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.
The Galaxy TQ8 provides 150-watts of high performance audio in a lightweight, portable package. Its powerful eight-inch woofer and wide-dispersion HFhorn, with one-inch compression driver, offers professional clear audio performance. TQ8 has two wired mic/line inputs, an SD card slot, USB connection, left/right audio connections, and Bluetooth compatibility. Two optional wireless mic receivers work with Galaxy’s handheld or body pack wireless microphones.
One of the most successful songwriters and composers of the last 25 years, Steve Dorff has penned more than 20 top 10 hits for pop and country artists around the world, plus scored television shows and films. More recently he’s been working in musical theatre on his musical Josephine. He’s been named Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) songwriter of the year and received more than 40 BMI awards. Full of heartfelt stories and hard-earned wisdom, Dorff wrote this book for anyone who has chased a dream and survived the surprising turns in the road.
I Wrote that One, Too … A Life in Songwriting, from Willie to Whitney, by Steve Dorff, Backbeat Books, www.backbeatbooks.com
Ray Reed was a first call, woodwind multi-instrumentalist who performed on hundreds of jazz recordings over a 40-plus year career, including with Stan Kenton, Johnny Mandel, Bill Holman, and Frank Zappa orchestras. He also worked with Med Flory’s Grammy-winning Super Sax. Over his career Reed composed more than 100 jazz tunes. This book includes 43 of his better known compositions, as well as a comprehensive biography of Reed. It is available with or without a CD with printable pdf lead sheets in concert, Bb, and Eb keys.
Ray Reed Jazz Originals: 45 Great Compositions by the Jazz Master,
by Bob Irvine, Infinity Publishing, www.buybooksontheweb.com.
When Fender introduced the world’s first electric bass guitar in the early ’50s they couldn’t have foreseen the impact the Precision Bass would have on the world of music. It would help start a revolution in the sound of popular music. Bass guitar has provided the solid foundation on which much of modern music is built. This third edition of The Bass Book follows the evolution of bass guitar from its introduction to today with a full lowdown of the most important bass players and makers. Brands featured in the book include Alembic, Danelectro, Epiphone, Fender, Fodera, Gibson, Hofner, Ibanez, Lakland, Line 6, Music Man, Peavey, Rickenbacker, Sadowsky, Spector, Squier, Steinberger, Warwick, and Yamaha. There are exclusive interviews with bass guitar makers and players, including Paul McCartney, Jack Bruce, Stanley Clarke, John Entwistle, James Jamerson, and Jaco Pastorius. The book includes dozens of high quality photos of rarely seen basses plus reference section.
The Bass Book: A Complete Illustrated History of Bass Guitars, 3rd Edition, by Tony Bacon and Barry Moorhouse, Backbeat Books,
www.backbeatbooks.com.
This book explores the contributions that Americans of Italian descent have made to jazz. It includes profiles of major composers, musicians, and singers, and overviews of minor figures. Early chapters are dedicated to single players, from Louis Prima to Frank Sinatra to Bucky Pizzarelli. Other sections discuss jazz in Italy and women of jazz. The book also explores the discrimination and stereotyping faced by Italian immigrants in their efforts to assimilate into American culture.
Bebop, Swing, and Bella Musica: Jazz and the Italian American Experience, by Bill Dal Cerro and David Anthony Witter, Bella Musica Publishing, www.italiansinjazz.com.
This year’s Summer NAMM show saw the launch of Local 257 (Nashville, TN) member Brad Paisley’s signature Fender guitar. The Brad Paisley Road Worn Telecaster body is custom-made from lightweight and resonant paulownia center core with spruce top and back. A custom wound ’64 Tele Bridge Pickup expands the sonic palette. The “V” neck provides a comfortable grip, while medium jumbo frets allow quick picking and over-the-neck bends. The guitar has a Road Worn silver sparkle finish, aged hardware, and a paisley pickguard.
Using an open-air concept that asks pianists to imagine there are only black keys, readers are led through 50 etudes and 200 special exercises that will eventually allow them to soar across the widely spaced scales “position playing” and the author’s unique two-octave fingerings. Also included are chapters on rhythm, harmony, timbre, and creativity.
Wisdom of the Hand: A Guide to Jazz Pentatonic Scales, by Marius Nordal, Sher Music Company, shermusic.com.
This book introduces students to a variety of legato, staccato, and chordal touches to gain an aural awareness of tonal colors and technical tools to produce them. Together, teachers and students learn to define interpretive decisions in music using descriptive, clear-cut “touch vocabulary” to help students define dynamics and fine-tune their sound.
Joanne Haroutounian’s Palette of Touches: Piano Exercises and Repertoire that Develop Colorful Tonal Qualities, Neil A. Kjos Music Company, www.kjos.com.
The Martin Archives documents two centuries of guitar making and more than two million guitars. This unique collector’s item provides insights into the instruments and the people who made them. America’s oldest and most revered guitar maker shares images, documents, reproduced artifacts, and a handwritten company history by Frank Henry Martin.
The Martin Archives: A Scrapbook of Treasures from the World’s Foremost Acoustic Guitar Maker, by Jim Washburn with Dick Boak,
Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonard.com.
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.
