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.
November 1, 2014
IM -Musicians and management of the Nashville Symphony Orchestra (NSO) have reached a four-year agreement. The new contract offers musicians 3% raises in the first two years; in each of the last two years wages will be open to renegotiation. This is a step forward, following the 15% pay cut musicians took last year when Schermerhorn Symphony Center (SSC) was threatened with foreclosure.
In the 2013-2014 season, NSO achieved a 26% increase in ticket sales and a 71% increase in fundraising, compared to the previous season. The orchestra has reduced operating expenses by $10 million, which primarily consisted of debt payments for SSC bonds. The most recent audit shows that NSO’s debt has been reduced to under $23 million; $20 million of the debt is a five-year interest-only balloon-payment loan established at the time of the SSC settlement in 2013.