by Jimi Yamagishi, Director, SongNet
Jeff (left) & Todd Brabec (right) were in the spotlight at the latest LAMP event, held in the new Music Connection Theater in Studio City.
Speaking to a nearly full house, Jeff & Todd did what they do best- bring to life the realities of the music industry in entertaining & easy to understand terms.
Jeff started off, explaining how the industry is changing & mid sized labels like Chrysalis are flexible enough to keep pace because their staff is closer to the street. Todd then provided a
counterpoint discussing that while ASCAP has recently added agreements referencing the internet, the same basic life+70 or life +95 statutes still apply for copyrights, & songwriters still
get paid the same way on the same scales.
After running thru the basics for the first half hour, the floor was open for Q&A time where
discussions about sampling, use of public domain material, similar sounding song issues & licensing provided a lively dialog between the audience & the stage.
Length of contract issues were also of particular interest emphasizing the importance of reversion clauses in song contracts, & above all, getting as much as possible in writing before
seeing an attorney. In fact, Jeff made it very clear that he would never negotiate anything with an artist unless they had legal representation from a legitimate music attorney, to insure
everyone understands & is comfortable with any kind of deal.
Running straight through without a break, two hours flew by as if it were a few minutes, yet the
amount of information most attendees had in their notes was enough to fill weeks of re-evaluation & reflection, and a good foundation to begin looking into the realities of the
business of music.
Finishing off with a bit of thought provoking & humorous examples of alternate music
marketing, such an "Achey-Breaky" doll that refused to shut up, Todd & Jeff Brabec proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that LAMP's Legal Tuesday series is the place to be for anyone
serious about their career!
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Jimi Yamagishi heads up SongNet, a FREE songwriter's organization that meets the first &
third Wednesdays @ the Coffee Gallery in Altadena
More info @
