Many musicians standing together are more powerful than any one musician standing alone.
The American Federation of Musicians (AFM) represents more than 70,000 professional musicians across the United States and Canada. We work collectively to promote fairness, improve working conditions, and ensure that musicians are paid justly for their work.
Membership also includes access to benefits such as insurance programs and discounts through Union Plus.
Why Join United Musicians / AFM Local 380-443?
Music is a profession—and professionals are stronger together. As part of the American Federation of Musicians, Local 380-443 advocates for fair pay, safe working conditions, and respect for musicians across the Twin Tiers and Central New York. Membership connects you to a union community that understands the realities of working musicians and stands with you in your career.
🎵 AFM Local 380-443: A Unique and United Community
Local 380-443 serves more than 350 musicians across a diverse and geographically vast region of upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania.
Our jurisdiction encompasses rural towns, small cities, college campuses, and isolated hamlets – each with its own musical traditions, economic realities, and creative needs and opportunities. Our members include classical, jazz, rock, and folk musicians; composers; dancers; chamber and symphonic musicians; church musicians; music educators; freelance performers; and support professionals such as audio/video engineers, photographers, music preparation specialists, copyists, and librarians. These individuals contribute and develop their talents in concert halls, theaters, restaurants, places of worship, and community venues throughout the region.
Working in this region comes with distinct logistical challenges – limited public transportation, unreliable cell service, patchy internet access, and harsh seasonal weather can all complicate travel, communication, and coordination for musicians. Yet despite these obstacles, the creative spirit here is strong. Our members build careers and community in places where music can make a powerful and personal impact.
🛠 Protecting Musicians’ Work and Wages
The objective of Local 380-443 is to unite the musical profession, elevate and improve its conditions, and protect its integrity through collective bargaining, enforcement of good faith and fair dealing, and the establishment of fair minimum standards for wages and professional procedures. We are guided by core union principles and a commitment to equity and solidarity.
🎶 Expanding Opportunity Through Concerted Works
Through our 501(c)(3) affiliate, Concerted Works, Inc., we bring live, professional music to underserved communities across our region. This partnership allows us to create vibrant, public-facing musical experiences while ensuring musicians are compensated fairly and treated with respect.
🎓 Education, Outreach, and Support for Emerging Musicians
Local 380-443 and Concerted Works are also deeply committed to education and outreach. We support youth and students pursuing musical study through workshops, school partnerships, and scholarship programs. Central to this mission is the Charles W. England Memorial Fund, which provides scholarships and helps fund initiatives that inspire the next generation of musicians and expand access to musical opportunity across our region.
Learn about Outreach and Scholarships →
🤝 A Community That Understands Musicians’ Lives
Being a freelance or part-time musician can be isolating. Local 380-443 offers more than just protections—it offers community, advocacy, and connection with people who understand your work and support your journey.
👥 Membership Is Open To
All instrumentalists, vocalists, dancers, composers, support crew, and any individuals who render musical services for pay—including students and youth—are eligible for membership, subject to the Bylaws of this Local and those of the AFM. Whether you perform full-time or part-time, membership is designed to support working musicians at every stage of their career.
🧭 Explore Membership Options
We offer various membership categories, including options for students, new members, and returning members.
Whether you’re just starting out or have years of experience, there’s strength in standing together. Join us—and help shape a better future for all musicians in our region.