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SphinxConnect Welcomes Participants in Person

February 28, 2023

The Sphinx Organization welcomed hundreds of musicians, industry leaders, educators, funders, diversity advocates, and administrators to take part in its annual SphinxConnect conference, held at its home base of Detroit, Michigan. In 2022, the arts organization celebrated its 25th anniversary with a virtual conference, but returned to in-person sessions for their January conference. The 2023 […]

Benjamin Wright: Recognizing—and Honoring—a Legend

February 1, 2023

You might be forgiven for not recognizing the name of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) staple Benjamin Wright, but you will almost certainly have heard his work. With a career spanning 60 years as a music director, arranger, songwriter, and producer, he has a staggering resumé of nearly 250 songs to his credit, either as […]

Identifying Rotator Cuff Injury and Pain

February 1, 2023

When it comes to shoulder strain, even musicians are not spared. Rotator cuff injuries are common among athletes, such as baseball players, who make powerful throws, and swimmers and tennis players who continually use overhead motions. Likewise, musicians are liable to incur tears because of overuse. Shoulder pain is one of the most frequent musculoskeletal complaints. […]

AFM Will Stay the Course Against NBC’s Intransigence

January 29, 2023

by Jennifer Garner, AFM In-House Counsel The AFM is suing NBCUniversal on behalf of scores, or potentially hundreds, of individual musicians for NBC’s habitual breaches of more than a dozen of its obligations under the Television Videotape Agreement. NBC is holding wages and allied benefits hostage, even those that are undisputed, in retaliation for the […]

Fort Wayne Philharmonic Continues Strike with Rejection of Most Recent Offer

January 29, 2023

In mid-January, musicians for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic rejected the most recent contract offer from management. While the parties have reached agreement on wages for a four-year contract, the strike continues because management is demanding a number of changes to the contract that serve no immediate purpose but would severely undermine musicians’ rights during the […]

Revamped Freelance Resources Support Independent Musicians

January 1, 2023

by Wages Argott, AFM Director of Freelance Services and Membership Development As we reach the close of 2022, my first full calendar year at the helm of our Freelance Services Department, I can’t help but find encouragement and sense a large measure of hope for our freelance musician community. Rather than waiting for the industry […]

AFM’s GoPro Hosting Provides an Affordable Home for Your Website

January 1, 2023

An exclusive benefit of AFM membership, GoPro Hosting offers members space for websites, domain name registration, and unlimited email addresses. With more than 400 clients, GoPro Hostinghas helped many members establish their web presence—a necessity for indie and freelance musicians, in particular. The AFM is uniquely suited to serve the web hosting needs of musicians—at […]

Tools to Help You Succeed in the Business of Music

January 1, 2023

As musicians, we spend a lot of time and effort constantly improving our musical chops and performance skills. Even with perfection, however, there’s no guarantee of success in the music business. The reality of our chosen career path as professional musicians is that our creative vocation is still a business. As a member of the […]

Way to Go, Leisa Way!

January 1, 2023

Leisa Way of Local 226 (Kitchener, ON) uses her platform as performer and concert producer to educate younger musicians on the power of unionism. Singers Aren’t Musicians, and Other Myths There’s a tired old saw passed around among instrumentalists that singers aren’t really musicians. Rather than arguing to the contrary, however, vocalist and producer Leisa […]

New Gains Create Momentum for Organizing in 2023

December 23, 2022

Energized by new legislative wins, Democrats are working to help union organization efforts by tackling policies that weaken unions, such as right-to-work laws and employer-mandated captive audience meetings in which employees are warned against organizing or joining a union. Meanwhile, union leaders seek to strengthen National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) funding and staffing to further […]