Congratulations to all of the talented AFM Local 47 Los Angeles musicians, composers and music prep personnel who worked on this year’s Oscar-nominated projects! Continue reading
Congrats 2017 Oscar nominees!
Category Archives: Features
A Brief History of the Theatre Musicians Association
by Paul Castillo, President, TMA SoCal
The Theatre Musicians Association, commonly referred to as the TMA, is one of five Player Conferences in the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (the “AFM” or “Federation”). Continue reading
LA Jazz Society Celebrates Quincy Jones
AFM Local 47 Director Pam Gates, legendary Life Member Quincy Jones, and President John Acosta at the LA Jazz Society Jazz Tribute Awards Concert on Nov. 19, 2016. (All photos courtesy of LA Jazz Society)
Featured performers included Patti Austin, Emily Bear, the Clayton Brothers, Siedah Garrett, Justin Kauflin, Alfredo Rodriguez & more
This year’s Jazz Tribute Awards Concert presented by the Los Angeles Jazz Society was held Saturday, Nov. 19 at The Montalban Theatre in Hollywood honoring the one and only Quincy Jones with our 2016 Lifetime Achievement Award.
“Celebrating the World of Quincy Jones” saluted him for his many years of mentorship and support of young musicians, along with his multitude of musical achievements. The extensive performer list includesd Patti Austin, Emily Bear, Jeff and John Clayton, Darynn Dean, Siedah Garrett, Justin Kauflin, Alfredo Rodriguez, Hubert Laws, Rickey Minor, Greg Phillinganes, Katie Thiroux and the LA Jazz Society Big Band. Continue reading
Made in LA: 2017 GRAMMY nominees & winners
* Updated 2/13/2017 to include winners, marked in bold italics *
Congratulations to all nominees in the 59th annual GRAMMY® Awards!
The excerpted list below highlights recordings performed here in Los Angeles with members of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47, nabbing 49 noms (and 11 wins!). We salute not only the musicians directly nominated, but also the many recording and music prep musicians behind the scenes whose work shines through on these recordings! Continue reading
Oakwood Brass – Outreach Project
Founded in 2009, Oakwood Brass – Outreach Project seeks to revitalize brass chamber music through lively, engaging performances of intentionally curated repertoire to attract new listeners to classical instrumentation.
This year the group presented instrument introduction concerts at Cleveland, Jackson, Longfellow, and Washington elementary schools in Pasadena, and Royal Oaks Elementary in Duarte. These programs were partially funded by the Local 47 Trust, Tournament of Roses Foundation.
Students learning to breathe in and out with control for 4, 6, 8, and 10 counts.
Cabrillo Music Theatre presents ‘Evita’
Local 47 Live Business Rep Michael A. Ankney (second from left) visited the Cabrillo Music Theatre Orchestra musicians at a recent production of “Evita” at the Kavli.
Perhaps one of the most well known figures in Latin American political history, Evita Peron remains a revered figure in her homeland. The fascinating life of Argentina’s first lady takes center stage in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice musical, a production that’s almost as legendary as Peron herself. “Evita” took the Kavli stage for the first time in a run Oct. 14-23, 2016. Continue reading
Member spotlight: Phil Upchurch
AFM Local 47’s three titled officers were pleased to present Phil Upchurch with his Life Member pin following the meeting. His lifetime membership in the Los Angeles musicians union was recognized in a letter presented to him by U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein. From left: President John Acosta, Phil Upchurch, Secretary/Treasurer Gary Lasley, Vice President Rick Baptist.
A prolific guitarist whose distinctively funky, blues-steeped jazz style has graced well over a thousand recordings across the popular music spectrum, the legendary Phil Upchurch has also recorded 27 albums of his own leadership, as well as movie soundtracks.
‘Yo, Cip’ – Gene Cipriano documentary film
Yo Cip is a feature film dedicated to telling the story of one of the longest working session musician around today. This is a tale of an amazing yet unsung career in session music from Sinatra to the Academy Awards. Continue reading
ProMusicDB.org Gains Momentum with Enrollment of Founding Artist Members
Enrollment for ProMusicDB.org is off to a strong start, with numerous accomplished musicians, songwriters, singers and producers signing on as Founding Artist Members. As the first artist-controlled authority of music credits, ProMusicDB.org enables artists to take control of their credits, identity, metadata and digital legacy.
“We are thrilled at receiving such an enthusiastic response to the launch of our organization’s digital platform and are honored to include some highly respected music industry professionals as our Founding Artist Members,” says Christy Crowl, Founder and CEO of ProMusicDB.org. “Our Founding Artist Members have already done the hard work—creating the art. Now they can protect and preserve their works by their own means and control, and their metadata can be stored centrally and repurposed across industry platforms as they so desire.” Continue reading
Organizing: Building Power for Musicians in Los Angeles
Musicians from throughout the United States and Canada gather in solidarity at the 35th AFM Convention in Boston, 1930. (Photo: courtesy International Musician/AFM archives)
by Jefferson Kemper
Organizing has always been the foundation of the AFM. The strength of this union is predicated on our ability to get working musicians to agree on core principles and to advocate together for our common benefit. Since the late 1800s when the AFM was created and when musicians around the country founded their own local chapters, it’s been the ability to organize that has provided the leverage to demand fair compensation for the value of musicians’ work. Continue reading