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.
As I write this column, I am preparing to travel to Athens, Greece, for an important conference that will discuss artificial intelligence (AI) and streaming on the global stage. “Music in the Digital Age: Streaming and AI” is an international gathering that brings together artists, industry professionals, academics, journalists, legal experts, policymakers, and technologists to […]
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The purpose of any union is to build power so that its members can achieve economic fairness in the workplace and justice in the political realm. Coming out of the pandemic, this Federation administration gave itself a good institutional shaking, like a Labrador Retriever coming in from a downpour, with exactly that purpose in mind. […]
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We all know the musician jokes about time being more than a magazine. Time seems to move faster as we get older, and our lives revolve around a daily schedule, whether that is meetings, rehearsals, gigs, dropping kids off at school, or teaching. We can be most effective, if, when a window of opportunity opens, […]
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Musicians on Broadway and at the Kennedy Center are making their voices heard in Congress. Their workplace experiences and advocacy asks may be different, but the AFM’s approach on Capitol Hill has been the same. Our engagement is typically based on geographic footprint and committees of jurisdiction. The same could be said for any successful […]
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The 2025-2026 Pamphlet B and Short Engagement Touring season promises to be an interesting combination of the best of last season’s Broadway hits and popular revivals to round out the schedules of prominent theaters throughout the country. One trend I have noticed in hiring of touring musicians on many of our shows is to have […]
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by Heather Boehm, Theatre Musicians Association President and Member of Local 10-208 (Chicago, IL) It’s increasingly common for musicals to feature musicians onstage—payment precedents vary widely due to factors ranging from where the theater is located, where the show workshopped, the AFM local negotiating the collective bargaining agreement (CBA), venue capacity, and commercial versus nonprofit, […]
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