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Category Archives: February 2026
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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Black History Month, Our Legacy, and the Work Ahead
As we observe Black History Month, it’s important to reflect not only on national history, but on the history of our own union. Many people are unaware that musicians’ unions in the United States were once segregated by race, with separate locals operating side by side under unequal conditions. This was not incidental, it was structural and deeply unjust.
What makes AFM Local 47 stand out is that we were a pioneer in dismantling that system. In the late 1940s and 1950s, well before segregation was made illegal, our local played a leading role in unifying musicians of all races into a single local. This required courage and conviction at a time when doing the right thing came with real resistance. That decision reshaped the labor landscape for musicians in Los Angeles and set a powerful precedent for what solidarity should look like in practice, not just in principle.
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A New Beginning for Inclusion, Transparency
Congratulations to those of you who participated in the Inaugural Meeting last month.
In addition to witnessing the swearing in of the officers of the incoming administration by AFM President Gagaliardi, you honored outgoing President O’Keefe by naming her as President Emeritus. You received an upbeat financial report for the Local as work continues to come back in the recording sector. However, the Musicians’ Club report wasn’t so rosy with another large deficit for 2025. We are committed to a process that includes every one of you and urge you to participate in General Membership meetings to be a part of the discussion as we grapple with the finances of our building.
President Sazer, Vice President Acosta, and I have already begun working as a team and will share some of the duties traditionally handled by the President.
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Hollywood Arts Collective Housing – Waitlist Open!
The waitlist at The Hollywood Arts Collective is now open and accepting applications! To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, click here.
The Hollywood Arts Collective is a 152-unit, income and rent restricted affordable housing property for the arts and entertainment community. The building has three resident gardens and courtyards with a BBQ, resident terraces, laundry facilities, fitness room, community room with full kitchen and pool table, and other tenant amenities.
LA Ballet Signs New Contract with AFM 47
The Los Angeles Ballet, which closed a successful run of “The Nutcracker” at the Dolby Theatre, recently ratified their new successor collective bargaining agreement with AFM 47 on December 27, 2025.
“The Los Angeles Ballet Orchestra Committee is thrilled to have ratified this CBA in collaboration with LA Ballet management and is excited to be a part of this innovative ballet company,” Marcia Dickstein, harpist and orchestra committee chair.
“I am very pleased to have completed this negotiation,” said previous AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe, who just stepped down in January 2026. “This new agreement clearly highlights LA Ballet’s commitment to the magic combination of live music and dance.”
Attention All String Players
The League of American Orchestras is hosting a webinar regarding new rules under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora , aka CITES. Know if your bow is in compliance before you travel.
The panel of speakers includes AFM Director of Symphonic Services Division Rochelle Skolnick .
You may use this link to register for this free webinar scheduled for February 10th.