AFM Local 427-721 Florida Gulf Coast Musicians

04/17/2026

The International Executive Board of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada (AFM) has recognized the Freelance Musicians Association (FMA) as an official AFM Player Conference with representation at the 103rd AFM Convention in June.

“I am excited to announce the board’s unanimous decision to grant player conference status to the Freelance Musicians Association,” said AFM President Tino Gagliardi. “Freelance musicians are the backbone of our Federation. By formalizing the FMA as a Player Conference, we ensure these members have the structural support necessary to protect their standards and strengthen their voice within our union.”

As a binational body of working musicians, the FMA is dedicated to improving the economic security and professional standing of those in self-directed and multi-employer work. In collaboration with Federation leadership, AFM Locals, and allied organizations, the FMA provides a structured space for coordination, problem-solving, and collective action.

The FMA joins the AFM’s established Player Conferences: the International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), the Regional Orchestra Players’ Association (ROPA), the Organization of Canadian Symphony Musicians (OCSM), the Recording Musicians Association (RMA), and the Theater Musicians’ Association (TMA).

Through this recognition, FMA delegates will participate in the 103rd AFM Convention to represent the interests of freelance musicians in the union’s legislative and decision-making processes.

For more information on the FMA, visit: https://afmfreelance.org/

04/15/2026

Sarasota, FL - Back at Selby Library today for the second concert in our Jazz Appreciation Month series, and the room was full of joy and connection.

Today’s performance featured the James Suggs Ensemble, celebrating the timeless music of Louis Armstrong. The other musicians on the roster:

Michael Ross, bass
Jean Bolduc, drums
Pete Carney, clarinet/sax
Alex Nakhimovsky, piano

This admission-free live music presented with support from the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) showcases professional musicians while expanding access to high-quality performances in our community. Every musician on this series is paid a living wage, with pension, cartage, and travel covered—demonstrating what it looks like to invest in professionals and sustain the future of live music.

Thank you to everyone who came out and made today’s concert so special. Your presence is part of what helps demonstrate the impact of this program and supports continued funding for performances like these.

We’re also grateful to our partners who help make this series possible, including the Jazz Club of Sarasota and the Library Foundation for Sarasota County, whose collaboration helps connect this music with the broader community.

There are still two more concerts in the series—all at Selby Library:�

📅 April 21 at 1pm�
📅 April 30 at 6pm

We hope you’ll join us—bring a friend, spread the word, and be part of keeping admission-free live music thriving in our community.

04/09/2026

We had a wonderful time sharing live music with the community on April 8 at Selby Library in Sarasota, FL, kicking off a four-concert series for Jazz Appreciation Month in collaboration with the Sarasota Jazz Club! 🎶

This admission-free live music presented with support from the Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) features professional musicians and is open to all—thank you to everyone who came out and made our first concert so special. The program celebrated the music of Nat King Cole in honor of Jazz Appreciation Month.

The concert featured the Fred Johnson Sextet: Fred Johnson (vocals), Michael Ross (bass), Dan Jordan (sax), Chris Neville (piano), Herb Bruce (trombone), and Patricia Dean (drums).

All musicians were paid a living wage, with pension contributions, cartage, and travel covered—the way it should be.

Join us for the rest of the series (all at Selby Library):
📅 April 15 at 1pm
📅 April 21 at 1pm
📅 April 30 at 6pm

We hope to see you there!

Music Performance Trust Fund
Library Foundation for Sarasota County
Florida Gulf Coast musicians
AFM - American Federation of Musicians

04/02/2026

Chag Sameach!

03/30/2026

🎶 Happy Women’s History Month from two union musicians!

This March, harpist Anna Kate Mackle and percussionist John Shaw — featured on the cover of International Musician this year — brought a full program of works by women to two venues. On March 4th, they performed a recital at St. Petersburg College, where both serve as adjunct faculty, featuring music by Mattea Williams, Monica Pearce, Keiko Abe, Cecilia Livingston, and Cécile Chaminade. On March 9th, they traveled to FSU to perform for the harp and percussion departments and held separate clinics for each.

On March 10th Anna Kate and John were guest speakers for an FSU Arts Administration class — the first non-management presenters to bring a working musicians’ perspective to the course. Drawing on their union experiences at TFO and the Eastern Music Festival, they opened a conversation that the professor and students found genuinely illuminating.

As musicians and union members, Anna Kate and John believe programming choices are labor choices. Who gets performed, who gets commissioned, who gets hired — these are all connected. Women’s History Month is one moment to celebrate, but this music deserves a place year-round.

03/26/2026

AFL-CIO unions everywhere support the No Kings protests this Saturday. Find your location below 👇

03/26/2026

The race was being watched as a potential bellwether ahead of the November Midterms.

03/26/2026

We have 48 hours to make sure every voice is heard in this election. Please sign up here so that you can stand with Brian and flip this seat blue.

03/11/2026

MIT’s Living Wage Calculator has been updated. Want higher wages? You’ll need a union contract!

03/11/2026

Solidarity!

The American Federation of Musicians will bring live music to Times Square on Wednesday, March 11, as the union stages a solidarity rally coinciding with the second round of negotiations for the Sound Recording Labor Agreement with Sony, Universal, Hollywood Records, and Warner.

03/11/2026

03/11/2026

Local members Melanie Lavender (voice) and Tihda Vongkoth (percussion) received an MPTF grant to perform at First Congregational United Church of Christ in Sarasota on March 6th in celebration of Women’s History Month. These concerts are free and open to the public, and the musicians are paid union wages and pension benefits.

Programs like this do more than support a single performance—they give musicians hands-on experience working within the union wage scale, filing contracts, and making sure their work contributes to pension. Learning how to use these systems is an important step in building sustainable careers while upholding professional standards for our field. At the same time, the MPTF program allows musicians to offer high-quality, accessible performances that serve the broader community.

Reach out to our office at [email protected]
to learn how to apply for an MPTF grant and bring more live music to our community while strengthening fair wages for musicians.