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.
September 1, 2021
by Pat Varriale, AFM Electronic Media Services Division Director and Assistant to the President The Electronic Media Services Division (EMSD) welcomes you to this month’s issue of the International Musician. I am extremely pleased with this year’s EMSD special issue. Our division is dedicated to prioritizing the interests of the musicians we have been charged […]
New Vision of Unionism in the City of Brotherly Love & Sisterly Affection In order for the AFM to move forward as a whole, progress often needs to start at the local level. Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA) is an example of how transforming a single local can exert positive influence across an entire community. The […]
August 1, 2021
During some of the darkest days of the pandemic in December 2020, the North Carolina Symphony (NCS) invited citizens across North Carolina to join, virtually, in a performance of Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy.” Sheet music was provided for all different instruments, vocal parts, and skill levels, and participants submitted videos of their performances. Dance and […]
July 31, 2021
In a show of solidarity, 75 artists—among them The Rolling Stones, Annie Lennox, Paloma Faith, Kano, Joan Armatrading, Chris Martin, Gary Barlow, Paul McCartney, Melanie C, Jimmy Page, Boy George, Noel Gallagher, and Kate Bush—have added their names to a joint letter calling on the UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson for a government review of the […]
July 31, 2021
Musicians of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (CSO) have signed a one-year agreement that runs from June 28, 2021 through July 23, 2022. Ratified in early June, the agreement serves as a transition to return to the original conditions of the musicians’ five year (2018 to 2023) CBA. During the first phase, from July 23 through […]
July 30, 2021
American Federation of Musicians of the US and Canada (AFM) and the Broadway League have announced an agreement on health and safety protocols for Pamphlet B touring shows. This news comes as Wicked, the first touring Broadway production to return to the road, is set to resume performances on August 3 in Dallas following a […]
July 29, 2021
You’re an active, successful session musician who grew up and learned by listening to your favorite players, then yourself, and your session buddies, over AM/FM radio every day when you drove your car. But in this new world of subscription radio, you’ve cut back listening to music on terrestrial radio because the last time you […]
July 1, 2021
Musicians Cook!, the cookbook she compiled with the help of some 300 other musicians—many also members of Local 802—is a labor of love created to help New York City-area colleagues facing dire straits. But it’s just the latest philanthropic endeavor for Youngstein, who has always believed in the power of giving back.
July 1, 2021
The Annapolis Symphony Orchestra (ASO) won two awards from The Capital Gazette’s Style magazine Best of Anne Arundel County (MD) for: Best Virtual Event and Best Interactive Entertainment for Symphony+, the live-streaming program broadcast of performances into listeners’ homes instead of at Maryland Hall. “To launch our new season in 2020, we had to reimagine the complete […]
July 1, 2021
The variety show Virtual Holiday Spectacular (VHS) earned the musicians of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Indiana Symphony Orchestra three regional Emmys. Spearheaded by Andy Lott, principal trumpet of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic and Local 58 (Fort Wayne, IN), the event was nominated for four Emmys in the 52nd Annual Lower Great Lakes Chapter, and […]