Category Archives: Newsletters

Everything You Wanted To Know about the Musicians’ Union (But Were Afraid to Ask)

Thursday September 19, 2024

Members and non-members alike are invite to attend this information session about the AFM/CFM and our Local 518, Union of Professional Musicians, Serving Eastern Ontario.

Liana White, the Executive Director of the CFM (Canadian Federation of Musicians) is the guest speaker.

Ms. White has vast experience in the arts & entertainment community, a solid reputation as a knowledgeable resource on cross-border immigration requirements, and a demonstrated understanding of the needs of musician’s today.  In her new role Ms. White will oversee governance matters for the union at large, including serving as the primary liaison with Local affiliate offices and for member relations. 

Over the Years, White has become recognized within the Canadian music industry in industry publications and associations, such as: Canadian Musician Magazine, Songwriters Association of Canada, Canadian Conference of the Arts, The New Indie (Volume II), Orchestras Canada, Phemphat Entertainment Group [Honey Jam], East Coast Music Association, Music Nova Scotia, Music Manitoba, Toronto Downtown Jazz, Metalworks Institute and International Musician. White has written articles, given interviews and provided artist-immigration and general AFM consultation to these industry publications and associations.  

Thursday September 19, 2024 at Next Church, 89 Colborne St., Kingston, Ontario. K7K 1C8. Light refreshments served.

For more information, please call (416) 606-0799.

Labour Day Picnic 2024

Labour Day Picnic Monday 2nd September 10am – 1:00 pm
You’re invited to the Labour Day Picnic. Come out and support your union and meet your union reps.

Where: McBurney Park
167 Ordnance St
Kingston K7K 1H1
When: Monday 2nd September

Details:
March to city hall begins at 10 am
Picnic at the park 11:00:-1:00
All welcome!

Image by <a href=”https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/hand-drawn-labor-day-background_4971134.htm#query=labour%20day%20canada&position=11&from_view=keyword&track=ais_hybrid&uuid=7c3cb03b-7a20-47fe-91c7-1905015f7ad9“>Freepik</a>

Impact of Musicians & Orchestras of the Canadian Regulatory Amendments For Elephant Ivory and Rhino Horn

Orchestras Canada invites you to an overview of the impact on musical instruments of regulatory changes for elephant ivory and rhinoceros horn, and how these amendments fit in the overall controls on international trade under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).


🗓️ Date: 13 December 2023
⏰ Time: 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm Eastern
📍 Location: Zoom Meetings
🆓 Cost: Free


🔠 Accessibility: This session is presented in English only and the same session will be presented in French from 10:30 to 11:30 am. AI-generated closed captions will be available via Zoom.
Presenter: Lise Jubinville, Manager, CITES Permit Program Delivery, Wildlife Management and Regulatory Affairs / Canadian Wildlife Service

➡️ Register: https://oc.ca/en/impact-on-musicians-and-orchestras/ 

Audition: Principal Trumpet

The Kingston Symphony, under the direction of Evan Mitchell, announces the following vacancy to be filled by Wednesday, November 29, 2023 or the applicant’s earliest availability.

PRINCIPAL TRUMPET
National Auditions will be held on Friday, September 29, 2023, at the Isabel Bader

Centre for the Performing Arts, 390 King Street West in Kingston, Ontario.

Season: September to May, with some summer services Approximately 65-70 services

Compensation: $12,900 per year (September 1-August 31) plus travel if applicable

The musicians of the Kingston Symphony are members of the Canadian Federation of Musicians.

Deadline for applications is Friday, September 15, 2023 at 5 p.m. (EST).

Interested applicants, please send a resume to:

Linda Craig, Personnel Manager
Kingston Symphony Association
Email: personnelmanager@kingstonsymphony.ca

Upon receipt of resume, access to the excerpts will be emailed along with further information. Please direct all enquiries to the Personnel Manager.

Audition: Principal Viola

The Kingston Symphony, under the direction of Evan Mitchell, announces the following vacancy to be filled by Wednesday, November 29, 2023 or the applicant’s earliest availability. The term of the contract is to cover a leave of absence and will be until August 31, 2024 with the possibility of becoming permanent.

PRINCIPAL VIOLA
National Auditions will be held on Friday, October 27, 2023, at the Isabel Bader

Centre for the Performing Arts, 390 King Street West in Kingston, Ontario.

Season: September to May, with some summer services Approximately 65-70 services

Compensation: $12,900 per year (pro-rated for term of contract) plus travel if applicable

The musicians of the Kingston Symphony are members of the Canadian Federation of Musicians.

Deadline for applications is Friday, October 13, 2023 at 5 p.m. (EST).

Interested applicants, please send a resume to:

Linda Craig, Personnel Manager
Kingston Symphony Association
Email: personnelmanager@kingstonsymphony.ca

Upon receipt of resume, access to the excerpts will be emailed along with further information. Please direct all enquiries to the Personnel Manager.

Music on Union- Opening the Path to Peace and fair pay


With the launch of its second season, Sounds of
Peace, Music on Union is echoing poet Kahlil
Gibran—”Music… opens the secret of life bringing
peace’.
At 12:10p.m. on August 12, 2022, long-time
crowd-pleaser, vocalist Ralph Kuster,
accompanied by pianist Tim Hallman, kicks off
the season of eight, weekly, 40-minute concerts
at St. James Anglican Church, 10 Union Street.
“Last year our series, Sounds of Hope, looked to
our emergence from the bleakness of COVID.
Now war and social conflicts are hitting our
headlines, so our goal this year is to help bring
peace into the hearts, souls and daily living of
our audiences,” said Michael Capon, Music
Director at St. James’ Anglican Church.
In addition to harnessing the power of music for
peace, the organizers are also intent on
honouring Jesus’maxim that “the labourer is
worthy of his hire”.
“It’s great that there are now more and more
opportunities for musicians to perform,”
commented Sue Moore, Secretary-Treasurer of
the Union of Professional Musicians AFM Local
518 (serving eastern Ontario).
Capon and Moore were happy to be able to
include vocal and wind performances in their
eclectic 2022 line-up.
The first four concerts feature: Kuster’s
extensive repertoire of Broadway hits, country
music and crooner classics; jazz, baroque and
contemporary clarinet pieces played by Carina
Canonico and David Gazaille; the Bach to the
Beatles repertoire of clarinet and cello trio Two
Thirds Down Under; and the jazzy tones of
singer Chantal Thompson. Thompson affirms
the power of music to be a medium for peace.
“Music is a spiritual consciousness that brings
us together”, she said, “and I’m thrilled to be
offering a gift of meditation for the listeners in a
venue redolent with such beauty and history.”
Subsequent concerts showcase: Amber &
Zebulun on cello and guitar performing the likes
of Mancini, Bacharach and Cohen; traditional
Iranian and contemporary pieces from santurist
Sadaf Amini; and songs and dances for four
hands performed by piano duo Peletsis-
Dardykina.
“The final concert falls on Orange Shirt Day,”
noted Capon, “and it is exciting that Lynn Brant,
a Mohawk who sits with the Bear Clan, has
agreed to perform some of her original
compositions to close out our Sounds of Peace
series.”
Moore and Capon hope to repeat the success of
the 2021 season. “We had lots of positive
feedback from last year’s performers and
audiences about the heightened acoustics and
aesthetics of St. James,” said Moore. “With this
venue and a strong program for the 2022
season we expect capacity audiences again this
year.”
The series also aims to promote
the wellness benefits of music for the nearby
hospital and university communities.
Media contact:
Sue Moore
kingstonmusicians@gmail.com
613-484-3554

Kingston Musicians Union adopts new name!

The Kingston Musicians’ Union in its December and January general meetings adopted a new name for the Local. This has been long overdue and it is hoped that the name will serve our community of musicians far more appropriately.

“Our Local is more than our Kingston base. Our jurisdiction reaches far beyond Dorset in Haliburton county and extends to Gananoque in the thousand Islands just east of Kingston, many of our members live in areas other than Kingston and the reference to the city makes no sense to them.” -Mark Wilkins president

A survey was distributed throughout the local in 2021 for suggestions and a short list drawn up. The new name adopted is:

Kingston Musicians Union hosts first Live Audience Streamed Concert

Friday August 6th, Kingston Musicians Union co-hosted with St James Anglican Church, Kingston’s first live concert. This concert series has been made possible by the sponsorship from the Music Performance Trust Fund. The idea for the concert series has been in the works since July 2020 when the Local was looking for venues to host the streamed concerts that they initialized and were fully funded by MPTF, however the church was unavailable for use so streaming was exclusively performed at the Royal Theatre in Gananque.

This current series, doors opened to the public for a noon hour concert that featured Spencer Evans and his son Oscar. Stringent Covid 19 protocols were in place to ensure that both the audience and performers had a safe place to enjoy this live concert and with limited seating the Local provided a polished stream of the performance. The series continues for the next seven weeks with a variety of performances from Jazz,  Classical, and concept art forms. Tickets are available from Eventbrite  stjameskingston.ca/tickets

Live indoor music returns to Kingston as weekly noon hour series begins | Watch News Videos Online (globalnews.ca)