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.

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Member Profiles

Jesse Kinch: Bringing Rock Back to Its Glory Days

Guitarist/singer/songwriter Jesse Kinch of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) may only be 25 years old, but he is already a seasoned musician.


Never “Movin’ Out”: John Isley is Home in New York City

Local 802 member and saxophonist John Isley has been a union member for 30 years. His jobs have spanned the industry, from working as a copyist on Broadway during graduate school to touring years later with the Broadway hit Movin’ Out.


Capri Everitt: Canadian Teen Sings Outside the Box to Advance a Burgeoning Career

Fourteen-year-old Capri Everitt of Local 145 (Vancouver, BC) is a singer, speaker, and youth ambassador for orphaned children.


World-class Guitarist Claude Sirois Stays Grounded in Quebec

Throughout a successful career and a slew of highpoints and “firsts,” classical guitarist Claude Sirois of Local 406 (Montreal, QC) remains committed to family and to community.


Warren Howe: Percussionist Chronicles History of the West Point Band

Warren Howe of Local 161-710 (Washington, DC), former percussionist for the West Point Band, is writing the complete history of the band.


Timucua Arts Foundation Brings a Taste of Montréal’s Music Scene to Orlando

For the last 18 years, Benoit Glazer of Local 389 (Orlando, FL) and his wife Elaine Corriveau have run the Timucua Arts Foundation—until recently, a self-funded nonprofit that began in their living room.


MPTF Releases MusicianFest Documentary, “Never Too Old”

In March, the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) launched an uplifting documentary, Never Too Old. The film spotlights the experience live music performances create for performing musicians and their audiences as they come together at three senior centers located in New York City, New Orleans, and the Los Angeles area.


David Finck: New York Bassist’s Talents Extend Beyond Four Strings

A longtime member of Local 802 (New York City), Finck first joined AFM Local 66 (Rochester, NY) while attending Eastman School of Music.


Rachel Barton Pine’s Landmark Project (#blackisclassical) Shines Light on Music by Black Composers

The internationally renowned violinist Rachel Barton Pine’s Music by Black Composers (MBC) project has collected about 900 works by more than 350 black composers from the 19th through 21st centuries.


Jazz All-Star Gerald Albright Brings His “A” Game

Saxophonist Gerald Albright of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) has dominated contemporary jazz since the 1980s. Albright made a name for himself as an R&B instrumentalist and his venerated status in the studio as a skilled session musician resulted in solo contracts with major labels.








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