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.
March 12, 2014
March 12, 2014
Carpal tunnel syndrome is a condition in which there is pressure on the median nerve—the nerve in the wrist that supplies feeling and movement to parts of the hand. If you play your instrument for many hours per day without adequate breaks and/or stretching, you may one day find yourself afflicted with carpal tunnel syndrome. […]
March 6, 2014
March 6, 2014
March 6, 2014
February 19, 2014
Stellar Sounds The music for Battlestar Galactica plays a larger, more dramatic role than the tunes featured in many other TV shows, and it has grown since the show—a reimagining of the original 1978 series—began in 2004. “It’s a slow, evolving process,” McCreary says. “I’m allowed to adapt the music as the show evolves. They’ve […]
February 19, 2014
Harpist Yolanda Kondonassis of Local 802 (New York City) fell in love with the harp during a family trip to Chicago when she was nine-years-old. Admiring the Valentine’s Day window display of harps and angels in the Lyon & Healy store on Ogden Avenue, Kondonassis and her mother were captivated by the instrument. Soon after, […]
February 19, 2014
“When you start writing for the writers too much it gets too poetic and over-the-top,” Jackson says. “The regular people out there who made me successful, the fans, they don’t appreciate that kind of thing. They’d just rather have something that makes their day easier.” Although Jackson doesn’t want to get “too preachy” he still […]
February 19, 2014
Lington, 39, moved to the US when he was 21-years-old and spent his first three weeks sleeping on the couch of his friend, drummer and member of Local 47, Mark Schulman. “It was a brand new city and I didn’t really know anybody—it was very tough,” says Lington. “I probably told myself beforehand it would […]
February 19, 2014
Cummings’ move back to New Brunswick was the perfect moment to do just that. Saint John was preparing several major projects to bring new jobs to the area and to rejuvenate its workforce. Seeing the opportunity to publicize these projects, along with the name of his hometown, Cummings chose to record the John Sebastian hit, […]