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.
February 26, 2015
IM -Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra (CSO) announced that it balanced its budget for the sixth consecutive time in fiscal year 2014. Concert attendance for the 2013-2014 season continued an upward trend, increasing by 4%; individual gifts to the annual fund rose by 7% to $2.6 million; and corporate donations rose by 30%. CSO’s endowment is at its all-time high, $114 million. With all of these successes, CSO is close to eliminating its longtime structural deficit, which was $6.5 million in 2009 and is now down to $500,000.
Cincinnati is the smallest US city to support a year-round orchestra. CSO believes its innovative new projects have helped to secure donations and expose the orchestra to new audiences. Lumenocity, a festival of symphonic performances and digital-light displays, was held for the second year last summer, and CSO debuted the MusicNOW festival during the 2013-2014 season, featuring symphonic music, alternative rock, and world premieres. The musicians’ contract expires in September, and the orchestra anticipates restoring 14 of the 23 tenure-track vacancies that currently exist within future seasons.