by Ken Shirk, AFM International Secretary-Treasurer Generative artificial intelligence (AI), a sinister triad of words, has captured the interest of policymakers everywhere this season. In the US, the world of copyright law has determined that machine-generative AI product cannot be copyrighted. The US Copyright Office is now busily hoovering up comments from interest groups about […]
From the October 2023 International Musician magazine. by Ken Shirk – AFM International Secretary-Treasurer The modern human is a strange species—particularly, the variety of the species that is intent on amassing wealth and goods far beyond what could possibly ever be needed for a comfortable existence. Our economic system has conditioned us to embrace […]
The American Federation of Musicians of the US and Canada grieves over the terrorism and violence that has shaken the Middle East and joins the world in mourning the loss of all innocent lives. As music community representatives, we are especially saddened by and appalled at the murder of over 250 attendees who had gathered […]
The AFM is extremely disappointed that the studios have walked away from negotiations with SAG-AFTRA. We feel the pain the AMPTP has caused for the members of SAG-AFTRA. Our members who make music for film, television, commercials, and sound recordings have also been largely excluded from the residuals from streaming projects that have been central to the demands […]
Labor Day is an occasion to honor and appreciate the tireless efforts and commitment of all laborers, including musicians. Although many of us think of the holiday as the unofficial end of summer, we should not forget its true significance—for generations, union members have been fighting to improve the lives of working people. This year, […]
In This Together — Sidney Hopson Advocates for More Equitable Music Spaces By Cherie Yurco, IM staff writer Talking to Sidney Hopson of Local 47 (Los Angeles, CA) on a Sunday afternoon, he’s slightly groggy and recovering from a marathon gig in Orange County playing Danny’s Elfman’s show “From Boingo to Batman to Big […]
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada fully supports SAG-AFTRA in its ongoing negotiations with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP). The AFM represents the musicians that create the scores for motion picture and theatrical television as well as all aspects of live and recorded music. The two […]
The 102nd Convention of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada was held June 26 through June 29, 2023, at the Westgate Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The theme “In Unity, There Is Strength” was reflected in the various discourse among the delegates and echoed by many guest speakers. International […]
The American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada has joined SAG-AFTRA, DGA, and IATSE in support of the Writers Guild of America and its ongoing negotiations for a new film and TV contract. “We support the writers represented by the Writers Guild of America West and the Writers Guild of America East in their […]
The AFM strongly opposes increasing O & P Visa fees as proposed by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The USCIS is very short-sighted in its proposal, as imposing such increases will vastly limit international touring and arts collaborations. In a letter sent February 8, 2023 to Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS), Ranking Member […]