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.
January 1, 2019
Stanley Drucker: Clarinet Master is a biography of the Guinness World Record holder of longest career as a clarinetist (61 years).
Read MoreJanuary 1, 2019
Although Baltimore Symphony Orchestra (BSO) management made noises about early negotiations during the 2017-2018 season, they chose instead to invite the musicians, members of Local 40-543 (Baltimore, MD), to participate in a strategic planning process.
Read MoreJanuary 1, 2019
The New York Philharmonic and Shanghai Symphony Orchestra will extend their partnership—known as the Shanghai Orchestra Academy and Partnership—for four years, through the summer of 2022.
Read MoreJanuary 1, 2019
On November 27, the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), members of Local 60-471 (Pittsburgh, PA), performed “A Concert for Peace and Unity” in honor of the victims of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh.
Read MoreDecember 28, 2018
Shooter Jennings’ career is accentuated by shifts in style and retro flashbacks that eventually led to his latest album, Shooter. An homage to 1970s-1980s country music, he returns to work with Grammy-winning co-producer and Local 257 (Nashville, TN) member Dave Cobb who produced Jennings’ early albums.
Read MoreDecember 20, 2018
A group of employees has come together to create a unionization campaign at Amazon’s recently opened Staten Island fulfillment center. They have expressed concerns with safety, inadequate pay, and lengthy shifts with minimal breaks.
Read MoreDecember 20, 2018
On December 10, “Bohemian Rhapsody” became the most-streamed song of the 20th century. The song, initially released as a single by Queen on October 31, 1975, has seen over 1.6 billion streams globally.
Read MoreDecember 10, 2018
The United Nations’ cultural agency, Unesco, has inscripted reggae—a uniquely Jamaican musical tradition—into its collection of important cultural practices around the world.
Read MoreDecember 10, 2018
Empowered by a $1.5 million grant from The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization is launching a new initiative, Sphinx LEAD (Leaders in Excellence, Arts & Diversity), to inspire and cultivate minority arts leaders.
Read MoreDecember 10, 2018
Announced in October 2015, the M-Prize chamber music competition will not continue in 2019. For three years, M-Prize, with its $100,000 grand prize, was the biggest chamber music competition in the world.
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