Category Archives: Features

Rochester Music Hall of Fame Announces AFM 47 Members as 2019 Inductees

The Rochester Music Hall of Fame announced the 2019 inductees for this year’s ceremony, and among them are two Life Members of the American Federation of Musicians Local 47.

Beach Boys founding member, guitarist and vocalist Al Jardine, and 11-time Emmy Award-winning composer and producer Jack Allocco, will be along those inducted into the Rochester Music Hall of Fame at the 8th annual induction ceremony on April 28. Continue reading

Happy International Women’s Day!

Today is International Women’s Day, and we salute all of the strong and talented women in music whose artistry moves, encourages, and inspires. 

Many influential women in the music industry paved the path for future generations of female empowerment, and the cycle keeps on going as more female voices stand out from all genres.

To all of our incredible AFM Local 47 empowered union musicians: We honor and celebrate you, today and every day.

#AFM47 member spotlight: Linda Ronstadt

Legendary musician, actress, and advocate Linda Ronstadt is one of the most accomplished Latina artists of her generation. A Life Member of AFM Local 47, her remarkable and unparalleled music career spans folk and folk rock, to country and country rock, to pop rock and hard rock, to Gilbert and Sullivan and Puccini, to American songbook standards, to Mexican ranchera, to Afro-Cuban, to jazz.  Continue reading

Guest Column: My Personal Experience at the Celebration for John Williams

John Williams (left) and Gustavo Dudamel (right) shared the stage during an intimate concert series at Disney Hall in January 2019. [photos by Linda A. Rapka/AFM Local 47]

by Bill Peterson, AFM Local 47 Life Member & President Emeritus

I read the glowing review by Mark Swed of the first night of the Celebration of John Williams in the Times last month, and was moved to have a personal kind of celebration; of knowing John Williams, from our time in Tucson in the 775th Air Force band, through my time as Union VP and President, when I presented both John Williams and Steven Spielberg a commemorative plaque on behalf of Musicians Local 47 at a scoring session of 105 players. The plaques were inscribed with our Local 47 musicians’ thanks for consistently scoring their films here in Hollywood, and thereby using our musicians in the resulting scoring processes. Mr. Spielberg told me at that time that he was genuinely touched by this recognition. Continue reading