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.

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE AFM

Health, Resources

Advice for Taking Care of Your Mental Health as a Musician

It’s so important to look after your mental health as a musician; it’s what helps you create, interpret, play, and enjoy music.


Pilates Breathing Exercises for Upper Body Relaxation

by Eva Stern, Member of Local 134 (Jamestown, NY), Violist with the Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra and Teacher of Pilates and Movement for Musicians If you’re reading this article, then good news—you’re breathing! However, it’s a common thing for many of us to breathe shallowly, and even periodically hold our breath, as we move through our […]


Heavy Metal Is Not for Everyone: Skin Allergies and the Professional Musician

Because of the intensity of repeated rehearsals and performances, orchestral players are among the most susceptible to various types of skin issues.


Physicality of Female Brass Musicians

Not until adulthood would I realize that the ever-changing female body could profoundly affect brass playing.


Thyroid Surgery: An Introduction for the Vocal Artist, Singer, and Musician

Sometimes the disease process itself can affect the voice, but thyroid surgery too can cause voice disturbances that musicians, especially singers, should be aware of.


Keep Your Chops and Get Dental Checkups

Regular dental checkups can help prevent and correct many potential problems for wind and brass musicians including teeth grinding, TMJ, dry mouth, etc.


Piano Playing and Preventing Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is both a simple and complex issue. Carpal tunnel occurs when your median nerve squeezes and compresses at your wrist.


Body Mapping

Body Mapping teaches musicians to question their own concept of anatomical size, structure, and function to improve facility, ease, and efficiency in playing.


Our Brains Appear Uniquely Tuned for Musical Pitch

In the eternal search for understanding what makes us human, scientists found that our brains are more sensitive to pitch, the harmonic sounds we hear when listening to music, than our evolutionary relative the macaque monkey.


Summer is Coming, Remember to Protect Yourself Against Lyme Disease

With the arrival of summer, it is a good time to review and remember the threat that Lyme disease poses to anyone who steps outside.








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