[Fmpro] why does AFM not include composers?

[Christopher Alpiar]

What is the historical reason and modern application as to why  
composers are not part of the AFM? Aside from musicians the AFM also  
represents arrangers and copyists, so why not composers? We used to be  
all the same team back in the day before the big anti trust laws that  
forced the film companies to shift models to outsourcing. Then in the  
outsourcing days it would seem obvious composers (most) just made too  
much money and the jobs were too prevalent for composers with any  
decent chops (sort of like how programmers have been for the last 15  
years although that is slowing now as more coding jobs are being done  
in India and Malaysia). But even if composers didnt want to be part of  
AFM 40 even 10 years ago, doesn't it seem the economy has shifted so  
drastically that none other than the top 10 or so could object to the  
AFM representing them on legal and legislation issues that are what  
will set our future. Not to mention the benefit collective bargaining  
could present to causes of injustice between composers and PROs,  
composers and publishers, composers and RIAA, etc etc

To me it seems a no brainer wanting to be part of the AFL/CIO with the  
power of the legal and lobbying units they provide, along with things  
like minimum wage demands for union work (not maximum caps, dont read  
this incorrectly!)

So other than composers are generally so scared of getting squeezed  
off the gravy train that they will generally do anything, ie agree to  
be exploited, what are the reasons that AFM has not to this date  
extended invites to composers? Or have they and we rejected them?

I know if the AFM extended and invite to me, offering me the same  
types of rights and privileges it offers to its musician members, I  
would jump on it in a heartbeat

Christopher Kennedy Alpiar
Cinematic Composer
937.294.0900 (Dayton Studio)
310.339.9603 (Los Angeles)
877.294.0912 (Toll Free)
www.alpiar.com