Washington, D.C.— The most influential minds in music, technology, policy and law gathered in the nation’s capital this week to examine current issues affecting the entire music ecosystem. Taking place at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. from Oct. 3-5, the 10th Anniversary Future of Music Policy Summit put creators front-and-center in every conversation.
Keynotes from Rocco Landesman (Chairman, National Endowment for the Arts) and Victoria Espinel (U.S. Intellectual Property Enforcement Coordinator) shone light on how the nation’s top public officials approach policymaking for the cultural sector in an increasingly digital, networked world.
Espinel highlighted her work in coordinating intellectual property enforcement across government agencies and regulatory bodies. “My job is to protect the creativity of U.S. citizens,” Espinel said, adding that “the protection of innovation… and creativity is essential for economic recovery.”
Landesman suggested that music and the arts are key to American cultural and economic health. “The arts are natural aggregators for creativity and innovation,” he said, noting that “any solution to the recession must include the arts.”
Other highlights included a provocative conversation between legendary producer/musician T Bone Burnett and longtime Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot. Burnett focused on both the decrease of audio quality in the digital age, as well as the lack of time today’s musicians have to focus on their craft. “A transistor radio sounds better than an iPod,” he said, while advising musicians to “stay completely away from the internet; have nothing to do with it.”
On the other side of the spectrum was Peter Jenner, a former manager of Pink Floyd who currently reps Billy Bragg. Jenner spoke passionately about “music in the cloud,” suggesting that music access through online services can coexist comfortably with “physical artifacts,” so long as the legal digital offerings include “all music from all cultures; billions of tracks.”
The independent sector was also heard from, with Jesse von Doom of CASH Music putting the economic difficulties facing today’s music entrepreneurs in clear perspective. “Bands that are not U2 living in some mansion made of cotton candy are having a hard time,” he said in a presentation and reaction panel that also featured representatives from Facebook, YouTube and Nielsen Entertainment.
Damian Kulash, front man for newly-independent rock band OK Go, talked about how his group’s vision wasn’t always in tune with industry gatekeepers. Some at major record labels, “don’t understand that market scarcity doesn’t apply to the internet,” he said, telling the story of when “someone in Capitol’s digital marketing department watched [the band’s homemade video] and his exact words were, ‘If this gets out, you’re sunk.’” The clip went on to become a viral web sensation and eventually scored OK Go a Grammy.
Several conversations at Summit10 included moments of guarded optimism about the future. Music fans “have never been more engaged,” according to Tom Silverman of Tommy Boy Records, a sentiment echoed by other speakers and presenters.
Eddie Schwartz, president of the Songwriters Association of Canada, suggested that a punitive approach to music consumption is not in the industry’s best interest. “The last thing we need is more sticks” to beat down file sharers, Schwartz offered. “We need to find legal ways to file-share.”
The full list of presenters and panelists can be seen here:
http://futureofmusic.org/summit2010/speakers-panelists
Sunday, October 3 was musicians’ day, with presentations and interactive discussions on subjects ranging from fan analytics to direct-to-consumer case studies to the possible impact of health care reform on musicians.
Event attendees reveled with other music lovers at the Dear New Orleans benefit show at Black Cat, which took place on Monday, Oct. 4. The all-star concert featured Big Easy brass band Bonerama with Damian Kulash of OK Go, Erin McKeown, Jill Sobule, Jenny Toomey & Franklin Bruno, Hank Shocklee (Public Enemy’s Bomb Squad), Jonny 5 of Flobots, Tim Quirk of Wonderlick and Too Much Joy, Rebecca Gates, Mariam Adam and more paying tribute to New Orleans musical culture.
A highlight of the concert came when Mike Mills of R.E.M. hopped onstage with Kulash, Bonerama, Shocklee, Jonny 5, Jenny Toomey and others to perform an impassioned cover of CSNY’s “Ohio.”
The concert showcased several of the artists who contributed to the critically-acclaimed compilation, Dear New Orleans — a benefit album produced by Air Traffic Control to mark the fifth anniversary of Katrina and the floods.
Since Hurricane Katrina, a diverse group of musicians have headed to the cradle of American music to participate in a series of artist-activist retreats produced by FMC and ATC and to learn firsthand about efforts to rebuild and sustain this vital city and its music communities. Proceeds from the album and concert go to nonprofits working to support the region’s unique musical and cultural traditions, and to restore and protect crucial environment and community resources.
Dear New Orleans can be downloaded here:
http://www.dearno.la/
Video of the 10th Anniversary Future of Music Policy Summit will archived online at http://www.futureofmusic.org very soon.
Select press:
Chicago Tribune
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/10/future-of-music-2010-copyright-czar-outlines-file-sharing-policy-that-paints-many-americans-as-crimi.html
http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/10/future-of-music-2010-t-bone-burnett-says-mp3s-degrade-music-.html
Washington City Paper
http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/music/2010/10/06/the-future-of-music-summit-summarized/
TBD.com
http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2010/10/damian-kulash-of-ok-go-on-d-c-doggie-video-future-of-music-coalition-policy-summit-2730.html
http://www.tbd.com/blogs/tbd-arts/2010/10/damian-kulash-of-ok-go-on-d-c-doggie-video-future-of-music-coalition-policy-summit-2730.html
Digital Music News
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/100510musicalmiddle#KB_nFaqcjsrKVdU07M934g
http://www.digitalmusicnews.com/stories/100610latest#QTgnnPahgomM_UCGJJCp1g
Future of Music Coalition is a national non-profit education, research and advocacy organization that seeks a bright future for creators and listeners. FMC works towards this goal through continuous interaction with its primary constituency — musicians — and in collaboration with other creator/public interest groups. More