WINTER 2011 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Expo

Features

How You Can Clear Cover Songs, Samples, and Handle Public Domain Works

Direct-to-Fan: Hitting Your True Potential

The Sundance ASCAP Music Café Wraps-Up With Stunning Performances By The Secret Sisters, Nicole Atkins, St. Vincent, The Civil Wars, Pat Sansone and More

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Twitter Q and A

We Create Music Blog

Kayo Dot's Toby Driver Breaks Down "Stained Glass"

Wherein Toby Driver, the driving force behind Brooklyn's Kayo Dot, details the creative process behind his latest avant-rock composition,

Hall & Notes - Susan Sandberg's Hall Pass Success

ASCAP member Susan Sandberg has scored a string of placements in Farrelly Brothers films. In this interview, Susan tells us the ins and outs of making music for the big-screen, small-screen and no screen at all.

A Musical Elegy for Japan

Etan Rosenbloom picks a selection of music by Japanese songwriters and composers, each one chosen to help us heal from the devastation of last week's earthquake and tsunami.

Scott Starrett's Big Event

The new NBC series The Event finds ASCAP member Scott Starrett soundtracking aliens, political conspiracies and assassination plots. All in a day's work for the Juilliard-trained composer! Starrett talks to the blog about his scoring process and how he developed The Event's distinctive sound.

Mike Viola is Lost in the Supermarket

Is writing a song an an act of artistry or manufacturing? ASCAP member Mike Viola argues it's both in this seriocomic essay on navigating the music consumer grist mill.

Danko Jones - Philadelphia Ticket Giveaway and Interview

Canadian rock ' n roll avatar Danko Jones (SOCAN) destroyed the Sundance ASCAP Music Café this January. In this interview, Jones talks about what motivates all the butt-kickery. Leave a comment by February 28th to win tickets to his Philly show on March 1st!

Kids on Kids Music: Doc Dauer & Friends - The Body Rocks

Four-year-old Sophia performs dance interpretations of The Body Rocks, a rockin' new album from ASCAP member Doc Dauer (with help from his pals Liz Phair, Guster, Pete Yorn and Minnie Driver) that teaches kids oodles of cool stuff about the anatomy.

Salute: Behind the Beats with AraabMuzik

ASCAP's Jonathan Jones checks in with Dipset producer AraabMuzik about how he got started, the projects he's got cooking and where he's headed in the future.

Baths - NYC Ticket Giveaway and Video Interview

ASCAP member Will Wiesenfeld is the electronica maven behind Cerulean, the enveloping debut by his project Baths. We talked to Will on the eve of his first headlining tour. Submit a comment on the blog post for a chance to win two tickets to see him at the Mercury Lounge in NYC on February 16th.

About to "Blow:" A Video Interview with Kool Kojak

ASCAP member Kool Kojak, the colorful co-writer/producer behind Flo Rida's

When A Song Hits You Right

We all have those songs that capture a specific time, or perfectly express what we're going through. ASCAP Nashville's Ryan Beuschel tells us about three songs by Garth Brooks, Dr. Dre and Craig Wiseman that did just that.

ASCAP Lesson: The Section Quartet on Arranging

If you've ever written a song, produced an album or scored a film cue you know that the music's arrangement -- how it comes to life using different instruments, timbres, textures, etc.

She's So Unusual: Julia Fordham Finds An Unlikely Musical Accomplice in Paul Reiser

One of the best parts about the annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café is the chance to witness the synergy between the music and film/TV communities.

Kids on Kids Music: Oran Etkin - Wake Up, Clarinet!

Seven-year-old Kiran reviews the new album Wake Up, Clarinet! by clarinetist/educator Oran Etkin

Between Two Worlds - Trip Lee Spreads a Message of Faith through Hip Hop

As a kid, Jesus wasn’t my homeboy. I thought of Him as more like Santa; he was the man up north who would reward you with blessings, if you were nice, or sentence you to an eternity in hell, if you were naughty.

Unpacking ASCAP's Most-Covered Songs of 2010

I read some interesting news the other day from our new Member Benefits partner Limelight.

ASCAP Lesson: Wendy & Lisa on The Art of Collaboration

Wendy Melvoin and Lisa Coleman, Emmy winners for the theme to Nurse Jackie, talk about the secret to their longevity as musical collaborators.

ASCAP's Top 10 Albums, etc. of 2010

The ASCAP Staff choose their favorite albums, concerts, videos and musical moments of the year

Behind the Scenes at the 2010 ASCAP Latin Song Camp

ASCAP hosted its very first Latin Song Camp in Los Angeles on the 7th, 8th and 9th of December of 2010. Selected for the Song Camp were 11 of today’s most renowned Latin hit songwriters, chosen for this three-day event to create and record the songs that will shape the ever-competitive Latin market in the near future.

The Gift of Sampling: DJ Premier and the Creation of "Nas Is Like"

ASCAP's Raymond Arrucci on how some casual crate digging brought DJ Premier to create the Nas hit

Mary Chapin Carpenter's Search for the Soul of Christmas

ASCAP's Randy Grimmett on Come Darkness, Come Light, the modern Christmas classic by Mary Chapin Carpenter

The Deadly Syndrome: Exclusive Video and L.A. Ticket Giveaway!

All of us out here in the ASCAP L.A. compound are proud to count The Deadly Syndrome among the people in our neighborhood.

An Irreverent Holiday Song Roundup

A selection of offbeat holiday songs, lovingly gift-wrapped by real live ASCAP members.

Kids on Kids Music: Cathy Heller - Turn the Sunshine On

Adeline reviews ASCAP member Cathy Heller's joyous 2010 album Turn the Sunshine On.

A Good Hair Day: ASCAP lyricist Glenn Slater disentangles his work on Tangled

ASCAP lyricist Glenn Slater talks about working on the movie Tangled and other projects in the works

The Process: In the Studio with Da Internz

Class is in session! 'Twas a glorious day outside when I visited with Tuo and Kosine, the production/writing team known collectively as Da Internz.

A Hand-Illustrated (But Serious) Report on the State of CMJ

ASCAP's Lavinia Jones Wright defends the relevance of the CMJ Music Marathon and hand-drawn illustrations.

Music for a Friday Morning Drive to Work

A playlist for your Friday morning drive into work, by ASCAP's Sean O'Malley

Another Side of Gabriel Flores

ASCAP's Jonathan Reyes discovers another side of Latin songwriter Gabriel Flores

The Only Exception: Paramore's Firebrand Frontwoman Hayley Williams Checks In

I can still recall the first time I heard Paramore. Back in the summer of 2007 the band’s single “Misery Business” owned rock radio, and every time it blasted out of my stereo, it owned my ears, too.

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Faces and Places

Still Catchy After All These Years

SCL Fetes Oscar-Nominated ASCAP Members

John Powell and Nick Carr Win Annie Awards

Cello-Fronted Heavy Metal Trio Grayceon Takes ASCAP's Pop Quiz

Audio/Visual Trio WIN WIN Take ASCAP's Pop Quiz

University of the Pacific Hits the Books with ASCAP

ASCAP Composer Bear McCreary Honored by RMA for His Live Orchestra Advocacy

ASCAP and City Showcase Songwriting Masterclass

Kenny Chesney, Brad Paisley Lead Long List of ASCAP ACM Nominees

ASCAP Composers Hans Zimmer and John Powell Nominated for BAFTA Awards

ASCAP Members Trent Reznor and Diane Warren Win Golden Globes

Pop Quiz - First Aid Kit

Alan and Marilyn Bergman Honored by the SCL

Augusta Read Thomas Appointed as University Professor of Composition at the University of Chicago

Louis Andriessen Wins 2011 Grawemeyer Award for His Multimedia Opera "La Commedia"

Christopher Gordon Holds Screening and Q&A Session for Mao's Last Dancer

Diane Warren's Spectacular Season

Watch video of the 2010 ASCAP Television & Film Scoring Workshop with Richard Bellis

ASCAP Members and Affiliates Earn Critics' Choice Movie Awards Noms

Composing Between the Lines

Armenia Meets America in Indie Flick My Uncle Rafael

ASCAP Member Ellie Lawson Demonstrates New 3D Holographic Technology

Misty Miller, Gareth Dunlop and Pearl and The Puppets in Sync With ASCAP London

Welcome Home Matt Savage

Matt Shipp Appointed 2011 Master Artists-in-Residence at Atlantic Center for the Arts

Composer/Percussionist Lukas Ligeti Receives Alpert Award

Orpheus Chamber Orchestra Project 440 Commissions

The ASCAP VIP Film Music Breakfast Connects Filmmakers and Composers at the Sundance Film Festival

ASCAP's Night School Demystifies Management and Explains Royalties

A Merry Christmas Showcase

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Field Recording

Green Room

Uniting Musicians, Industry and Fans

Green Music Group brings all parties to the table in the push for environmental awareness

Citizen of The World

A native of California’s Bay Area, 20-year music veteran Michael Franti has become a citizen of the worldthrough his forward-thinking endeavors.

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Legacy

New Members

Harmony "H-Money" Samuels

Hot Glee Star and New ASCAP Member Darren Criss Talks Songwriting and Performs a Holiday Classic

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Notebook

Presidents Letter

Radar Report

It's Only Rock and Roll: The Dirty Pearls Channel the Energy of New York

Sandy Vee's Having a "Crazy" 2011 With Grammy Noms and Chart-topping Hits

Producer and Music Mogul Jermaine Dupri Gets Social and Goes Global

Producer Needlz Injects High Energy into Hip Hop Hits

A Standout Performance on The Sing-Off Puts Nashville Songwriter Jeremy Lister Back on the Map

L.A. Rockers Oedipus Find Success Outside the U.S.

Skeleton Key Songwriter Erik Sanko Unlocks a Passion for Puppetry

A Solo Album Takes High School Musical Songwriter and Performer Drew Seeley Out of Class and Into the Spotlight

Easy As It Sounds

The Slamming Grooves, Spitfire Lyrics and Boundless Energy of the Jam Band-Meets-Hip-Hop Group DownBeat Keys

After Minor Tumult on a Major Label, the Many-membered Indie Outfit Margot and the Nuclear So and So's Keep Calm and Carry On

In the Doghouse

Still on the Line

Who's Got the Magic?

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Sparks

Stepping Out

The ASCAP Foundation

ASCAP Member Jason Mraz "Gives Back"

VH1 Save The Music Foundation Gala Honored the ASCAP Foundation

ASCAP Members Griffin Matthews and Matt Gould Receive 2010 ASCAP Foundation Michelle & Dean Kay Award

The pair of ASCAP writers received the award for their work, Witness Uganda, which was presented at The ASCAP Foundation/Disney Musical Theatre Workshop hosted by Stephen Schwartz in Los Angeles in 2010.