Officers

President, Francine Schutzman;
Vice President, Gary Morton;
Secretary-Treasurer, Robin Moir

Executive Board

Mike Tremblay
Mike Mullin
David Renaud
Sean Rice

Delegates to AFM Convention

Francine Schutzman
Robin Moir
Mike Mullin

1st Alternate Delegate to AFM Convention

Dan Blackwell

2nd Alternate Delegate to AFM Convention

Gary Morton

President Emeritus

Glenn Robb

 

Office Staff

Administrative Officers:

Dan Blackwell

Marlene Morton

MPTF Coordinator and Local 180 Business Representative: Mike Mullin

Website: Dave Poulin

DISCLAIMER

Your officers and editorial staff conscientiously screen all advertising submitted to the eNewsHarp. However, we cannot assume responsibility for product quality or advertising content, nor can your officers be held accountable for misrepresentations between side persons and leader/contractors.

Local 180 publishes the eNewsHarp on-line four times a year. In an election year, we also publish an election issue for members.

President’s Message

Francine Schutzman

Charity Begins at Home

 

I have no doubt that you are all tired of the never-ending requests for donations to this good cause or that, especially as we approach the end of the calendar year and are urged to make just one more tax-deductible donation. Hopefully you’ll have had a bit of time to recover, because I am asking you today to consider making a donation that is not tax-deductible! It is possible that it may be at some point in the future, but unfortunately we are not there yet.

I am talking about Local 180’s emergency relief fund. During the pandemic, our members demonstrated their amazing generosity by building the fund to the wonderfully high level of $63,309.74. This money went to help people pay their rent and put food on the table during a time when so many folks weren’t able to work. Someone in need had only to make a simple request to Secretary-Treasurer Robin Moir, who distributed the money while preserving everyone’s privacy and stretching the funds as much as possible. These were your friends and colleagues whom you helped.

Well, the pandemic is over, but life is uncertain. Someone might lose their house in a fire or need help because of illness or an accident. Who knows? — we could face another pandemic! Many of us have nothing much to fall back on if we can’t work. Others of us are lucky enough to have supplemental health insurance, an indexed pension or a healthy savings account.

I hope that it will make you all proud to learn that 99% of the fund, or $62,675, went to your colleagues in need. The relief fund currently has just $634.74 in it. Will you help build it up again? All you need to do is to send an e-transfer to “dues@ma180.org” with a note saying that it is for the relief fund. The Local Board will be examining our 2025 finances at the end of March. If the Local has had a surplus for the year, ten percent of whatever amount that may be will be put into the fund. But we will still need your help. Please consider it.

Francine

Rapport de la président

Charité bien ordonnée commence par soi-même

Vous êtes sans doute trop souvent sollicités par différents organismes charitables, surtout à l’approche de la fin de l’année où l’on nous encourage à faire un dernier don déductible d’impôt. Toutefois je vous demande aujourd’hui d’envisager offrir un don qui n’est pas déductible d’impôt. Il est possible que cela le devienne à l’avenir, mais malheureusement, ce n’est pas encore le cas.

Je parle du fonds d’aide d’urgence de la Section locale 180. Pendant la pandémie, nos membres ont fait preuve d’une générosité extraordinaire en portant le fonds à un niveau remarquable de 63 309,74 $. Cet argent a permis à de nombreuses personnes de payer leur loyer, et de se nourrir, pendant cette période où beaucoup étaient sans emploi. Il suffisait à toute personne dans le besoin d’en faire la demande auprès de la secrétaire-trésorière, Robin Moir. Elle a fait la distribution de l’argent en préservant la confidentialité de chacun et en optimisant au maximum les fonds. Il s’agissait de vos amis et collègues que vous avez aidés.

La pandémie est terminée, mais l’avenir reste incertain. Quelqu’un pourrait perdre sa maison dans un incendie ou avoir besoin d’aide suite à une maladie ou un accident. Qui sait ? Une autre pandémie est possible ! Nombre d’entre nous n’ont pas de ressources si nous ne pouvons plus travailler. D’autres d’entre nous ont la chance de bénéficier d’une assurance maladie complémentaire, d’une pension indexée ou d’une épargne conséquente.

J’espère que vous serez fiers d’apprendre que 99 % du fonds, soit 62 675 $, ont été versés à vos collègues dans le besoin. Le fonds de secours ne contient actuellement que 634,74 $. Souhaitez-vous contribuer à le renflouer? Il vous suffit d’effectuer un virement électronique à « dues@ma180.org » en précisant qu’il s’agit d’un don pour le fonds de secours. Les administrateurs de la section locale 180 examineront nos états financiers de 2025 à la fin du mois de mars. Si la section locale possède un excédent à son actif pour l’année, 10 % de ce montant seront versés au fonds d’urgence. Nous avons tout de même besoin de votre aide. Merci de l’attention que vous porterez à cette requête.

Francine

Secretary Treasurer’s Message

Robin Moir

Dear Members,

This has been quite a winter, and it seems to be holding on! For those us who love the winter landscapes, ice rinks and quiet snowy evenings this has been unbelievable; for those of us who prefer an early spring, golfing in March, and running on dry land, the sooner it’s over the better! Whatever your sentiments, I do hope everyone is healthy.

I want to remind you of our upcoming Canadian Conference and AFM Convention to be held here in Ottawa from the 17th to the 23rd of June 2026. I hope that many of you will come out and visit us at the Delta Ottawa Centre. We will send out information as details are confirmed.

The AFM undertakes to audit each Local every two years. The International Representative for each jurisdiction —in our case, Canada — Bernard Leblanc, assumes this responsibility. This audit, officially called the AFM Compliance Review, took place in early February.

We are publishing it to the membership, as it reflects the work taking place in your Local.

 

Robin

 

 

Rapport de la secrétaire trésorière

Chers membres,

Cet hiver a été particulièrement rigoureux et semble s’éterniser ! Pour ceux d’entre nous qui apprécient les paysages hivernaux, les patinoires et les douces soirées enneigées, ce fut un hiver incroyable; pour ceux qui préfèrent un printemps précoce, le golf en mars et la course à pied sur la terre ferme, plus vite ce sera fini, mieux ce sera ! Quels que soient vos sentiments, j’espère que vous êtes tous en bonne santé.

Je tiens à vous rappeler que notre prochaine Conférence canadienne des musiciens et le congrès de l’AFM se tiendront ici à Ottawa du 17 au 23 juin 2026. J’espère que vous serez nombreux à venir nous rendre visite au Centre Delta d’Ottawa. Nous vous en communiquerons les détails lorsqu’ils seront confirmés.

L’AFM s’engage à effectuer un audit de chaque section locale à tous les deux ans. Le représentant international de chaque juridiction – dans notre cas, le Canada – Bernard Leblanc, assume cette responsabilité. Cet audit, officiellement appelé Examen de conformité de l’AFM, a eu lieu début février.

Nous le publions à l’intention des membres, car il reflète le travail effectué par votre section locale.

Robin

 

THE COMPLIANCE REVIEW

The Executive Board proposes a change to the Local Bylaws as follows:

 

Article 1, Section 4 – Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the President, the Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, and four elected members. It shall be the duty of each of the Board members to attend all meetings of the executive board, perform the duties assigned thereto and perform such other related tasks as may be assigned by the President or the Executive Board. They shall receive such remuneration as the Local shall from time to time determine and the Local shall contribute pension based upon those funds. The Executive Board shall be exempt from all dues and assessments, with the exception of work dues, during their terms of office.

The Executive Board shall meet regularly and on special call of the President. It shall have authority to set its exact hour and place of its meetings, except for those on special call of the President. The presence of a majority of the officers is required to constitute a quorum. The Executive Board may, by prior unanimous consent, hold one or more of its meetings via electronic technology (e.g. Telephone, videoconference) or via a hybrid of electronic means and in-person attendance.

Unanimous consent for electronic or hybrid meetings may be obtained via email or other means. No decisions of the Executive Board may be made by secret ballot.

It shall be the duty of the Executive Board to supervise the interests of the Local; to investigate all charges against a member, or members, or any rumours which they consider detrimental to the Local, or AFM; to call for papers or witnesses, or have the power to cause a member, or members, who have been charged with violating the Bylaws, to appear before them; receive applications for membership, pass upon all candidates; impose or remit penalties; submit questions in dispute for the Local to decide; pass upon all bills against the Local, and report all their actions or decisions at the following regular meeting.

The Executive Board may, at its discretion, hire a Business Representative or Business Representatives, to aid in the maintenance of good business relations with employers of musicians. The Board may also hire an Operations Manager to aid in day-to-day business of the Local. Remuneration for such services shall be determined by the Executive Board.

The Executive Board shall have the power, by unanimous consent, to borrow money or establish a line of credit when necessary to serve the best interest of the members. The total borrowed amount shall not exceed 25% of the Local’s investments.

YOUR PENSION PLAN

The Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada (MPF Canada) is a federally registered pension plan designed with working musicians of the CFM in mind.

The Plan makes it possible for those performing under a collective agreement or tariff of fees, including those working as freelance musicians or giving private music lessons, to accumulate a benefit from a well managed Plan that can provide steady income for musicians long after their playing days are over. To become a member, and fully vest, in the Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada, employers must make contributions on your behalf for 2 years without a 6-month break between them.

All-in-all, this custom-made program is a real asset to the professional, working musician. Remember that contributions for the previous year must be submitted, through your Local, to the Fund Office by March 1 of the following year. For more information, please contact the Fund Office directly and toll-free at 1-888-462-6666 or email us at info@mpfcanada.ca

The next Convention of the AFM will be held in Ottawa, Ontario, the beautiful capital city of Canada – our first Canadian-held Convention since 1973!

The Canadian Conference runs from
June 17th to June 19th

We received the following message on February 20th from Ken Shirk, Secretary-Treasurer of the AFM. This is truly exciting news for our Local! Put the dates in your calendars, as the AFM Convention is open to all to observe. What better way to see for yourselves how your union works?

 

Dear Officers,

As veterans of AFM Conventions know, since 1991 the AFM has held every one of its International Conventions in Las Vegas, Nevada. The delegates to the 2023 Convention made it clear, however, that a new location for the next Convention would be most welcome. Hearing that, and after an extensive search, the International Executive Board is pleased to advise that the next Convention of the AFM will be held in Ottawa, Ontario, the beautiful capital city of Canada – our first Canadian-held Convention since 1973!

Please take note of the following:

DATES – The actual days of the 2026 Convention will be different from past conventions, so please mark your calendars accordingly –

Registration will begin on Friday, June 19, 2026.

The Convention will start on Saturday, June 20, 2026 and conclude
on Tuesday, June 23, 2026

DIRECTORY OF CANADIAN UNION-MADE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

With the impact of Trump’s tariffs already being deeply felt by workers across Canada, and with far deeper impacts still to come throughout this tariff crisis and trade war in the days, weeks, and months ahead, it’s worth mentioning and reiterating that buying union-made Canadian products, and patronizing unionized hotels, automotive dealers, and other unionized services, supports good jobs in Canada.

It’s not just where it’s made, it’s how it’s made.

When you buy union-made, you’re backing good jobs, fair wages, and safe working conditions in communities across Canada.

The Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) has now launched a new bilingual comprehensive online directory of Canadian union-made products and services so you can support fellow workers, our economy, and good Canadian jobs where workers can collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, and working conditions.

The “Buy Union” directory can be found online at: https://canadianlabour.ca/buy-union/

Share this new “Buy Union” online directory resource with your family, friends, co-workers, and community, and let’s build worker power, one purchase at a time.

Don’t see a product or service made by you or your fellow union members in this new online directory?

Have your union email me at UnionLabel@clcctc.ca with lists of union-made products and services provided by members of your national union, and let us know what products your unionized company makes and which union it is made and produced by.

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LIVE MUSIC WORKERS FUND

After receiving an unprecedented number of applications of the Live Music Workers Fund, we reopened the application.

Since the official application launch we have received thousands of submissions, making it very clear that our industry is in great need of this help. We are so proud and appreciative of the work you and your organizations have all done and continue to do to ensure that everyone in the Canadian Live Music Industry has access to this funding. While the  pandemic may appear to be over, it continues to negatively impact the livelihoods of people in our community. 

Attached (below) is the step-by-step guide to the application in English and French, which includes the link to the application.

Step-By-Step Application Details

Détails de l’application étape par étape

Attend hybrid LOCAL 180 GENERAL MEETING

Doors Open Monday, March 16th @ 12:00 p.m.

MEETING STARTS @ 12:30 P.M.

If you know ahead of time that you’re attending in-person, please notify dan@ma180.org so we know how much pizza to order.

Relief Fund Alive and Well

The Relief Fund was established by Local 180 to help those musicians most greatly affected by the pandemic. Thanks to the generous donations made by our own members, with a special shout-out to the musicians of the NAC Orchestra, we plan to maintain the Relief Fund and to add to it. The pandemic may appear to be over, but its effects will linger for a long time, and one never knows what is around the corner. So here are a couple of things to keep in mind:

If you need assistance, or if you are aware of a fellow member who needs it, send a message to Robin. We do not ask those who need funds to justify the need or tell us what they will be used for. We assume that if you ask for help, you genuinely need it.

If you are in a position to do so, please contribute to the fund. You might need to tap into it some day yourself.

 

HYBRID GENERAL MEETING

Doors open Monday, MARCH 16th, 12:00 p.m.

MEETING STARTS @ 12:30 p.m.

Please let Dan know (dan@ma180.org) if you will be attending so that we know how much pizza to order.

Promote Your Performances with eNewsHarp, Facebook and Instagram

Are you ready to showcase your talent to a wider audience? MA180 is here to help you shine! We invite Local 180 musicians to submit their upcoming gig details, including photos, bios, and background information. Share your story and let us amplify your voice and your music. Send your submissions to gigs@ma180.org and we’ll help you stand out in Ottawa/Gatineau’s vibrant musical community.

At the end of this season, Winston Webber will be retiring from the National Arts Centre Orchestra after 40 years in the group. For most of those years, he was sitting in what he considers to be the best seat in the house. More about that later. This is the story of how Winston came to play in NACO. It describes a combination of good luck and hard work, with some fascinating asides and a most unusual detour.

Growing up in Detroit in the 1950’s, Winston was fortunate to be in a milieu where instrumental music was offered in almost every school in the US — certainly in Detroit — and where so many European refugees who happened to be fine musicians settled in the States. Winston started studying the violin in elementary school with an instrument provided by the school. His first private teacher was a graduate student named Ann Richards who charged $2 a lesson and who happened to be a great teacher. He was already playing in a small school orchestra.

Things got even better when he attended Detroit’s Cass Technical High School for advanced students from all over the city. The school’s full-size symphony orchestra rehearsed and performed in the same auditorium where the Detroit Symphony made their famous Mercury recordings. At that time, the Detroit Symphony was led by the great French conductor Paul Paray and enjoyed a reputation as the finest French orchestra in the world. (First aside: Paray saw combat in the First World War and was in the French resistance in WW2). The DSO’s concertmaster was Mischa Mischakoff, who had been Toscanini’s concertmaster in the NBC Symphony. Winston counts himself lucky to have been surrounded by such fine musical influences at such a young age.

In Winston’s first year at Cass, the high school orchestra played the Bach B minor Mass and the Brahms Second Symphony. Before that, he’d joined the All-City Youth Orchestra, a full-size orchestra that also rehearsed at Cass Tech. The first time he was surrounded by a real big orchestra sound he thought it was the most amazing thing he had ever heard. He said that that sense of “wow!” has stayed with him throughout his life.

At that time, the Detroit Symphony gave free summer concerts at the local fairgrounds. This was his first time hearing a great orchestra up close. Also during the summers he attended the renowned Interlochen Music Camp for three years — one year in high school and two in university. (Second aside: the camp funders were super conservative and smoking was strictly forbidden. A camper caught smoking was sent home, no second chance. Since the summer sessions were eight weeks then, if you got kicked out in the second week that was pretty bad. Aside from the conservative donors, Winston figures that the smoking ban was mostly due to the fact that the wooden camp buildings were in the middle of a pine forest.) Winston played two concertos with the Interlochen orchestra and practiced six hours a day, like everybody else. He’s been grateful all his life to have had such opportunities.

The University of Michigan, with its connection to Interlochen and some of the same faculty, was next in Winston’s life. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in music and was studying for his Master’s when he was invited to audition for the Cleveland Orchestra, at that time THE orchestra. Cleveland had no audition list — you were simply expected to know the repertoire — but it was known that certain pieces were always asked. He didn’t get the job, but his audition turned into an on-stage lesson with the orchestra’s excellent concertmaster, Daniel Majeske. Goodness knows what the audition committee thought, but it served Winston well because two months later he won an audition for a first violin position with the Toronto Symphony. There had been four rounds over several months, with 120 people eventually auditioning. Winston attributes his winning the job to his having had a good day, but one can’t help wondering if all those years of preparation helped. That was in 1972.

Winston says the best thing about the Toronto Symphony was that it got him into Canada. He’s never looked back. Living in Detroit, he had been to Windsor many times and he was used to listening to the CBC, considered in Detroit to be “the good radio.” Other musicians from the University of Michigan had also won places in the TSO in the early ‘70’s, becoming colleagues with former theatre musicians who had played for silent movies. Winston said that he was in awe of them.

Winston’s first year in the TSO was the last for its highly respected Czech music director Karel Ančerl. (Another aside: Ančerl, who was living in Prague, was sent to the so-called model concentration camp, Theresienstadt, where he conducted the orchestra. There was a propaganda film made about the camp; flowers on the stage hid the prisoners’ bare feet. Ančerl was the sole survivor of his family, who were all sent to Auschwitz. He suffered from chronic health problems the rest of his life and died at the age of 65. After the war, he remarried and went to NYC to live. They were there when the Soviets invaded Czechoslovakia in 1968. His wife didn’t like being in the U.S. and they couldn’t go back to Europe, so Walter Homburger invited Ančerl to be the music director of the Toronto Symphony. By the time Winston got there, he said it sounded like a great Czech orchestra, with a big, polished brass sound).

 

 

Winston describes a magical event that marked the end of Ančerl’s tenure with the TSO. Ančerl’s health problems were catching up with him, and he had to cancel a number of concerts. His last scheduled performance was the Dvorak Requiem. Everyone knew that it would be his last time with the orchestra. At the dress rehearsal, he conducted just for the musicians, and they played just for him, “to a hall full of ghosts” as Winston described it. At the end of the rehearsal, there was complete silence and nobody moved until the musicians eventually, slowly, left the stage.

Winston left the TSO in 1979, after seven seasons with them. In 1978, he had become the music director of the Peterborough Symphony. He became the conductor of two more orchestras in 1979: the Oshawa Symphony and the Chamber Players of Toronto. He thought that he should actually study conducting, so he went for an interview at the Juilliard School. The powers that be (or were at the time) figured that he didn’t need a conducting course, since he already had three more orchestras than many of the school’s graduates, but that he should take private lessons with their head of conducting, Sixten Ehrling. So Winston flew down to NY every other week for two years, paying cash for his lessons and studying scores in Central Park. He said that made him feel “very serious.”

Winston’s three orchestra gigs allowed him to earn a living and to pay for his tuition when he decided to — are you ready for this? — go back to school in 1983 to study pre-med at the University of Toronto, all the while continuing his conducting. He loved his fabulous, intense science courses and sold his violin. He had a summer fellowship working in epidemiology at the Princess Margaret Hospital. In fact, there is a research paper published in 1986 that has his name on it.

Winston was in his second year of pre-med when fate stepped in: he saw an ad for a violin opening in the National Arts Centre Orchestra. His whole time in Toronto he had loved NACO from a distance, having heard the group so often on the CBC (ah — those were the days). He loved their repertoire and the way they played. What to do? He hadn’t played the fiddle in two years and didn’t even own one anymore. So he borrowed one from Michael Remenyi, who said “you can pay for it when you get the job.” He quit the premed courses and practiced like crazy. “It was totally insane,” he says.

After auditioning in Ottawa, Winston figured that he had blown it because he questioned a tempo set by then-concertmaster Walter Prystawski. He went back to Toronto totally dejected and was astonished when, three days later, he got a call from NACO personnel manager Peter Webster asking “are you still available?” He jumped on a plane to Ottawa, bought a concert ticket and that night heard NACO live for the first time. It was an all-Beethoven concert, conducted by Franco Mannino. He says NACO live on stage sounded even better than he’d imagined. So in the fall of 1985 Winston joined the orchestra of his dreams. NACO’s early days were a heady time, with always-full houses, an RCA recording contract, world-wide tours and a fabulous summer opera festival. Winston says he could never, ever imagine going back and risk doing this all over again.

Fast forward four decades, during which time Winston served the orchestra as assistant principal second violin, frequent hard-working orchestra committee member, and FanFair conductor. When we all had to stay home during the pandemic, he started writing essays about music and musicians and posting them on Facebook. These are now on his website (bestseathouse.com) along with excerpts of the music that inspired them. Those essays have since been turned into a book that is coming out this year.

Winston claims that the book is not about himself, but it is indeed about what he experienced during his career. He is a gifted writer, to add to his other talents, and we know that you will all enjoy reading Best Seat in the House.

BIG HEALTH NEWS!

We are delighted to share this announcement from the CFM office in Toronto:

The CFM teams up with @afbscanada so members and their family can access personal health insurance made exclusively for the Canadian artistic community. The Arts & Entertainment Plan is offered by an insurer not driven by profit and is available nationwide. This plan includes prescription drug care, dental care, travel emergency medical, extended health care, and other insurance types including Group Term Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment.

For more information and to get a quote visit https://www.aeplan.ca

 

La FCMs’associe à @afbscanada pour permettre à ses membres et à leur famille d’avoir accès à une assurance maladie personnelle conçue exclusivement pour la communauté artistique Canadienne. Le régime Arts et Spectacle est offert par un assureur non-lucratif et est disponible à l’échelle nationale. Ce régime comprend les médicaments d’ordonnance, les soins dentaires, les soins médicaux d’urgence en voyage, les soins de santé complémentaires et d’autres types d’assurance, y compris l’assurance vie temporaire collective et l’assurance en cas de décès et de mutilation par accident.

Pour plus d’informations visitez https://www.aeplan.ca/fr

OBITUARIES

Peter Turner and Kyle Jordan

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Employer Payroll Service:

When the services of an Employer Payroll Service are required, that fee will be calculated at 25% of each contract total.

This amendment reflects what is happening on a national level.

New Members

Bell Petrusic, Rowan – Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone, Soprano Saxophone, Clarinet, Flute

Fu, Yaoji – Trombone

Hickmott, Justin – Tuba

Hyatt, Andrew – Vocalist, Guitar

Johnson, Robert – Trombone, Euphonium, Tuba, Conductor

Kivilaht, Artur – Guitar

Schmidtke, Nicholas – Percussion

 

Resigned

Dube, Martine

Gagnon, Eric

Kaspersky, Olena

Lafleur, Philippe

LeBlanc, Sara

O’Connor, Rachel

Wade, Jonathan

Reinstated

Boivin-Laframboise, Audray

Glubochansky, Lea

Halfhide, Vincent

Morgan, Ross

Ofei, Ryan

Sauve, Eric

Sinkus, Jason

Yuschyshyn, Cynthia

 

Our mailing address is:

The Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Gatineau
Local 180
280 Metcalfe Street, Suite 301
Ottawa, ON K2P 1R7

2AFM ID Numbers

Dear Members,

For the purposes of filing contracts, the Musicians’ Pension Fund of Canada has done a great deal of work to protect the privacy of members in terms of SIN numbers. Canadian Locals are now permitted to use an AFM ID number in lieu of a SIN number on all contracts.

When sending funds from the Local 180 office, we will require you to know your AFM ID number.

Beginning in January this year, the office has included your AFM ID number on your membership dues receipt, which you received in the mail.

You may also go to cfmusicians.org and register there to obtain your AFM ID number and update any information. The good thing about registering on the site is that when you update your personal information, it is also received in the office so that we are current. 

LOCAL OFFICE HOURS

Monday to Friday 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Attention Members!!!

Due to popular demand members may now pay membership dues using E-Mail Transfer using the email address

dues@ma180.org

Once we process the transfer, we will send you an electronic receipt.

____________

If you are planning to file contracts electronically in 2025, please use
our new e-mail address: 

contracts@ma180.org

Thank you!

_____________

YOU’VE GOT MAIL & MONEY TO DEPOSIT!!!

Do we have your current email address?

The Local 180 Office sends out important advisories to members by email and we want to make sure that you’re reachable. This year the Local will also be paying most musicians using E-Transfer and Direct Deposit, so we MUST have your correct e-mail address.

Please notify the office of any changes to your contact information. Include your phone number, home address and email address.

Call (613)700-9260 to make sure that we have your correct contact information.

A REMINDER ABOUT EXPELLED MEMBERS

A person who has been expelled from our Association is no longer a member of the Association or the AFM. Members and leaders are reminded:

Do not play engagements with non-members. Persons are generally expelled for serious violations of our Constitution and Bylaws. Expulsion is not a life sentence; the individual has the right to settle these matters with the Board and regain member status. But until that step has been taken, we urge leaders and members not to give non-member rights and privileges which belong only to members.

2026 DUES

REGULAR MEMBERS – $237 before January 31st for the year, $247 after that, or $135 for half of 2024. Quarterly:$70

Regular Membership includes Students and Youth.

LIFE MEMBERS – $125 before January 31st for the year, $135 after that, or $70 for half of 2024. Quarterly: $35

A Life Member is someone 65 or older with 35 years of Membership.

PENALTIES

TO REINSTATE FROM RESIGNING IN GOOD STANDING – $10.00

TO REINSTATE FROM SUSPENSION – $35.00

TO REINSTATE FROM EXPULSION – $45.00

Attention: all contractors, leaders, and musicians

For performances posted online, there is a new requirement.

The General Production Agreement (GPA) is mandatory for the protection members.

The GPA is mandatory for:

any engagement that is live streamed.

any live engagement that is posted online for public viewing.

Every clause in the price list is subject to the use of the GPA when engagements are live streamed and/or posted online.

A GPA is essential to protect the digital image of members if a third party exploits a performance that is publicly available online. See Local 180’s recently updated price list for current information.

To protect members, contractors must:

  • ask clients whether the engagement will be live-streamed, posted publicly, or be kept for archival purposes (no GPA is required for strictly archival purposes; however, Local 180 has a report form that contractors must complete)

 

  • contact the Secretary-Treasurer of Local 180 to complete a GPA when an engagement will be live-streamed or posted publicly.

 

It is the duty of the contractor and leader to ensure that members are properly protected.

If a client live streams or posts a performance publicly and GPA is not in place, contractors, leaders, and musicians should contact the Secretary-Treasurer promptly to guarantee the protection of members.

The Local 180 office will work with you to make the contract process for the GPA an easy one!

 

ATTENTION MUSIC TEACHERS!!!

If you would like to have your name included in the Music Teacher’s Directory on the ma180.org website, please contact Dan Blackwell who is currently collecting the data.

Please include all teaching disciplines.

EG: Vocals, Guitar, Violin, Percussion etc. etc.

This database will be featured on the ma180.org website.

Thank you!

MUSICIANS’ MEMBERSHIP DIRECTORY ONLINE

Members have requested that we maintain a current and accurate copy of the Local Membership Directory found in the Members’ Only section of our website.

However, we do have members who wish to keep certain information found in the directory private.

If you would like to ensure that your privacy is protected, please let us know.

Please contact either Robin or Dan.

There is money in music

Click on the Artisti logo to find out how easy it is to get.

Your business is music to our ears.

You spend hours perfecting your talent and invest in equipment which allows you to express it.

HUB International is in-tune with your needs and has you covered.

PROGRAM FEATURES

HUB PROGRAM COVERAGES

  • All-risks’ coverage on your instruments and equipment

  • Worldwide coverage – no Territory Exception

  • Rental Reimbursement — up to $10,000 in coverage, if you need to rent instruments or
    equipment in the event of a loss

  • $100 deductible per occurrence on instruments and equipment, as opposed to other proposed rates are $250

  • Up to $2,500 coverage on promotion material, T-shirts, CD’s, posters, etc.

  • Loss of earnings up to $5,000 due to loss or damage to venue

  • Loss of earning up to $5,000 due to loss or damage to equipment

  • Locked vehicle – no exclusion

  • Rented, Leased or Borrowed Equipment, $10,000 limit up to 30 consecutive days

  • Optional Commercial General Liability including bodily injury, property damage, medical payments, tenants legal liability and non-owned automobile

 

RATES AND PREMIUMS

  • $2.20 rate per $100 sum insured for Instruments and Equipment ($100 deductible)

Liability rates ($500 deductible):

  • $1,000,000 limit – $66/member

  • $2,000,000 – $127/member
    Higher limits available upon request