Musicians Call on Studios to Negotiate Streaming Media

“As streaming consumption grows, the absence of streaming residuals will prevent musicians from being able to afford a home and feed their families, and threatens to erode the major contributions our members make to our local communities,” said Ray Hair, AFM International President. “AFM members must take on the changes in technology by ensuring that we maintain good jobs and a rightful place in the future of the industry. We are seeking a productive dialogue with AMPTP as we work to reach a fair resolution of these negotiations.” –Ray Hair, AFM International President

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Remembering DFW’s Black Locals

Fort Worth Local 392 & Dallas Local 168

Local 72-147 has a proud history of representing musicians since the chartering of Local 72 in Fort Worth in 1898 and Local 147 in Dallas in 1901. But before 1965, black musicians fighting the discrimination of segregation formed AFM locals on their own. This is the story of these musicians during their years of organizing with AFM Local 392 in Fort Worth and Local 168 in Dallas.

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Reaching Out to Denton/UNT Community with Jam Session on April 25

Following up on last September’s successful collaboration with the Greater Denton Arts Council, Local 72-147 has scheduled another Jam Session + Meet and Greet at the Patterson Appleton Arts Center on April 25. A special purpose of the event is to reach out to musicians studying at the University of North Texas and introduce the resources, education and organizing that AFM provides for professional musicians. Still under development, this event serves to collaborate with the Greater Denton Arts Council to brings arts and education to Denton and a special educational opportunity to students at one our nation’s largest music schools.

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March 28 – AFM Jam Session Comes to Klyde Warren Park

Growing from the relationship between Local 72-147, Klyde Warren Park and the support of Music Performance Trust Fund, many new things are happening in downtown Dallas — starting with our first “Musicians in the Park” Community Performance on March 28 at KWP! 

For many years we have Klyde Warren Park has been bringing musicians to the park with a lunchtime music series (sponsored in part by MPTF). We will now be adding to our Jam Session and Meet + Greet Series which began last year with a bigger event, putting our musicians on stage and celebrating OUR MUSICAL COMMUNITY.

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Shelley Carrol and the Texas Tenor Tradition

While performing in one of our MusicFest Performances (sponsored by Music Performance Trust Fund) at Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, Shelley Carrol takes a moment to explain about the Texas Tenor tradition in the Count Basie Orchestra. 

With the innovations of Dallas area musician Buster Smith and the formation of the Buster Smith–Count Basie Band a new technique of louder jazz came to be. The sound came from Buster

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New Bi-Partisan Bill to Address Pension Difficulties in Congress

The new new year has brought good news for the AFM & Employers Pension Fund. In its first action in the 116th Congress, the House Ways and Means Committee introduced a bipartisan bill that would address the serious challenges faced by the AFM-EPF and other multi-employer pension funds.

Introduced by Rep. Richard Neal, D-MA, the newly minted chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, the Rehabilitation for Multiemployer Pensions Act has a total of 10 sponsors, five from each party.

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