Category Archives: All News

Much-Needed Legislation That Can Make a Difference for Our Industry

This month’s guest column comes from Lara Wickes, President of the Recording Musicians Association Los Angeles.

Greetings friends and colleagues, I’m honored to get a chance to write my first column for the Overture and share some of the recent goings-on in the Recording Musicians Association. In our continuous task of representing the specific needs of recording musicians both to the AFM and the larger entertainment community, board members Sidney Hopson, David Horne and myself, along with local president Marc Sazer attended a very informative hearing at Burbank City Hall last Friday (March 20) hosted by Senator Adam Schiff, in which he spoke about a bill he has been drafting over the past year that will, if enacted, put into place federal tax incentives for film and TV production in the United States. A bill that is, in the opinion of every speaker at the hearing, highly necessary and long overdue. Especially with the impending merger of Warner Brothers and Paramount poised to wreak even more havoc on the livelihoods of entertainment workers.

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AFM Members Perform at the 2026 Academy Awards Ceremony

The 98th Academy Awards ceremony, hosted by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, was held on March 15th at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood, with the music performed and prepared by AFM members listed below. Their work brings the Academy Awards to life with great music!

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AFM Local 47 Hosts Health Care Panel for Members

Last month, Local 47 held the first in a series of planned informational panels for members. This exciting initiative was created to offer transparency and helpful information to our union’s members.

The inaugural panel focused on the Entertainment Industry Flex Plan (“Flex Plan”) and helped with any confusion that members might have with it when it comes to the Local 47 Health and Welfare Fund (“Local 47 Plan”). The panelists were Local 47 Vice President John Acosta who is a trustee of the Local 47 Health and Welfare Fund, Pete Anthony who is a trustee of the Flex Plan, and Sean Dugan who is the Fund Manager for the Flex Plan. Local 47 President Marc Sazer served as moderator.

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Jules Greenberg – A Remembrance

Jules Greenberg was born in Philadelphia in 1929 to Mort Greenberg and Rose Bolen. He loved big band music so much that he studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and became a professional musician, starting as a drummer and winding up a versatile percussionist.

He joined the American Federation of Musicians in April of 1955 and went on to work on Broadway for years, playing shows like An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May, West Side Story, 1776, and many others.

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Music Performance Trust Fund Scholarships

The Music Performance Trust Fund is excited to once again provide the Music Family Scholarships and the Music’s Future Scholarships.

Music Family Scholarships of $1,000 will be awarded to 75 individual recipients. This category is open to the members in good standing of the American Federation of Musicians (AFM) and their children who will attend a college or trade school in the fall of 2026, pursuing any field of study.

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AFM 47 Endorses Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles

The American Federation of Musicians Local 47 is proud to announce it has endorsed Karen Bass for Mayor of Los Angeles.

In its endorsement, AFM 47 cited Bass’ consistent support for labor and working families, and particularly her support for Los Angeles musicians in the arts and entertainment industries. They also praised her strong pro-labor record that earned her the endorsement of the 800,000 members of the LA County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO. In addition, they pointed to her years of leadership on behalf of entertainment industry workers, pointing to her strong support for workers in Hollywood through film/TV tax credits, and the American Music Fairness Act.

“Karen Bass has been a champion of issues of direct concern to musicians, whether we perform on film and TV scores, make music played on AM/FM radio, or play in live music venues,” noted AFM 47 President Marc Sazer. “I’m proud that our American Federation of Musicians Local 47 has stepped up to endorse her to lead Los Angeles into the 2028 Olympics and beyond!”

Moving Forward Together

Got a question, a thought, need some information, want to be heard? We are committed to bringing Local 47 to you, opening doors, sharing and listening. Our regular Ask Me Anything series, Friday mornings at 11 a.m. is one way in which we are trying to invent space for you. We have also launched what we hope will be a monthly series of informational panels, beginning with our Health Care Panel on March 16th, featuring our Vice President and Local 47 Health and Welfare Fund Trustee John Acosta, Flex Plan Trustee Pete Anthony, and Flex Plan Administrator Sean Dugan. We are already planning a presentation by the Film Musicians Secondary Markets Fund in April. And shortly we will be rolling out a survey of all Local 47 members to ask what topics or presentations you would like to see.

We are currently interviewing candidates for Local 47 Director of Organizing and are happy to report that we have already interviewed several candidates who we would be thrilled to bring on board. The challenges that we face with our building in Burbank, the opportunities for organizing musicians and employment, and the needs we have for legislative and public policy support in Sacramento are all endeavors that can only move forward with a skilled, experienced organizing leader. Stay tuned!

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Marching into New Horizons: Your Union Spaces, Your Future

This March, as the season of renewal blooms, so do new opportunities at Local 47. March is nationally recognized as Music in Our Schools Month, a time when we celebrate the transformative power of music education and recommit ourselves to nurturing the next generation of artists. In that spirit, we are opening a new chapter for our rehearsal rooms and recording studio. These are not simply rooms with four walls and a piano in the corner. They are your creative headquarters, your laboratory, and your launchpad.

Our rehearsal facilities are available not only for ensemble run-throughs, but for private teaching, tutoring sessions, sectional rehearsals, audition prep, and master classes. If you’ve been teaching out of your living room or renting inconsistent outside spaces, consider bringing that work home to your union. These rooms are professional, accessible, and designed to serve working musicians. They are ideal for soloists, duos, trios, quartets, and small ensembles looking for a reliable and union-supported environment to grow their craft.

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Strength in Numbers

Good News!

Public support for labor unions is on the rise across all generations, according to voter surveys conducted by the Center for American Progress. This good news comes as union membership in the U.S. reached a 16-year high in 2025.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reports that the number of workers covered under union contracts increased to approximately 16.5 million in 2025, up from 16 million in 2024. This marks the highest level of unionized workers since 2009.

This growing trend occurred even amidst federal attacks on public sector workers. It demonstrates a growing recognition among workers of the power of collective bargaining and the essential need for fair wages, benefits, working conditions and protections that a union provides. We should both celebrate and capitalize on this momentum.

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Legendary Percussionist Bobbye Hall Speaks Out

AFM Local 47 Member Spotlight

Legendary percussionist and lifetime AFM Local 47 member Bobbye Hall has recorded a variety of rock, soul, blues, jazz, and pop music and has made the Billboard Top 10 many times. She has appeared on magazine covers of DownBeat, Tom Tom, and International Musician, solidifying her reputation as a “liner-note legend.”

Hall’s exposure to music began very early as a child in Detroit. “My grandfather played what was called ‘bones,’ which is now known as spoons, but they were wooden,” Hall said.” And I still carry them in my percussion kit. My mother would sing around the house. She had a beautiful voice.”

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