This collection contains material collected and created by Tom Reel concerning the Virginia Symphony Orchestra strike in 1988 and its aftermath. Included in the collection are a scrapbook, newspaper articles, correspondence between the musicians and the Board of the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, and newsletters concerning the symphony.
The collection is organized into four series: Series I: The Musicians' Strike; Series II: Aftermath and Symphony Legacy; Series III: Scrapbook; and Series IV: Artifacts.
Open to researchers without restriction.
Before publishing quotations or excerpts from any materials, permission must be obtained from Special Collections and University Archives, and the holder of the copyright, if not Old Dominion University Libraries.
Thomas P. Reel
Gift.
Virginia Symphy Orchestra Records (MG 81-A)
[Identification of item], Box [insert number], Folder [insert number and title], Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
The collection was processed by Melissa Erlandson, Special Collections and University Archives Student Assistant, in 2016.
Tom Reel is an active member in the Virginia Symphony Orchestra and became a leading proponent for the musicians during the strike in 1988. After graduating from the Air Force Academy in 1970, Tom received two degrees in music from the University of Kansas and joined the Virginia Symphony in 1984, as a double bassist. Quickly filling a role in the Symphony, he was among the first musicians to join the Symphony Board in 1989. He became the Secretary-Treasurer for the Local Musicians' Union in 1989 and served briefly as Vice-President and President. Tom Reel was a large part of the Virginia Symphony and his role in the bettering of the organization cannot be overstated.
Beginning in 1965, the Virginia Symphony quickly became a cultural landmark in the Hampton Roads area. It serviced multiple cities with its performances and became the thirty-third ranked symphony in the nation, yet the musicians of the symphony were some of the least compensated in the industry. In spring of 1988, the musicians of the Virginia Symphony advocated for more benefits and better wages which, with little success, resulted in a six-week long strike starting in late September. Tom Reel became the president of the musicians' organization and worked with the Symphony Board to come to an agreement. Much of the issue was caused by the Symphony's financial strife, which lasted much of the 1980's and the 1990's, as they directed majority of their funds towards marketing instead of the players. The six-week strike gained a large communal backing and in November of 1988 the Symphony settled on a small increase in wages and benefits.
Note written by Joe Smith
This series contains material related to the 1988 Virginia Symphony Orchestra musicians strike. Included in the series are musician wage scales, correspondence, programs, and strikes from other symphonies.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 1, Musicians Wage Scales, 1986-2004, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 2, Musician's Strike Newspaper Articles, 1988-1989, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 3, Tom Reel Correspondence, 1988-2001, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 4, Letters to the Virginia Symphony Orchestra Board, 1988, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 5, Organ of the Species Newsletter, 1988, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 6, Musician and Board Correspondence, 1988, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 7, Picketing Information, 1988, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 8, Strikes of Other Symphonies, 1988-1989, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 9, Programs and Brochures in Support of Musicians, 1988-1998, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
This series includes material related to the aftermath of the 1988 Virginia Symphony Orchestra musicians strike. Included in the series are newspaper articles, copies of the Lines and Spaces newsletter, and a biography of Joann Falletta.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 10, Symphony Miscellaneous, 1988-1989, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 11, Benefit Concert with David Ogden Stiers, 1988, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 12, Newspaper Articles, 1989-1997, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 13, Lines and Spaces Newsletter, 1992-2005, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 14, Articles, 2000-2010, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 15, Biography on Joann Falletta, undated, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
[Identification of item and date], Box 1, Folder 16, Tribute to David Ogden Stiers, 2018, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
This series consists of a scrapbook of newspaper articles related to the 1988 Virginia Symphony Orchestra musicians strike.
Strike Newspaper Scrapbook, 1988-1989, Box 2, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
This series includes Virginia Symphony Orchestra t-shirts, including those specifically designed for the 1988 Virginia Symphony Orchestra musicians strike.
Supporting the Arts Means Supporting the Artists T-shirt, circa 1988, Oversize Box 3, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
Stand Up for Your Symphony T-shirt, circa 1988, Oversize Box 3, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
Virginia Symphony T-shirt (Black), 1994, Oversize Box 3, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.
Virginia Symphony T-shirt (White), undated, Oversize Box 3, Tom Reel Papers, Special Collections and University Archives, Old Dominion University Libraries.