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.
November 19, 2018
IM -On October 31 and November 1, the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra (HSO) performed four concerts at the Neal S. Blaisdell Center that brought together science, education, art, and music. HSO musicians are members of Local 677 (Honolulu, HI). The performances were a result of a collaborative effort between faculty from the UH Mānoa Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, Music Department, College of Education, UH West O’ahu, Windward Community College, UH Academy for Creative Media System, the Bishop Museum, and the Hawai’i Symphony Orchestra.
Prior to the performances, students in grades 4-12 had the opportunity to learn about native birds of Hawaii and their biology, ecology, and the importance of conservation. UH music education students also visited the younger students and taught them a hula dance and demonstrated instruments to prepare for the concert.
Melissa Price, project coordinator and assistant professor of natural resources and environmental management at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, explained the importance of educating students about the matter, “Working with children is a great way to go for training up the next up the next generation of people who can have the toolsets and the passion to solve the really big problems like we’re facing with endangered species in Hawai’i.”