The 103^rd AFM Convention was held in Ottawa, Canada in June, and your representative Delegates who attended were myself, Secretary/Treasurer Gail Kruvand along with Local 47 Executive Board Officers Meredith Snow and Allison Allport. Vice President Acosta attended as an AFM International Executive Officer.

No musician should ever have to choose between pursuing their art and protecting their health. Yet rising healthcare costs, coupled with the reduction of Affordable Care Act subsidies, are creating unprecedented sticker shock for working Californians. Too many musicians are finding themselves forced to drop their health coverage simply because they can no longer afford it.

The AFM Convention provided an excellent opportunity for making new friends and strengthening relationships with various locals throughout the United States and Canada. Although the Local 47 delegation was seated with the Western Region group, our specific committee roles enabled us to share ideas and experience with colleagues from across the entire AFM.

AFM Local 47 delegate Meredith Snow and RMA delegate Diana Wade provide their reports below on the AFM International’s 103rd Convention.

Musicians shares their memories of Bill Peterson.

Russ Wapensky

“Bill Peterson enjoyed life. And life enjoyed having him around for 94 years. Whether it was as a musician, writer, union president, scuba diver, or occasional movie actor, he mastered those skills with enthusiasm and excellence.

Musicians share their memories of Local 47’s Harold Wheeler.

Jennifer Hall

“Harold was truly a wonderful musician and band leader for Dancing with the Stars from 2006-2014. What I loved most about Harold was that he was still ‘one of the guys in the band’ and always had amazing stories about his experiences in music and life. Harold was kind and generous and I feel very blessed and grateful to have been playing baritone saxophone in the band all of those years under his stellar musicianship and guidance. Rest in peace, dear Harold.”

AFM Local 47 Member Spotlight

AFM Local 47 member Tatiana Tate is an acclaimed trumpeter, composer, and bandleader based in Los Angeles. She is known for blending jazz tradition with modern soul, funk and R&B. Tatiana has performed for audiences worldwide, sharing the stage with legends like Stevie Wonder and Macklemore, and captivating millions in NPR’s Tiny Desk series. She has appeared in ESPN’s Super Bowl commercials and is the founder of the Melanin Horns, an acclaimed brass collective. She will be releasing her first project this year entitled “Betty Hubbard,” a jazz take on west coast G Funk. Imagine Snoop Dogg meets Miles Davis.  

Tatiana talked with Local 47 about her journey as a trumpeter in Los Angeles.

Every three years the American Federation of Musicians convenes to hold elections of officers, enact legislation and create policy for our entire union. This June 19th the 103rd AFM Convention will meet in Ottawa, Canada. I will be leading our Local 47 delegation, along with Secretary/Treasurer and Delegate Gail Kruvand, Delegates Meredith Snow and Allison Allport, and, serving as an International Executive Board Officer, Vice President John Acosta. Diana Wade will be participating as a Delegate from the Recording Musicians Association, alongside the delegates from all of the AFM Player Conferences.

One thing musicians around Los Angeles really need to hear more about is health care in our union. As a guitar player and having worked in the trenches myself, I can say straight up — what Local 47 offers is pretty rare in this business. In most freelance music situations, health care feels almost impossible unless you’re in a major orchestra or working full-time, which is a rarity these days. But here at Local 47, musicians can become eligible for insurance with roughly $700 in contributions. That’s actually attainable for real working players — whether you’re teaching music, gigging in clubs, working as a side musician, playing church gigs, doing studio sessions, or performing with one of the many community orchestras in our jurisdiction.

Timothy Snyder, author of “On Tyranny, Twenty Lessons From the Twentieth Century” wrote about defending our political order from the threats of authoritarianism, which is on the rise not only in the United States but across the globe. 

Protecting our democratic freedoms and institutions requires active participation. We cannot rely on others to vote and engage with the issues that challenge our future. Here in Los Angeles we saw firsthand how our elected officials, union members and social justice organizations stood up in the face of ICE raids which have been a part of our lives for a year this month. We’re all suffering from fatigue from the daily news cycle and overnight rants from the White House but please don’t let complacency rule.