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.
With Line 6 AMPLIFi TT guitar tone processor you can turn any speaker system into a guitar amp and Bluetooth streaming system that mixes in guitar amp tones. Play along to tracks of your favorite songs or jam anywhere. AMPLIFi TT delivers more than 200 award-winning amps and effects; features thousands of professionally designed presets; provides easy USB recording on Mac, PC, or iOS; and allows guitarists to match tones stored in a massive cloud database to their music library.
Get an in-depth look at the piano styles of today’s top rock, pop, and jazz artists through these melodic and harmonic techniques. This book for players of all levels profiles the styles 23 iconic performers, from the pop piano of Sarah McLachlan of Local 145 (Vancouver, BC) to the classic R&B and jazz fusion of George Duke, to the timeless music of Paul McCartney. For artists, like Herbie Hancock of Local 802 (New York City) and Bruce Hornsby of Local 125 (Norfolk, VA), known for their improvisation skills, there are examples of their soloing styles. Included is a play-along CD for all of the examples in the book.
Piano Styles of 23 Pop Masters: Secrets of the Great Contemporary Players, by Mark Harrison, Hal Leonard Corporation, www.halleonard.com.
Yamaha’s AG03 and AG06 hybrid mixing consoles and USB audio interfaces offer high-resolution (24-bit/192kHz) audio recording and playback, iOS compatibility, and battery operation. An intuitive TO PC switch allows users to select which inputs get routed back to a computer or iOS device to make mixing mics and instruments a breeze. And though most USB audio interfaces require software to control routing, effects, and monitoring the AG series does not, bringing all controls to the front panel. AG03 and AG06 also feature high quality D-PRE microphone preamps and onboard DSP effects, AUX input for a music player, and foot switch jack for effects. AG06 features six channels and AG03 has three.
For more than 40 years, swing drummer Gregory Caputo, a member of Locals 9-535 (Boston, MA) and 171 (Springfield, MA), has played with many legends of swing, from Phil Woods of Locals 577 (Pocono, PA) and 802 (New York City) to David Brubeck and Duke Ellington. In this book, Caputo explains the fundamentals of swing drumming with many examples. Included are comments from many world-class musicians explaining what they like to hear from a drummer. Also available is Caputo’s Classic Swing with Modern Drive CD, featuring Phil Woods.
Classic Swing Drumming: Methods and Techniques for the Development of the Swing Feel, by Gregory Caputo, Pittsfield, MA, www.gregorycaputo.com.
Drawing on previously untapped archival sources and on scores of interviews, this book illuminates broad musical trends. It tells the story of how the stream of songs making up the Great American Songbook more or less dried up around 1950, a few years before rock and roll arrived. The B Side is about taste, and the economics and culture of songwriting, as researched and told by acclaimed cultural historian Ben Yagoda.
The B-Side: The Death of Tin Pan Alley and the Rebirth of the Great American Song, by Ben Yagoda, Riverhead Books, Penguin Group, www.penguin.com.
In this book, Local 198-457 (Providence, RI) member Paul Cienniwa takes readers from personal anecdote to practical skills for becoming a successful memorizing musician. It will give you techniques to boost your memorization skills, which you will carry for the rest of your life. Even if you already have a solid memorization practice, it will inspire some new or different approaches, while also reinforcing your own convictions. Many of the techniques presented are good for any type of practice. Even for nonmemorizing musicians, the book is a useful foundational study of how to practice.
By Heart: The Art of Memorizing Music, by Paul Cienniwa, Providence, RI, www.amazon.com.
Released last fall, Robert Plant’s Lullaby and . . . the Ceaseless Roar is the singer’s first batch of original songs in almost 10 years. This album-matching folio provides authentic guitar TAB transcriptions of all the songs on the record: “Little Maggie,” “Rainbow,” “Pocketful of Golden,” “Embrace Another Fall,” “Turn It Up,” “A Stolen Kiss,” “Somebody There,” “Poor Howard,” “House of Love,” “Up on the Hollow Hill (Understanding Arthur),” and “Arbaden (Maggie’s Babby).”
Lullaby and … the Ceaseless Roar, words and music by Robert Plant, Alfred Music, Van Nuys, CA, www.alfred.com.
Monumental MouthpiecesConstructed of anodized aluminum, the JodyJazz Giant Tenor George Garzone Signature models are the first saxophone mouthpieces to combine the shape of a hard rubber mouthpiece with the precision of metal. Larger tip openings, like those found on these models, allow the reed to vibrate further generating more harmonics. Generally, mouthpieces with larger tip openings are more difficult to play, requiring more control and practice, but Jody’s facing curve makes these larger tip openings easier to play. “The colors in the sound of the Giant are amazing and I love the way I can lean into it to shape my sound,” says Garzone. The Giant Tenor George Garzone Signature models are available in sizes 9 and 10.
Perfect for players who prefer short-scale guitars, the PRS P245 is a vintage-inspired single-cutaway guitar with an LR Baggs/PRS piezo system to provide both electric and authentic acoustic tones. With two output jacks it can be plugged directly into an amplifier or into a soundboard’s direct input. The new 58/15 vintage style pickup, shorter 24.5-inch scale, and 22 frets, give P245 a true classic voice that is recordable and gig ready. It features figured maple top, mahogany back and neck, rosewood fretboard, nickel hardware, and is available in 18 distinct colors.
Flexi StringingD’Addario’s Classical Half Sets guitar strings offer players flexibility to mix and match and customize their tone and feel. Classical guitarists can experiment with a wide range of material compositions to voice their instrument for their own unique playing style. Each Half Set includes either three treble or three bass strings in resealable pouches. There are 22 Treble Half Sets in Pro-Arté Nylon (clear, composite, and black), Titanium Nylon, and Carbon, plus 21 Bass Half Sets in all variations of Nylon Core, Composite Core, and Dynacore. They are also available in a variety of tensions, from light to alto.
