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.

And the studio? It’s not just for major projects. It’s for you. Record your next single. Cut demos. Produce your audiobook. Launch your podcast. Capture a live chamber session. To make it even more accessible, we are offering a special members’ package: a four-hour recording block for just $200, available to Local 47 and all AFM members. This is an opportunity to create high-quality content at a fraction of commercial studio rates, right here in your own house.

Because the truth is simple: the union is not the building. The union is you.

Which brings us to the second half of this conversation…. your future.

Talent alone does not guarantee security. A long and vibrant career in music must be built intentionally. That means organizing your work under union contracts whenever possible. When you do, you’re not just getting scale wages and protections…. you’re funding your pension and contributing to your health coverage. You’re building something sustainable.

We currently offer two health plan options: the Local 47 Health Plan and the Flex Plan. Together, they provide a remarkable range of benefits, what can only be described as an embarrassment of riches. And yet, too many musicians leave work uncovered. Too many gigs go unorganized. Too many artists reach 70, 75, even 80 years old without a pension to rely on.

That doesn’t have to be the story.

The union is not the staff behind the desks. It is not the furniture or the computers. It is the collective strength of working musicians who choose to stand together. Every organized job strengthens our bargaining power. Every covered session contributes to your retirement. Every union contract builds stability for the next generation.

Our new administration is committed to making sure no job goes uncovered. We are here to bend over backwards to help you organize your work, protect your income, and invest in your long-term security. This March, think renewal. Use the rooms. Book the studio. Teach. Record. Create. But also organize. Contribute. Build.

Your union spaces. Your union future. Your union.