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.
April 24, 2021
The American Rescue Plan includes a provision that grants a 100% subsidy for six months of health care premiums for COBRA-eligible people who lose their jobs or eligibility for employer coverage for the period from April 1 to September 30, 2021. Under the law, those employees will not have to pay any premiums for six months. […]
April 24, 2021
At their quarterly meeting, Local 125 (Norfolk, VA) welcomed special guest Virginia Senator Tim Kaine, who was made an honorary AFM member. Kaine lives in Richmond, and travels the state when the Senate is in recess. According to Tom Reel, vice president of Local 125, the special event had been in the works since 2018 […]
April 1, 2021
In anticipation of returning to a more community-oriented lifestyle and the resumption of traditional live music performances, the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) has significantly increased its grant budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year, beginning on May 1. This expanded grant budget comes with some caveats and flexible planning due to the continuation of the […]
April 1, 2021
On March 8, musician Sister Dorothy, a member of Local 190 (Winnipeg, MB), helped celebrate International Women’s Day with a livestream concert sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund. The event was hosted by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights, with support from Folklorama, an organization promoting arts and culture in many ways all year round. […]
April 1, 2021
A recent report has detailed the economic impact of the US music industry state by state, and the results have been added to a new interactive website created by 10 music industry organizations. The music industry creates $170 billion in value annually to the US economy, supports 2.47 million jobs across a wide range of […]
April 1, 2021
On March 6, the House passed HR 842, the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), by a vote of 225 to 206. The legislation would make it easier for workers to join and form unions by empowering the National Labor Relations Board to levy fines and by extending collective bargaining rights to independent contractors—a major win […]
April 1, 2021
In February, more than 85 AFM members participated in the union’s first legislative advocacy phone bank, reaching out to fellow musicians in congressional districts key to the future of the Emergency Pension Plan Relief Act of 2021. The AFM Organizing and Education Department worked with AFM player conferences to engage members of the International Conference of Symphony […]
April 1, 2021
I can hear the ice beginning to break apart on our frozen pandemic year. As the Biden administration streamlines vaccine distribution and our economy slowly begins to thaw under the economic stimulus of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), we will start to see the re-opening of our orchestras and a loosening of audience restrictions. […]
April 1, 2021
en français It has been difficult writing for my colleagues during this pandemic, especially since so much can change during the month that will lapse between the time I am writing this and the time many of you will be reading it. But I am optimistic right now that we are heading to the coda […]
April 1, 2021
To prepare for writing this article in International Musician, I looked back at my report in last year’s April issue of IM, which annually features the AFM Symphonic Services Division (SSD) and the symphonic AFM player conferences. At the time I wrote that article, we were a little over a week into the national pandemic […]