I don’t pretend to be a journalist, so I guess it’s okay for me to simply cut and paste a press release. Just so you know, that’s what this is.
Dear Andrew Dubber,
I think you and your readers may be interested in the Seventh Annual Policy Summit the Future of Music Coalition is organizing this fall.
The Future of Music Coalition is a national nonprofit that works on the issues at the intersection of music, law, technology and policy. Before FMC, the founders Jenny Toomey and Kristin Thomson co-ran the indie label Simple Machines and played in the band Tsunami.
If you are able to attend our Policy Summit you will hear firsthand from musicians, the music industry, intellectual property lawyers and the government about what issues the music industry is facing and what is being done both in law and technology that will have major impacts on music’s future.
Additionally, you will become part of the conversation developing innovative solutions to the most critical issues at the intersection of music, law, technology and policy.
To ensure that the people most affected by these debates are not left out of the discussion, the Future of Music Coalition offers scholarships for working musicians.
Our scholarship information is available here:
http://www.futureofmusic.org/events/summit07/scholarshipinfo.cfm
In the meantime, please sign up for our newsletters and add our blog to your reader to stay up to date on activities leading up to Summit and new keynote speakers and panelists as they’re announced.
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7th Annual Future of Music Policy Summit
September 17-18, 2007
GWU Betts Theatre, Washington, DC
http://www.futureofmusic.org/events/summit07/
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“The first clue that the Future of Music Policy Conference wasn’t going to be your average tech gathering: no exhibit hall, no booths, no free tins of mints imprinted with the name of some new online music start-up. This conference was less about hype, business plans, or “the next killer app,” and more about understanding how the Internet has impacted the music business and how digital-music policies, businesses, and artist roles might change (for better or worse) in the future.” — Chicago Tribune, 2001
“On the last morning of the Future of Music Coalition Policy Summit, I was talking with the better half of the D.C. power couple who were lending me a couch, and tried to explain– in a nutshell– what the Summit was
actually about. After rambling about “technology” and “copyright law” and laughing about how Melissa Ferrick and the guy from Magnatunes almost came to blows at the second panel, I stopped, took a breath and said: “You know the time between when a record leaves the artist’s hands and before it gets to listener’s ears? The Summit covers everything that happens in between.” — Pitchfork, 2005
“The Future of Music Coalition’s annual policy summits are where chain links meet cuff links as musicians and songwriters press the issues – and the flesh — with the political powerbrokers who help determine their future. […] The style clash reflected the summit’s reputation as a kind of Geneva where all sides in any number of contentious music industry fights can get together and play nice for a few days. Even more importantly, it offers pinstriped Washingtonians a rare opportunity to hear musicians articulate their concerns in person instead of relying on competing lobbying groups that claim to espouse their interests.” — Washington Post, 2004
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Personally, I’d love to be there myself, but those are two of the most non-negotiable days of my job as a degree leader at the university. Induction week for the new intake is that week, and September 17th is what we affectionately refer to as The Day of the Locusts.
Since I don’t think they’re likely to reschedule just because I have important responsibilities on those particular days, I’d like to propose an alternative solution.
If you’re in the DC area (or can travel there), are able to string a half-decent sentence together and would like to cover this for New Music Strategies, I’m happy to work with you to secure press credentials.
I won’t pay you any money, but you never know – they might have free stuff. We could split it. 70/30?