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By Aurelio Mitjans
Photos by I-sOar and courtesy of ASCAP
A Marilyn Bergman speech usually feels like a warm hug. She moves people. Her words are enough to make an upcoming songwriter or composer feel like they belong in the room with a Quincy Jones, a Glen Ballard or a Linda Perry. However, on April 10, this year's ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo inaugurated with a firm handshake delivered to hundreds of songwriters and composers. Following are some excerpts:
We are at risk of losing not only the right, but also the means to earn a decent living from our creative work through the efforts of business interests who want a free ride to huge profits through the use of our music in digital media. In these perilous times we are vulnerable to these big business interests who plead poverty while they reap profits in the billions, and try to cut songwriters and composers out of the critically important revenue streams of the future through digital media performances of our music. The Digital Media Association—known as DiMA—which represents 27 of the major digital media companies, is trying to pick the pockets clean of songwriters and composers through a range of tactics from court proceedings to legislative initiatives and PR campaigns aimed at convincing people that music has little or no value.
The Recording Industry Association of America, the RIAA as it's known, has joined with them in their latest move to substantially cut the mechanical royalty rate to almost nothing, virtually eliminating the opportunity for songwriters and composers to make a living from their work.
Currently, the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB) is determining mechanical rates for every single songwriter and music publisher in America. This board is critical, because in addition to setting rates for physical products, in other words CDs, rates will be set for the first time for every digital product such as digital downloads, subscription services and ringtones.
Our friends at the NMPA—the National Music Publishers Association—are representing the mechanical rights interests of songwriters and music publishers in these hearings. On the other side of this fight stands DiMA—that's the digital group—which has proposed significant reductions in mechanical royalty rates. That would be disastrous for songwriters and music publishers. What is most outrageous about this current effort to weaken copyright is that some of the very same companies and Web sites that are behind it stand to make millions of dollars exploiting your hard work and creativity while the music creator will lose another opportunity to make a living.
There are numerous pundits, professionals and others in the digital media community who pretend to have the interests of creative people at heart, but they cannot be trusted. They serve other masters: software companies, digital media powerhouses, traditional broadcasters…[who] want creative works as cheaply as they can get them or for free, often by shifting responsibility from copyright infringement onto consumers while they profit from infringing consumer behavior.
I think we all agree that the Internet has greatly revolutionized how music is promoted, transmitted, sold and experienced. Many music creators have rushed to embrace the Internet's possibilities, but it's dangerous for music creators to take a shortsighted look at this technology. It's even more dangerous for creators to undermine their own future by aligning themselves too closely with some of these music users—often the same entities who seem intent on testing the boundaries of copyright law.
Bergman then introduced two documents that would aid in the fight for the rights of songwriters and composers: Music Copyright in the Digital Age: A Position paper , which aims to clearly and simply define copyright today and the roll ASCAP will play in it, and “A Bill of Rights for Songwriters and Composers.”
And then she hugged everyone.
Those wanting to add support may sign the bill. Both are available on ASCAP.com. ASCAP President & Chairman Marilyn Bergman's speech can be heard in its entirety at ASCAP.com. … Legally and free of charge.
25th Annual ASCAP Pop Music Awards
Name Timbaland Songwriter of the Year
On April 9 more than 1800 members of the recording industry congregated at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood to honor many of music's most talented and successful creators. The event, which paid tribute to the most-performed songs in ASCAP's repertory from the 4th Quarter 2006 through the 4th Quarter 2007, was a major part of ASCAP's “I Create Music Week,” kicking off the third annual ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo, which followed. The evening contained live performances and concluded with a generous dinner buffet/open bar taking place in the Grand Ballroom.
ASCAP Pop Music Awards Highlights
- Lionel Richie and Steve Miller are honored with the ASCAP Golden Note Award.
- Newcomer , Sara Bareilles is awarded the ASCAP Vanguard Award.
- Timbaland is crowned Songwriter of the Year with nine award-winning songs.
• “Give It To Me”
• “Ice Box”
• “Make Me Better”
• “My Love”
• “Say It Right”
• “Summer Love/Set The Mood”
• “The Way I Are”
• “Until The End Of Time”
• “What Goes Around... Comes Around”
- EMI is recognized for the sixth consecutive year as Publisher of the Year. EMI claims the title for the 14th time in the 25-year history of the awards show with 21 award-winning songs.
• “Because Of You”
• “Fergalicious”
• “Get It Shawty”
• “Give It To Me”
• “Glamorous”
• “Hate That I Love You”
• “How Far We've Come”
• “How To Save A Life”
• “Ice Box”
• “Irreplaceable”
• “It's Not Over”
• “Last Night”
• “Let It Go”
• “Make Me Better”
• “No One”
• “Say Goodbye”
• “Say It Right”
• “Shawty”
• “Shortie Like Mine”
• “Wait For You”
• “Walk Away (Remember Me)”
- Song of the Year (tie)
• "Big Girls Don't Cry" (Stacy Ferguson, Toby Gad)
• Big Girls Don't Cry Publishing
• Sony/ATV Tunes LLC
• "The Sweet Escape" (Akon, Gwen Stefani, Giorgio Tuinfort)
• Byefall Music LLC
• Harajuku Lover Music
• Sony/ATV Tunes LLC
Multiple Award Winners:
• Timbaland (9)
• Akon (5)
• Justin Timberlake (5)
• Stargate's Mikkel Eriksen & Tor Hermansen (5)
• Fergie (3)
• Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald (3)
• Keri Hilson (3)
• Ludacris (3)
• Keyshia Cole (2)
• Nelly Furtado (SOCAN - Canada) (2)
• Max Martin (STIM - Sweden) (2)
• Terius "The Dream" Nash (2)
For the past three years the first week of April in Los Angeles—aka "ASCAP I Create Music Week"—has been like a special spring break for ASCAP songwriters, albeit a one-stop shop for anyone having anything to do with music with a special emphasis on songwriters and composers.
Since the EXPO's inception, ASCAP has drawn more than 4,000 music creators from all over the planet from all genres and success levels to mingle with executives and each other. The three-day event included an array of panel discussions that allowed attendees to hear firsthand experiences, the ins and outs, the ups and the downs of some of music's best.
The panels not only included musicians but those that handle other aspects of music that may go unnoticed or are of a behind-the-scenes nature. For example, the On the Radio: Today's Hitmakers panel featured the high-rising Keri Hilson—who had a noticeable fan base present—while the Performing Rights and Royalties from Your Sound Recordings 101 (Presented by SoundExchange) panel had a legal twist with panelists such as Jay L. Cooper, Esq., attorney for Greenberg Traurig.
Other notable panelists included Tom Sturges, executive vice president, head of creative, Universal Music Publishing ( Song Listening: Mixed Genre panel) and David H. Johnson, chairman & CEO, Warner Music Group ( International: Online Rights in Europe panel)
The One Step Ahead: Staying on Top in R&B and Hip Hop panel included Bun B, Chamillionaire, songwriters/producers Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias and Greg Watkins of Allhiphop.com.
Musical behemoths Linda Perry, Mark Hudson, Mike Bradford and Glen Ballard made up the Round Up: The Writer-Producers Jam panel. It was a special treat to see the four play together and create the feel of being in an actual session with them. Watching Linda Perry admit to making a mistake on the piano was beautiful in its intimacy and imperfectness. Listening to her curse and smile it off only amplified it.
There was an array of other panels that focused on everything from film scoring, music copyright and Congress, and film/TV placement, to self-publishing, Jazz workshops and creating music for more diverse arenas such as video games and children's toys.
There were also exhibits and demonstration sessions by Apple, NOTION Music, Roland, Gibson Guitars, Mediaguide, Broadjam, Indie911, Nimbit and LinkedIn among many others which allowed attendees to get a close look at their products and services and ask questions.
The EXPO allowed for a mixing of musical personalities and styles, camaraderie and budding professional relationships. It wasn't uncommon for a Country music panel to be peppered with Urban songwriters in the audience. No one batted an eye. When a Classical composer told a Hip Hop artist she wanted to create Hip Hop, the Hip Hopper met the statement with excitement. Said Hip Hopper also wishes to write Rock records. They exchanged contact info. This is everyday stuff around these parts.
The EXPO concluded with the Closing Reception and Attendee Showcase at The Highlands sponsored by ole Music Publishing (Canada) and Innovation Entertainment Group. A couple of hours of free beer, wine and hors d'oeuvres on ASCAP's dime and the opportunity for several handpicked EXPO attendees to perform their original musical creations was a fitting end to "ASCAP I Create Music Week." Innovation's Kwanza Jones gave a riveting performance of her brand of Rock and Soul as well.
This year's EXPO proved to be another beautiful occasion. The only problem with the ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO is the fact that there are so many useful panel discussions that it is impossible to attend each one that is of interest. It's always a good idea to make friends and exchange panel notes.
… And musical ones.
