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.
GrooveTech Tools’ newest guitar and bass multi-tool, the Mini-Multi, consolidates 14 tools into a body that’s less than three inches long. Included are eight hex wrenches, four screwdrivers, and a precision ruler. And for those important moments, a bottle opener is provided. Sizes are in both meters and inches for use on most makes and models of guitars and basses. Tools are prograde and made to precision tolerances.
The eight-in-one Octopus from MusicNomad is the quintessential gig bag tool. It is perfect for adjusting output jacks, control pots, tuning machine bushings, and screws. It comes with both Phillips and slotted blade screwdriver heads with its reversible shaft design. The Octopus’s hex wrench of strong ballistic nylon provides the most popular hex wrench sizes: 10-mm, 12-mm, 14-mm, ½-inch, and 7/16-inch. It can handle any job without fear of scratching your hardware or finish. Octopus works well on almost all string instruments and hex nuts found on guitar pedals and amplifiers.
The Taskforce for Employment of Musicians Promotional Organization (TEMPO) was established in 1961 when the AFM was steeped in legislative battles over copyright, the Cabaret Tax, and royalty distribution, which followed prior legislative battles over the LEA Act, the National Labor Relations Act, and a host of other federal legislative initiatives. The need to help AFM-friendly federal legislators stay in Washington, DC, to continue the fight on behalf of professional musicians remains essential to our existence. TEMPO is one of the most recognized and highly respected bipartisan labor affiliated political action committees in Washington, DC. Because of the relevant successes that the AFM Office of Government Relations and the fund have accomplished, these important internal institutions have served to provide high quality, added value to your AFM membership.
