October 18–25, 2001

music

Socket Toomey

Jenny Toomey wants indie musicians to plug in.

by Helen H. Thompson

Future of Music Symposium

Oct. 9, Kiva Auditorium, Temple University

Just in case it wasn’t obvious at last week’s Future of Music symposium at Temple University, the lawyers were the ones with suits on. One would hope that they had their ears on as well, because Jenny Toomey — like many musicians affected by the whining of lumbering, behemoth record labels in the Internet age — has something to say.

The former lead gal for indie outfit Tsunami (among others) has pulled together The Future of Music Coalition, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank struggling to give musicians a voice in policy debate. "The only two groups that are directly extended protection by the original copyright law are citizens and creators," said Toomey, before an audience of students and fellow musicians. Her previous work also includes many years helping run indie label Simple Machines. "If these two groups could manage to get together and bring their needs to Congress, they would have an unquestionably legitimate platform to work for better structures to protect the value of artistic labor."

To do that, Toomey maintains that creators and citizens need to be better informed. That’s why she’s rambling around the country exploring the legal maze with academic and legal experts and "distilling" the issues into something the people not in suits can understand.

And so they listened, rapt, as Toomey led them through the winding corridors of copyright law, publishing policies and royalty mechanisms. Along the way, she delivered scathing commentary on the nature of a market "artificially constrained by large corporations" that practically steal away artists’ copyrights, which they then get to keep for more than a century.

Her incisive, and incising, speech was then duly dissected by a bunch of people who like the system just the way it is. "I take issue with the idea that a new model [of distribution] would engender more creativity," said Lou de Lise, a lecturer in pop composition and arranging at Temple. "If I create something that is successful, shouldn’t it accrue to my heirs?"

The panelists did, however, agree that the system isn’t perfect, but remained blissfully tuned out to the fact that popular radio misses a huge chunk of what truly is — or could be — popular.

"I need record companies to expose my clients," said Lloyd Z. Remick, a lawyer who specializes in entertainment contracts. "I would never want to do away with major labels. In fact, I wish there were more of them."

Ironic, isn’t it?