Orange County Musicians Union, Local 7 of the American Federation of Musicians, is a collective of Musicians seeking to raise the standard of living for all who pursue a career in music.
We join together to negotiate fair wages and safe working conditions for Musicians. We advocate for favorable laws with our local and state legislators. We work with our fellow Unions to support them when they need help and, in turn, they help us when we need their help. We are proud members of the OC Labor Federation and the California State Labor Federation.
Together, the Musicians of Local 7 are working for the future in the Music industry to ensure we are striving artists and not starving ones.
Executive Board
Edmund Velasco
President / AFM Delegate
As a saxophonist in Southern California, Edmund Velasco has made many guest appearances with Joe LaBarbara, Tony Dumas, Ron Eschete and many others. He has also performed twice at the Playboy Jazz Festival at the Hollywood Bowl.
Edmund has performed at many important local venues, including the Baked Potato, L.A.’s Catalina Bar & Grill, Steamers Jazz Café, Campus Jax, The San Jose Jazz Festival, The Manoshinos Festival and The Funchal Jazz Festival.
He has played professionally for over thirty-five years with such top names as Mel Torme, Eddie Daniels, Ernie Andrews, Barbara Morrison and many others. His quintet has four CD releases and he has appeared in many other projects. He also worked at Disneyland for 28 years, served on the negotiating team for several contracts and was chief union steward for years.
Edmund has served on the Executive Board of Local 7 for the past 18 years and now serves as President. He has participated in the fight for Disney workers including hosting and moderating the Abigail Disney’s documentary The American Dream and Other Fairy Tales, work actions with the RMA against the AMPTP, unionizing Graduate students in the UC university system, the current Medieval Times strike and others.
Edmund is a delegate to the OC Labor Federation and is very involved with Arts organizations. He is on the board of California Arts Advocates, Arts OC and is VP of California for the Arts. He is actively addressing legislators to change state laws to empower musicians throughout California.
David Catalan
Vice President
David Catalan is a Los Angeles native and began his music studies at Citrus Community College and completed his B.A. in Music Education at Azusa Pacific University. David is a freelance woodwind player specializing in saxophones, clarinets and flutes. Alongside his performance career, David is also an accomplished arranger and orchestrator.
David has worked regularly at the Disneyland Resort since 2015 with the reimagined Disneyland Band. Additionally, he has performed as a pit orchestra musician at numerous theaters across Southern California such as Laguna Playhouse, La Mirada Theatre and A Noise Within.
As an arranger David has enjoyed an active and diverse career. He has written original arrangements for Grammy Award winner Melissa Manchester and created original orchestrations for MTW’s production of the Sherman Brothers’ musical “Busker Alley” and 3D Theatricals’ “Oklahoma.” David’s arrangements can also be heard daily by the Disneyland Band.
As an educator, he most recently taught woodwind techniques at Azusa Pacific University, served as Jazz Band director at Oak Ave Intermediate School for 20 years, and as Music Director at Kid City, a non-profit organization serving inner city youth in downtown Los Angeles for 5 years.
David is the Music Coordinator at Lake Ave Church in Pasadena and takes pride in serving as a Trustee on the Executive Board since January 2020 and now also as an AFM Delegate Alternate representing Local 7 musicians. He is also a proud member of Local 47. David currently resides in Arcadia with his wife and two daughters.
Tammy Noreyko
Secretary-Treasurer / AFM Delegate
In 2003, Tammy was elected Secretary-Treasurer, overseeing the business of the Local, including its finances, historical records, and more. She is an integral part of each negotiating team as well as administration of every CBA. She assists freelancers with contract administration, education and organizing. She also plans and organizes the various events held at the Local.
Although wearing different hats may seem overwhelming at times, Tammy thrives on these challenges and enjoys the relationships forged with the members and officers throughout the AFM. She is the Secretary-Treasurer of the Western Conference of Locals, Chair of the AFM’s Locals Conferences Council and a delegate to the Orange County Labor Federation.
Connie Deeter
Trustee
Connie Deeter is a member of the Pacific Symphony and the Redlands Symphony, and has played with the Pasadena, San Diego, Long Beach and Santa Barbara Symphonies, as well as many other groups in Southern California. She is a graduate of the Juilliard School, where she studied with David Walter. Connie is on the faculties of Pomona College and Glendale Community College, and serves on the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Section of the American String Teachers’ Association.
Ron Minor
Trustee / AFM Delegate
Ron Minor was born in San Diego in 1954. His forty-five-year career as a trombone player, composer and teacher has been wide-ranging both musically and geographically. After starting out as a freelance musician in the Los Angeles area, he spent fifteen years traveling, living, and working primarily outside of the United States, with significant stops in Venezuela, South Africa, and Germany. He held principal trombone positions with the Cape Town Symphony and the Natal Philharmonic Orchestra, and was associate principal with Orquesta Sinfonica Municipal de Caracas.
Upon returning to South Africa after the ending of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela as president in 1994, Minor conducted the KwaZulu-Natal Youth Orchestra, the first racially diverse youth orchestra in the newly democratic country.
He returned to the Los Angeles area in 1996 and has since performed with Los Angeles Opera, Los Angeles Master Chorale, San Diego Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Pasadena Pops Orchestra, Long Beach Symphony, Long Beach Opera, New West Symphony, Santa Barbara Symphony, Fresno Philharmonic, the Kim Richmond Concert Jazz Orchestra, and Florida’s Sarasota Opera.
Recent chamber music compositions by Ron Minor have received performances in San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall by members of the San Francisco Symphony, and in Orange County schools as part of the newly inaugurated children’s concert series, Meet the Musicians, sponsored by the Orange County Musicians Union Local 7 and funded by the AFM Music Performance Trust Fund.
Robert Schumitzky
Trustee
Robert Schumitzky is a member of the First Violin Section of Pacific Symphony. He is a member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and the Long Beach Opera Orchestra where he serves as its Concertmaster. He has served as the Associate Concertmaster of both the Opera Pacific Orchestra and San Diego Chamber Orchestra and as an invited Guest Concertmaster of the Pacific Symphony.
Prior to his move to California, Schumitzky performed with the St Louis Symphony for four years preceded by two years with the Columbus Symphony in Ohio. In April 2018, Mr Schumitzky joined the Pacific Symphony in its Carnegie Hall debut followed by the orchestra’s first tour to mainland China in May 2018.
Schumitzky studied with Sally Thomas and Ivan Galamian at the Juilliard School where he received his MB degree. His Master Class performances include those of Henryk Szeryng, Josef Gingold, Alexander Schneider, and Szymon Goldberg. Mr Schumitzky received his MM degree from the St Louis Conservatory of Music as a student of Jacques Israelievitch. Schumitzky performs on the “Ex-Halir” Stradivarius made in 1694. He currently resides in Newport Beach with his wife, Erin Breene, and enjoys playing ice hockey in his spare time.
Cindy McKinney
Trustee
Cindy McKinney is a freelance drummer and educator based in Los Angeles.
After studying jazz and commercial music at the Orange County School of the Arts and earning her bachelor’s degree at the Berklee College of Music, Cindy began her career as a musician at the Disneyland Resort in 2011.
In addition to her work with Disney, Cindy has been performing regularly in corporate casual groups across Southern California and has been in demand as a pit drummer, having played in over 150 musical theater performances over the last 15 years.
A few career highlights include being featured on the hour-long radio program “The Ones to Watch” on KJAZZ 88.1, performing with R&B and soul artist Macy Gray in promotional appearances for her music academy, and being featured on “The Wonderful World of Disney Holiday Special” in 2021.
In addition to performing, Cindy has been a private instructor for the last 16 years.
Cindy joined the American Federation of Musicians – Union Local 7 in 2011 and was elected to its board of trustees in 2022.
Justin Mitnik
Trustee
Justin Mitnik is a freelance musician and educator originally from Boston, MA where he received his BM from UMass Amherst and MM in Music Education from Boston University and his MBA from UMass Global.
Justin has performed all over the world with various ensembles and shows including being the soloist for the musical: Blast! A tony and award-winning Broadway musical, Shockwave, Cyberjam, and Music in eXtreme: Japan Tour. Justin enjoys sharing his talents and experience currently performing with the Disneyland Band, Seaworld’s Christmastown horns, and Seastreet Band.
Justin also has performed with the Santa Monica Symphony Orchestra, Reading Symphony Orchestra, Metropolitan Wind Symphony, and Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. Justin really loves performing in pit orchestras for various musicals all over southern California. When not performing on the trombone, Justin can also be found teaching at Santa Ana College, arranging music, writing drill for marching band, or coaching private lessons.
Delegates
AFM Alternate Delegate – David Catalan
Staff
Executive Assistant to the President – Pamela Magness
Assistant to the President – Terran Noreyko
President Emeritus – Frank Amoss*
President Emeritus – Robert Sanders
Vice President Emeritus – Greg Reynolds*
Secretary-Treasurer Emerita – Beverly Reidling*
Trustee Emeritus – Michael Peak
*Deceased
General Membership Meeting
January, May and October – Milton Foster Concert Hall