Now is the right time to become an American Federation of Musicians member. From ragtime to rap, from the early phonograph to today's digital recordings, the AFM has been there for its members. And now there are more benefits available to AFM members than ever before, including a multi-million dollar pension fund, excellent contract protection, instrument and travelers insurance, work referral programs and access to licensed booking agents to keep you working.
As an AFM member, you are part of a membership of more than 80,000 musicians. Experience has proven that collective activity on behalf of individuals with similar interests is the most effective way to achieve a goal. The AFM can negotiate agreements and administer contracts, procure valuable benefits and achieve legislative goals. A single musician has no such power.
The AFM has a proud history of managing change rather than being victimized by it. We find strength in adversity, and when the going gets tough, we get creative - all on your behalf.
Like the industry, the AFM is also changing and evolving, and its policies and programs will move in new directions dictated by its members. As a member, you will determine these directions through your interest and involvement. Your membership card will be your key to participation in governing your union, keeping it responsive to your needs and enabling it to serve you better. To become a member now, visit www.afm.org/join.
In a significant step toward bolstering international solidarity, the AFM hosted UK Musicians’ Union (MU) General Secretary Naomi Pohl and MU Head of International Services Dave Webster at our Times Square headquarters in late February. The MU represents over 36,000 musicians across the United Kingdom. As many of you know, the AFM has a long […]
Read MoreThe power of music cannot be underestimated. And we musicians, of all the people on this continent, hold that power in our hands. One such example of that power is embodied in Aaron Copeland’s composition, Lincoln Portrait. The Lincoln Portrait is a very moving piece, designed to frame with music particularly powerful excerpts from speeches […]
Read MoreEn francais: Nouveau régime de soins de santé pour les musiciens canadiens For the last two months, we have all been caught up in the emotions of the highly charged political world we live in. Canadians are insulted by the economic warfare being waged on our identity and our resources. The solidarity of all international […]
Read More“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times …” When I was a kid tagging along with my dad on his gigs and meeting his musician friends, hearing them perform together in a concert or nightclub was only part of the experience. I also got to hear them talk about the […]
Read MoreThe top of the AFM website reads: “Don’t go it alone.” Amid uncertainty and upheaval at the highest levels of government, AFM President Tino Gagliardi reminds us that our solidarity is needed more than ever. As a union, we intrinsically understand what that means at the bargaining table. Those same values translate to the AFM’s […]
Read MoreHarmony and Dissonance: Music, Marriage, and Eastern Music Festival Contract Negotiations It’s not uncommon to find couples working in the same orchestra, and most orchestras in the US can count at least one such partnership among their ranks. Rarely, an existing couple will win auditions for jobs in the same orchestra. More often, they meet […]
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