American Federation of Musicians Local 443 – Oneonta, NY

Young Musicians

At the American Federation of Musicians, we take young musicians seriously. We know the hard work and sacrifice involved in starting a career in music. We’ve been there.

You’ll discover that joining the AFM is easy and very cost effective. Many AFM locals have eliminated the Local and Federation initiation fees for musicians under 21 years of age, (Youth Membership classification) for individuals who are registered as a student in an accredited school, college, or university, (Student Membership classification) and when all non-AFM members of a self-contained band or musical unit (consisting of two or more members) make application together to join a Local.

Call, txt or email our Secretary for more information about how your local musicians’ union can help you today.

PERFORMANCE OPPORTUNITIES

There are several ensembles and music groups that perform seasonally or year-round, gigging around the state or working right within Oneonta on a regular basis. Paying gigs keep your passion for music alive. You shouldn’t feel obligated to give away your talent for free. Weddings, parties, churches, concerts, and travelling bands are all in search of capable musicians to achieve performance excellence. Even if you are new to music, playing and performing publicly will increase your confidence in playing, allowing you to get paid for the work you do.

Reach out to a member of an ensemble from our roster, especially who specialize in contracting or contact a member of executive board for more information on how to get involved and play more music in your area.

We can help you realize your full potential as a musician, give you advice about real expectations for service fees and prevailing wages among union and non-union performances, and look over any employment contracts you may be considering. The AFM stands up for the rights of musicians, who are sometimes taken advantage of by private businesses.

Don’t let your talent go to waste or your paycheck go into someone else’s pocket. Consider joining the Local 443 today, what little cost in membership is made back several-fold as the strength and support of the American Federation of Musicians provides a back-up when you need it most.

 

Local 443's CBAs

MEMBERS ONLY AREA

We have installed a MEMBERS ONLY AREA on our website (on the top right menu on the main home page) that includes approved Executive Board Meeting Agendas and Minutes, as well as monthly Treasurer’s Reports.

In order to gain access to this material, you must click on the MEMBERS AREA menu heading; you will then be prompted to register with your name and email (must be the email we have on file for you); the web admin must manually approve your registration (so, please be patient…if you do not receive confirmation within a week, please contact me at afmlocal443@gmail.com); once your request has been approved, you will receive an email confirmation which will allow you to set up a personal password and give you access to the site material (we will not be aware of your password or personal information).