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.
October 30, 2019
In September, the Houston Grand Opera (HGO) announced a new contract agreement with its musicians, members of Local 65-699 (Houston, TX). The contract will be effective through fiscal year 2022. “Our negotiating team worked very hard to prepare and present a proposal that reflected the needs of our world-class HGO Orchestra,” says AFM Negotiating Committee […]
October 30, 2019
Musicians held a rally in late September with a brass band performing outside the 92nd Street Y in New York City—while Disney CEO Bob Iger talked with Oprah Winfrey inside the building. Iger was at the Y to promote a new book and discuss his self-described “decency-over-dollars” approach to doing business. The musicians were out […]
October 30, 2019
Union solidarity was on display recently when one dozen members of AFM Local 34-627 (Kansas City, MO) joined with members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 31 to picket outside the General Motors (GM) Kansas City, KS plant. AFM members were there to support their union brothers and sisters—both by their presence and by performing […]
October 30, 2019
The AFM’s newest local, Local 423 (Boise, ID), Greater Idaho Musicians’ Association, which was chartered June 11, has elected its first slate of officers: Carmen Izzo, President Lindsay Bohl, Vice President Kim Ganong, Secretary-Treasurer Allison Emerick, Executive Officer Michael Maier, Executive Officer The Boise Philharmonic musicians (represented by Local 423), assisted by AFM Symphonic Services […]
October 30, 2019
World-renowned violinist Hilary Hahn has selected the Philadelphia-based nonprofit Project 440 as the recipient of a $25,000 gift stemming from the prize money she received as part of the Glashütte Original Festspielpreis five years ago. Hahn, a member of Local 40-543 (Baltimore, MD), was selected due to her achievements in encouraging young musicians and promoting […]
October 30, 2019
Congratulations to AFM members John Prine, Chris Eldridge, and Delbert McClinton, all of Local 257, for their Americana Music Association Awards, received September 11 in Nashville. Prine won Album of the Year (The Tree of Forgiveness) and Song of the Year (“Summer’s End”), Eldridge won Instrumentalist of the Year, while McClinton received a Lifetime Achievement […]
October 30, 2019
Guitarist and composer Mary Halvorson, 38, of Local 802 (New York City) has been named a 2019 MacArthur Foundation Fellow. The MacArthur Fellowship is a $625,000, no-strings-attached grant for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more. According to the MacArthur Foundation, Halvorson “is pushing against established musical […]
October 18, 2019
Kelsea Ballerini, a member of Local 257 (Nashville, TN), will receive the 2019 Nashville Symphony Harmony Award. A dedicated committee selects the annual winners. The Harmony Award recognizes individuals who exemplify the harmonious spirit of Nashville’s musical community. She will perform during their 35th annual Symphony Ball. The event will be held on Saturday, December 14, […]
October 18, 2019
The Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) announced on October 12 that it has signed a historic cooperative agreement with the Asociación Nacional de Actores (ANDA), the labor union that represents performers in Mexico. “We are honored and privileged to stand strong with ANDA, an important leader in […]
October 16, 2019
The 2019 OCSM Conference was held August 12-16 in Hamilton, Ontario, the birthplace of performing arts medicine in Canada.