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.
December 1, 2020
IM -Wonders of the Invisible World is a 1693 book recounting the Salem Witch Trials in which the author, Cotton Mather, espoused the belief that the prosecutions of the “witches” were to gain God’s blessings over the colony. Fast-forward over three centuries, and another collection of wonders is earning a “Guitar God” his due. This time, it’s Ottawa’s Darren Michael Boyd, of Local 384 (Brockville, ON), that is casting a spell over fans and critics alike.
Following the release of his 2019 debut album, Lifting The Curse, which earned the guitarist a Josie Music Award nomination, Boyd is back with his second album, Wonders of the Invisible World. Recorded and produced by Boyd during the COVID quarantine, the 10-track album of guitar instrumentals looks to pick up where Boyd’s debut left off.
“My objective has always been the same,” says Boyd. “Play loud, be seen, and be heard … and proceed to tear the world a new one!”