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.
July 28, 2020
The Akron Symphony Orchestra has announced the ASO Interlude Season – Akron Symphony’s Gift to the Community, which is designed to share free music throughout the Northeast Ohio community. The season, which will run from August 2020 through May 2021, will feature ASO artists performing live, small-ensemble music experiences with a wide variety of community […]
Read MoreJuly 28, 2020
Orchestras across the US helped their communities celebrate the Fourth of July holiday with patriotic, virtual performances. The concerts were all given free of charge, some featuring special guest artists or partner organizations performing with the orchestra musicians. The Cincinnati Pops, for example, was joined by a local folk band and vocalist, while the Fort […]
Read MoreJuly 28, 2020
The Musicians Foundation recently received a $25,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to be used to organize a national conference of organizations that assist professional performing artists in times of need and crisis. The conference, which gains urgency and a new significance in the COVID-19 pandemic, is currently slated to take place […]
Read MoreJuly 28, 2020
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) has joined with other members of the music community to launch the “Fair Trade of Music” campaign to fight for the fair and equal treatment of music creators when their music is played in markets around the world. Many countries currently discriminate against […]
Read MoreJuly 27, 2020
This edition of Three American Pieces by Lukas Foss offers revisions by acclaimed clarinetist Seunghee Lee. As a student, Lee fell in love with clarinet icon Richard Stoltzman’s original arrangement and would later work directly with Lukas Foss to improve the piece’s playability for performance on the clarinet. Arranged by Richard Stoltzman, edited by Seunghee […]
Read MoreJuly 27, 2020
This book consists of beautiful art songs (lieder) by famous classical composers, music set to poetry for piano and voice, but here presented in piano solo arrangements by Lee Evans of Local 802 (New York City) to be played purely instrumentally. Available in print and on iPad-specific SuperScore Music app. by Lee Evans, Piano Plus, […]
Read MoreJuly 27, 2020
Robert Johnson’s recordings have profoundly influenced generations of singers, guitarists, and songwriters. Yet until now, his short life—he was murdered at the age of 27—has been poorly documented. In this definitive biography, the authors relied on every interview, resource, and document they have collected over 50 years of research. The book will astonish blues fans […]
Read MoreJuly 27, 2020
Music journalist Philip Clark provides a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of jazz legend Dave Brubeck—an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today. This book tells one of the last untold stories of jazz, unearthing the secret history of “Take Five” and many previously unknown aspects of Brubeck’s early career. Each […]
Read MoreJuly 27, 2020
Flying Fingers covers an expansive variety of styles and techniques through its 50 transcriptions with historical and performance notes for each. Styles covered include early and modern blues fingerstyle, ragtime, Hawaiian slack-key, American primitive, Bahamian fingerstyle, Nashville finger-picking and Travis-picking, British Isles and American folk revival, new age, classical, modern, and everything in between. Hal […]
Read MoreJuly 27, 2020
This book by Jeffry Kirschen, of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA), is an audio and visual method for practicing excerpts. The method is designed to help you improve your rhythm and intonation for better audition results. You simply listen to the MP3 files of the accompaniments while you play each of the 19 excerpts, or have a pianist play […]
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