Recap: ASCAP 2024 Membership Meeting | Shore Fire Media

Press ReleasesRecap: ASCAP 2024 Membership Meeting

ASCAPClient Information

29 February, 2024Print

Recap: ASCAP 2024 Membership Meeting

110 Years of ASCAP Creator-First Leadership and Ethos

See/download photos for publication HERE

Stacey Ryan, Paul Williams, DOMi & JD Beck (Credit: Ryan Lash)

NEW YORK, Feb. 29, 2024 – On Wednesday, February 28th, ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, held its 2024 ASCAP Membership Meeting at Jazz at Lincoln Center Frederick P. Rose Hall in Manhattan.

The event kicked off with a performance from Grammy-nominated progressive jazz duo DOMi & JD BECK. Next up, ASCAP Chairman of the Board and President Paul Williams and ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews delivered an ASCAP “State of the Union,” celebrating the PRO’s 110 years of serving music creators, recognizing ASCAP members’ remarkable achievements in 2023, and detailing its record-breaking financial success of the past year. Songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Stacey Ryan closed out the session with a performance of her own.

In his remarks, Williams explained the many advantages of ASCAP, the only creator-led US PRO: “The ASCAP Board of Directors are elected by you, and they make decisions and set policy with your best interests at heart. As a Board, we are incredibly focused on maximizing the value of your music, getting you paid fast and fairly and doing everything we can to support your livelihood as music creators. That is democracy in action, folks! That is ASCAP.”

Beth Matthews, ASCAP CEO (Credit: Ryan Lash for ASCAP)

Matthews detailed ASCAP’s advocacy efforts on AI, noting that, “We are biased towards humans. Software code doesn't need to eat, software code doesn’t need shelter…. We don’t want the monies to shift to non-humans, because they are not creators.”

To close out the session, ASCAP Foundation Executive Director Nicole George-Middleton shared highlights of the impact that educational, humanitarian and professional programs from Foundation are having on the lives of the next generation of music creators. “We try to instill a love of music in young students, and give them the tools to make music themselves. So, when they get older, they can write the songs, scores and symphonies that move the world.”

We Create Music: Jem Aswad, Carter Burwell, Sam Hollander, Michael R Jackson, Madison Love, Gregg Wattenberg (Credit: Ryan Lash for ASCAP)

The initial meeting was followed by networking and educational sessions. “We Create Music,” a panel consisting of ASCAP songwriters and composers at the top of the pop, film music and musical theater spheres, featured Sam Hollander (“High Hopes,” Panic! At The Disco), his fellow #1 songwriter-producer Gregg Wattenberg(Five for Fighting, OAR), Madison Love (“Bad Things,” Machine Gun Kelly & Camila Cabello; “Turbulence,” P!nk), Oscar-nominated film composer Carter Burwell (Carol, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri, The Banshees of Inisherin), and playwright/lyricist and composer Michael R. Jackson (Tony and Pulitzer-winning A Strange Loop). Moderated by Variety Executive Editor, Music Jem Aswad, the panelists discussed their approaches to storytelling and offered practical advice for navigating the ups and downs of the industry. “The only thing I can say is don’t wait at home,” Burwell advised. “Get your work out there. If you’re a musician you can go out and do that! And I was willing to say yes.”

Jermaine Dupri (Credit: Ryan Lash for ASCAP)

The session was followed by “The Confessions of Jermaine Dupri,” a keynote conversation with Songwriters Hall of Famer and forefather of the Atlanta music scene Jermaine Dupri and George-Middleton. He talked about coaching Mariah Carey: “For this song, you gotta hit the note. The song is great but you gotta end the song with a Mariah Carey ending to take it to the next level.” And offered his thoughts on songwriting: “To me, people don’t pay attention to the actual art of making music and writing songs. There’s a real art to it. Find the hook people can sing. Find the right melody for the verse. These are things you should say in the studio. It’s not to duplicate what you did, but remember how you got to that place.”

Writers Jam (Liana Banks, Claudia Brant, Blessing Offor, Maggie Lindemann) (Credit: Ryan Lash for ASCAP)

Wrapping up the day, the “Writers Jam” showcased performances and stories from some of today’s top writers across the genre spectrum. Participants included Liana Banks (Bebe Rexha, Saweetie, Queen Naija) who performed “Best Friend” and “Selfish,” Grammy-winning songwriter Claudia Brant (Camila Cabello, Carlos Santana) singing “Side Effects of You,” pop-rock juggernaut Maggie Lindemann (“Pretty Girl,” “hostage”) performing “Hostage” and “We Never Even Dated,” and Dove Award-winning gospel singer-songwriter and composer Blessing Offor (“Believe,” “Brighter Days”) with performances of “Waiting For The Sun,” “Don’t We All,” and “Brighter Days.”

Photos from the full day can be found and downloaded HERE (Credit: Ryan Lash for ASCAP).

 

About ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a membership association of more than 960,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers, and represents some of the world’s most talented music creators. In 2022, ASCAP reported record-high financial results of $1.522 billion in revenues and $1.388 billion available in royalty distribution monies to its members. Over the last eight years, ASCAP has delivered a 6% compound annual growth rate for total revenues, and a 7% compound annual growth rate for total royalty distributions to members. Founded and governed by songwriters, composers and publishers, it is the only performing rights organization in the U.S. that operates on a not-for-profit basis. ASCAP licenses a repertory of over 18 million musical works to hundreds of thousands of businesses that use music, including streaming services, cable television, radio and satellite radio and brick and mortar businesses such as retail stores, hotels, clubs, restaurants and bars. ASCAP collects the licensing fees; identifies, matches and processes trillions of performances every year; and returns nearly 90 cents of every dollar back to its members as royalties. The ASCAP blanket license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. ASCAP puts music creators first, advocating for their rights and the value of music on Capitol Hill, driving innovation that moves the industry forward, building community and providing the resources and support that creators need to succeed in their careers. Learn more and stay in touch at www.ascap.com, on Twitter and Instagram @ASCAP and on Facebook.

 

For more information: contact Hannah Schwartz at Shore Fire Media (hschwartz@shorefire.com)