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.
Yamaha has introduced the second generation of the Yamaha 62 professional model saxophone line with the YBS-62II Professional Baritone Saxophone. Updates include a new key layout based on ergonomics for longer, faster, more comfortable play, and a shorter bell length for improved intonation. The YBS-62II also features the addition of a peg receiver so that an optional peg can be attached.
Yamaha’s FG Red Label series of acoustic guitars blend the vintage, handcrafted design of early Yamaha instruments with innovative wood conditioning and true-to-life sound reproduction. Inspired by the original FG Red Label acoustic guitars of the 1960s, the new folk guitars retain the retro aesthetic and classic tone, while adding a new pickup system and the company’s proprietary wood-aging process.
Genos is Yamaha’s most advanced digital workstation keyboard to date. It features a sleek, modern design, breathtaking sounds, 550 accompaniment styles, and robust recording. The semi-weighted keyboard provides enhanced touch response. Genos has a 1.8G internal, nonvolatile flash memory and supports WAV, AIFF, SoundFont, and REX for creating voices and drum kits. The main display is a brilliant nine-inch color touchscreen. Six large Gateway Buttons navigate the major modes of operation. Six assignable buttons let the player cue custom actions or changes. Ten registration buttons (with multiple banks) save and recall Genos panel settings. Registrations can be organized into playlists. Multi pads trigger one-shot musical phrases and hits spice up performances, while the keyboard plays the main instrument voices.
In developing the YTR 5330MRC mariachi trumpet, Yamaha sought input from mariachi musicians in Mexico. In the end, they created an instrument with a sound and stunning visual impact perfect for the genre. It features reversed main tuning slide without bracing or water key for open feel and maximum airflow; double-plated bell and valve casing for crisp sound; and lacquered brass main tuning slide with extra long inner tube for a broad range of pitch adjustment.
Music programs for students in Texas and Florida schools have been deeply affected by hurricanes Harvey and Irma. Schools have sustained damage or had to close indefinitely, leaving districts scrambling for resources. The Houston Independent School District alone lost $1 million in instruments across 13 campuses.
Yamaha Corporation of America, in conjunction with the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, is helping to rebuild these music programs. Now through December 31, if you post a photo or video explaining how music education has changed your life with the #YamahaSharetheGift hashtag on Twitter or Instagram, or submit a video through YouTube via the Share the Gift website (www.yamaha.com/us/sharethegift/), the company will donate a brand new instrument to Music Rising, the disaster relief fund of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
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.
In April, Yamaha Artist Services Indianapolis and Yamaha Band & Orchestral Division named the winners of the 2017 Yamaha Young Performing Artists (YYPA) Competition. The musicians were selected on their technical skill and artistry as demonstrated in submitted audio and video auditions. Emphasizing Yamaha’s commitment to music education, the competition recognizes exceptional emerging musicians in the jazz, classical, and contemporary genres.
The 10 2017 YYPA Winners include: Victor Hernandez Ramirez of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (flute); He Zhang of Harbin, China (clarinet); Hannah Hickman of Sheldon, Iowa (classical saxophone); Howard Dietz of Morgan Hill, California (jazz saxophone); Michelle Hembree of Boise, Idaho (horn); Altin Sencalar of Temple, Texas (jazz trombone); Cameron Leach of Hilliard, Ohio (concert percussion); Stephen Morris of Aliso Viejo, California (drum set); Derek Louie of New York, New York (cello); and Nathan Ben-Yehuda of Los Angeles, California (piano).
Winners receive an all-expense-paid trip to the YYPA Celebration Weekend June 24-27, during the Music for All Summer Symposium, Ball State University, Muncie, Indiana, June 24-July 1. There, they will perform at a YYPA Concert and participate in workshops to help them toward their professional careers. Other privileges include services and support from Yamaha Artist Relations and professional recordings, as well as photography, of their live performance.
This year’s YYPA Guest Artist is Yamaha Performing Artist and principal timpanist of the National Symphony Orchestra Jauvon Gilliam of Local 161-710 (Washington, DC). He will give a special solo performance during the concert. In previous years, featured guest artists included three-time Grammy Award winner Jeff Coffin of Local 257 (Nashville, TN), saxophonist for the Dave Matthews Band.
More than 250 talented musicians who have been recognized since the program’s inception. Many of them have already established successful music careers, as performers and educators, including Ricardo Morales, principal clarinet of the Philadelphia Orchestra, a member of Local 77 (Philadelphia, PA).
Yamaha SLG200NW Silent Guitar is 90% quieter than a conventional guitar to provide quiet practice when unamplified or listened to through stereo earphones. Its elegant body design yields the tones of a high-end Yamaha acoustic, while its classical neck provides a comfortable feel. The detachable frame top section makes it compact enough to fit into an aircraft overhead compartment. Proprietary SRT powered pickup and microphone modeling system feature onboard reverb and chorus. It comes with a built-in chromatic tuner and an AUX input with dedicated volume control for connecting an external audio player, making it possible to play along with music.
Yamaha’s TransAcoustic guitars recreate the experience of playing in a rich, live room without the need for further amplification. Available in the LL-TA dreadnought and LS-TA concert acoustic guitars, TransAcoustic technology allows players to add reverb and chorus to the natural instrument sound with no plug-in effects through an actuator inside the guitar. Three side knobs provide easy adjustments. The guitars are available in vintage tint and brown sunburst finishes with clear pick guards and ebony
fingerboards. They feature Engelmann spruce tops and rosewood back and sides for a warm, yet powerful, tone. An SRT piezo pickup provides the guitar’s plugged-in tones.
Yamaha Electric Violins (YEV) offer the beauty and character of wood, combined with outstanding sound and electronic performance. Available in four- and five-string models that are priced under $800, YEV includes the same integrated bridge and pickup design found in the higher-end Yamaha Silent Violin Pro series. The graceful solid center body is crafted from maple, mahogany, and spruce, while the frame is constructed of rich, resonant walnut. The maple neck is capped with a solid ebony fingerboard and ebony tuning pegs. Both models are available with a natural wood body, or a modern transparent black finish.
