Category Archives: Features

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.” 

AFM Local 47 Welcomes YOLA Teaching Artists

Photo by Linda A. Rapka // AFM International President Tino Gagliardi stands with the YOLA Teaching Artists at the headquarters of Local 47 on December 8, following their filing for union representation.

Last month, teaching artists at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Youth Orchestra Los Angeles (YOLA) won union representation by AFM Local Local 47.

YOLA at Torres, a performing arts magnet school in East LA, and YOLA at Inglewood teaching artists at the Beckmen YOLA Center were the first to receive recognition from the National Labor Relations Board in early December. YOLA at HOLA (Heart of Los Angeles), located in the Rampart district, followed with an overwhelming majority vote of its teaching artists the following week. Continue reading →

Kadima Conservatory

The Challenges of Teaching in the Era of ICE

A conversation with Kadima Conservatory founder Beth Elliott

by Linda A. Rapka

Beth ElliottSince founding the Kadima Conservatory of Music in 1983, AFM Local 47 member Beth Elliott has been active as its music director, dedicated to providing music education to underprivileged youth from underrepresented communities. The Conservatory has been operating in Pacoima for over a decade and has over 300 students of all ages enrolled in private lessons, three symphonic orchestras, chamber music, student recitals, and a mentoring program.

However, their efforts have been severely impacted by widespread operations of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, which continue to threaten our immigrant communities. Continue reading →

Palm Springs Symphony

Palm Springs Symphony Signs First-Time CBA With AFM Local 47 

Just days before the first concert of their inaugural season, the Palm Springs Symphony signed its first collective bargaining agreement with AFM Local 47, which saw 42 musicians performing on the stage of the newly refurbished Plaza Theatre in Palm Springs on December 7, 2025.

“Thanks to all the members who stepped up, asked the employer for a contract, and worked closely with the Local to bring this contract to fruition,” said AFM Local 47 President Stephanie O’Keefe. “We were able to reach an agreement less than 72 hours before the first rehearsal. The entire process was a great reminder of what we can accomplish when we all work together.”

Great News for L.A. Renters: LARSO Caps Pass!

In November 2025, the Los Angeles City Council approved an update to the Rent Stabilization Ordinance, using a new formula that will set allowable increases for roughly 650,000 units at 4% and remove additional charges for electricity and gas — the most substantive changes to the policy in more than four decades. Continue reading →

In the Pit: LA Opera’s ‘La Bohème’ @ the Dorothy Chandler

On the afternoon of November 20, 2025, we paid a visit to the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in downtown Los Angeles to enjoy a dress rehearsal of LA Opera’s “La Bohème,” joining hundreds of LAUSD students for the special program.

Photos by Linda A. Rapka // LA Opera orchestra contractor Brady Steele poses in front of the pit at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion moments before a special dress rehearsal peformance of “La Bohème,” attended by hundreds of LAUSD students and co-sponsored by the Music Performance Trust Fund.

Continue reading →

Elementary students send messages of thanks to Saturday Night Bath for MPTF performance

Students at Della S. Lindley Elementary in Thousand Palms sent in an envelope filled to the brim with thank-you letters expressing their delight at the jazz band Saturday Night Bath, led by Local 47 member Howie Rich, for their performance at the school in September 2025. 

The musicians’ performance was generously co-sponsored by the Recording Industry’s Music Performance Trust Fund, which is committed to offering free, live music to the public.

All MPTF concerts are presented free to the public. If you are interested in presenting a free concert in your community through MPTF, please visit afm47.org/mptf to learn more.

Local 47 2026 Grammy nominees collage

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.

The 68th Annual Grammy Awards will air on Sunday, February 1, 2026. The ceremony will beMehldaumeld broadcast live on the CBS Television Network and will also be available to stream on Paramount+. 

* AFM Local 47 member | * AFM member, other Local
Continue reading →

Healing Through Music: Nathaniel Blume releases a heartfelt tribute to his father’s memory with ‘nootbar’ EP

Composer Nathaniel Blume recently completed a recording session for his EP, “nootbar,” featuring a 33-piece string ensemble of AFM Local 47 members at the historic Warner Bros. Eastwood Scoring Stage. The session took place on July 20, under an AFM Limited Pressing Agreement, ensuring that union musicians were central to the project’s creative realization. Continue reading →