Category Archives: All News

Final Note: Joel B. Lish

Life Member. Viola/Conductor
3/11/1935 – 3/5/2024

Violist Joel Lish graduated from Verdugo Hills High School when he was just 16. He enrolled in the Los Angeles Conservatory of Music and then later enlisted in the United States Air Force. During his last two years in the Air Force Joel was stationed in Okinawa. At the request of some of the local musicians he started a small group of string players and taught himself to conduct. Many years later Joel was quite surprised to learn that after he left Okinawa in 1957 this group continued and eventually evolved into the Okinawa Symphony, and that Joel is considered the founder of that orchestra! Continue reading

September 2024 Overture Online: We Are Labor

Inside This Issue:

  • COVER STORY: We Are Labor: Exploring Music’s Pivotal Role in the Labor Movement
  • Hollywood Union Labor Day Parade: Monday, September 2
  • Member Spotlight: Sheryl Crow
  • Next Local 47 Member Mingle: Friday, September 20
  • Joy Music House Score Production Workshop Celebrates Second Year
  • ‘Star Wars’ Meets NASA: Hollywood Studio Symphony ‘Across the Stars’
  • Entertainment Unions Featured at Burbank Media Industry Job Fair
  • Entertainment Unions Support Striking SAG-AFTRA Video Game Workers
  • Labor Stands With Animation During Contract Negotiations
  • Audition Notice: New West Symphony
 
and more!
 

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AFM Local 47 & Musicians’ Club 2023 Audit Report Now Available

The 2023 annual audit report for AFM Local 47 and the Musicians’ Club of Los Angeles is now available. Members may view this document by logging in to the members-only “Documents” section at ensemble.afm47.org and navigating to: Members-Only Documents > Audit Reports

 (If you have not yet logged in to our new E2 system, please review the sign-in instructions here.)

Entertainment Unions Featured at Inaugural Burbank Media Industry Expo & Job Fair

On August 1, 2024, the City of Burbank proudly presented the first Media Industry Expo & Job Fair, a groundbreaking event designed to give students the knowledge and tools needed for a career in the media industry.

Hosted by Woodbury University and Burbank Public Library, the event featured area organizations and businesses involved in the entertainment industry. Continue reading

Parlaying Organizing Efforts: 2024 CA Labor Fed Convention

Musicians United, 2024 CA Labor Fed Convention style: AFM Local 47 Organizer Rahul Neuman, Local 47 member Sidney Hopson, California Labor Federation President Lorena Gonzales, AFM Local 7 (Orange County) President Edmund Velasco, and AFM Local 6 (San Francisco) Executive Board member John Fisher.

by Rahul Neuman, AFM Local 47 Organizer

I was fortunate to be able to represent AFM Local 47 at this year’s California Labor Federation Convention in San Diego, July 15-17, along with my colleague, Sidney Hopson. This was the largest CA Fed convention yet, with 700 delegates in attendance. It was inspiring to hear so many union activists speak on a diverse set of issues, and quite a learning experience. While there were the typical pro forma aspects (e.g., Call to Order, Nomination of Officers), the other messages centered around organizing for the 2024 General Elections and expanding unions. Continue reading

Musicians Support SAG-AFTRA Video Game Workers on Strike

On August 1, AFM Local 47 musicians got on the line alongside our SAG-AFTRA colleagues as they go up against the Video Game industry, fighting for A.I. protections to ALL video game performers.

Two days prior, the American Federation of Musicians (AFM), Directors Guild of America (DGA), International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 40 (IBEW), International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 399 (IBT), Laborers International Union of North America Local 724 (LiUNA!), Operating Plasterers & Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA) Local 755, United Association Plumbers Local 78 (UA), Writers Guild of America East (WGAE), and Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) issued the following joint statement of solidarity with striking members of the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) who work on video games:

“For more than 18 months, the SAG-AFTRA Interactive Media Agreement Negotiating Committee has worked in good faith to reach a deal on a new contract with 10 video game producing companies. Despite the committee’s efforts, these employers – who generate billions of dollars in annual profit from 3.2 billion active gamers worldwide – failed to recognize the rights of workers to be protected against the unconstrained rise of artificial intelligence. These workers have made the difficult choice to strike as they fight for basic AI protections, and we stand with them in solidarity. Our unions understand the need to fight back against the threat of AI. We call on these video game companies to acknowledge the contributions of these performers, and to work toward a future where their work is valued, and their labor cannot be replaced by technology.”

August 2024 Overture Online: All Things Percussion

Inside This Issue:

  • COVER STORY: All Things Percussion
  • Announcing Our New Percussion Rehearsal Room
  • Member Spotlight: Alex Acuña
  • E2 is Here! Log In to Your New Online User Account
  • Parlaying Organizing Efforts: 2024 CA Labor Fed Convention
  • AFM Endorses Kamala Harris for U.S. President
  • #WhyUnion? Howie Rich Shares His Answer (and you can, too!)
  • Audition Notice: New West Symphony
and more!
 

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No smart device? No problem! View our pdf archive here. Continue reading