Much of the work the Federation does to advocate for musicians’ interests and influence laws and policies that protect them happens through the relationships we’ve built in Washington, DC. Ben Kessler is our director of government affairs. Last month, I joined him for a few days in the capital to discuss your interests directly with […]

So it must be that many years ago—perhaps decades or even centuries ago—an ill-tempered character, with a chip on their shoulder about the encroaching Industrial Age, must have bestowed upon us denizens of this century the tried-and-true curse that we may “live in interesting times.” So interesting are these times that I struggled all month […]

The paint on the nameplates of new government ministers may still be wet, but the government has taken office and things are moving quickly. We have a round of meetings planned for mid-June. The Canadian government has stated that it is focused on creating new trade partners, which means rethinking how things work in a […]

The technological challenges musicians face are not new. We can go back to Edison’s invention of the phonograph, which at the time, fundamentally altered the relationship between listeners and music. Audiences could now listen to recorded music on a physical medium, at any time, without having to go to a venue where musicians were playing. […]

Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the US Constitution grants Congress the authority to, “promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries.” Interference with that enumerated power, like the president’s attempted dismissal of Register of Copyrights […]

Have you ever played a Music Performance Trust Fund (MPTF) event? Perhaps you got paid to inspire school kids through a music education performance. Maybe you have experienced what it means for a resident of a senior center or assisted living facility to hear their favorite songs. We love to provide grants to bring the […]