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.
This recording of Handel’s “Messiah” features the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, members of Local 40-543 (Baltimore, MD), the Concert Artists of Baltimore Symphonic Chorale, Soprano Jennifer O’Loughlin, Alto Diana Moore, Tenor Nicholas Phan, and Bass Sidney Outlaw.
December 1, 2018
To view this article in English, click here. Dans un récent article paru dans le magazine Rolling Stone cite des statistiques alarmantes sur l’érosion toujours plus marquée de l’ancien modèle de l’industrie musicale, les consommateurs se tournant de plus en plus vers l’achat de pistes individuelles. Selon la Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), les […]
November 29, 2018
Crossing borders has never been easy: it can be nerve-wracking and tedious. However, with some knowledge and preparation, it can be simpler, quicker, and less stressful.
November 26, 2018
At a moment when our awareness of sexual harassment and misconduct in the workplace is greater and our tolerance for those behaviors is lower than ever, why does it sometimes seem the union is standing in the way?
November 19, 2018
On October 31 and November 1, the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) performed four concerts at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center that brought together science, education, art, and music.
November 19, 2018
A recent study performed by the Musicians’ Union (MU) in the UK found that families with a household income below £28,000 (around $36,000) are half as likely to provide a child the opportunity to learn an instrument as families with household income of £48,000 ($61,600 or more).
November 19, 2018
The Ottawa Symphony Orchestra also delved into the world of 3D printing. They spent 18 months creating a fine-tuned, 3D printed replica of an acoustic violin.
November 19, 2018
Kaitlyn Hova of Local 6 (San Francisco, CA) and her husband, cofounders of Hova Labs, have recently created the Hoavlin, a 3D printable acoustic violin.
November 12, 2018
The AFM Diversity Committee is preparing for the 2019 AFM International Diversity Awards, to be presented at the 101st Convention of the AFM in June 2019.
November 8, 2018
In 1980, a Stradivarius violin was stolen right out of the office of Roman Totenberg at the Longy School of Music in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and remained missing for 35 years. In 2015 it was recovered and passed on to his daughters.