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The Band Perry Opens New Doors for Advocacy

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Daryl Friedman
Advocacy
Jun 21, 2017 - 8:14 am

The cloakroom of the House of Representatives is generally considered one of the hallowed, exclusive spaces in Congress.  It's a special room, just off the floor of the House chamber, where Members of Congress huddle for private conversations, plan legislative strategy, or simply take short breaks during a busy day.  So imagine the surprise of many Members of Congress when they finished casting their votes on the House floor, exited into the cloakroom, and found GRAMMY-nominated group The Band Perry there waiting for them and visiting with their congressional colleagues.

This unique scene was the capstone to an eventful day in January when The Recording Academy welcomed the new 114th Congress with a special musical briefing featuring The Band Perry and congressional leaders.

The centerpiece of the day's events took place in the Capitol Visitor Center, where the normally staid Congressional Auditorium was transformed into a state-of-the-art concert venue for a special performance.  The auditorium full of congressional staff and nearly two dozen Members of Congress not only enjoyed hearing a few of The Band Perry's most popular songs, they also listened as siblings Kimberly, Neil and Reid Perry described the challenges facing music creators today.  In a discussion moderated by Daryl P. Friedman, the Academy's Chief Advocacy and Industry Relations Officer, Kimberly told the audience, "We're not only speaking out on behalf of the artists whose faces are on the cover of albums, but rather the army of people that are underneath that.  We're trying to make sure that music can be a living that we can all make -- a practical living -- and leave an artistic legacy behind."

The briefing, presented in partnership with the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus, featured opening remarks from Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), both long-standing champions for the music community.  The Band Perry was later joined on stage by the co-chairs of the caucus, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) as well as by House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). The three congressional leaders rushed over to the event from a meeting at the White House so they could personally encourage their fellow Members of Congress to join the caucus and stand up for artist rights.

Throughout the rest of the day, the 57th Annual GRAMMY Award® nominees met with congressional leaders of both parties to advance a variety of issues, including some important to them personally as well as others shared by the entire music community.  In the morning, they met with Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-Calif.) and other members of the Congressional Anti-Bullying Caucus to discuss their desire to help youth struggling with this difficult issue.

In the afternoon, they met with House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) and other members of the House Judiciary Committee, to discuss the committee's ongoing review of copyright law.  They even managed to fit in a brief visit with the Speaker of the House, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio). 

By the end of the long day, as they greeted Members of Congress in the House Cloakroom, it was clear that The Band Perry's artistry and advocacy had, quite literally, opened new doors.

 

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Two Weeks’ Notice: GRAMMYs on the Hill 2015 Has Great Timing

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Daryl Friedman
Advocacy
Jun 21, 2017 - 8:14 am

What a difference two weeks make. In that time span, GRAMMYs on the Hill demonstrated the impact that music creators can have when they unite together to make a difference.

Monday, April 13, 2015:
Music creator champions Congressman Jerrold Nadler of New York, the Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property and the Internet, and Congressman Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, Vice Chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, announce the launch of the Fair Play Fair Pay Act in New York, organized by the MusicFIRST Coalition. Flanked by a crowd of music legends and other stakeholders from the music community, including Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow, Rep. Nadler outlines a bill that responds to key issues of concern to music creators: establishing an AM/FM performance right, creating a fair-market rate standard for all radio platforms, closing the pre-1972 loophole, protecting songwriter royalties, and codifying payments to music producers in law. Seeing this bill come to light after months of advocating for a comprehensive approach to music issues is an achievement for all stakeholders.

The timing of the bill is not an accident, as Rep. Nadler states that in just two days Academy members will be arriving in Washington, D.C. for GRAMMYs on the Hill. ,

Wednesday, April 15, 2015:
Academy members, congressional staff, and special guests convene at The Hamilton in Washington, D.C., for the GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards.  The Academy honors Congressman Nadler as well as the Chair of the House Judiciary Committee, Congressman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia, thanking them for their ongoing support for music creators and intellectual property rights.

As if that isn't enough, a highlight of the evening is a surprise presentation by First Lady Michelle Obama to the evening’s creator honoree, singer and songwriter Alicia Keys. Obama expresses precisely why Keys is so influential; she has a galvanizing effect on others in her efforts to support various issues. As a founding member of the new GRAMMY Creators Alliance, Keys and other founding members are uniquely positioned to ensure that the next generation of music makers will receive fair compensation for what they create. With thanks to the evening's MC, Hunter Hayes, as well as Robert Earl Keen, American Authors, Angela Hunte, Ledisi, and an all-star ensemble featuring Kirk Whalum and members of the Academy’s Board of Trustees, GRAMMYs on the Hill keeps music at the forefront through live performances – even getting nearly two dozen Members of Congress up onto the stage for a sing-along.

Thursday, April 16, 2015:
Energized by the week's events, GRAMMY advocates approach Advocacy Day on with a singleness of purpose. Prepped for their mission during the morning briefing, advocates are further inspired by an addresses by Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas, and entertained by Los Angeles Chapter board member Ray Parker, Jr., who debuts an advocacy-themed version of his iconic hit "Ghostbusters" to rally the crowd. Most importantly, with the new Fair Play Fair Pay Act on the table, GRAMMY advocates have a focused set of talking points for the more than 80 meetings scheduled with congressional offices on Capitol Hill.

Wednesday, April 29, 2015:
The momentum does not end there. Two weeks after GRAMMYs on the Hill, the House Judiciary Committee — chaired by Awards honoree Goodlatte —convenes what is likely the final hearing in its two-year review of copyright law. The only witness is U.S. Register of Copyright Maria Pallante, who speaks at length about the urgent need for immediate changes to copyright law. Topline in her testimony is her recommendation to act now on music licensing reform, which was the focus of the U.S. Copyright Office report issued in February that agreed with many of the recommendations made by The Recording Academy. Pallante stresses the need for a performance right for AM/FM radio, and praises the Fair Play Fair Pay Act as "an excellent legislative framework." Further, Pallante singles out The Recording Academy for praise, noting that her series of creator roundtables at various Academy chapters over the past year have been "the most inspiring part of the work" of copyright review for her. The roundtables, which will continue in the coming months, were The Recording Academy’s response to Pallante's expressed desire in a 2013 hearing to meet firsthand with music creators about their concerns.

Thursday, April 30, 2015:
The Recording Academy announces an internal realignment between its Advocacy and Membership divisions to create an even stronger voice for its 24,000 members.  The new alignment will strengthen member services programs and better enable members at each of the Academy’s 12 regional chapters to elevate music rights issues and educate lawmakers on the professional lives and challenges of the music makers in their districts.

In just two weeks, GRAMMYs on the Hill radically changes the debate on music policy in Washington D.C. and increases the impact of Academy membership. This year’s GRAMMYs on the Hill theme, “Music Creators United,” embodies the impact that the music community can have when we work together to advance the interests of creators.  The time is right for advocacy.  Get involved and make your voice heard.

Carry the momentum forward. Click here to use our advocacy tools to send a message to your representative and we’ll personally hand-deliver a printed copy of your e-mail to Capitol Hill.

  

GRAMMYs
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Letting the Air Out of New Coalitions

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Todd Dupler
Advocacy
Jun 21, 2017 - 8:14 am

Last month, this blog recounted how hundreds of music creators and Recording Academy members descended on the nation’s capital for GRAMMYs on the Hill Advocacy Day.  Hundreds more reached out to Members of Congress in their home districts last year for the inaugural GRAMMYs in My District.  And so far this year, thousands of music creators and music fans have sent emails to Congress and flooded social media through the Academy’s online tools and through our partners at the musicFIRST Coalition.

Real people, real advocacy.

Whether it’s in Washington, D.C., in local congressional districts, or online, the message is both clear and simple: all music creators deserve fair compensation whenever and wherever their work is used.  It’s not surprising that thousands of voices have risen up for basic fairness.  It’s also not surprising that those who have an interest in keeping the status quo – big corporate broadcasters and Internet giants – are unable to muster the same kind of authentic, grassroots support for their cause.  What is surprising is the lengths they’ve gone to convince us otherwise.

The newly formed Mic Coalition purports to be for a “rational, sustainable and transparent” music industry in service to the needs and wants of consumers.  In reality, it’s a manufactured interest group led by a who’s who of corporate interests – including the National Association of Broadcasters, iHeartMedia, Google, Amazon, and Pandora – that are all committed to resisting the call for fair music royalties for creators.  Under the guise of keeping music “affordable” and “accessible,” the coalition’s mission is fear-mongering, warning that modernizing music licensing laws to ensure fairness will somehow destroy their billion-dollar businesses.  The Mic Coalition has already been rightly dismissed as the “McCoalition” for its corporate underpinnings. 

The new Re:Create Coalition requires a little more effort to look behind the curtain.  On its website, the coalition states principles that sound good.  After paying lip service to creativity, the coalition espouses the principles of balance, freedom and clarity in copyright law.  But for this coalition, “balance” really means to weaken copyright law; “freedom” is about securing the freedom to use someone else’s work; and “clarity” only seeks clear limits on the rights of creators.  The Re:Create Coalition includes the Consumer Electronic Association, the Computer & Communications Industry Association, Public Knowledge, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, each an organization that counts tech giant Google as either a member or a supporter.

During World War II, a secret unit of the U.S. Army was deployed in Europe to fool the enemy about troop strength and movements.  The “Ghost Army” used inflatable tanks, special sound effects, fake radio communications, and more to convince the Germans that massive infantry and artillery units existed where there were none.  The effort was a rousing success and a testament to American ingenuity and creativity.  Perhaps inspired by history, Big Radio and Big Tech think they can fool us with their own fabricated ghost armies. 

The efforts of The Recording Academy’s 24,000-strong membership and other like-minded allies have stirred up some mighty big guns, the best that money can buy.  But like the rubber tanks that sat on the front lines in Europe 70 years ago, those guns aren’t real; they’re filled with hot air.  These fake coalitions can’t match the real voices of music creators and music fans that are committed to basic fairness.

Make sure your voice is heard too.  Take a moment right now to ask Congress to update our music laws to provide fairness for creators: grmypro.co/updatemusiclaw

 

GRAMMYs
News

Leveling The Playing Field With The Fair Play Fair Pay Act

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Daryl Friedman
Advocacy
Jun 21, 2017 - 8:14 am

Fair play, fair pay. It’s a simple concept.  And we’re finally seeing it applied in a comprehensive bill legislating pay parity for music creators.

Today representatives of The Recording Academy are standing by in New York City as Congressman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), a longtime supporter of fair compensation for music creators and the ranking Democratic member of the House Judiciary Committee, introduces the aptly named Fair Play Fair Pay Act of 2015. This new legislation is the culmination of years of grassroots lobbying by our membership on a slate of individual issues. It also is the result of coordinated effort between The Recording Academy – which first called for a comprehensive, united approach to solving pay inequities for music professionals at GRAMMYs on the Hill in 2014 – and other music stakeholders, including SoundExchange, A2IM, the American Federation of Musicians, SAG-AFTRA, the RIAA, and many others.

As the only national membership organization to represent all music creators, The Recording Academy is particularly gratified by The Fair Play Fair Pay Act because it addresses four previously separate parity issues within one encompassing piece of legislation. First, the bill would establish a process for setting fair-market royalty rates; create a performance right for artists on terrestrial radio; close the pre-1972 loophole to see that veteran performers receive royalties; and codify royalty payments to music producers for the first time. This bill levels the playing field so that creators can get fair pay.

The timing of this bill introduction couldn’t be better. Just two days after Fair Play Fair Pay is unveiled, members of The Recording Academy from across the country will come together in Washington this Wednesday, April 15, for the 2015 GRAMMYs on the Hill Awards, where Congressman Nadler will be saluted for his dedication to championing rights for music creators alongside another intellectual property rights crusader on Capitol Hill, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte of Virginia and an artist who has also championed creators’ rights, Alicia Keys. And the day after that, 200 GRAMMY advocates from our 12 Chapters will converge on Capitol Hill in more than 70 meetings to ask lawmakers to support the Fair Play Fair Pay Act and other issues of importance to music professionals.

The Fair Play Fair Pay Act represents a welcome approach to solving the disparate copyright and royalty dilemmas that have unfairly impacted music creators. And it is thanks to the dedication of our 24,000-strong membership, and the power of The Recording Academy’s grassroots advocacy efforts, that real progress toward fair pay for all music creators will be made. 

GRAMMYs

Photo: Andras Polonyi / EyeEm

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Recording Academy Champions The HITS Act, Which Supports Independent Music Makers’ Recovery

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The Help Independent Tracks Succeed Act lets creators fully expense production costs for new music up-front to stimulate reopening of the music economy
Advocacy
Jul 31, 2020 - 7:00 am

Today, the Recording Academy joined Rep. Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) and Rep. Ron Estes (R-Kansas) to announce the Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act, which allows an individual to fully expense for tax purposes the cost of new studio recordings on their taxes, up to $150,000, within the same year of production.

Music creators are among the American workers hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. Tours are cancelled, venues, bars, and restaurants are shuttered, and recording studios remain closed. As independent artists and producers look for a new path forward, the HITS Act creates a foothold for recovery. Without it, the costs of making new music may be prohibitive to creators following months of lost income.

"The Recording Academy is proud to have worked alongside Reps. Sánchez and Estes to develop the key provisions in the HITS Act," said Harvey Mason jr., Chair and Interim President/CEO of the Recording Academy. "The HITS Act will make a meaningful impact and help ease the financial burden for thousands of independent creators getting back on track, eager to share their creativity with the world. It will inspire new music and create opportunities for many of the vulnerable professionals in our community to persevere during these uncertain times."

Currently, individual recording artists and record producers are required to amortize production expenses for tax purposes over the economic life of a sound recording, typically 3-4 years. The HITS Act allows artists and producers to choose to deduct 100 percent of their production expenses for records created in the United States in the year such expenses are incurred, in the same manner that qualified film and television production expenses are allowed to be expensed. Expenses can include studio equipment, studio rental fees, staff costs, electricity, studio musicians, and much more.

"We are living through tough times and nothing helps you escape like turning on your favorite album," said Rep. Sánchez. "Similar to many families and workers across the country, the coronavirus has also had an enormous impact on music makers. Gigs have been canceled, studios shuttered, and creative writing sessions postponed. I'm proud to introduce the HITS Act with Rep. Estes. Our bill will provide small, independent creators with a bit of help getting back to work, making the music we turn to in good times and bad."

"Music is a powerful language that connects people of varying generations, backgrounds and experiences," said Rep. Estes. "The men and women who make music — either through writing, singing, playing or producing — deserve to have the same tax benefits as artists in the film, television and live theater industries. The HITS Act is sound legislation that supports our creative communities throughout the United States and encourages music makers of all sizes and notoriety."

Many music creators watched their incomes disappear as the pandemic ushered in a new normal of closures and cancellations. The median income for a professional musician is less than $25,000 a year, and independent music professionals will be among the last to return to work as the nation gradually reopens. As the only organization representing all music creators, the Recording Academy will continue to support government assistance that will help music creators navigate their way through this unprecedented time and subsequent recovery period.

Academy Endorses New Legislation To Support Creators, Venues & Small Music Businesses