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Photograph by Jacqueline Ramseyer
Keeping the Beat: Galen Lemmon, owner of Lemmon Percussion on Willow Street, has spent the past 28 years playing as a percussionist for the San Jose Symphony.
Willow Glen resident upbeat about SJ Symphony's return
Percussionist has played with group for about 28 years
By Moryt Milo
In the early 1970s, San Jose State University sophomore Galen Lemmon auditioned for a job as a percussionist with the San Jose Symphony and got the job.
Three years later, the symphony had national auditions for a principal percussionist, and Lemmon won the position.
Now, 28 years later, this Willow Glen resident watched in shock as the symphony abruptly canceled its season on Oct. 18.
"It's the sad culmination of years of poor management," Lemmon says.
The symphony was founded in 1879. Throughout its 122 years, the symphony bounced in and out of debt. As recently as 1994, the symphony was in the black. But starting in 1995, the symphony has been unable to steer itself out of the red, until it finally ended up with a deficit of $2.5 million and was forced to lay everyone off--musicians and staff--as of Oct. 18.
Lemmon, 47, who also teaches percussion at San Jose State University and owns Lemmon Percussion, 820 Willow St., a drum shop in Willow Glen, says the sudden closure of the symphony sent musicians scrambling for ways to make up lost revenue.
"I thought I had put together a nice arrangement between the symphony, ballet and San Jose State University," Lemmon says. "It all fit nicely together."
But with the symphony's status in limbo, Lemmon says he will need to rely on the store's income to help his own finances.
Lemmon started his store out of a garage in the 1990s. Today it is the only exclusive percussion store in the area. The store's inventory is unique because of Lemmon's extensive knowledge as a percussionist.
"We consider ourselves a pro drum shop," Lemmon says. "Everyone in the store knows about percussion, whether it's marching or orchestral. Whoever you talk to is an expert," Lemmon says.
Prior to the symphony's demise, Lemmon was putting the store's profits back into building his business.
"I guess that will have to change," he says.
Lemmon Percussion constantly provided the orchestra with percussion instruments at no charge or offered special deals.
"The store has been a big supporter of the symphony," Lemmon says.
Over the years, Lemmon, a former president of the musician's union, actively worked with the symphony's board and management to represent the musicians and their interests.
After the symphony closed its doors, it was not until several days later, Oct. 22, that the entire orchestra met and was updated on the symphony's status. Lemmon says the symphony had not given out any information, and many musicians knew only what they had read in the newspapers.
Lemmon, who was one of the musicians picked to work with the symphony's transition team in helping restructure and revive the symphony, says orchestra members now have to make some quick decisions about health insurance. There is still uncertainty about whether the symphony will be able to pay musician health benefits or if musicians will have to pay their own health insurance premiums. Orchestral musicians also have instruments valued as high as $100,000. These instruments require insurance to safeguard against damage or loss. In the past the symphony paid instrument insurance. With the symphony's season canceled, and instrument insurance running out as of Nov. 10, coverage is uncertain.
Although all the musicians were stunned about the symphony's abrupt shutdown, Lemmon says, "I probably knew more than most. I saw it coming for a long time. The symphony has lost money eight out of the last 10 years. It has been limping along as a result of poor management."
He disagrees with those who say the symphony's budget is too large. Lemmon says that for a city the size of San Jose and the amount of wealth in the area, "the infrastructure in the symphony was not properly supported."
He says those responsible for the symphony's well-being lacked the knowledge and experience necessary to raise the needed funds to keep the symphony healthy.
Now the symphony is targeting a return for February 2002, and Lemmon says there is a tremendous amount of work to do in a very short time.
"The transition team has to come up with a business plan and find individuals willing to finance the restructuring," Lemmon says. "This new board also has to look into the future and concern itself with scheduling, soloists, dates and programming. It all needs to be factored in."
The process is made more difficult with no administrative staff--the employees were all terminated when the symphony shut its doors.
"There is only Dick Gourley, the chief executive, and Curtis Dudnick, chief financial officer," Lemmon says. "Maybe some of the musicians will step up and do some of the work."
Stepping up and helping the symphony has been part of Lemmon's work relationship with the orchestra for a long time. He and several musicians spent the last six months helping management with "the nuts and bolts of the operation because it wasn't getting done," Lemmon says.
He also spent the last six months on community outreach. Lemmon says the orchestra's family series was very successful, but the cost of the performances was still the same, and outreach programs need ongoing financial community support to survive.
Although the symphony's return is uncertain, and Lemmon and his fellow musicians are looking for alternative ways to recover a significant portion of their income, Lemmon is optimistic about its future.
"This is chapter 11 out of court," he says. "We have to suspend and restructure so we can come back better and stronger than before. Maybe we can set the example on how to deal with this sort of thing. In the long run it's probably a good thing."
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
