Got to love ASCAP

The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP is an American not-for-profit performance-rights organization (PRO) that protects its members' musical copyrights by monitoring public performances of their music, whether via a broadcast or live performance, and compensating them accordingly.

ASCAP collects licensing fees from users of music created by ASCAP members, and then distributes them back to its members as royalties. In effect, the arrangement is the product of a compromise: when a song is played, the user does not have to pay the copyright holder directly, nor does the music creator have to bill a radio station for use of a song.

During the last three decades of the 20th century, ASCAP's membership grew to reflect every new development in music, including the funk, punk rock, heavy metal, hip-hop, techno, and grunge music genres. Today, ASCAP remains one of the world's most far-reaching PROs. ASCAP licenses over 11,500 local commercial radio stations, more than 2500 non-commercial radio broadcasters and hundreds of thousands of "general" licensees (bars, restaurants, theme parks, etc.). It maintains reciprocal relationships with nearly 100 foreign PROs across six continents, and licenses billions of public performances worldwide each year. ASCAP was the first U.S. PRO to distribute royalties for performances on the Internet and continues to pursue and secure licenses for websites, digital music providers and other new media.

My producers and artist are members of ASCAP and my company Brook Brovaz Corp is a publishing company under ASCAP. One main reason that I choose this PRO is because they have great programs to help artist. There are numerous programs and grant to give exposure and monetary benefits to upcoming artist. In addition to that ASCAP members have a voice. ASCAP is the only performing rights organization to hold an annual membership meeting during which members have the opportunity to learn about our operation from the president and staff, to ask questions and to voice concerns. ASCAP members also participate in the affairs of the Society by serving on a variety of committees, such as the Symphony and Concert Committee; Latin Music Council; Commercial, Promotional, Announcement (CPA) Advisory Committee; the Board of Review; and others.

I have developed a strategy to interact with upcoming artist and inform them about the benefits of ASCAP and the platforms they offer. We as Brook Brovaz Corp hold events for mixers and showcases to invite people established in the industry to meet artist and upcoming entertainment business owners to network and connect.We also believe in having our voices heard, we meet with both established and upcoming artist to discuss likes and dislikes on things in the music industry. At the conclusion we take these concerns to ASCAP to fight on our behalf and we try to attend the  yearly event to represent our voice and the voices of many artist out there.
 

Connecting the dots to life

In life we are told that secure paths are set by doing a set of things, go to college is number one on the list, learn a trade the second, take as many government exams to get a secure job or work for a company and hope to rise in the ladder of success. I was both amused and inspired when I listened to the speech titled “How to live before you die” by Steve Jobs. He starts the speech by saying when I was younger I dropped out of college; which he makes at a college graduation. He explains how dropping out of college was the best thing he could have ever done because he was no longer forced to do curriculum courses and could instead take course of his crossing and interest. He explains that if he stayed on the path that was dictated to him of going to college, there would be no Apple Company and we would not have the MAC. The basis of his story is that life is short so don’t waste time being normal or fit in, don’t be afraid to step outside the box, don’t be afraid to set the trends…don’t be afraid to create greatness. He explains that you can’t connect the dots looking forward you can only connect looking back; you have to trust in something that the dots will connect in the future. You have to believe because that and that alone will give you the confidence to follow your heart even when it leads you off the well worn path and that will make all the deference. 

All to many times someone gives up a dream of being a singer to be a nurse or lawyer, gives up the dream of being a producer to work a secure labor job or they never even dare to dream and just follow the path chosen for them. I was that path, I received a Master’s in Public Administration, was set to get into one of the government agency had it all set out and planned. I was a “model citizen”, but my heart was not please I yearned for something more something…different. I listened to my heart turned down a job most would kill for and start my music company Brook Brovaz. I look back at the end of each year and connect the dots, apply myself to my passions, structure a plan, hope and believe for execution so at the end of the next year I can connect more dots. Jobs not only touched my heart he enforced my passions to not just be dreams but instead a way of life. I do not want to waste time; I do not want to settle in to the average. Find what you love and master it, it will not be easy you will be reject people will tell you no but once you believe you will always be triumphant. He teaches us never to settle and when you find that niche you will know your heart will tell you. I want to live before I die… really live…thanks to Steve Jobs I have a new outlook on what it really means to live.

Sex Scandals in the music industry

We all know that when it comes to the music industry the words sex, drugs and scandal are synonymous with each other.  Rick Ross who is one of the biggest names in rap music is learning how, sex, drugs and scandal together is a recipe for disaster. Ross received a wave of negative backlash for a line in a song that said: "Put Molly all up in her champagne, she ain't even know it, I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain't even know it." (Molly being slang for Ecstasy) So basically this man says he drugged a female and while she was unconscious he had sex with her, I mean does it get more scandalous then that? Since then Ross has lost numerous supporters and his partnership with Reebok. A spokesperson said, "Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick Ross has failed to do so. While we do not believe that Rick Ross condones sexual assault, we are very disappointed he has yet to display an understanding of the seriousness of this issue or an appropriate level of remorse. At this time, it is in everyone's best interest for Reebok to end its partnership with Mr. Ross." Well I hope next time he chooses his words better and pray they are just words and not actions.

The next Scandal on the list is Ms. Kim Kardashian. Kim is known for her sex tape with singer Ray J and her show Keeping up with the Kardashin’s. Kim while married to Kris Humphries got pregnant for rapper Kanye West I mean the scandal does not stop in this industry but you got to love it. The best part about this is that on the show Kim dogged her sister out for having a child out of wed-lock, I mean she was married when she got pregnant just by someone other then her husband…Does it still count? Kim recently got divorced to Humphries and says she may have been to hard on her sister about having kids without being married and feels different about that matter now…Of course she does not that the shoe fits!

The music industry is an emotional roller coaster but you got to love. All jokes aside these are just 2 examples of the many that exist, I’m not sure why this industry makes people crazy but I hope and pray for better days.