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.

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Books-Resources, Products

Maurice Ravel: Alborada del Gracioso (for oboe and piano)


Oboist Elaine Douvas, of Local 802 (New York City), has transcribed Maurice Ravel’s work for solo piano, Alborada del Gracioso, for oboe and piano. Ravel’s Alborada is popular with audiences for its exuberant flair, its Spanish rhythms, and the mysterious, rhapsodic “Jester’s soliloquy” forming the middle section. Douvas’ transcription springs from her belief that a […]




The Musician’s Hand: A Clinical Guide


The Musician’s Hand: A Clinical Guide was the first book to focus on the specialized topic of the upper limb and hand in musicians. This second edition, now available in paperback, has been revised to reflect the scientific and clinical progress made since the book’s 1998 publication. The book opens with chapters describing the principles […]




The Rite of Spring: A Percussionist’s Guide


From the timpanist’s first triplet to the last sforzando G-sharp, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring is a percussionist’s dream. In this definitive guide, percussionist/timpanist Chris DeChiara, of Local 161-710 (Washington, DC), explores the history, nuances, and discrepancies in scores and parts of the composition to enrich the perspective of percussionists navigating their own audition or […]




Dolly Parton, Songteller: My Life in Lyrics


As told by Dolly Parton, of Local 257 (Nashville, TN), in her own words, explore the songs that have defined her journey. Mining over 60 years of songwriting, Dolly Parton, Songteller highlights 175 of her songs and brings readers behind the lyrics. Packed with never-before-seen photographs and classic memorabilia, this book explores personal stories, candid insights, […]




My Dearest Ruth


For High Voice and Piano Powerfully poignant and equally tender, My Dearest Ruth is composer Stacy Garrop’s musical setting of the final love letter from Martin Ginsburg to his wife, the opera-loving Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, only days before Martin’s passing. Commissioned by the family to celebrate Justice Ginsburg’s 80th birthday, the work […]




Horn Playing from the Inside Out

Horn Playing from the Inside Out: A Method for All Brass Musicians


This book by Eli Epstein, of Local 9-535 (Boston, MA), presents brass pedagogy informed by scientific evidence gleaned from real-time MRI films of the interior movement patterns of the world’s finest horn players. Epstein offers tried and true methods to learn and teach these exemplary biomechanics that promote not only beautiful and easeful playing, but […]




Yuhwa (The Goddess of the Willow Trees)


In Korean mythology, Yuhwa was the daughter of a River God, tricked into marrying the Sun God. She escaped back to her homeland and gave birth to a son who became the founder and monarch of Korea’s northern kingdom. Hailstork’s six-minute depiction for solo flute is a luscious mix of innocent (and catchy) melody, blended […]




Einstein, Michael Jackson & Me: A Search for Soul in the Power Pits of Rock and Roll


Howard Bloom founded the biggest PR firm in the music industry and helped build or sustain the careers of some of the biggest rock-and-roll legends of all time, including Prince, Paul Simon, David Byrne, ZZ Top, Joan Jett, and more. What was he after? He was on a hunt for the gods inside of you […]




Working on a Song: The Lyrics of Hadestown


An illuminating book of lyrics and stories from the musical Hadestown—the winner of eight Tony Awards—from its author, songwriter Anaïs Mitchell. In this book, Mitchell takes readers inside her more than decade-long process of building the musical from the ground up—detailing her inspiration, breaking down the lyrics, and opening up the process of creation that gave […]




john prine

The John Prine Sheet Music Collection


This collection includes 24 songs by legend and revered singer-songwriter John Prine, of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) before he passed away in April 2020 from COVID-19 complications, in arrangements for piano, voice, and guitar with chord symbols, guitar chord frames, and full lyrics. The John Prine Sheet Music Collection, Hal Leonard, www.halleonard.com.










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