I figured I had to get a response with that post…BTW, I understand the “Music Makes A City” title, but it also makes an interesting assertion, in that ALL music makes a city, not just orchestral music. The LO, once upon a time, was a leading performance group for new music, however, not so very much any longer.

As for the “we musicians must stick together,” would that be the LO musicians who wanted to sell the Union’s building back in the 90s to pay for an out-of-town attorney to help them keep their jobs and leaving the non0LO players without a building? Clara Markham was driving that, I understand. The non-classical players managed to put a cork in it. Also, I will tell you that amongst many non-classical musicians of my acquaintance, the LO players are considered snobs who will not deign to pay a bit of attention to the anybody who isn’t one and do not deal with local shops, except, perhaps, for Miles Davis’ place.

The night life in this town is very busy these days, with more music being performed than I’ve seen in a very long time – without the LO playing. Like musicians in every genre, I sense that narrow view of what passes for “night life,” which is whatever said musician likes to go hear. There’s much more music than that.

You are correct that Maisch has hired a union-busting attorney, which I noted some number of posts back. I also noted that there hasn’t been much support from other unions, until last night.

I do hope this gets worked out and you keep your job. I also hope you can find an audience now.

First, the reason you’ve been seeing the phrase “Music Makes a City” is: that is the title of the recent award-winning documentary about the Louisville Orchestra leading the musical world in commissioning new music – most assuredly NOT music “from earlier than the twentieth century.” I highly recommend it to you – it’s available for purchase on Amazon, and anyone interested in the musical life of Louisville that hasn’t seen it will be amazed and entertained. (You just missed several showings on KET.)

The current situation is not about money. Symphony orchestras have never paid for themselves and never will. Here is the drill – a consortium of civic leaders, business people, and public leaders (seeing an example of the the vision shown by Louisville mayor Charles Farnesly is another reason to watch “Music Makes a City”) work together to field a symphony orchestra because it makes the city a better place (The LO and Louisville’s growing arts scene helped attract GE’s Appliance Park, for example.)

The problem is, right now,many of those business leaders have been sold a bill of goods by the present LO Board Chair Chuck Maisch that the city must think smaller, must shrink the orchestra in size, function and salary, and the LO board has turned that job over to a notorious union-hating attorney who will seemingly stop at nothing to break the union’s domain in Louisville’s symphonic music realm the way he has in some of the trades already. If we allow this to happen it will have repercussions throughout the local music scene and the national symphonic world. If my conversation with one LO board member last night is any clue, even the board members have no idea just how much power they have given him and how dangerous this situation is. The LO has sent fliers to music schools around the country in an effort to get young musicians to come here and break the union – and certainly jeopardize their employment future in any other orchestra at the same time. And, of course, these young non-union players will have even less protection than the union is affording the LO veterans now.

So, we Louisville musicians need to stick together for the health of the entire music scene. If there are no more LO concerts – or severely diminished crowds out to see the new post-apocalypse semi-pro LO, the night life of Louisville will suffer, etc. etc. Let’s all work together to bring it to a just and mutually profitable end, ASAP.

Raymond Horton
Bass Trombonist, Louisville Orchestra, since 1971
Jeffersontown, KY native
Member Local 11-637 American Federation of Musicians