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.
March 23, 2018
Communications Workers of America estimates that the closure of six Verizon call centers nationwide will result in the elimination of 3,000 of its 6,500 current positions, but Verizon claims it’s not a layoff.
March 23, 2018
A report from National Education Association (NEA) Research, based on US census data, finds that annual pay for teachers has fallen sharply over the past 60 years compared to the annual pay of other workers with college degrees.
March 23, 2018
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), representing US Department of Education employees, filed a complaint in March accusing Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’s agency of union busting after it implemented a 40-page “collective bargaining agreement.” The union says that the document is anything but what its name implies—it wasn’t bargained and there was no […]
March 1, 2018
Lennie Cuje has been a fixture on the jazz scene for more than 60 years. A Local 161-710 (Washington, DC) member since the 1950s, the celebrated vibist has experienced life on a grand scale—in music, in war, and in two homelands.
March 1, 2018
The Gretsch G6228 Players Edition Jet BT with V Stoptail displays the same strong, punchy response that made Jet famous. It has a 1.85-inch chambered mahogany body with maple top, full-access rolled cutaway mahogany neck, 12-inch radius rosewood fingerboard with 22 medium jumbo frets, and aged perloid Big Block inlays
March 1, 2018
One of the biggest comebacks in amp history, Magnatone has launched a new line of amplifiers with hand-built heads and combos, many of which feature the pitch-shifting vibrato found in original Magnatone amps.
March 1, 2018
Yamaha four-string TRBX604FM and five-string TRBX605FM basses bring the elegance of intricately finished flame tops and matching headstock veneers to TRBX series’ comfort-contoured mahogany body, bolt-on five-piece maple/mahogany necks, and premium electronics.
February 13, 2018
Held during the January NAMM Show for the sixth consecutive year, the She Rocks Awards paid tribute to women who display leadership and stand out in the music industry.
February 7, 2018
AFM Local 6 (San Francisco, CA) member Bob Weir was honored at the opening of the 2018 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, California.
February 1, 2018
“My father taught me the old standards, swing, and Latin-influenced music,” says guitarist Ed Zelenak of Local 5 (Detroit, MI), adding that it served him well on his 2017 visit to Cuba. He seized upon the opportunity to visit the island when the US embargo was lifted.