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.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE AFM

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Local 47 Honors Members with Lifetime Achievement Awards

In April, Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) held its first Lifetime Achievement Awards honoring five Local 47 members—Gene Cipriano (woodwinds), Vincent DeRosa (horn), Louise DiTullio (flute), Carol Kaye (electric bass), and Dick Nash (trombone)—for their outstanding achievements and support for the artistic community of Los Angeles.

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Gala Commemorates 100th Anniversary

The Colored Musicians Club of Buffalo was formed as a social club offshoot of Local 533 some years after the founding of the local. The club, located at 145 Broadway in Buffalo, has its own jazz museum with a mission to promote and preserve the history and knowledge of African-Americans and jazz music in Buffalo.

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Trumpeter Goes the Distance for a Cause

This week trumpet player and Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member Roy Wiegand will put his strong lungs to good use. On June 14, the ultra long distance runner will lace up his shoes to run more than 100 miles (four marathons) for the Michael Hoefflin Foundation (MHF) for children’s cancer. Many Los Angeles area musicians plan to join him for sections of the 30-plus hour run that will take him from Market Place Park in Santa Clarita to Westfield Valencia Town Center Drive.

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Donn Trenner: Pianist, Musical Director, Arranger, and Author

Donn Trenner, a member of Locals 802 (New York City) and 47 (Los Angeles, CA), has done all of these things in his dream career characterized by consistent hard work, unstinting devotion to quality musicianship, and careful attention to making gigs run smoothly on all levels.

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Minnesota Musicians Work with Students in Arts Access Project

In early May, students from Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, presented a concert in the atrium of Orchestra Hall as part of the Minnesota Orchestra’s new Arts Access project.

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Philadelphia Orchestra Broadcasts on SiriusXM Satellite Radio

The Philadelphia Orchestra is returning to national radio with a regular presence on satellite station SiriusXM. Broadcasts will air three times per week over the next year, rotating 26 concerts recorded in Verizon Hall. In addition to the concert performances, the broadcasts will feature Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA) speaking about his personal approach to the music.

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New Jersey Signs 2015 Contract

After more than a year, the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra (NJSO) has signed a two-year agreement that was ratified in December 2015. The agreement is retroactive to September 2015 and effective through August 2017.

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Sarasota Librarians Represented Under CBA for First Time

In November 2015, the librarians of the Sarasota Orchestra signed cards asking to be represented by the AFM and to be included in the collective bargaining unit of the Sarasota Orchestra.

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Local 293 Signs CBA with Burlington New Millennium Orchestra

Local 293 (Hamilton, ON) signed a new collective bargaining agreement with the Burlington New Millennium Orchestra (BNMO), a 30-piece contemporary chamber orchestra.

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Wage Theft Prevalent in California

Though California’s minimum wage will increase to $15 an hour by 2022, wage theft is a persistent problem among low-wage workers. According to the Economic Policy Institute, employers illegally cost California workers an estimated $2 billion in earnings per year.

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