AFM Indie

Let’s Follow Through on a Proposal to Study How We Can Succeed
by Marc Ribot

This article first appeared in the October 2010 issue of Allegro, the newspaper of the New York City musicians’ union (AFM Local 802) and is reprinted with permission. For more background, see www.Local802afm.org.

As the article “Indie Musicians Come Together” in the last issue of Allegro makes clear, the current administration at Local 802 is making an effort to “become a resource and help give voice” to indie musicians.

In order for this to happen, the union needs to better understand the situation of indie musicians, and avoid some of the misconceptions that have prevented effectively engaging indie musicians in the past.

It might be helpful to begin with a definition: the term “indie” refers to “musicians working on recordings released by independent labels (any label other than major) and/or in the network of clubs and touring circuits which serve as development and promotion for these recordings.”

“Independent artists” are not an aesthetic community, like jazz or polka musicians. We are jazz, polka, rock, classical, country, free improvisation, Latin, marching band, hardcore and every other genre of musicians who sometimes do sessions for indie labels.

Beginning in the late 70’s, an increasing amount of record production began to be financed by “indie” labels not directly owned by “major branch” companies (which continue to control most distribution).

This situation was not our aesthetic decision or lifestyle choice.

It was a form of industrial restructuring with parallels in almost every other industry, part of the pattern of globalization and outsourcing know as “post-fordism.”

As Stanley Aronowitz and Mike Robert’s 2003 study “The Irony of the Indies” has shown, union avoidance was almost certainly the intent and indisputably the result of this restructuring.

And the more it worked (for management), the more it was and will be repeated.

This phenomenon has not affected all musicians equally. String players, for example, have been better able to resist “indie” de-unionization because of a classical music/live performance economy linked more to local philanthropy and public subsidy than to global markets.

However, they too have suffered from the globalization of those parts of their work that are not local – for example, in film score production.

Similarly, Broadway pit and club date musicians have had the advantage of fighting on a local terrain better suited to traditional union organizing.

But though the experience of these groups is very important within the union, they don’t reflect the realities of those who work in the record industry or the network of clubs and touring circuits which serve as its development and promotion.

In this world, musicians who work in indie situations are not marginal, or necessarily struggling: we are the large majority of working musicians.

And we are not necessarily “estranged from the union.” All working recording guitarists I know – and I know many – who do major label work also do indie label work. Some of us, myself included, would welcome a credible union plan to organize indie labels. However, neither I, nor anyone I know is going to pass up work in the absence of a feasible plan to win us benefits without getting us fired.

Last year, as a means to this end, I submitted a proposal to study indie label organizing, which would:

• Research the literature on how the “post-fordist” phenomenon of which it is a part has been dealt with in other industries both in the U.S. and abroad
• Learn about the successes and failures of musicians’ unions both here and in Europe
• Research legal strategies capable of winning in a post- fordist landscape
• Begin developing the database of contacts with other musicians and musicians’ organizations needed to create real leverage in a global industry.

I hope the current administration will reconsider this proposal.

The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) of the U.S. and Canada announces the beta launch of Venuology, a venue review website exclusively for musicians.

Beginning in New York City, with plans to expand throughout North America, Venuology.com enables bands to anonymously review a venue based on their experience playing there.

If a club cancels at the last minute or doesn’t pay well, groups now have a safe way to warn others of the issue. Similarly, good venues are lauded for their fair treatment of musicians and relationship with the community.

Musicians can also note myriad facts about the venue — is there a sound system? Was the audio engineer good? Is there a drumset at the venue? Is there room for dancing?

Books and websites such as the Indie Venue Bible and SonicBids.com offer musicians lists of venues, club details and help in booking gigs, but Venuology incorporates an often-overlooked component — fairness. Similar to websites Amazon.com and Yelp!, as musicians add reviews, clubs develop a written history that any observer can use to evaluate a venue.

Venuology is free and open to all musicians.

AFM Indie’s first step is to gather feedback from indie musicians — whether from indie rock, hip-hop, alt-classical, avant-garde, folk, country, latin music or jazz. Tell us:

• What do you consider to be the unique challenges faced by indie artists?
• What non-musical, but career-related tasks do you feel are most difficult to deal with as an independent musician?
• Does a DIY approach have anything in common with a cooperative mentality espoused by artist collectives and labor unions?

Members of AFM Local 99 (Portland, OR) have formed a 200-plus group of musicians seeking fair pay in local clubs and establishments.

Although many places charge a cover fee to see a band, a very small portion of that money actually goes to the musicians, says Local 99 President Bruce Fife, who was quoted in the Willamette Weekly. There’s no set amount for a percentage of door sales that goes to musicians and payments vary from club to club.

“Money goes to the doorman and soundman before it gets to the band,” says Fife. “That money being paid at the door [should be] fairly distributed to the musicians.”

The movement for “fair trade” music hopes to establish a pay scale for Portland club gigs, depending on audience capacity and the type of liquor license. Venues that already participate with union musicians like Roseland and the Crystal Ballroom would not have to adhere to this new proposed pay scale, since they already work with AFM contracts.

Clubs and venues that participate in the pay scale would receive some sort of recognition like a sticker in their window, similar to coffee shops and chains that buy from companies who pay farmers and laborers fair wages.

It’s uncertain whether or not clubs would increase door fees or alcohol prices to cover the cost increase. In a progressive city like Portland, musicians believe people would be willing to the pay a higher price for a quality act. “This sticker means better entertainment and that your money goes to the musicians,” says Sean Hudson, an upright bass player and member of Local 99. “We think this will help increase attendance.”

For many years, Canadian composers and songwriters have received payment when their songs are played on the radio.  As most Canadian musicians know, these payments come from SOCAN – the organization that represents composers and authors of sound recordings in Canada.  However, what most Canadian musicians do not know is that musicians who perform on recordings can also receive a payment when their recording receives radio play! (more…)