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.

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OCSM Conference to Be Held in Kitchener

by Robert Fraser, OCSM President and Member Local 247 (Victoria, BC) I write this column twice per year, in April and July. In addition to this, the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) secretary reports on our conference in the October issue. The April column usually comes right after our delegates share mid-season reports, so […]

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Francisco Joubert Bernard: Harnessing the Collective Power of Solidarity

Between teaching, touring as second bassoon with the Louisville Orchestra, and playing with the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, it’s a wonder Francisco Joubert Bernard of Local 11-637 (Louisville, KY) has time for anything else. But he is a firm believer that orchestra musicians need to take an active part in their organization’s governance. For Joubert […]

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When Dystonia Strikes

Among the most frustrating disorders for musicians to manage is task-specific focal dystonia. Dystonia causes muscles to contract, which makes them move involuntarily or get stuck in an abnormal position. It can affect the entire body or a certain part, and the movements can sometimes cause pain. Though there are a number of unknowns, dystonia […]

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AFM Musicians Affirm Support at “Many Crafts, One Fight” Rally

AFM musicians joined thousands in solidarity at the “Many Crafts, One Fight” negotiations kickoff rally March 3 hosted by International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) and Hollywood Basic Crafts unions as they headed into their negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). Hot on the heels of the recent bargaining […]

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Tax Filing Tips – 2024 (US)

It’s Tax Time: Make It Easy on Yourself To help streamline your 2023 returns, here are some of the new and enhanced programs issued by the IRS in 2024. Taxes can be complicated for musicians. Which form? What can I claim? E-file, where? To help you sort it all out, we outlined a few basic […]

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Canadian Tax Filing Tips

Get a Head Start on Your Taxes Using CRA’s Digital Services It’s tax season again. Many of us put off filing our income tax and benefit returns until the last minute or avoid filing altogether. By not filing, you might be missing out on certain benefit and credit payments, or a potential refund. Electronic Filing […]

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Tackling Migraines: Help for More Pain-Free Days

Those who suffer from migraines experience severe, debilitating throbbing pain, often occurring on one side of the head. Attacks frequently cause disabling symptoms. Visual disturbances, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, fainting, and severe sensitivity to light, sound, touch, and smell, are common. More than one billion people worldwide are affected by migraines, making it the third […]

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Lesa Terry: Music Builds Many and Varied Bridges

Lesa Terry of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) was still in school when Leonard Bernstein came to her sister’s house. “It was my first time playing at the Hollywood Bowl,” she recalls. It was with a training orchestra through the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “Bernstein was conducting. And let me tell you, that was an experience […]

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The AFM Joins a Health Care Movement

by John O’Connor, Executive Board Member of Local 380-443 (Binghamton, NY) In the late 1990s, former Local 802 (New York City) President Bill Moriarity was appointed to lead an AFM task force that explored health insurance options available to musicians, analyzed the health care system in the United States, and delivered a report to the […]

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A New Direction for Diversity

by Beth Zare, AFM Diversity Committee Chair and Secretary-Treasurer, Local 6 (San Francisco, CA) I wish to thank AFM International President Tino Gagliardi for his confidence in appointing me chair of the Diversity Committee. During this month dedicated to Black History, I feel called to reflect on the past and future of the AFM’s efforts […]

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