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