Defying the Silence: A Chronicle of Resilience that Saved the World-Renowned Minnesota Orchestra

In this extraordinary example of how to unionize in the arts, this labor history book reveals how some of the world's finest musicians went from sitting in the Minnesota Orchestra to standing in the picket line . . . and how their city rallied around them. "A story of incredible musician solidarity as well as community resistance and collaboration." -Jonathan Eisenberg, Minnesota Orchestral Association board member The lockout that began on October 1, 2012, became the longest and most infamous work stoppage in American orchestral labor history. Like many strikes, the ominous signals of anti-unionism preceded it. Hiring slowdowns. Notes that the orchestra needed to "slim down" and "change the business model." Shifts in attitude toward the musicians themselves. What came to pass was a struggle for the very identity of an orchestra that had been at the heart of the Minnesota arts scene since it was founded in 1903. But the musicians didn't feel despair-they felt defiance. And Twin Cities