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 24, 2021
IM -Like many other festivals, the Tanglewood Music Festival is preparing to reopen to audiences this summer. The Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops, represented by Local 9-535 (Boston, MA) will return to their summer home at Tanglewood for live performances in July and August.
The festival will run for six weeks, about half of its normal length, and audiences will be smaller and socially distanced. Performances will be no longer than 80 minutes, with no intermission.
Among programming highlights, guest artists who have become mainstays of the festival—including Yo-Yo Ma of Local 802 (New York City), Emanuel Ax of Local 802 (New York City), and Joshua Bell of Local 3 (Indianapolis, IN)—will join the BSO for performances. Boston Pops will perform a tribute to composer John Williams of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA), in addition to premiering his Violin Concerto No. 2.