Category Archives: All News

SLRA Negotiations Report

Local 47, RMA, and AFM Rank-and-File Representative to the Sound Recording Labor Agreement (SLRA) Negotiations, Caleb Vaughn, has provided the following update.

“As musicians working under this labor agreement, we must prioritize modernized payment and record-keeping systems that ensure accuracy, transparency, and timely compensation.  

We also need meaningful educational resources that equip musicians and producers to better understand the sound recording business and its evolving landscape. Clear contractual language must prohibit the unethical use of artificial intelligence and safeguard human artistry.  

Finally, our work should translate into reasonable, accessible, and truly usable healthcare contributions that support the long-term wellbeing of the musicians who power this industry.” 

Why We Organize

The following column is by Allen Fogle, President of the Recording Musicians Association.

I came up as a recording musician in an industry powered by our labor and creativity. Like many of you, I learned early that talent and professionalism are only part of what sustains a career.

What ultimately makes the difference is working under fair, enforceable standards, and being part of a union strong enough to advance them.

That understanding led me to rank-and-file activism, union leadership, and it now brings me to my new role as International President of the Recording Musicians Association.

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An Important Update About the Local 47 Jazz Festival

This April, Local 47 will not be holding a jazz festival at our offices in Burbank. This decision was not taken lightly, and we know this series has become important to our membership. Local 47 is committed to bringing back an MPTF-sponsored Jazz Festival; our goals are to remodel the application process to ensure fairness across our membership, to expand attendance to larger swaths of the community, and to continue upholding the highest level of musicianship.  

But, an important reminder: these funds are still available to you through the Music Performance Trust Fund, every month of every year. At any time, Local 47 members can apply for the MPTF to cover a percentage of the musician wages – up to 100%! – for your live, free and public concerts. For more information, please contact diane.lauerman@afm47.org.  

Scam Alert! 

Please be on alert for a current scam targeting AFM Local 47 members 

involving fraudulent voiceover job offers. 

Be cautious of any emails claiming to have obtained your information from the Local 47 Directory. These messages typically include a job offer and may even specify a payment amount. 

If you have any questions, please contact us at 323-462-2161. 

Remember, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it likely is. 

Life Member Richard Feves Remembered

Life member Richard Feves, bassist, pianist, accordionist, composer, and arranger, died Sunday, November 23, 2025, in Santa Monica, California. He was 76 years old. 

Richard had a long career as a double bassist in Los Angeles, logging well over 1,000 recording sessions for motion pictures, television, and records. In addition to his recording work, he performed live with artists ranging from Leopold Stokowski to Jerry Garcia. 

Richard began his musical journey on piano and accordion at age five, but it was an invitation from his cousin, Julie Feves (bassoon AFM Local 47), to attend the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Michigan, that led him to take up the double bass. After Interlochen, Richard secured a position with the Portland Symphony Orchestra (now the Oregon Symphony) while finishing high school. After graduating high school, he moved to New York City to attend The Juilliard School, where he studied double bass with Stuart Sankey. 

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Congratulations 2026 GRAMMY Nominees!

Congratulations to everyone whose work can be heard on the 68th Annual GRAMMY-nominated tracks and albums, recorded under AFM union contracts filed with Local 47! Listen to our #AFM47 Grammys 2026 YouTube Playlist while browsing the list below.

AFM 47 Grammys 2026 Playlist AFM 2026 Grammy Nominees

 Friday, Feb. 6, 11 am

RSVP

Zoom link will be sent before the session.

MLK Jr.’s Legacy Lives On at Annual Parade and Festival 

On a picture-perfect day, AFM Local 47 leaders joined thousands of Angelenos on Jan. 19 for the annual MLK Jr. Kingdom Day Parade as they marched down MLK Blvd. in downtown Los Angeles. The LA County Federation of Labor, which represents 800,000 union members in the region, including AFM 47, was one of the official sponsors of the parade, along with Bakewell Media, the LA Sentinel, SoCalGas, Blue Shield of CA, and the Brotherhood Crusade. The parade featured marching bands, dancers and more than 150 colorful floats designed for the event to celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. The parade traveled from MLK Jr. Blvd to Leimert Park, where the MLK Freedom Festival continued into the afternoon.

Thank you to all who participated.  

The Rhythms That Shaped a City: Black Musicians and Los Angeles’ Cultural Legacy 

When we trace the soundtrack of Los Angeles, we find it inseparable from the genius of Black musicians who transformed not just a city, but American culture itself. From the jazz clubs of Central Avenue to the birth of West Coast hip-hop, Black artists have been the architects of sounds that defined generations. 

In the 1920s through 1940s, Central Avenue became the “Harlem of the West”— a thriving corridor where legends like Charles Mingus, Dexter Gordon, and Art Pepper honed their craft. The Dunbar Hotel hosted Duke Ellington and Billie Holiday, while the Club Alabam and Last Word Café pulsed with bebop and swing until dawn. Despite facing Jim Crow-era segregation that barred Black musicians from performing in many white establishments, Central Avenue flourished as a space where artistic innovation knew no boundaries. Here, musicians experimented freely, creating the West Coast jazz sound that would influence music worldwide. 

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Teamwork Makes New Leadership Work 

Our new team has gotten off to a flying start. Vice President Acosta and Secretary/Treasurer Kruvand and I have been meeting, talking, working together and working things out. We are really fortunate to have John in the building, bringing his skill, knowledge and experience, and he and I are working closely together on our new roles.  

We are making change, in sync and as a team, even when that change is hard. This month, we made the very difficult decision to externalize some of our in-house services, laying off two employees. In each case, our moves were driven by cost savings, reducing the cost to our members by over half.  These actions were painful, but fiscally necessary. 

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