Musicians Urge Gray To Promote Live Music

(Metropolitan Washington Council, AFL-CIO)

Local musicians yesterday reached out to DC Mayor-Elect Vince Gray to ask for support in restoring live music to this year’s “Nutcracker” at the Washington Ballet. “We appreciate your concern for employment and good union jobs throughout our city’s economy and sincerely hope that extends to the music and arts community,” read the letter signed by American Federation of Musicians Local 161-710 President John Cusick. “Not only is the pending loss of employment a blow to our musicians; it also marks the end of a more-than-30-year tradition of introducing live ballet – danced to live music – to families and children throughout our community…We are frankly embarrassed for our city – one of the most prestigious in the world – when its premier ballet company uses canned music…We sincerely hope that as a friend of labor and of the arts that you will at every turn use your influence to promote the use of live music at government and private functions throughout our city by all employers – including The Washington Ballet.” Click here to join more than 500 area activists who have already participated in the email campaign to urge the Washington Ballet to restore the live orchestra this year. – photo: local musicians put their unique spin on demonstrating on October 28 when a brass sextet performed on a picketline set up outside the Washington Ballet’s Wisconsin Avenue headquarters by AFM Local 161-710; photo by Chris Garlock