News, August 2006
On the gig front, this summer has been largely quiet thus far. On average I would normally have five to ten weddings each summer, but I’ve only done one so far this year. Stone Soul Picnic has done only two gigs this summer--a two-nighter in June and a last-minute house party on August 12. And Hot Ice, strange as it may seem given that it is still struggling to find a new bass player, had a Canada Day one-nighter in Gatineau. However, that doesn’t mean I’ve been sitting on my professional haunches. I’ve been using some of the time to begin recording a new collection of MIDI files.
Let me give you a bit of background before I go on. I once had a girlfriend from Connecticut whose mother was German, and as a result my ex has lots of relatives in Germany. Every time she goes there to visit them, she always stops by the German record stores. It was through her that I gained my initial exposure to German pop music, and that has since led to my developing an interest in European pop music in general, particularly since I discovered Radio Bonn online a few months ago.
Anyway, there’s a lot of good material being heard in Europe that isn’t heard here on the west side of the Atlantic, and I feel that one of my goals as a musician should be to promote a greater North American awareness of this music. Unfortunately, MIDI files of this material are apparently rarer than hens’ teeth, and that means I have to record my own versions. And I’ve got a lot of material to cover at this point--some forty tunes’ worth.
I’ve also taken some time to expand my presence on the Internet, and that means this blog and its German counterpart, as you can see, have undergone some structural changes. I now have an official web site at www.ellhol.de/jamie, and I’ve moved my events listings there. The new page contains links to two secondary sites, www.gopromusic.com/detail.php?siteid=2046 and www.myspace.com/jamiefrasermusic, which link back to the ellhol.de site. And through the ellhol.de and myspace.com web sites you can finally once again hear samples of my music.
I’ve also created a third blog, Jamie Fraser: The Man and His World, which is about my personal life as opposed to my music. And I’ll be soon creating a fourth blog that will help the parishioners at St. Augustine’s become more familiar with the new batch of music that I’ve chosen for the 4:30 mass--I’d hate to see eighteen months’ work go down the drain.
One final thought before I sign off. If you’re thinking of going to see Blue Man Group in Toronto, either save up and see them someplace else, or don’t go see them at all. And if you’re a member of the Toronto Musicians’ Association (the Toronto Local of the American Federation of Musicians) or any other Toronto-area trade union relating to the entertainment industry, you’re probably already aware of directives from your union not to offer your services to Blue Man Group, or accept any job offers from them.
The reason for my plea is simple. According to the Boycott Blue Man Group web site, every major producer in Toronto adheres to agreements with the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, the TMA and IATSE (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada). These unions have repeatedly issued requests to Blue Man Group "to negotiate contracts specifying base pay, benefits and defined working conditions," requests that Blue Man Group has just as repeatedly ignored. These unions "aim to ensure that professional artists and technicians working in live theatre have a fair working contract...By refusing to negotiate an appropriate contract with Equity, TMA, and IATSE, Blue Man Group is undercutting legitimate producers like CanStage (The Overcoat, Ain’t Misbehavin’) and Mirvish Productions (Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray). These producers provide Toronto with top quality shows that draw audiences from near and far." True, Blue Man Group, which originated in the USA, has been successful there for several years, but they’re here in Canada and are establishing themselves here as a major player and on a level with other big players, and so the local community’s professional standards must apply. "If [Blue Man Group] truly want[s] to be part of the local theatrical community," says the web site, "they must recognize the professional associations and unions within that community. It is time for Blue Man Group to recognize professional standards and negotiate fair agreements."
As some of you know, I already do that. I’ve been a member of the Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Gatineau, the Ottawa Local of the AFM, continuously since 1989. As the AFM’s web site says: "Whether negotiating fair agreements, protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and pension, or lobbying our legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape." And as I wrote on my ellhol.de site, I am committed to upholding the highest standards when providing you, my clients, with my services.
Let me give you a bit of background before I go on. I once had a girlfriend from Connecticut whose mother was German, and as a result my ex has lots of relatives in Germany. Every time she goes there to visit them, she always stops by the German record stores. It was through her that I gained my initial exposure to German pop music, and that has since led to my developing an interest in European pop music in general, particularly since I discovered Radio Bonn online a few months ago.
Anyway, there’s a lot of good material being heard in Europe that isn’t heard here on the west side of the Atlantic, and I feel that one of my goals as a musician should be to promote a greater North American awareness of this music. Unfortunately, MIDI files of this material are apparently rarer than hens’ teeth, and that means I have to record my own versions. And I’ve got a lot of material to cover at this point--some forty tunes’ worth.
I’ve also taken some time to expand my presence on the Internet, and that means this blog and its German counterpart, as you can see, have undergone some structural changes. I now have an official web site at www.ellhol.de/jamie, and I’ve moved my events listings there. The new page contains links to two secondary sites, www.gopromusic.com/detail.php?siteid=2046 and www.myspace.com/jamiefrasermusic, which link back to the ellhol.de site. And through the ellhol.de and myspace.com web sites you can finally once again hear samples of my music.
I’ve also created a third blog, Jamie Fraser: The Man and His World, which is about my personal life as opposed to my music. And I’ll be soon creating a fourth blog that will help the parishioners at St. Augustine’s become more familiar with the new batch of music that I’ve chosen for the 4:30 mass--I’d hate to see eighteen months’ work go down the drain.
One final thought before I sign off. If you’re thinking of going to see Blue Man Group in Toronto, either save up and see them someplace else, or don’t go see them at all. And if you’re a member of the Toronto Musicians’ Association (the Toronto Local of the American Federation of Musicians) or any other Toronto-area trade union relating to the entertainment industry, you’re probably already aware of directives from your union not to offer your services to Blue Man Group, or accept any job offers from them.
The reason for my plea is simple. According to the Boycott Blue Man Group web site, every major producer in Toronto adheres to agreements with the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association, the TMA and IATSE (the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists and Allied Crafts of the United States, Its Territories and Canada). These unions have repeatedly issued requests to Blue Man Group "to negotiate contracts specifying base pay, benefits and defined working conditions," requests that Blue Man Group has just as repeatedly ignored. These unions "aim to ensure that professional artists and technicians working in live theatre have a fair working contract...By refusing to negotiate an appropriate contract with Equity, TMA, and IATSE, Blue Man Group is undercutting legitimate producers like CanStage (The Overcoat, Ain’t Misbehavin’) and Mirvish Productions (Lion King, Mamma Mia!, Hairspray). These producers provide Toronto with top quality shows that draw audiences from near and far." True, Blue Man Group, which originated in the USA, has been successful there for several years, but they’re here in Canada and are establishing themselves here as a major player and on a level with other big players, and so the local community’s professional standards must apply. "If [Blue Man Group] truly want[s] to be part of the local theatrical community," says the web site, "they must recognize the professional associations and unions within that community. It is time for Blue Man Group to recognize professional standards and negotiate fair agreements."
As some of you know, I already do that. I’ve been a member of the Musicians’ Association of Ottawa-Gatineau, the Ottawa Local of the AFM, continuously since 1989. As the AFM’s web site says: "Whether negotiating fair agreements, protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and pension, or lobbying our legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape." And as I wrote on my ellhol.de site, I am committed to upholding the highest standards when providing you, my clients, with my services.
posted by Jamie at 11:43 p.m.
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