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.
May 31, 2023
Growing up in Harlem and the Bronx, Ray Chew of Local 802 (New York City) was fortunate to be given opportunities that many other kids in those neighborhoods were not so fortunate to have. This, he says, is thanks to his mother. “My mom sent me to every music program in the city that I […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2023
by Jay Blumenthal, AFM International Secretary-Treasurer Globalization has created the imperative for the AFM’s continued membership in the International Federation of Musicians or Fédération International des Musiciens (FIM). It has become increasingly important that the AFM has a seat at the table where conversations are taking place between musician unions around the world. Conversations include […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2023
by Dave Pomeroy, International Executive Board and President of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) The AFM’s unique history demonstrates a steady pattern of labor and technology intersecting in ways that simply could not have been imagined by those who founded this union in 1896. The constantly evolving relationship between musicians and technology is well documented in […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2023
by Benoît Machuel, International Federation of Musicians General Secretary With the Presidium of the International Federation of Musicians (FIM)*, I had the privilege of being received by the AFM IEB on Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at the AFM headquarters in New York. Initially scheduled for March 2020, this meeting was postponed to December 2021 due […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2023
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in collaboration with the Mayo Clinic and health officials from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and North Dakota, report the discovery of a new species of bacteria (Borrelia mayonii) that causes Lyme disease. Until now, Borrelia burgdorferi was the only species believed to cause Lyme disease in North America. Scientists first […]
Read MoreApril 30, 2023
For many musicians, drawing on their cultural background provides a wealth of material for creative inspiration. As a first-generation Indian American, saxophonist Anjan Shah of Locals 10-208 (Chicago, IL) and 40-543 (Baltimore, MD) understands this very well. However, it wasn’t an understanding that came to him until much later in his life. “Growing up in […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2023
It’s a musician’s dream to play to a packed house. Yet for many, it comes with a cost. Paralyzing anxiety, often called stage fright, can derail concentration and sabotage your ability to play well. The autonomic nervous system emits a rush of adrenaline to prepare your body for a perceived threat, called a fight or […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2023
Calling their first ever strike against the Fort Wayne Philharmonic was a difficult decision but musicians, members of Local 58 (Fort Wayne, IN), who firmly believed they had no choice. Nine bargaining sessions over more than three months had failed to move the employer from its onerous bargaining positions, which included the elimination of one […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2023
by Steve Wade, Regional Orchestra Players’ Association President The year 2023 offers several interesting and important anniversaries. We are all aware, for instance, that this year is the 150th anniversary of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s birth. But did you know that 2023 is the 250th year since the Boston Tea Party? Did you know that it has […]
Read MoreMarch 31, 2023
Chatting with Nicole Jordan of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA), the first thing you learn is to dispel your assumptions of what an orchestra librarian is, or does. Hint: it’s not what you think when you hear the word “librarian.” “For starters, we typically don’t have degrees in library science,” says Jordan, a Philadelphia native and […]
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