Following the cancellation of last year’s ASCAP advocacy events in Washington, DC due to the onset of the pandemic, award-winning songwriters and ASCAP Board members will resume the longstanding tradition of meeting with and performing for Members of Congress as part of ASCAP’s ongoing advocacy efforts. In place of the beloved “We Write the Songs” annual concert in partnership with The ASCAP Foundation and the Library of Congress and “Stand with Songwriters” advocacy day on Capitol Hill, ASCAP will hold a virtual “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Month to put a face on some of the most pressing issues directly affecting American music creators.
Among the ASCAP songwriter and composer advocates who plan to participate are: ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams (“Rainbow Connection”), Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo (“Love Is a Battlefield”), Billy Steinberg (Cyndi Lauper, “True Colors”), Desmond Child (Bon Jovi, “Livin’ on a Prayer”), Joss Favela (“Me Hubieras Dicho”), Mozella (Miley Cyrus, “Wrecking Ball”), Styx’s Dennis DeYoung (“Come Sail Away”), Rhymefest (Common & John Legend, “Glory”), Tony Arata (Garth Brooks, “The Dance”), Chris DeStefano (Carrie Underwood, “Good Girl”), MILCK (“Quiet”), Talking Heads/Tom Tom Club’s Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth (“Genius of Love”), pop/jazz virtuoso Emily Bear; bassist, film and jazz composer Marcus Miller, composers Michael Abels (Jordan Peele’s Get Out), Bear McCreary (AMC’s The Walking Dead), David Vanacore (CBS’s Survivor), Siddhartha Khosla (NBC’s This Is Us), Amanda Jones (HBO’s A Black Lady Sketch Show), Michelle Lewis (Disney Junior’s Doc McStuffins), concert music composer Tom Lopez, singer-songwriter ROE (“Fool 4 U”) and many others.
“Advocacy has always been a fundamental part of the work we do as a collective, and we’re thrilled to be back in Washington, albeit virtually,” said ASCAP President and Chairman Paul Williams, an Oscar-, Grammy- and Golden Globe-winning songwriter. “When the pandemic hit, ASCAP’s strong relationships with lawmakers on both sides of the aisle helped us secure important benefits for music creators like unemployment insurance and the Paycheck Protection Program. As the music industry recovers, we urge our legislators to keep defending the value of music and protecting the livelihoods of America’s songwriters and composers, who are the heart and soul of the nation’s thriving music industry.”
The pandemic has created unique challenges for the entire music industry – from songwriters, composers and music publishers to performance venues – but, as music creators became more dependent upon streaming income during lockdown, it has also highlighted how outdated music licensing rules no longer work in the modern digital music marketplace. Now, more than ever, music creators need to be able to earn a fair, livable wage when their music is played. During “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Month, ASCAP members will encourage Members of Congress to stand with songwriters during this difficult time and help music creators rebuild and modernize America’s vibrant music industry.
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