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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Home » Recent News » Fellowship Program Preps Diverse Musicians for America’s Orchestras


Fellowship Program Preps Diverse Musicians for America’s Orchestras

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A majority of music colleges and universities currently have few persons of color in their string programs. This partly stems from the lack of musical opportunities provided in underprivileged communities. In hopes to change this, the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO), the Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA), and the University of California (USC) Thornton School of Music have come together to create the Los Angeles Orchestra Fellowship.

This program, launched in August, provides four string musicians looking to further or begin a musical performance career with a variety of opportunities. These opportunities include: training with LACO musicians, performing in a variety of concerts around the city, teaching young musicians at ICYOLA, and pursuing a music certificate at USC over the course of two years.

This year’s fellows, all Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) members, are Bradley Parrimore, a recent Manhattan School of Music graduate; Sydney Adedamola, who recently graduated from USC; Ayrton Pisco, a violinist who first played with the Brasilia National Orchestra at age five; and Juan-Salvador Carrasco, who has performed in orchestras under Plácido Domingo and Local 802 (New York City) member Yo-Yo Ma. The four fellows live in the same graduate dorm building and perform together in a string quartet.







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