WASHINGTON — From September 25 – November 16, 2001 the Future of Music
Coalition’s executive director, Jenny Toomey, will be speaking to students,
faculty, and the public at ten universities across the nation. The tour
has been made possible in part by a grant from the Center for the Public Domain.
The goals of the Speaking Tour are:
to clearly present the key policy issues in the realm of digital
technology, artists’ rights, and the music industry, using evidence
from the history of policymaking to the outcome of recent court cases
and corporate strategies;
to educate students and academics about the real-world challenges
that nonprofit think tanks face when participating in policy work on
Capitol Hill; and
to engage in a meaningful debate with students, academics, and community
members about these critical issues. By moderating a legitimate and
informed discussion, the FMC will be better prepared to serve as a representative
for the variety of stakeholders who can be affected by changes in communications
policy, copyright law and corporate contracts.
During the presentation, Toomey will first outline the traditional business
model of the music industry, touching on the power of contracts, the control
the industry has over the distribution and promotion channels, and the
subsequent economic pressures that force musicians to give up ownership
of their own copyrights in order to have access to the star-making machine.
Then Toomey will focus on the technologies developed in the last decade
that have provided new opportunities for both musicians and music labels.
The Internet, in particular, has shown the potential to provide many new
ways for musicians to create, promote, and distribute their work. However,
the Internet’s potential has yet to be fully realized in this realm. Not
only is the vast majority of major label content still unavailable for
legal distribution via the Internet, the major labels have used lawsuits,
legislation and their market power to stifle a number of innovative technologies
and companies that have provided viable alternatives to the traditional
business models.
Throughout the presentation, Toomey will talk about the important balance
between the creators and citizens that is codified by copyright law. She
will note that, over the past 200 years, the amount of time that a work
can remain copyrighted has been continuously lengthened, thus substantially
delaying the release of works into the public domain. This has profound
implications, not only for musicians, but also for the public at large
as more intellectual property and discovery is deemed private property
instead of a public good.
Overall, Toomey hopes that the Fall Speaking Tour will help the public
to understand the forces at work at the intersection of music, technology,
law and policy.
“Primarily I am a citizen and a musician working to extend the general
knowledge of certain complicated issues,” said Toomey. “It is my hope
that through public dialogue we will be able to raise the level of understanding
and insert the citizens’ and creators’ voice into the middle of debates
that often take place without their input.”
At many universities the presentation is being followed by a panel discussion
with experts from the law, music, and communications fields. The event
should stimulate an engaging discussion with students, faculty, and members
of the public.
In addition to the public speaking events, Jenny Toomey will be performing
almost every night to support the release of her new double CD, Antidote,
which is coming out on Misra Records this October. Since 1990 Toomey has
been in a number of critically acclaimed bands including Tsunami, Liquorice
and Grenadine, which released seven albums combined. Antidote marks
Toomey’s first release as a solo artist, but certainly not her last.
Please go here to view the Behind/Behind
the Music Tour Itinerary.
About the Future of Music Coalition
The Future of Music Coalition is a not-for-profit collaboration between
leading independent musicians and experts from the worlds of technology,
public policy and intellectual property law. The FMC seeks to educate
the media, policymakers, and the public about music / technology issues,
while also bringing together key stakeholders in an effort to come up
with creative solutions to some of the challenges in this space. The FMC
also aims to identify and promote innovative business models that will
help independent musicians benefit from new technologies. The FMC Board
members include Jenny Toomey, Michael Bracy (government relations), Walter
McDonough (general counsel), Brian Zisk (technology director), Kristin
Thomson (community development), and Peter Dicola (economic analysis).
About Jenny Toomey
Jenny Toomey, executive director, is an activist and musician. From 1990-1997
she co-ran the independent record label Simple Machines, which released
over 70 records in an eight year period. She has been in a number of bands
including Tsunami, Grenadine and Liquorice. This October, Misra
Records will be releasing a double CD of Toomey’s own songs, Antidote.
This Speaking Tour is being run in conjunction with a rock tour that will
take Toomey and her five-member band to many clubs across the country.
About the Center for the Public Domain
Center
for the Public Domain is a non-profit foundation that supports the
growth of a healthy and robust public domain by establishing programs,
grants, and partnerships in the areas of academic research, medicine,
law, education, media, technology, and the arts.
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For more information:
View the Tour Itinerary
Read about the details of
the scheduled speaking events
Read some press clips about
the events
Tour Contacts
Download this PDF for
more information about the tour