Member Profiles, On the Cover

Julie Ferrara: Broadway Tours Embracing Positive Change

Julie Ferrara of Local 802 (New York City) likes to joke that her career has gone in reverse. “Most pit orchestra musicians get on tours with the hope of eventually making it to Broadway,” says Ferrara, a woodwind doubler currently touring the country with Disney’s musical Frozen. “Instead, I worked on Broadway for 14 years before entertaining the opportunity to go on the road.”

New Orchestra for San Antonio Brings Fresh Approach

With astonishing speed, the musicians of the former San Antonio Symphony, Local 23 (San Antonio, TX) have launched a brand new organization.

Stephanie Matthews: We Are Here

Los Angeles musician and consultant Stephanie Matthews of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) has a message: “We are here.” That message is directed at anyone doubting the level of Black string talent in today’s music industry. And she should know. Matthews has put together string sections for some of the biggest stars. In 2020, she […]

Evan Walsh and Toy Soldiers Win Organizing Campaign

Working to secure our rights as performing and recording musicians is a crucial part of what we do, and stories of successful organizing campaigns are at the heart of unionism and activism. Those successes feel even sweeter when the campaigns are won against big corporations—and they don’t get much bigger than The Walt Disney Company. […]

Carol Jantsch: Philadelphia Orchestra Tuba Player Embraces Another Role Offstage

A typical orchestral tuba weighs about 25 pounds, which is less than you might expect. Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA) member Carol Jantsch, principal tuba of the Philadelphia Orchestra, has been used to lugging that weight around since she started playing the instrument at the age of 12. These days, though, she is carrying an added few pounds on top of that. Jantsch is expecting her first child—a girl—in late July.

Houston Brass-Playing Couple Share a Life in Music

Theresa Hanebury and Nancy Goodearl of Local 65-699 (Houston, TX) When two of Houston’s busiest brass players, who also happen to be a couple, want to share some downtime together, it can sometimes require comparing calendars. It’s a scenario that will be familiar to just about every musician couple anywhere. Nancy Goodearl, a horn player […]

The Reddcoats Are Coming: Industry Veterans Form Supergroup

The Reddcoats is a young band made up of veteran musicians: Matt Bissonette, Gregg Bissonette, Wally Minko, Andy Timmons, and Mike Medina. Collectively, they’ve logged thousands of hours touring and recording with industry icons. They share years of mutual admiration and bring an incredible depth of experience to their music.

John Lofton: Approaching Diversity from Both Ends

Considering how to increase diversity in North America’s orchestras often leads to a chicken-versus-egg dilemma: Tackle it from the top down with recruitment in conservatories and colleges? Or is it best addressed from the bottom up, investing in and improving grade school music programs in underserved areas? Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) member John Lofton, […]

Julie Landsman: Guiding Light for Women Brass Players

Horn player Julie Landsman of Locals 802 (New York City) and 47 (Los Angeles, CA) boasts a decades-long legacy of pioneering achievement in a male-dominated field.

Jazz, Education, and Unionism as a Way of Life ‑‑ Dr. James H. Patterson

It’s not common knowledge, even among AFM members, why some locals have hyphenated numbers. The system dates back to the days of segregation in this country: in the case of Atlanta, Local 148 was designated the Black local and 462 was for whites. The hyphens are an indication that these locals ultimately integrated and merged […]