Bruce Ridge, member of the American Federation of Musicians and Chairman of ICSOM, To Testify Before the House Committee on Education and Labor
March 25, 2009
Washington, DC – On Thursday, March 26, Bruce Ridge, a member of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) and chairman of the AFM’s International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), will testify before the House Committee on Education and Labor’s hearing on The Economic and Employment Impact of the Arts and Music Industry. This hearing is designed to highlight the importance of the arts and the music industry to the American economy and to show how musicians are affected by the economic downturn.
“I asked Chairman Ridge to testify before the Committee because of his intimate knowledge of the contribution that America’s musicians, symphonies and orchestras have on the economy and how working musicians are faring during these troubled times,” said AFM International President Thomas F. Lee.
In these troubling economic times musicians are having a harder time patching together income streams – from live performances, royalties, recording sessions, etc. – to earn a living. Most musicians are not famous, they are just hardworking Americans trying to make a living entertaining the public.
“The AFM is pleased that the Congress is looking at the plight of musicians and the arts as it focuses on predicaments affecting working people everywhere,” said Lee.
“The entertainment industry and the products it produces – music, films, television shows and literature – is America’s second largest export,” continued Lee. “A strong entertainment and arts sector is vital for a healthy U.S. economy. In order for the entertainment and arts sector to remain strong, we must ensure those creators of music and art are able to make a living doing so.”
ABOUT THE AFM
Founded in 1896, the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM), AFL-CIO, is the largest organization in the world dedicated to representing the interests of professional musicians.
With more than 90,000 members, the AFM represents all types of professional musicians, including those who record music for sound recordings, film scores, videogames, radio, television and commercial announcements, as well as perform music of every genre in every sort of venue from small jazz clubs to symphony orchestra halls to major stadiums. Whether negotiating fair agreements, protecting ownership of recorded music, securing benefits such as health care and pension, or lobbying legislators, the AFM is committed to raising industry standards and placing the professional musician in the foreground of the cultural landscape. www.afm.org
