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.
August 1, 2020
In this book, Grammy Award-winning jazz drummer, composer, educator, and producer Ulysses Owens Jr. explains the history of the development of the brushes in jazz along with exercises and illustrations for better performance. Includes: play-along tracks and demos, instructional videos, bonus interviews, and a comprehensive list of recordings of jazz brush players. by Ulysses Owens […]
July 27, 2020
Robert Johnson’s recordings have profoundly influenced generations of singers, guitarists, and songwriters. Yet until now, his short life—he was murdered at the age of 27—has been poorly documented. In this definitive biography, the authors relied on every interview, resource, and document they have collected over 50 years of research. The book will astonish blues fans […]
July 27, 2020
Music journalist Philip Clark provides a thoughtful, thorough, and long-overdue biography of jazz legend Dave Brubeck—an extraordinary man whose influence continues to inform and inspire musicians today. This book tells one of the last untold stories of jazz, unearthing the secret history of “Take Five” and many previously unknown aspects of Brubeck’s early career. Each […]
July 27, 2020
Flying Fingers covers an expansive variety of styles and techniques through its 50 transcriptions with historical and performance notes for each. Styles covered include early and modern blues fingerstyle, ragtime, Hawaiian slack-key, American primitive, Bahamian fingerstyle, Nashville finger-picking and Travis-picking, British Isles and American folk revival, new age, classical, modern, and everything in between. Hal […]
July 27, 2020
This book by Jeffry Kirschen, of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA), is an audio and visual method for practicing excerpts. The method is designed to help you improve your rhythm and intonation for better audition results. You simply listen to the MP3 files of the accompaniments while you play each of the 19 excerpts, or have a pianist play […]
July 27, 2020
Swiss-born, Atlanta-based singer, composer, educator Elise Witt, a member of Local 1000 (non-geographic), has released a book of 58 original songs arranged for solo and community singing. From folk ballads and jazz vocalizes to rounds and singalongs, Elise’s music spans many styles and continents, and includes her Polyrhythmic Multi-lingual Musical Collages. Available in print and […]
June 1, 2020
H.A. VanderCook Solo Collection includes 25 enjoyable compositions for solo cornet/trumpet, and all the titles are derived from flower or plant names.
June 1, 2020
Jazz writer and college professor Bill Beuttler explores new ways in which jazz is engaging with society through the vivid biographies and music of artists such as Jason Moran, Anat Cohen, Robert Glasper, and Esperanza Spalding.
June 1, 2020
This collection, edited by Fred Sokolow of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA), puts nine of Bach’s most memorable melodies at the fingertips of the modern guitarist, including selections from his famous suites for both cello and lute.
June 1, 2020
Spanning generations, from the shores of the Black Sea to the glittering concert halls of New York, The Nightingale’s Sonata centers around violin virtuoso Lea Luboshutz.