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, 2021
Make Music Day, a daylong musical celebration, attracts every form of music and every kind of musician, amateur and professional alike, from the concert hall to neighborhood events and everything in between. Make Music Day is an open invitation for people everywhere to share the joy of making music on the longest day of the year, […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
As restaurants and bars start opening and live events and weddings are being scheduled, opportunities for musicians are also coming back strong. Many musicians are eager to kick-start their stalled calendar of regular gigs and get out and play again. When getting back to business, take the time to do it right.
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
With more patients complaining of lingering and chronic effects from COVID-19, experts say that care for long haulers requires new guidelines and an interdisciplinary approach. Though it primarily attacks the lungs and respiratory system, it is now clear that the virus can target almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, and nervous system.
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
Fort Wayne Philharmonic musicians and many members of the community were out in full force for the May Day Rally to Restore Music outside the Allen County Courthouse. Musicians were furloughed in 2020, during the pandemic, but the Philharmonic has been negotiating with orchestra management for a new contract since 2019. Musicians came from Detroit, Dayton, […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
The Philadelphia Orchestra has announced that it will perform for live audiences at Verizon Hall this fall. The concerts will be about one hour long with no intermission. Only about half of the hall will be sold, in pods of two, three, and four, to allow for social distancing. Ensemble sizes will be limited as well. […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
The Boston Pops announced in late April that its spring season will be presented entirely online, with six weekly concert streams beginning on May 6. Programs will feature newly recorded content, as well as historic performances from the archives, including a legendary program with Ella Fitzgerald. The spring season opened with the orchestra—whose musicians are […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
This spring, the San Francisco Opera presented a three-week run of The Barber of Seville—in the parking lot of a Marin park. The company constructed an open-air stage and also simulcast the opera on a giant screen for a drive-in audience of up to 400 cars. The orchestra pit of 18 San Francisco Opera Orchestra players, represented by Local […]
Read MoreJune 1, 2021
In mid-April, exactly 400 days after its last live indoor performance, the New York Philharmonic welcomed an audience for a concert at the Shed in New York City. The orchestra’s home venue at Lincoln Center is currently closed for renovations. Led by guest conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, the Philharmonic, whose musicians are members of Local 802 (New York […]
Read MoreMay 4, 2021
In February, the Hamilton, Ontario, city council overwhelmingly passed a new policy that guarantees fair wages for musicians at all city-funded events. During the pandemic, Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger put together a task force on economic recovery, which included the music industry as a separate sector for the first time. If the city wanted to […]
Read MoreMay 1, 2021
Keyboardist Opens Doors to the Arts and Broadens Representation in the Union Angela Chan started training in classical piano at age four. She discovered the intricacies of jazz in high school, but as a college sophomore she realized her true passion: musical theater. She found that musical theater allowed for a perfect blend of musical […]
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