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.
Cloud Microphones Cloudlifter Zi instrument DI and mic activator is designed for guitar, bass, keyboard players, and singers. It maximizes your instrument or mic’s signal and lets you contour your tone. The variable impedance “Z” knob and high-pass filter combine to create massive tone shaping, while the three-position gain switch adds gain (up to 25db for microphones or 12dB for instruments) for a clean signal.
Frank Zappa FAQ examines the long and illustrious career of Frank Zappa, following his style shifts over the years, his prolific catalog, from Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out! to Beat the Boots, as well as his film and video productions. Author John Corcelli explores Zappa’s creative process, from recording to leading a band. The book covers his lyrical themes, guitar playing, and the long list of talented musicians who shared the stage and studio with Zappa over the years. It also looks at Zappa’s legacy through his son Dweezil Zappa’s music. Included is a recommended reading list and complete discography.
Frank Zappa FAQ: All That’s Left to Know About the Father of Invention,
by John Corcelli, Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonard.com.
In 1978, jazz in our country largely remained a boys’ club. Two Kansas City women, Carol Comer and Dianne Gregg, challenged that inequitable standard. With the support of jazz luminaries Marian McPartland and Leonard Feather, inaugural performances by Betty Carter, Mary Lou Williams, an all-star band of women, plus dozens of Kansas City musicians and volunteers, they created the annual Kansas City Women’s Jazz Festival. For eight years they fought for equality with swing and bebop. This book is the story of how two friends proved jazz genderless, changing the course of jazz history.
Changing the Tune: The Kansas City Women’s Jazz Festival, 1978-1985, by Carolyn Glenn Brewer, University of North Texas Press,
www.untpress.unt.edu.
Artistic Citizenship brings together the perspectives of artists, scholars, educators, policy-makers, and activists to investigate the system of values surrounding artistic-educational endeavors. The book looks at the social responsibilities and functions of amateur and professional artists in a wide range of disciplines, including music, dance, theater, and visual arts. An accompanying website features video clips of “activism” in action.
Artistic Citizenship: Artistry, Social Responsibility, and Ethical Praxis, edited by David J. Elliott, Marissa Silverman, and Wayne D. Bowman, Oxford University Press, www.oup.com.
In this book, written for children ages five to 10, author Lucy A. Warner presents 12 classical composers as superheroes. This colorful book engages children who learn about storied classical composers Antonio Vivaldi, Johann Sebastian Bach, Ludwig van Beethoven, Antonin Dvořák and eight others. A short biographical paragraph, memorable poem, and famous piece of music is provided for each. The book also features a glossary, a map showing where each composer came from, a timeline, composer quotes, a listening/viewing guide, as well as a bibliography.
Zap! Boom! Pow! Superheroes of Music, by Lucy A. Warner and
illustrated by Patrick Ackerman, Spring Promise Productions,
www.springpromiseproductions.com.
Donn Trenner of Locals 47 (Los Angeles, CA) and 802 (New York City) has been a professional musician since his teens and his musical memoir is a tour through musical “scenes” some of us remember and others would love to visit. He takes you to jazz clubs of the 1940s and 1950s; jam sessions; big band tours; work with jazz legends like Dizzy Gillespie, Charlie Parker, and Stan Getz, and major stars such as Bob Hope, Ann-Margret, Shirley MacLaine, and Nancy Wilson; late-night television with Steve Allen; international tours; and Las Vegas shows. Trenner’s stories bring you to the gig with musicians and entertainers you have admired. There are plenty of laughs plus more serious observations and insights about arranging, performance, and leading a band.
Leave It to Me: My Life in Music by Donn Trenner and Tim Atherton, BearManor Media, bearmanormedia.com
Brilliant jazz guitar innovator John Abercrombie is known among jazz musicians as a composer of compelling, well-crafted tunes. Now for the first time, he has selected 34 of his original compositions to be available in book form. Chosen from 35-plus years of recordings, great tunes such as “Ralph’s Piano Waltz,” “Just In Tune,” “Convolution,” “Sound Track,” and “Wishing Bell,” are laid out as individual lead sheets. The book includes Abercrombie’s personal, sometimes hilarious, recollections about each tune, plus some of his unique guitar voicings with annotations, analysis of his compositional techniques, and a complete discography.
Timeless: The Music of John Abercrombie, Gazong Press,
gazongpress.com
The best way to learn to play a song on guitar is to watch someone else play it. Alfred’s Guitar Sessions series books center around detailed instructional video lessons that teach you how to play rock ’n’ roll’s greatest songs through step-by-step teaching. The accompanying books provide supportive written lessons and TAB. Plus the discs include PDF transcription sheets with TAB and notation for each song. For example, with Guitar Sessions: Electric Led Zeppelin, you’ll learn how to play Jimmy Page’s parts to the group’s classic tunes. Also available in the series is Acoustic Led Zeppelin.
Alfred’s Guitar Sessions: Electric Led Zeppelin and Acoustic
Led Zeppelin, by Alfred Music, alfred.com
Classics with a Touch of Jazz reflects Local 802 (New York City) member Lee Evans’ longstanding interest in keeping music students and teachers motivated through including jazz music and concepts within traditional classical piano lessons. He includes classics from Bach, Beethoven, Cilea, Debussy, Dvořák, Elgar, Fauré, Franck, Grieg, MacDowell, Marcello, Massenet, Mozart, Ravel, Saint-Saëns, Schumann, Tárrega, and Tchaikovsky. The book includes access to Evans’ meticulous recordings of each piece to be used as a model for practice and performance.
Classics with a Touch of Jazz: 27 Beloved Masterpieces, by Lee Evans, Hal Leonard Corporation, halleonard.com
Joe Allard is considered one of most influential and brilliant woodwind teachers that ever lived. For more than 40 years he taught at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, and New England Conservatory. His students included jazz greats, as well as many first chair players in major symphony orchestras. Over the years, Allard’s teachings have become legendary and now for the first time you will be able to hear him teach lessons. This book put together by Local 802 (New York City) member William Meade includes 18 lessons with audio tracks that cover some of his key concepts. Listen to Allard’s teachings first-hand and discover this amazing teacher for yourself.
Joe Allard: Lessons from the Master, by William Meade,
joeallardlessons.com
