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.
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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.
September 14, 2018
IM -A study at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of University Hospital, Brescia, Italy, showed that music reduces pain even in newborns. Eighty newborns between the ages of one and three days were subjected to painful medical procedures—the Guthrie Test (where the heel is pricked to draw blood) and/or antibiotic injections in the muscle. Infants were randomly assigned to have the procedure done in silence, while music (Mozart’s “Sonata for Two Pianos” or Beethoven’s “Moonlight Sonata”) was playing, or while exposed to the sound of a heartbeat. The music began 10 minutes prior to the procedure and continued for 20 minutes after.
Researchers monitored the infants’ heart rate, oxygen saturation level, breathing patterns, crying and whimpering, as well as whether their muscles were rigid or relaxed. Within 10 minutes after the procedure, those infants with musical intervention showed a significant decrease in heart rate, improvement in oxygen saturation, and reduction in the perception of pain. The researchers conclude that music could be an easy-to-use, low-cost method of enriching the environment for babies.