Youth Diversity SubCommittee
Youth Diversity SubCommittee
Youth Diversity SubCommittee Mission
Our mission as part of the American Federation of Musicians of the
United States and Canada is to assist the AFM Diversity Committee
with special emphasis on young musicians. This will be accomplished
by increasing youth awareness and membership in the AFM through:
educational outreach, recruitment, young musician forums and
scholarships. Our goal is to encourage youth participation and
improve benefits of membership. The AFM is committed to creating an
environment where youth diversity is noted and commended.
Members
John Acosta is from Professional Musicians Local 47 in Los Angeles, California, where he is the Administrator for Electronic Media. John also serves as the chair for AFM Youth Diversity Subcommittee. John Acosta hails from the Bronx, New York . His father Juan Acosta was a percussionist from Cuba who worked as a touring musician with latin jazz greats such as Tito Puente & Celia Cruz. John began his musical career in Elementary School playing flute and saxophone in his school orchestra, even performing at Carnegie Hall in New York City . John has been a working musician from the age of 16 when he was sponsored to move to California under his manager's behest. In California he began his recording career working as a composer, guitarist, producer and engineer for artists signed to Warner Brothers, DreamWorks, Geffen, BMG, Elektra and Capitol Records. John's compositions have had major chart success in the US and Europe . Presently he has been active in organizing musicians around the Southern California area with special emphasis on alternative rock, latin music, rap, and DJ's. John also continues to write and produce for up and coming artists.
Email: john_coz@hotmail.com
Michelle Jones is from Orlando, Florida Local 389 and was appointed chair of YDS by President Tom Lee. She resigned as chair in March 2006. An active member of Local 389 (Orlando, FL), Jones sits on the Recording Committee, Diversity Committee and Executive Board. A graduate of Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, Jones majored in organizational communication and music. She has more than 30 years of musical experience and is an accomplished violinist and violist who has performed with numerous symphony orchestras in the Southeast, and continues to tour professionally with artists including Anne Murray, Sarah Brightman, Bernadette Peters, Manhattan Transfer, Michael MacDonald, My Friend Steve, and many others.
She is currently performing with the Brevard Symphony Orchestra, Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra, Orlando Symphony Orchestra and Bach Festival Orchestra, as well as teaching violin, viola, and piano to students of all ages in her home studio in Orlando, Florida. She performs regularly as a violinist and violist with Disney's Fairytale Weddings in Florida, and with the Walt Disney World Orchestra. Jones is also a substitute violinist with Cirque Du Soleil's "La Nouba" in Orlando. A cast member with the Walt Disney Company since 1990, Jones has held many roles, including business affairs manager. While in that position, she negotiated and drafted an average of 1,400 contracts per year for more than four years with many professional organizations around the world and inside the United States.
Email: michelle@stringsetc.net
Gary Hamrick is from Clarcksburg, West Virginia and attended the Diversity Meeting at the AFM Convention in 2003; he is 35 years old and is a casual/country rock musician. Gary Hamrick serves as President of American Federation of Musicians Local 580. He has been a casual club musician and AFM member since 1987 and previously served as Vice-President and Executive Board Member. A graduate of Fairmont State College with a B.S. Degree in Sociology, he is currently an investigator with the Office of Prosecuting Attorney, Harrison County West Virginia. Previous work experience includes West Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control, and the United States Attorney’s Office, and organizer for District 1199 Service Employees International Union. He is an officer in the North Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO, and Co-Chair of the Harrison County Democrat Executive Committee.
Email: ghamrick@harrisoncountywv.com
Miho Matsuno received a Pre-College Diploma, BM, and MM from the Juilliard School where she was a student of Christine Dethier and Joseph Fuchs. She has been on the violin faculty at the Lucy Moses School since 1992, and joined the violin faculty of the Special Music School in 1997 In addition to her teaching duties, Miho is an active orchestral performer with Orchestra of St. Luke's, the Springfield Symphony (Massachusetts), and the New England Bach Festival (Vermont). She has performed numerous chamber music concerts in and around New York City, and as a core member of Pacific International Concert Artists in Hawaii.
Email: matsunoc@aol.com
