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.
June 1, 2017
Paul Reed Smith 57/08 pickups, inspired by 1957 humbuckers and introduced on PRS guitars in 2008, are now available for separate purchase.
Read MoreJune 1, 2017
Set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing New York City in the 1980s, Sticking It Out recounts Local 6 (San Francisco, CA) member Patti Niemi’s years mastering her craft and struggling to make it in a cutthroat race to a coveted job in an orchestra.
Read MoreJune 1, 2017
The Radial Engineering Ltd. rugged LX-3 passive line splitter is designed to send one audio signal to up to three destinations at once
Read MoreJune 1, 2017
The eight-in-one Octopus from MusicNomad is the quintessential gig bag tool. It is perfect for adjusting output jacks, control pots, tuning machine bushings, and screws
Read MoreJune 1, 2017
A new musical by Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member Alanis Morissette will debut next year at the American Repertory Theater (ART) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Read MoreJune 1, 2017
The Duet digital wireless monitor (IEM) system from Lectrosonics is made in the US and was designed for professional performing and touring musicians
Read MoreMay 31, 2017
Studies from Harvard and Stanford found that health issues resulting from job stress cause more deaths than diabetes, Alzheimer’s, or influenza. One easy and inexpensive way to help manage stress is to listen to music. UK neuroscientists have identified specific tunes that are the most efficient stress relievers.
Read MoreMay 31, 2017
William Bell began singing in church, but by age 16 he’d moved on to singing “secular” music and won a Mid-South Talent contest and a trip to Chicago to perform with the Red Saunders Band. Upon return to Memphis, he spent the next five years working with and learning from the Phineas Newborn Orchestra.
Read MoreMay 24, 2017
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported more than 4,200 cases of Zika, nearly all carried by travelers from other areas. But Florida reports more than 200 locally acquired cases, spread by the mosquitoes.
Read MoreMay 23, 2017
What do you do with more than 1,000 musical instruments in disrepair and no funds to fix them? That was the dilemma faced by The School District of Philadelphia.
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