Face the Music

In reference to Mary Margaret McGuire’s letter (Saturday Letters, June 16) where she was very troubled that the Pasadena Playhouse’s production of “Side Man” used prerecorded music recorded in Europe, instead of using L.A. musicians who “should have” or “could have” been allowed to participate:

The only people to blame are the head honchos at the Local 47 musicians’ union. They have outpriced and threatened their own L.A. musicians and, as a result, many of us in the music industry have had to travel to Seattle, London, Austria and farther to deliver music under our allowed budgets. Yes, it is ironic and frankly tragic that our L.A.-based musicians are losing their homes and their dreams, but it’s only because the musicians’ own union is ignoring the reality of the union’s unrealistic and greedy demands.

If we record out of Los Angeles, we can deliver excellent music and, at times, take a three-day holiday at a five-star hotel and still come in under the budget it would have taken to record in an L.A. studio. Local 47 needs a reality check before we lose our best.

MICHELLE HART

Los Angeles