A Local 47 Member Profile

Sheila Cecilia Escovedo, known as Sheila E., rose to prominence in the 1980s with her single, “The Glamorous Life,” and  her work with Prince. Often referred to as the “Queen of Percussion,” Sheila E. is regarded as one of the greatest percussionists of our time, playing a variety of styles from funk to Latin pop to jazz.

New AFM Local 47 member Samson Trinh is a music copyist, composer, and orchestrator based in Los Angeles, specializing in music for film, television, recordings, and live performance. Film and TV music credits include The Disinvited, Audience Award winner for Best Feature at Dances With Films (Los Angeles), as well as the holiday films A Date by Christmas Eve and A Christmas Arrangement, which continue to air internationally on major networks and streaming platforms.

Samson shared his thoughts on becoming a Local 47 member.

Hi, I’m Xochitl Rodriguez, your friendly neighborhood Business Rep.!  I cover and help enforce the AFM’s Theatrical Motion Picture and Television Film Agreements for Local 47.  Part of my job includes ensuring that your wage checks get to you on time.  And while I do have control over the wage checks that get mailed to us at the Local once we receive them and we do our absolute best to ensure these go right back in the mail to you as quickly as possible, there is a lot I don’t have control over.  This includes the timing of when we receive those checks and whether they’ve come to us late. 

In 1894, Labor Day became a federal holiday after the historic and violent Pullman Strike. Since then, millions of Americans every year use that day to remember the hard-fought union wins that workers enjoy today, such as overtime, pension, safety on the job, and more.

On August 4^th, 2026, at 12:14PM the music paused for just a moment as Terry William Trotter graduated to the big band in the sky.

It is with profound sadness we announce the passing of Terry William Trotter, an extraordinary pianist, composer, arranger, educator, and beloved family man, who passed away peacefully at the age of 85.

The Taskforce for Employment of Musicians Promotional Organization (TEMPO) was founded in 1961 to give musicians a broader, more extensive voice on political issues that had both positive and negative impacts on the working lives of professional musicians.Over the years, this Political Action Committee (PAC) has used its financial resources to help the AFM support the elections of legislators at federal and state levels, thereby keeping many of our greatest music champions in Congress and adding more.