Outsourcing the officers’ reports

Careful readers of the International Musician will notice that this month’s report by the International Secretary-Treasurer consists of a speech by ICSOM Chairman Bruce Ridge, bracketed by 107 words from the person actually paid to write the column:

For this month's column I would like to assist our brothers and sisters in Columbus, Ohio, by sharing this May 20 speech given by International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM) Chair Bruce Ridge.

(speech)

The musicians of the Columbus Symphony currently face the prospect of losing their health insurance. Donations will go toward covering those costs. Contributions may be sent to: Central Ohio Federation of Musicians, 1585 Bethel Rd. Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43220-2010 and checks should be made out to the Columbus Symphony Orchestra Committee. These talented musicians deserve the support, not only of their fellow orchestra players, but of the entire musical community.

I’m not sure that this really "assists" the musicians in Columbus, much less Sam Folio or Bruce Ridge. Surely an appeal for help for the CSO musicians would have been more likely to result in actual donations had it been placed on the front page in large type, rather than at the very bottom of Sam’s column.

I suspect this will also reinforce the suspicion held in certain quarters that Sam doesn’t really do all that much to earn his salary, as well as the suspicion held in certain other quarters that Bruce is far too fond of hearing himself talk (although that’s a charge that’s been made against most chairs of ICSOM, myself included).

And the timing of this piece of official favor was unfortunate. To have Bruce singled out at the same time as the IEB is launching a crusade against one of his colleagues on the Players Conference Council really doesn’t look good. I'm sure that's not Bruce's fault. It may well be Sam's. But then there are many masters of the art of divide and conquer within the AFM.