Artist Activism

By Scott McCaughey

Magnet

July 6, 2009

McCaughey: I recently attended a retreat in New Orleans sponsored and led by the Future Of Music Coalition and Air Traffic Control, with the added participation of local organizations like Sweet Home New Orleans. There was sort of a dual purpose to the gathering: facilitating activism in the music community, as well as showing how local activism in New Orleans is helping the city and its musicians recover from the disaster of Katrina.

On July 8, FMC will participate in a HealthCare Remix Discussion on Reform at the Service Employees International Union in Washington DC. For our part of the conversation, we’ll describe the Health Insurance Navigation Tool (HINT), a free service that provides musicians with high-quality one-on-one info about their health insurance options, from a fellow musician/health insurance expert. read more

We at FMC are always psyched when we hear about artists making DIY work for them. Although you can't paint with one brush when it comes to musicians -- many have wonderful relationships with their labels -- it's clear that today's performers don't need big-time backing to make a record and get it out there. And they're also getting way creative with marketing, as we point out in our recent post about Josh Freese and Jill Sobule. read more

By Keith Spera

New Orleans Times-Picayune

June 19, 2009

Moore first met Morello in November 2006 when the guitarist came to New Orleans for a Future of Music Coalition concert at Tipitina’s. Two nights before the benefit, Moore performed at a party at the Mother-in-Law Lounge that Morello attended. As Moore recalled, Morello said, “Ask anybody who knows me — I hate drummers. But you’ve done nothing to offend me. You’re my new favorite drummer.” At Tipitina’s, they briefly shared the stage; Moore also performed with trombone collective Bonerama.

June 19, 2009

Holy crap — it’s newsletter time again already!?! Well, we’ve got plenty to talk about, including our brand-new “I Support Community Radio” artist video campaign, a couple of victories for Low Power FM radio and a more on our upcoming FMC Policy Summit. Read on for the details.

FMC Policy Summit: Oct. 4-6, 2009 - we want your input!
Big wins for Low Power FM
“I Support Community Radio” artist video testimonials
“Musicians Bringing Musicians Home V” New Orleans wrap-up
FMC “Artist Principles”: podcast interview responses
In case you missed it: FutureBlog - who’s “indie” when it comes to sales?
Public Performance Right update: is commercial radio boycotting rights-supporting artists?
DC Policy Day: YouTube playlist
News from Technologies Director Brian Zisk
FMC travel and appearances

June 10, 2009

Launched on the eve of an important Congressional hearing on Low Power FM radio (LPFM), the “I Support Community Radio” campaign features video testimonials from such artists as the Indigo Girls, Saul Williams, David Harrington of Kronos Quartet, Jon Langford of The Mekons and Waco Brothers, Vijay Iyer, Franz Nicolay of The Hold Steady and more.

The Times-Picayune

May 20, 2009

[…] “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home V” is the celebratory and fundraising finale of the fifth three-day activist retreat hosted by Air Traffic Control (www.atctower.net) and Future of Music Coalition (www.futureofmusic.org) since the Gulf Coast storms of 2005. Artists from around the country converge on New Orleans to tour affected neighborhoods, visit with the city’s notable musicians and community leaders and participate in strategy sessions about how to integrate activism and philanthropy into their musical lives and careers. […]

All About Jazz

May 15, 2009

â€œMusicians Bringing Musicians Home V” is the celebratory and fundraising finale of the fifth three-day activist retreat hosted by Air Traffic Control and Future of Music Coalition since the Gulf Coast storms of 2005. Artists from around the country converge on New Orleans to tour affected neighborhoods, visit with the city’s notable musicians and community leaders and participate in strategy sessions about how to integrate activism and philanthropy into their musical lives and careers.

FMC staff will be all over the map in the next couple of weeks, talking about music, tech and policy issues as well as raising money for New Orleans musicians. Oh yeah, we’ve also got the date nailed down for our D.C. Policy Summit! So you know, our summer is definitely heating up. Read on for details on all this and more.

Save the Date: Future of Music Policy Summit – Oct. 4-6, 2009
SanFranMusicTech Summit: May 18! (podcast w/Brian Zisk)
Artist Activism Camp and “Musicians Bringing Musicians Home V” concert
FMC releases “Same Old Song” radio playlist study
World Copyright Summit: June 9-10, Washington DC
Nicole Atkins hits the Hill for LPFM
The push for a Public Performance Right
“Tweeting” music – who, if anyone, gets paid?
Travel and appearances

A handful of posts ago, we told you about how singer-songwriter Nicole Atkins came down to DC for a flurry of appearances on the Hill in support of Low Power FM radio. LPFM is something that an increasing number of artists care about, because it's a great way for a wider variety of music to be heard on the public airwaves. (Guess what? We've got a fact sheet all about it.) read more

Public Performance Right for Sound Recordings

Mar 5, 2018

ASCAP - BMI Consent Decrees

Aug 4, 2016

Political Campaigns and Music Licensing

When must candidates get permission to use music, and who must they ask?

Sep 9, 2015

From the Desk of Scott McCaughey

"HealthCare Remix" Discussion on Reform

Erin McKeown Gets Cabin Fever in July

Galactic's Stanton Moore powers Tom Morello's new Street Sweeper Social Club album

FMC Launches "I Support Community Radio" Campaign

Tipitina's set to host 'Musicians Bringing Musicians Home V' benefit concert

Benefit Concert for NOLA Artists

Nicole Atkins Blogs About LPFM

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