Category Archives: Features

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 →

Demand an End to the Government Shutdown

Across the country, federal workers are struggling to pay bills without their paychecks. On October 22, American Federation of Government Employees TSA Local 1260 hosted a press conference and food distribution at LAX demanding an end to the government shutdown, which has now dragged on for over three weeks. Continue reading →

SOLIDARITY WINS: Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late Night

Jimmy Kimmel Returns to Late Night After Massive Outcry Over Free Speech Concerns Causes ABC to Lift ‘Indefinite Suspension’

In the wake of ABC’s sudden “indefinite suspension” (and later reversal) of late-night show “Jimmy Kimmel Live!”, which sparked outrage across the nation about threats to the First Amendment and free speech, Rep. Laura Friedman (CA-30) organized a press conference and rally September 22 near Kimmel’s taping location of the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Continue reading →

2025 Burbank Media Industry Expo & Job Fair

AFM Local 47 proudly participated for the second time at the Burbank Media Industry Expo & Job Fair at Woodbury University on August 1.

Sponsored by the City of Burbank, this year’s 2nd-annual event event welcomed over 5,000 attendees ranging from students and newcomers to seasoned industry professionals, fostering valuable conversations and connections across the media landscape.

Pictured: AFM Local 47 EMD Business Representative Russell Winkler and Communications Director Linda Rapka.

AFM Local 47 member holds a "Musicians

Musicians Rally in Support of Stephen Colbert

On Sunday, July 27, 2025, dozens of members of AFM Local 47 and WGA West joined the 50501-hosted rally outside CBS headquarters at Television City in the Fairfax District of Los Angeles to support Stephen Colbert following the cancellation of his show. The bi-coastal event saw a similar action take place in New York on the same day. Continue reading →