The Theater Musicians Association (TMA) is an official player conference of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), formed by musicians in order to unite theater players throughout the United States and Canada (full-time, part-time, local and traveling), so that we will be better equipped to address concerns that affect our industry. These issues include collective bargaining agreements, working conditions, virtual replacement by recordings and electronics, and non-union musicians/theatre productions.
The Chicago Area Chapter was formed in 1996 to organize local theater musicians to actively engage in addressing the professional needs of pit musicians in accordance with the standards of the industry and to assist the Chicago Federation of Musicians (CFM). The TMA Chicago Area Chapter works in collaboration with the CFM to create systems, structures, and collective bargaining agreements that support the professional needs and concerns of local theatre musicians.
Through this website we inform our membership (and other interested musical theater enthusiasts) of local theater news, links to our current and upcoming productions, glimpses into our world through our social media feed, opportunities to network and connect with our members, and important articles of interest. We invite you to join us in solidarity for a better future for theater musicians!
TMA Executive Board
Below you will find our dedicated board members who are excited to serve the needs of our local Chicago Chapter. If you have any questions or comments please feel free to reach out. You can email and connect with our local board members by clicking on the icons at the end of the biographies.
Heather Boehm
PRESIDENT
Heather is honored to have the opportunity to serve the membership of TMA as President. She has also served on the Board as Secretary-Treasurer and Director. As a violinist, she has played in and contracted pits for numerous theatre productions in downtown and suburban theaters. Heather lives in Chicago where she is an active freelancer and looks forward to working with everyone to advance the goals of Chicago Theatre Musicians.
Valerie Maze
VICE PRESIDENT
Valerie is honored to serve as Vice President. She recently served as Associate Music Director of SIX the Musical on Broadway and as Music Director/Conductor on the First National Tour. Valerie is a pianist, conductor, music director, vocal coach, and an active music theatre educator. She has had the opportunity to play in theatres and opera houses across the country, including Chicagoland theatres such as Drury Lane Theatre, Goodman Theatre, Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Writers Theatre, Marriott Theatre, and Music Theater Works. At Lyric Opera of Chicago, in addition to serving as Assistant Conductor and Dance Pianist for numerous operas, Valerie has served as Assistant Conductor for Lyric’s Music Theatre Initiative on My Fair Lady, The King and I, Carousel, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma! and Showboat. Active a recitalist, she has had the opportunity to perform on WFMT as part of the Dame Myra Hess Series and on WGN TV, playing for artists such as Kate Baldwin, Paolo Montalban, Billy Zane, and Steven Pasqual. Valerie is grateful to be serving the theatre community in this way.
Trevor Jones
SECRETARY / TREASURER
Trevor Jones is the house bassist and Music Coordinator at the Marriott Theatre located in Lincolnshire, IL, a suburb of Chicago. In addition to playing dozens of productions at the Marriott Theatre, Trevor has performed on numerous productions on Broadway in Chicago, Goodman Theatre, and Drury Lane Theatre. Trevor’s group Molehill has toured the country and, over the past decade, has compiled a body of work featured in in national publications, including the Chicago Tribune. Trevor is a partner at Double Bass HQ, a double bass media company.
Paul Mutzabaugh
DIRECTOR
Based in Chicago, Paul Mutzabaugh has worked for over 20 years in both live and studio settings, enjoying a variety of genres and disciplines. Versatile in a myriad of keyboard instruments – acoustic & electric pianos, Hammond B3 organ, synthesizers, and accordion – he has also developed a unique voice on the electric bass. Additional doublings include acoustic & electric guitars, as well as auxiliary percussion.
Paul also works consistently as a producer and audio engineer in service of a wide range of artists. Assisting others to realize their creative vision in recorded form is a particularly fulfilling aspect of his music-making.
Paul is grateful and honoured to be on the TMA executive board and looks forward to serving its membership.
Chuck Webb
DIRECTOR
Bassist, writer, producer and educator Chuck Webb has toured the world many times performing with such notable artists as Aretha Franklin, Grover Washington Jr., Ramsey Lewis, Bill Withers, David Sanborn, Al DiMeola and many others.
As a first call studio musician with over 30 years experience in the Chicago area, Chuck has performed on hundreds of records, commercial jingles, sound tracks and theater productions including Hamilton, Wicked, Jersey Boys and Motown the Musical.
Chuck has taught for over 20 years at Columbia College Chicago and is the owner of Earth Tone Enterprises production company, through which he has produced and composed scores for motion pictures, educational programs, popular music CDs, and his own solo and band projects.
Chuck is excited to join the TMA executive board and looks forward to working with members and the larger Chicago music community.
