Music Journalism

Leading Flautist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Complains of Unequal Pay (News Piece)

Elizabeth Rowe has been the principal flautist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra since 2004 and in her fourteenth year she decided to sue the BSO for $200,000 in unpaid wages. The gender discrimination lawsuit came as a result of numerous failed attempts of negotiating privately to management that every year she is paid around $70,000 less than the principal oboist.

The other side of the argument from a BSO statement shows that the pay gap is not due to gender but to the nature of the instruments. They said that the oboe is more ‘difficult to play’ and that there are more flautists in general, therefore the fact that oboists are paid more reflects the simple concept of supply and demand. However, Rowe’s co-worker and principal oboist John Ferrillo, stands on her side and clarifies that from his point of view, both instruments are equal in difficulty and importance. Sources from the Washington Post and Boston Globe quotes him: ‘Ever looked at a flute part? … Every instrument has its own private hell.’

This incident isn’t just a one-off individual case for Rowe; it extends awareness of female equality in the workplace across America and the globe. According to Rowe, by looking at women graduating from music conservatories and women in top orchestras, the numbers do not balance and therefore isn’t fair. Within the ‘big five’ orchestras (Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Philadelphia, New York), women make up less than 17% of principal positions.

In the previous year, principal flautist Brook Ferguson of the Colorado Symphony decided not to file a lawsuit and instead sought help from the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. She could not afford a public lawsuit and states that the situation was ‘considered a betrayal of trust’ with management, which had an impact on her emotional health. Privately, Rowe has received support from fellow musicians who do not wish to speak up publicly.

Principal Flautist of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Stands Up Against Management over Unequal Pay (Opinion Piece)

Elizabeth Rowe joined the Boston Symphony Orchestra in 2004 as principal flautist. According to herself, this was a ‘dream job’. However, this dream has yet to take the form of a nightmare as she receives her pay check. After 14 years, Rowe has decided to take legal action regarding unequal pay, which she believes that her gender is the reason why she has been paid less than she should.

The timing of this gender discrimination lawsuit seems appropriately aggressive as the new Massachusetts Equal Pay Law went into effect just the day before. The lawsuit states that Rowe was paid around ¾ of the salary of principal oboist John Ferrillo, and when taking into consideration that the amount is in six-figure U.S. dollars, that is a lot of money. Over the years, the situation hasn’t improved for Rowe despite continuous and repetitive appeals to management, which is why it all adds up and she is asking for a grand total $200,000 compensation at this moment in time. Professional musicians earning more than a certain amount needs to be declared on tax filings by orchestras, and of the people who are being paid high enough to be listed, only one in five are women. This leads us on to more pressing issues regarding women’s rights and treatment in the workplace.

Although there are measures taken to reduce chances of discrimination (such as blind auditions where the board cannot see the auditionee), the problem of unfairness for women seems to be at large. One potential step in the right direction could be to have a set number of males and females who audition to increase the likelihood of women successfully entering orchestras. The auditioning board and management committee could also recruit more women. However, every situation needs to be evaluated and the solution could take years to see any positive effect.

The BSO has responded to the lawsuit and shifted the attention to the fact that the flute and oboe are different instruments, therefore playing a different role in the orchestra. This has been met with criticism from Ferrillo, who argues that both are just as important and therefore should be paid just as much. In fact, it could be argued that Rowe is of more importance as she has been a featured soloist more times than Ferrillo. Important factors to consider are financial costs and public image. The BSO often features her on PR materials, and even asked her to write a personal appeal for the orchestra in hopes of getting more patrons to donate!

Perhaps this lawsuit isn’t just about pay dispute, but addresses a wider range of issues such as morals, not being afraid to speak up against injustice (there are fellow musicians and friends of Rowe who sends support privately in fear of bad publicity). In this somewhat secretive and niche industry, there are constant controversies like sexual misconduct allegations.

The Lost Hours – Turning your reality into soundtrack (Artist Feature)

Choice of media outlet: Local music blog in Leeds called Pink Wafer

The Lost Hours is fronted and led by singer/songwriter Callum James Hamilton. The young talent is considered a multi-instrumentalist as well as a singer, with capable abilities to compose on the piano, guitar, and bass. He usually performs on acoustic guitar and vocals, delegating other roles to members of his band. Featuring a traditional four-piece band approach, the arrangements and song writing feels adequate to the effective lyrics of describing life experiences that the listener can relate to. The name itself is sufficient enough to tell the story of thinking back to times of uncertainty as teenagers and young adults often do. Expect to hear vocal melodies smothering its backing harmonies and continuous guitar riffs throughout songs.

According to Callum, his earliest influences were brought to him via his father’s vinyl obsession. ‘You can literally find anything from jazz to folk, classical to rock… but the pop style really grabbed my attention and I’ve stuck with it ever since.’ Artists such as Joni Mitchell, Nick Drake, and John Martyn inspired him to start writing music that means something to him and reflects his life experiences.

Originally a solo artist from Leeds, Callum needed a little help to improve his craft of making music. He made the most out of studying music full-time at a tender age of 16. Having completed two years of diploma study at the prestigious conservatoire Leeds College of Music, he forced himself to step outside of his comfort zone and made the move to London, despite criticism from his peers at the time. ‘It was a big step for me. However, with the right attitude, the right people, and the right desire, the big step happens and you don’t think much about it.’

Callum set himself a challenge when he moved to London in the summer of 2017, having just turned 18. He would attempt to gig as much as possible and make a name for himself in the London pop scene; the best of way of putting it is, in his own words, ‘doing the Ed Sheeran thing’. Things really started to take off when former Infadels frontman Bnann discovered Callum at one of his gigs and not long after that, High Tribe Records signed the singer/songwriter in 2018.

The musical style changed significantly as he started recruiting the best sidemen around him to create a band which would allow him to express himself more dynamically. When asked the question of why he made the change, he referenced his previous answer of taking a big step to move to London. ‘Going from a solo singer/songwriter to a four-piece band took a lot of work and, perhaps more importantly, a lot of courage. The thing is, it felt so natural. Although my early influences were singer/songwriters like Joni Mitchell and John Martyn, I had been listening to bands like Mumford And Sons, Radiohead, Talking Heads…’

To Be Alone was a song written on a lonely train journey down south to London from his hometown of Leeds. It was inspired by the calm setting of the countryside view, missing friends and family relations on the way. The strings and drums come in at just the right moment after the chorus, filling space and allowing time for reflection. The gentle acoustic guitar strings ring continuously throughout, while an electric lead line joins halfway through to add to the emotion.

The songwriter has very generously shared some secrets to his formula: write, record, and gig at every opportunity. The hard work does pay off, with nearly 2k subscribers on YouTube and a combined total of 100k+ views. The music is present on the High Tribe Records Soundcloud and has garnered over 24k monthly listeners on Spotify, with Shiver and Shake being the most played track with 6k plays. The new single Shiver and Shake was released on 17th January this year, and in the same month they are gigging in London at Notting Hill Arts Club and Sofar Sounds. Futuresound, a prominent music company, has booked a headline show at Oporto in Leeds for the following month of February, while BBC Radio 4 has invited the band for a live session. Highlights of the year include being featured by BBC Music Introducing in West Yorkshire presenter/DJ Alan Raw, and getting to number 66 in the iTunes Top 200 Tracks of the UK Alternative Chart.

Surrounded by the comforts of his very own home studio, Callum often finds time disappearing quickly as he writes and records demos productively. Coincidently, it is almost like the name of the band; ‘hours do get lost in here, but in a good way.’ Here is his answer to the most dreaded question of any interview: ‘What are the next steps for you and the band, then? Any specific short term, long term goals that you would like to share?’ ‘Well, I like to keep things natural so they happen with just the right amount of effort and doesn’t seem forced or loses meaning. I’d like to be played more on radio and play more gigs all around the UK and even Europe, eventually!’

Check out the up and coming music and gigs on their social media links below:

Official Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/thelosthoursofficial/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thelosthoursmusic/

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCITvO1zYeqV0zf4xyy9iw9w/featured

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/1k88cnONJiDEW56966qlfR

Website: https://thelosthours.com/

The Lost Hours Gig Poster - Source: The Lost Hours Official Facebook Page

Gig Review: The Lost Hours’ First Ever Headline Show at Oporto

Earning a headline spot at a venue right at the heart of Leeds City Centre is not an easy thing to achieve, but The Lost Hours have been invited back to Oporto after supporting LA solo act Sofia Wolfson in the same place last month. This show was a memorable one, even more so than the last few gigs or live sessions that they've done up and down the country on the BBC, as the build up of the night went just as planned. In Callum's own words: 'BRIE (singer-songwriter Gabrielle O'Brien) and Niall Summerton lead the energy of the room to suit our styles, which made my set feel comfortable to go through.' The indie/pop influences of both support acts balanced mystery with joy, which was relatable to the mixed audience from fellow college students to parents, even grandparents!

The Lost Hours' choice of songs in the setlist almost reflects the environment that they play in; a mixture of new and old songs compared to the modern vibes of the bar with a retro touch of architecture and lighting. Starting off with River Run, this classic tune instantly catches everybody's attention in the room to turn their heads to the unmistakable voice of Callum. Before the claps ended, the band pounds straight into their newest single Shiver and Shake, a personal favourite as it combines memorable melodies and lyrics in the chorus with appropriately driving rhythms from the whole band.

The rest of the set includes Rattled and Rough, Miss America, Lonely Love, and a cover of Talking Heads' This Must Be The Place. The fact that they finished off their set (and, as headliners, the whole night) with a cover is questionable at this stage in their development. Being signed to London independent label High Tribe Records, this may be seen as a crowd-pleasing move lacking in originality. It did not sound as strong as the rest of the set to some hears, however to others it was pleasing to hear familiar music being presented from the perspective of four local young men.

Although there are guitar changes between almost every song in different tunings to accommodate changes in keys to better suit his vocals, this was very well rehearsed as the instrumental 'jams' and edgy jokes keep the intimate crowd entertained.

The show overall reminds us of the steps that are taken to cultivate something into reality; in this instance, songs and music. The way that Callum brings his feelings from his bedroom onto the stage with fellow band members should be praised as it is a brave and courageous thing to do.

Follow The Lost Hours via links below:

www.thelosthours.com

Facebook: @thelosthoursofficial

Instagram: @thelosthoursmusic

Twitter: @lost_hoursmusic

The Lost Hours in action - Source: @thelosthoursofficial on Facebook