Member Profiles, On the Cover

Raul Agraz: From Caracas to New York, A Trumpet Player’s Journey

Venezuelan trumpet player Raul Agraz, member of Local 802 (New York City), says decades ago, when he was growing up, his home country had many similarities to the United States. “It was a fairly prosperous country, and it was a melting pot much like the US. Musicians from all around the world lived and worked […]

AFM Entertainment Spotlight: Jennifer Wharton’s Bonegasm

November 1, 2023

Jennifer Wharton’s BonegasmLeader Name: Jennifer WhartonMember: Local 802 (New York City)Genre: Jazz Bio: Jennifer Wharton is a low brass specialist based in New York City. Though getting her start classically, Wharton has deep roots in jazz, commercial, chamber, and Broadway music. Wharton leads the trombone-forward ensemble, Bonegasm, commissioning over 30 works from jazz heavyweights and […]

Sidney Hopson: In This Together

Advocates for More Equitable Music Spaces By Cherie Yurco, IM staff writer Talking to Sidney Hopson of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) on a Sunday afternoon, he’s slightly groggy and recovering from a marathon gig in Orange County playing Danny’s Elfman’s show “From Boingo to Batman to Big Mess & Beyond!” “For the percussionists, it’s […]

Shaun Tilburg: Percussionist Branches Out in Business

June 1, 2023

Local 586 (Phoenix, AZ) percussionist Shaun Tilburg has been a member of The Phoenix Symphony since 2013. A committed educator, Tilburg is also a composer, contributing an acclaimed method book, The Regimen, to the snare drum pedagogy. The book subsequently led to other compositions, and ultimately inspired him to launch his own business featuring pieces […]

Ray Chew: Jack of All Trades, Master of … Seemingly All of Them!

Growing up in Harlem and the Bronx, Ray Chew of Local 802 (New York City) was fortunate to be given opportunities that many other kids in those neighborhoods were not so fortunate to have. This, he says, is thanks to his mother. “My mom sent me to every music program in the city that I […]

Anjan Shah: Fusing Indian Culture with Western Sounds

For many musicians, drawing on their cultural background provides a wealth of material for creative inspiration. As a first-generation Indian American, saxophonist Anjan Shah of Locals 10-208 (Chicago, IL) and 40-543 (Baltimore, MD) understands this very well. However, it wasn’t an understanding that came to him until much later in his life. “Growing up in […]

Nicole Jordan: Advocacy Is Overarching Goal

Chatting with Nicole Jordan of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA), the first thing you learn is to dispel your assumptions of what an orchestra librarian is, or does. Hint: it’s not what you think when you hear the word “librarian.”  “For starters, we typically don’t have degrees in library science,” says Jordan, a Philadelphia native and […]

Jacqueline Pickett: Community Is Everything

Earlier this year, a new nonprofit called the League of Women Bassplayers (LOW B) held its first conference aimed at exploring community and addressing the needs of women bass players around the world. LOW B’s founder and president, Jacqueline Pickett of Local 148-462 (Atlanta, GA), says the organization is designed to explore community and address […]

Benjamin Wright: Recognizing—and Honoring—a Legend

You might be forgiven for not recognizing the name of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) staple Benjamin Wright, but you will almost certainly have heard his work. With a career spanning 60 years as a music director, arranger, songwriter, and producer, he has a staggering resumé of nearly 250 songs to his credit, either as […]

Way to Go, Leisa Way!

Leisa Way of Local 226 (Kitchener, ON) uses her platform as performer and concert producer to educate younger musicians on the power of unionism. Singers Aren’t Musicians, and Other Myths There’s a tired old saw passed around among instrumentalists that singers aren’t really musicians. Rather than arguing to the contrary, however, vocalist and producer Leisa […]