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 1, 2025
Since January 20 of this year, the relentless 24-hour news cycle drumbeat has forced me to reflect upon just what makes a nation great. I’ve read Project 2025, and it does not chart a pathway to national greatness.
“A great nation is one that can feed the people.” That’s what a wise old Lakota elder once told me, and remembering those words set me to thinking:
A great nation does not accept that its people have to dig through garbage dumpsters in hopes of finding something to eat. A great nation is one where nobody is hungry, with sufficient food to eat.
A great nation is one where nobody is homeless; where everyone has a warm place to live. A great nation does not accept its people living in cardboard boxes in alleyways. With its “Housing First” strategy, Finland’s homeless rate was reported at .08% in 2020. That’s 8/100ths of a percent.
A great nation is one that takes care of the health of its people. A great nation should not tolerate its people driven to financial desperation because of medical costs. According to a US News and World Report survey, the northern European/Scandinavian countries provide the best public health care systems in the world.
A great nation is one that values the diversity of its people. The people of a great nation will understand the value of honoring and embracing the rich tapestry of cultures that form its collective human experience.
A great nation is one that takes care of its environment for future generations. A great nation does not leave fouled air and water for its children and grandchildren to clean up. The people of a great nation leave their land in better shape than when they came to it.
A great nation is one where the people take only what they need to live well; where those who, through hard work or luck of the draw, have more than they need share their good fortune for the wellbeing of their neighbors.
A great nation takes care that its children are educated with truth, where books are cherished, not banned; where history is embraced, not shaped; where historical honesty, not comfort or convenience, is honored.
A great nation is one that establishes enduring laws for the benefit of all its people, not a select few; laws that mean the same thing no matter who reads them, whether the reader wears a black robe, a suit, a uniform or overalls, whether the reader is in a legislature, a courtroom, a boardroom or a living room.
A great nation values its art and culture, because its art and culture will be its only lasting and durable way of communicating to and being remembered by the future generations.
A great nation is secure in its place in the world and coexists in harmony with its neighbors. The people of a nation existing in harmony are happy.
The Lakota elder told me that the leaders of a great nation always follow the people, leading from the rear—that way, no one gets left behind.
Avid readers of the International Musician will have noticed in last month’s issue that AFM Assistant Secretary Wages Argott, who joined my staff a year ago, has returned to his previous position in the President’s Office as Director of Freelance Services and Membership Development. That position is a good fit for Wages’ skills and strengths, and I know he will bring a renewed and refreshed energy to his department.
Wages’ decamping back to the President’s Office created a vacancy on my staff, and I am pleased to announce that it has been filled by Eric Stockton, who assumed the position of Assistant Secretary on January 1. Eric is a freelance guitarist, active in the Local 802 (New York City) musical theater sector, and for the past year has worked as an administrator in the AFM Immigration Services department. In addition to being a bear for accurate and detailed work, Eric brings with him a passion for musicians organizing to build their power in the workplace. He will be a valuable addition to my office and an asset to the Federation.