the world, and he still would not guarantee that I could leave work to go to a rehearsal or performance any day or time, as the "core" musicians are required to do.
It is not unusual for professional musicians to move from city to city in order to improve their situation, something attested to by the resumé of any accomplished musician. The sad fact is the majority of them will leave the area in order to remain in the only real careers they have ever known, unless we make it possible for them to stay.
The board claims that cutting their hours (and salaries) so drastically will give them the freedom to perform at other venues. What other venues are they talking about? These musicians are already scraping together every bit of work they can find, driving to play in other symphonies in the region, taking every little job they can in any nearby town, in order to eke out a living.
There are better ways to cut back expenses than by destroying the jobs of the musicians. Perhaps better management of the funds would have kept the symphony from getting into this situation.
Would the concert audiences forfeit hearing performances by high-priced guest musicians in order to keep having a symphony in our city? I think they would. Yet throughout this financially unstable season there have been not only individuals, but sometimes whole groups of performers, who have been flown in, wined and dined, housed, and given large paychecks for a number of concerts.
I think it's a travesty that the musicians, who are already the lowest paid individuals in the organization, are the ones who have to suffer. If they leave our area in order to make a living, we'll have nothing left but a mediocre community orchestra that they try to piece together for each concert, rather than the fine professional orchestra that has enhanced our community for so many years.
