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.
Acoustics First’s Art Diffusor Model D is an organic quadratic sound diffuser that improves acoustic clarity and ambiance, while increasing the overall perceived space of the room. The frequency range of Art Diffusor is extended through its unique organic curvature to control specular reflections above 4 kHz. Art Diffuser makes a room sound larger, while also improving clarity and adding beauty.
TKL’s Concept MC cases are developed to fit almost every vintage and contemporary acoustic guitar on the market. Noted for their portability, protection, and affordability, Concept series cases feature Rigidlite molded exterior with a plus cushion-soft, secure-fit interior, offering maximum protection for every guitar type/body, plus reliable Providence Forge hardware.
Tone Corset compact operational transconductance amplifier (OTA) analog compressor from Electro-Harmonix lets guitarists precisely shape dynamics with compression effects ranging from subtle to extreme. The pedal’s four knobs—Sustain to control the amount of compression, Attack to adjust how quickly compression recovers, Blend to adjust the mix of dry and compressed signals, and Volume—provide excellent control. A pad switch pads down the input signal to prevent undesirable distortion. Featuring true bypass switching, Tone Corset comes with a nine-volt battery.
Roland’s GP607 brings a light-weight and maintenance-free mini grand into your living room. SuperNATURAL modeling technology provides high quality, realistic tone, complemented by a premium, multi-channel speaker system for top quality sound whether playing or listening. The new expressive touch PHA-50 hammer action keyboard with escapement provides authentic feel. Bluetooth compatible, GP607 lets you stream music or connect to the latest apps for learning and performance. 3D Ambience technology headphones allow accurate sound and silent practice. The graceful polished design with opening lid comes in ebony or white finishes.
The HeadRush Pedalboard guitar processor delivers diverse classic vintage and modern amp and FX models, including exclusive boutique effects, plus the ability to load your own custom response (IR) files. Other features include gapless preset changes with reverb and delay tail spillover, and a built-in looper with 20 minutes of record time. HeadRush Pedalboard is housed in a rugged steel chassis that features 12 footswitches with their own OLED displays, plus a seven-inch touch display that gives ultra-clear feedback.
A tribute to Stuart Spector’s legendary craftsmanship, the Euro4 1977 provides an extremely comfortable, fully carved body, handcrafted from solid American walnut. A three-piece maple neck runs through the length of the instrument and features a 24-fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. It has the same single DiMarzio Model P pickup as the original, but has been updated
with a modern, lightweight zinc brass alloy Spector bridge and Tone Pump tone circuit.
Primacoustic Element panels are designed to provide aesthetic options for acoustic absorption. The hexagonal shape, with beveled edges, allows the panels to be installed in personalized interesting patterns and clusters to control primary reflections and flutter echo. Each Element Panel has a diameter of 16 inches. They are 1.5 inches thick, constructed of six-pound high-density glass wool for optimal broadband absorption. Tested to stringent Class-A fire ratings, Primacoustic Element panels are available in black, grey, or beige Broadway acoustic fabric, or with Primacoustic’s proprietary paintable white finish.
Fender has partnered with Jose Cuervo to create the Cuervo x Fender Agave Stratocaster, made from the agave plant. With a 21-fret neck and fingerboard, the two-piece ’56 Stratocaster features genuine Fender hardware, a custom-engraved neck plate with Jose Cuervo inscription, hand-wound Fat ’50s neck, RWRP middle, and bridge pickups. The unique art guitar was designed and constructed by Fender Custom Shop Builder Paul Waller who traveled to Tequila, Mexico, in 2016 to tour the Jose Cuervo distillery and harvest agave materials. The beautifully crafted guitar weighs just 6.5 pounds and has a “quackiness” to its sound that make it a perfect tonal fit for surf music.
The TWA DM-02 Dynamorph harmonic generator creates multi-layered complex waveforms to “morph” your instrument’s harmonic structure in bizarre, yet musical, ways while its envelope-detection circuit controls distortion events via playing dynamics. It provides an almost limitless variety of distortion and filtering effects. Other features include: dual cascading preamps (each with independent level control), two different EQ curves, switchable “morph” function, dedicated dry level control, S3 “Shortest Send” relay-based true bypass switching, optional expression pedal control of gain level, and a butterfly LED array that reacts to playing dynamics. DM-02 is made in the US and comes with a three-year warranty.
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
