Capitol ® Washington, D.C. 20045 Washington, Ste. 840 529 14th St. NW, & SCIENCES ARTS RECORDING OF ACADEMY NATIONAL NATIONAL ACADEMY OF RECORDING ARTS & SCIENCES WINTER 2006 Tracks CapitolCapitol TracksTracks™™ ADVANCING THE RIGHTS OF THE MUSIC COMMUNITY ® ™ ® AA “CONGRESSIONAL“CONGRESSIONAL RECORD”RECORD” LIKELIKE NONO OTHEROTHER ® TheThe G”RAMMY“GRAMMY CongressionalCongressional BandBand” “cuts cuts aa tracktrack withwith KellyKelly ClarksonClarkson Kelly Clarkson and the “GRAMMY Congressional Band” at Recording Arts Day (l-r): Reps. Joe Crowley, Connie Mack, Mary Bono; Clarkson; Reps. Steny Hoyer, Stephanie Herseth, Marsha Blackburn and Charles Gonzalez Photo: Douglas A. Sonders/WireImage.com Academy Hosts Star-Spangled Event By Bill Holland Music people call attention to creative industry at Recording Arts Day events The second annual Recording Arts Day capped by the evening GRAMMYs on on Capitol Hill — during which dedicated the Hill Awards Dinner and show at the music professionals from across the country historic Willard Hotel. visit our nation’s lawmakers to remind The highlight of the day’s events was them of the importance of music in the first professional music recording American life — brought together most session ever staged on Capitol Hill. The Recording Arts Day host organization representatives: Hal Ponder (AFM), Don Rose (A2IM), Pat Collins (SESAC), major music business associations resulting session, held in a packed Cannon House John Styll (GMA), Karen Sherry (ASCAP), Gary Churgin (HFA), Kim Roberts Hedgepeth (AFTRA), John Simson in attendance by more than 160 artists, Building Caucus Room, featured Clarkson, (SoundExchange), Neil Portnow (The Academy), Barry Bergman (MMF-US), Rebecca Greenberg (RAC), David Israelite (NMPA), Suzan Jenkins (JAI), Fred Cannon (BMI), Joel Flatow (RIAA), Jim Donio (NARM) and songwriter songwriters, producers and other music songwriters Aben Eubanks and Jimmy Victoria Shaw Photo: Douglas A. Sonders/WireImage.com professionals. Messer, and the “GRAMMY Congressional Singing sensation Kelly Clarkson, stellar Band,” a backup team of House members Merchandisers; National Music Publishers’ aggressive advocacy on the part of the jazz guitarist Earl Klugh, Texas swing providing percussion and finger-snaps. Association; The Academy’s Producers & music community. “We’ve got a tremen- champ Ray Benson, Oscar winner Louis Walking together down the halls of Engineers Wing; Recording Artists’ dous amount of work to do,” he said. Gossett Jr. and top producers Jimmy the Senate and House were reps from Coalition; Recording Industry Association “The world is stealing us blind.” Jam, Desmond Child and Randy Jackson the American Association of Independent of America; SESAC; Songwriters Guild of Cooper also cautioned the group that were among the luminaries on hand. They Music; American Federation of Musicians; America; and SoundExchange. despite differences, they must present joined Recording Academy President Neil American Federation of Television and a unified front to lawmakers to address Portnow and the heads of virtually every Radio Artists; ASCAP; BMI; Gospel Music Legislators Offer Support protection problems, especially in light major U.S. music association to spread the Association; GRAMMY Foundation; The day began with morning orienta- of the short amount of time left in the word on the need for protection of the Harry Fox Agency; and Jazz Alliance tion and briefings at the Hotel Washington session. Another goal for Cooper is to music creators’ work in the digital age. International Inc. and a keynote appearance by Karan K. pass legislation that would ensure “music The event, conceived and organized Also visiting lawmakers’ offices were Bhatia, deputy U.S. trade representative. is in every school in America.” by the National Academy of Recording officials from Music Managers Forum — He outlined the grim statistics that call Arts & Sciences, was an all-day affair, US; National Association of Recording for further administration efforts to ensure Congress Is In (Recording) Session China and Russia more vigorously enforce Next on the agenda was a “famous laws designed to protect against the first,” the music recording session in the rampant music piracy subculture in Cannon Caucus Room, which took on the those nations. look of a high-end studio — complete The advocates then boarded buses and with console, amps, mics and an isolated headed to Capitol Hill, arriving at the base Plexiglas drum booth. Congressional mem- of the Capitol for a short walk to the House bers and staffers were in attendance to get side and a visit to the House chamber. a firsthand look at the recording session Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), featuring Kelly Clarkson. The program Howard Coble (R-N.C.), Cliff Stearns was both entertaining and educational, (R-Fla.), Debbie Wasserman Schultz as the policymakers learned about the (D-Fla.), Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.), and large number of “behind-the-scenes” Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) attended a working professionals needed to produce a track. lunch to address the group and show their Recording Academy Vice Chair Jimmy (l-r) Kelly Clarkson demonstrates the recording process with help from musicians Gerald Veasley and Jimmy Messer support for the music community. Jam took the stage first. Serving as narrator and the GRAMMY Congressional Band, Reps. Connie Mack, Mary Bono, Steny Hoyer, Stephanie Herseth, Joe Cooper, whose district includes for the recording demonstration, he Crowley and Charles Gonzalez Photo: Jeff Fishbein/WireImage.com Nashville, underscored the need for explained the steps in achieving a final Continued on page 4 2 CAPITOL TRACKS CAPITOL TRACKS 3 groups to visit the offices of hometown elected officials and House members grounded in intellectual property and protection issues. During the afternoon, one delegation tackled the Senate side, and met with Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-Texas). GRAMMYs On The Hill The evening festivities were held in the ballroom of the grand Willard Hotel, which dates back to Abraham Lincoln’s time. Lawmakers and their senior staff net- worked and swapped on-and-off-the-job stories with national and local recording artists, producers, artists’ unions, music Fellow GRAMMY winners Jimmy Jam and Kelly Clarkson (left) welcome the newest member of the class, Sen. Barack Obama (right). Academy President Neil Portnow presented the award Photo: Douglas A. Sonders/WireImage.com publishers, and reps from songwriter, Louis Gossett Jr. presents Sen. Dianne Feinstein with the GRAMMYs on the Hill award online music service and performing master recording. “It always begins with a by experimenting with additional sections Photo: Douglas A. Sonders/WireImage.com rights organizations. good song,” he said, which has to meld that clicked. Continued on page 6 with the right artist. Then there’s the When they were unsure where to take group of House lawmakers formed a selection of a compatible producer, the fledgling song next, they e-mailed the strong line behind the mics. finding simpatico musicians, working tune to Clarkson, who added a new part Perhaps they’ll never become the next out arrangements, finding the right studio herself “that took the song in a whole new Raylettes or Sweet Inspirations, but Reps. and recording engineer, and then booking direction,” Messer said. “And it was better.” Mary Bono (R-Calif.), Connie Mack (R-Fla.), time to “lay down tracks” to create a Messer also explained that at a Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), Mark Foley (R-Fla.), fleshed-out production. recording session, he prefers cutting Charles Gonzalez (D-Texas) and Joe Jam jokingly “dissed” the importance the basic tracks with the core band to Crowley (D-N.Y.) along with Blackburn the engineer plays in the process and was give the track “a more organic feel.” and Herseth, got the crowd’s attention left speaking into a dead mic until he gave A shy but confident Clarkson then took for their efforts. credence to session engineer Malcolm the stage, admitting charmingly to the In addition to the performance, Harper, who also serves as The Academy’s crowd that she was uncomfortable in front Clarkson and Jam were also onstage when Texas Chapter President. of audiences “except when I’m singing.” Neil Portnow presented a GRAMMY Award Songwriters Aben Eubanks and Jimmy And sing she did, launching into “Maybe,” to another rising star, Sen. Barack Obama Messer, who had collaborated with Clarkson backed by Eubanks and Messer and the (D-Ill.). Obama had been unable to pick up to co-write the new tune “Maybe,” were crack rhythm section of James “Biscuit” his Best Spoken Word Album GRAMMY for the next to speak to the crowd. Rouse and bassist Gerald Veasley, who his 2005 recording of Dreams From My They explained the genesis of the is also a Governor for The Academy’s Father at this year’s ceremony. Even with tune, which began with idea sketches Philadelphia Chapter and The Academy’s his political popularity, Obama insisted from both writers. The song was then National Advocacy Chair. that only his GRAMMY has finally suddenly solidified by an undeniably The basic track finished, the recording impressed his wife. John Ondrasik of Five For Fighting performs during catchy and slightly melancholy guitar riff required overdubs by a session backup After the working lunch and recording GRAMMYs on the Hill Photo: Douglas A. Sonders/WireImage.com on the part of Eubanks, and expanded group. To the crowd’s delight, a game session, the advocates divided into small 4 CAPITOL TRACKS CAPITOL TRACKS 5 In the ballroom, before the awards The Brooklyn Center Junior/Senior High were handed out, master guitarist Earl School from Brooklyn Center, Minn., was Klugh brought silence to the buzzing awarded a $15,000 grant at the event room with a gentle and moving solo to augment the courageous fundraising rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” efforts of both students and teachers to on his classical nylon string guitar. keep its music programs afloat despite “American Idol” star Randy Jackson, massive funding cuts.