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.
June 27, 2017
IM -The San Diego Symphony’s 2016-2017 season set a new sales record, with its classical series bringing in 15.6% more revenue than last year. The symphony’s musicians are members of Local 325 (San Diego, CA).
Combined with the summer 2016 outdoor series, the symphony also set an overall record for the number of paid admissions for an entire fiscal year, with 154,614 tickets sold. In addition to the record-setting sales, the classical series garnered 4,034 more paid admissions, representing an 8.2% increase over last season.
Four performances at the symphony’s 2,200-seat concert hall were sold out: both dates of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone in March, Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton in October, and the Chamber Orchestra with conductor David Danzmayr in February. Conductor Edo de Waart’s three-performance run of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 was symphony’s best-selling triple concert in its history, with more than 6,000 paid attendees.
In total, ticket revenue exceeded $6 million—just under 30% of the orchestra’s operating budget of $24 million. The orchestra attributes the increases to more aggressive and efficient use of technology, which has allowed it to create stronger relationships with patrons.