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.
April 1, 2021
Mod Electronics has re-released a new and improved version of the original Mod pedal, The Rattler. The Rattler Returns offers the same over-the-top fuzz as the original Rattler and features several new upgrades. The circuit has been overhauled for a wider spectrum of fuzz that is steady when used with any pickups, pedals, or amps. […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
Take Control of Your Room The new ProSoCoustic Wave Pro Series—announced at the 2021 NAMM Show—offers a blend of absorption and diffusion in one product. The diffusor pattern inside each panel allows greater absorption efficiency in the same amount of space. Wave Pro panels include machine screw inserts for easy installation, are mold and moisture […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
Authentic Sound, Compact Body Announced at the 2021 NAMM Show: The Yamaha MSP3A Powered Monitor Speaker features a 22-watt built-in amplifier and twisted flare port for clearer bass. With a variety of inputs, controls, and optional support brackets, the MSP3A is ideal for small studios, post-production, monitoring electronic instruments, and surround reproduction. Includes mounting points […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
On March 8, musician Sister Dorothy, a member of Local 190 (Winnipeg, MB), helped celebrate International Women’s Day with a livestream concert sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund. The event was hosted by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, with support from Folklorama, an organization promoting arts and culture in many ways all year round. […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
A recent report has detailed the economic impact of the US music industry state by state, and the results have been added to a new interactive website created by 10 music industry organizations. The music industry creates $170 billion in value annually to the US economy, supports 2.47 million jobs across a wide range of […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
On March 6, the House passed HR 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), by a vote of 225 to 206. The legislation would make it easier for workers to join and form unions by empowering the National Labor Relations Board to levy fines and by extending collective bargaining rights to independent contractors—a major win […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
Named for a three-tiered cave system owned by the US Forest Service, this fantasy musically explores the wonders of this “living” cave. Flavored with jazz harmonies and intricate counterpoint, the piece by T.O. Sterrett of Local 802 (New York City) brings you the shimmer, wonder, and majesty of this grand work of Nature. Blanchard Caverns […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
In her latest book, harpist Felice Pomeranz, of Local 9-535 (Boston, MA), teaches both pedal and lever players how to become a better improvising harpist. Learn basic chords, chord symbols, and harmonic progressions used in a wide range of music, as well as how to play in styles such as jazz, blues, swing, bossa nova, […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
Alongside his symphonies, chamber works, songs, and two major piano sonatas, Charles Ives wrote a number of short, groundbreaking works for solo piano. This second volume of The Complete Shorter Works for Piano of Charles Ives is the first publication of the complete extant studies for solo piano. Charles E. Ives Piano Studies: Shorter Works […]
Read MoreApril 1, 2021
This drama for trombone and orchestra reflects the inner turbulence of Michelangelo’s drawing Madonna del Silenzio on which the work is based. The trombone takes on many roles: from the quiet, inner voice of the Madonna as she gazes in contemplation at the child, later singing a hymn and, towards the end of the work, […]
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