WASHINGTON, DC--(Marketwired - April 24, 2017) - On Tuesday, April 25, The ASCAP Foundation and The Library of Congress will jointly present the ninth annual "We Write the Songs" event at the historic Coolidge Auditorium in The Library of Congress in Washington, DC. The evening celebrates the gift by The ASCAP Foundation to the Library of Congress of the original manuscripts, lead sheets, lyrics sheets, photos and letters of some of America's greatest creators of words and music.
The evening will be hosted by The ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams, and will include performances by several of ASCAP's leading songwriter and composer members. Performers at the event will include: Peter Frampton & Gordon Kennedy ("Baby I Love Your Way" & "Change the World"); Rob Thomas (of Matchbox Twenty) ("Smooth"); Eric Bazilian & Rob Hyman (of The Hooters) ("One of Us" & "Time After Time"); Ledisi ("Pieces of Me"); and Raul Midón ("Keep on Hoping").
"We Write the Songs" has become a Washington tradition and an exclusive ticket for legislative and cultural dignitaries, as the event is not open to the public. Dozens of Members of Congress crowded Coolidge Auditorium for an evening of classic songs and stories at the 2016 event.
The ASCAP Collection at the Library of Congress was established to preserve the history and create a repository for video and audio materials, photos, scores, documents and artifacts. Each is relevant to the rich history of the institution of ASCAP and its members as contributors to American culture. Some archival materials record the day-to-day workings of ASCAP; others provide insights into the life and music of individual members of ASCAP. By placing The ASCAP Collection at the Library of Congress, historians, students and members of the public have access to this valuable trove of musical history.
The event takes place the evening before ASCAP's "Stand with Songwriters" Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill. On Wednesday, April 26, many of the "We Write the Songs" music creators will meet personally with legislators to discuss the challenges facing songwriters in the digital music age and urge policymakers to update the outdated and overreaching federal regulations that govern how songwriters license their work.
About The ASCAP Foundation
Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education, talent development and humanitarian programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org
About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business - from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With over 600,000 members representing more than 10.5 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com
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