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( u n i t I265 COURT STREET. BHl i t r i i v m0 0K IY N 596-9113%u201c T h e R n y W h oCould Fly%u201dThurs.-S un.: 1,3, 5 W ed., M on., T h u r* 6%u201cThe Color of Money%u201dW ed.: 7:50, 10 T h u ra .S a t.: 7:30, 9:45 Sun.: 7, 9:15 M o n .T h u rs.: 7:50, 9:50%u201c A R o o mW ith A V ie w %u201dWed: 6, 8,10Thurs.-Sat.: 1:15, 3:30,5:45, 8, 10:10Sun.: 1, 3:10, 5:20, 7:30,9:30' %u00b0 * K S %u00bb %u00ab *P o t t e r y S a l eD e c e m b e r 6 t h & 7 t hNoon to 6 RM.SARAH HOWE ceram ics352 Dean St. Brooklyn NY 11217 852-3579If y o u d o n %u2019t r e a dT U P D U H P M IY a a a mam a %u25a0 %u25a0 nr mmm %u25a0 %u25a0%u25a0%u2022 .e v e r y w e e k ,y o u %u2019r e m i s s i n gt h e B e s t o fB r o w n s t o n eB r o o k l y nTo Subscribe:Send $12.50 forOne Year toThe Phoenix395 Atlantic Ave.Brooklyn 11217LookingTo Learn?Find Y o u r Interest inA PhoenixInstruction A dIL P IC C O LO T E A T R O D E LL'O P E R AtS A K BARBARA ELLIOTT. GENERAL DIRECTORPRESENTST ' The World s Most Performed Oper.iC IA N C A R L O M E N O T T T SA N D T H E NIGHT VISITORSD E C E M B E R 10, 1 98 6D E C E M B E R 11, 1 98 6D E C E M B E R 12, 1 986C H A R G IT (2 1 2 ) 9 4 4 9 3 0 0%u2018T l V I II IU %u00bb 1 J %u2014BROOKLYN ACADEMY Of MUSIC30LAYF AYETTF STRI F IBROOKLYN 1 1217F OR INF ORMATION AND GROUP R A IL S CA1.I 1718)855 4751rDF VOUCHFRS ACCl PII I)2 ;, THE PHOENIX, Ncvsnber 27 1QD<1P I-K jfE fIXMaking Music Is Easier ThanMaking A Living For Free-LancersBY DAVID LASKINDuring the month-long strike by NewYork City%u2019s striking classical free-lancemusicians, settled on November 18, the portrait of these musicians as often wildlydivergent. The union projected victims ofeconomic injustice, terrible insecurity andexploitation. Management%u2019s view saw theenviable freedom and opportunity thatmakes free-lancing in New York a silverplatter.The fact is, there%u2019s some truth in bothassertions. The musicians who will strikethe opening chords of the Brooklyn Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra%u2019s 33rd seasonon Friday, November 28, are among theranks of the free-lancers, and their personalstories are of struggle as much as satisfaction.The Brooklyn Philharmonic, most ofthose interviewed here are quick to pointout, is an especially good place to \\^ork. Atenure agreement begun three yeats agonow covers 60 of the orchestra%u2019s 73 regularplayers, %u201ccreating a healthy environmentand a better orchestra,%u201d according todouble-bassist Lou Bruno. The arrangementis the only one of its kind among the 11 orchestral organizations who are part of thecollective bargaining agreement with themusicians, providing a measure of jobsecurity for the musicians and stability forthe orchestra.%u201cI feel very much like I%u2019m a member ofthe Brooklyn Philharmonic,%u201d exclaims principal bassoonist Frank Morelli, respondingto %u201cthe myth that free-lancers just pick uptheir checks and split.%u201d Many musiciansagree that appreciation of their unique professionalism as free-lancers in New York islacking.%u201cThe quality of free-lancers in New Yorkis as good or better than many players inregional and even major orchestras,%u201d saysJonathan Taylor, now in his eleventh seasonas trombonist with the Brooklyn Philharmonic and his second season as the contractor for the orchestra. In the latter role, lie%u2019sresponsible for getting whatever musiciansare needed for a particular performance,and serving as a personnel manager and aliaison between the musicians, conductorand orchestra management.%u201cYou can%u2019t make a living free-lancing,%u201dsays Taylor, who also plays with the NewOrchestra of Westchester and Paul TaylorDance Company. Most free-lancers playwith several part-time orchestral orchamber groups, hold a steady gig with aballet or opera company and substitute inthe pits of Broadway musicals. %u201cThenumber of orchestras and ensembles ofhigh quality in New York is unique and veryspecial,%u201d Bruno says, %u201cand it couldn%u2019t workwithout a pool of first-class free-lancers.%u201dBruno, who served on the negotiatingcommittee of the American Federation ofMusicians, Local 802, during the recentstrike, is committed to seeing the %u201cfreelance area evolve into something great. Thestrike is just the most dramatic part of thisprocess. The old union administrationworked in back room meetings among afew people, contract by handshake %u2014 themusicians were sold out by apathy andbusiness-as-usual. Our level of awarenessgrew, and people began getting sick of theway things happened. By the time the unionstarted negotiating it was too late.%u201dLate in 1982, a new administration was'elected by the union membes %u201cthat was,and still is, committed to the musicians,%u201dhe says. %u201cIt was like night and day. Afterthe first contract (signed in 1983 and expired this past September) we promisedwe%u2019d come back for more, and we did. Thatpromise still holds %u2014 we%u2019re still playingcatch-up for the wages, benefits and jobSCCUrit'r 0,0 Hooonro Rpunn cavaFrench horn player Scott Temple, a sixyear Brooklyn Philharmonic veteran,translates the political struggle into everyday realities. %u201cIt%u2019s hard to build up a bodyof accounts that adds up to an annual income. The compensation for free-lancers isonly one-half to two-thirds of what a playerin the New York Philharmonic makes, andit%u2019s less than contracts for ballet, opera andBroadway. Even the new contract will keepus substantially under standard,%u201d heclaims, adding, %u201cyou%u2019re under a lot ofpressure %u2014 difficult pieces, performed onone-night stands with rarely more thanthree rehearsals. And I still worry when Isee the blank book three or four months inadvance.%u201dFor Bruno the everyday reality is assignificant as the politics. %u201cIf I had kids,%u201dhe confesses, %u201cI%u2019d have to think seriouslyabout giving up the free-lancing forsomething more lucrative and stable.%u201dFor Brooklyn%u2019s principal harpist, andmother of three, Karen Lindquist, therealities are, as she puts it, %u201cenviable.%u201dWith financial support of the family comingT o r a d z e A t O p e n i n gRussian pianist Alaxandar Toradze willappear at guest soloist with theBrooklyn Philharmonic In Liszt%u2019s PlanoConcerto No. 2 as part of the Liszt *.Centennial celebration, on November z8and 29, at 8pm, and November 30 at 2pm.Music Director and Conductor LukasFoss will lead the orchestra in its opening performances of the 1986-87 seasonat the Brooklyn Academy of Music%u2019sOpera House. The program also featuresa tribute to the 90th birthday of composer Virgil Thompson, with a performance of hie %u201cPilgrims and Pioneers,%u201dand a performance of Dvorak%u2019s Symphony No. 9, %u201c From the Now World.%u201d Formore Information, call 638-4120.primarily from her husband, Lindquist can%u201chave it all%u201d as a musician. %u201cMore thanmoney, I like to make music,%u201d she adds.Playing with the White Plains Symphonyand Long Island Philharmonic, she is stillnot beyond playing weddings and parties,and occasional studio work. %u201cYou take whatyou can, especially when you%u2019re trying toraise a family in New York.%u201dWhile survival is a constant question forthe free-lancers, what%u2019s first in theirthoughts is making music. Whether theyfreelance by preference or necessity, theyenjoy the challenge and variety the lifestyleaccords. %u201cI get bored very easily,%u201d Templeadmits. %u201cFor me, the incredible diversity ofensembles and music makes New York theplace to be heavily involved with music.%u201dFor Morelli, there%u2019s a balance between%u201cthe things we do to be able to afford ourartistic habit%u201d and %u201cthe artistic challengesto be had.%u201d Taylor contends that %u201cI thinkmany people, if they%u2019re honest, would tellyou they%u2019d take a maior orchestra seat.%u201dThat, however, almost necessitates moving from New York, the mecca of classicalmusic. That would mean, for Bruno, givingup %u201csome of the most satisfying work amusician can get, incredible variety and themost creative programming,%u201d he concludes,%u201cespecially in Brooklyn.%u201d