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.
April 8, 2019
IM -by Robert Fraser, OCSM President and Melissa Goodchild, OCSM Secretary, both Members of Local 247 (Victoria, BC)
Pour voir cet article en français, cliquez ici.
The Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM) will hold its annual conference at the Sheraton Hamilton Hotel in Hamilton, Ontario, August 12-16. As always, members of OCSM orchestras and representatives of their respective AFM locals are welcome to attend the open sessions, which begin the morning of August 13.
The agenda of the conference is still being worked out, but we are happy to announce that part of the conference will involve a visit to the LIVELab, a facility on the campus of McMaster University, located within the McMaster University Institute of Music and the Mind (MIMM).
According to the MIMM website: “… the LIVELab is a 106-seat research-based performance theatre and testing centre. The LIVELab is committed to developing a world class facility for the scientific study of music, sound, and movement and their importance in human development and human health.”
We will be sharing more information on the conference as it develops, both on our OCSM website (ocsm-omosc.org) and through our social media. We look forward to seeing all our delegates and guests in August.