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.
February 14, 2014
Folk rock singer-songwriter, and Local 802 (New York City) member, Jonatha Brooke is putting the finishing touches on her new play, My Mother Has Four Noses. It’s a one-woman show that she wrote, scored, and stars in. “It’s a very real story about my mother and me,” she says. ?“It’s kind of a love story.” […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2014
Vermont based singer songwriter Jay Nash recently discovered the importance of the AFM to indie musicians like himself as he jumped into commercial composing and studio work. “I don’t have to worry about negotiating anything. There’s a set rate for playing an instrument on a recording; it’s cut and dry. I represent myself, so it’s […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2014
Drummer Dave Weckl of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) first joined the union “way back” in the ’70s in his hometown, St. Louis, Missouri, when he started working in clubs at a young age. “Back in the day you had to be in the union to work with other union musicians, so it wasn’t a […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2014
It almost seems like it would be easier to list the people that David Sanborn of Local 802 (New York City) has not played with than those he’s performed or recorded with. His long list of memorable collaborations began when he was just a kid sitting in with Little Milton and Albert King at a […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2014
Percussionist Bobby Sanabria of Local 802 (New York City) has always stood up for what he believes in. Last year, when the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (NARAS) announced that it would be eliminating 31 categories of Grammy Awards, including Latin Jazz, Sanabria couldn’t just sit idly by. “You have a moral obligation […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2014
Jason Moran is changing the future of jazz one note at a time Jason Moran has never liked being placed in a genre-box. Like a child restlessly contained in a classroom, Moran is always squirming his way around the rules and out of confinement. But the Local 802 (New York City) member knows how to […]
Read MoreFebruary 14, 2014
In June 2010, Yannick Nézet-Séguin made an important conducting appearance in Philadelphia—?but he wasn’t at the famed Kimmel Center or the Academy of Music, and he wasn’t conducting the city’s treasured Philadelphia Orchestra. In fact, he wasn’t in front of an orchestra at all. The Montreal native and conducting superstar was leading a crowd of […]
Read MoreFebruary 12, 2014
Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra concertmaster, Frank Almond, returned to the stage this past Monday with the 1715 Lipinski Stradivarius in hand. Both Frank and the Stradivarius violin received a standing ovation before the performance even began. Frank Almond played the recently recovered Lipinski Stradivarius violin for a packed house at the Wilson Center for Arts in […]
Read MoreFebruary 11, 2014
There are plenty of obvious injuries that can result from repetitive music practice and playing. Carpal tunnel, tinnitus, and neck pain are just a few injuries musicians should look out for. One commonly overlooked problem area is the tool used to read music—the eyes
Read MoreFebruary 10, 2014
Musicnotes.com, the world’s top sheet music e-retailer and publisher, have released the top love songs played in 2013. Musicnotes.com ranked the list of top ten songs by the number of downloads. “Music is certainly about passion, and these love songs capture a wide range of romance, emotion and passion,” announced Kathleen Marsh via press release. Kathleen […]
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