Washington, D.C.— A diverse group of musicians, including Damian Kulash of OK Go, Erin Mckeown, Martín Perna of Antibalas and Ocote Soul Sounds, Hank Shocklee of Bomb Squad and Shocklee Entertainment, Jonny 5 of Flobots and more have come forward in support of preserving the open internet as a platform for innovation, creativity and commerce.
Net neutrality — the principle that preserves an open internet — lets musicians and independent labels compete in a legitimate digital music marketplace alongside the biggest companies. In the past week, the above musicians have published two articles in major media outlets in support of net neutrality.
Damian Kulash of OK Go in the Sunday, August 29 edition of Washington Post:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/27/AR2010082702131.html?sub=AR
Erin Mckeown, Martin Perna, Jonny 5 of Flobots and Hank Shocklee of Shocklee Entertainment and the Bomb Squad in The Hill on August 26:
http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/technology/115971-net-neutrality-...
Future of Music Coalition (FMC), a national education, research and advocacy organization for musicians, supports these artists in their efforts to preserve the open internet.
“When FMC was founded a decade ago, it was with the understanding that the internet represented an amazing opportunity for musicians,” says FMC Communications Director and Policy Strategist Casey Rae-Hunter. “When we hear artists talking about how they use the internet to reach fans directly, we know we had the right idea.”
Launched in 2007, FMC’s Rock the Net campaign includes thousands of artists and independent labels who depend on the open internet and the level playing field it represents. Rock the Net founding artists include Pearl Jam, Kronos Quartet, Boots Riley of The Coup, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, Death Cab for Cutie, Calexico and more. As part of the campaign, musicians and composers have held concerts, written statements and testified in Congress in support of the open internet.
Rock the Net:
http://futureofmusic.org/issues/campaigns/rock-net
In 2010, artists such as stic.man of Dead Prez, Erin McKeown, Vijay Iyer, Franz Nicolay composer Alex Shapiro, Martín Perna and many more filed comments with the FCC about the importance of preserving the open internet.
Read select comments here:
http://futureofmusic.org/file-comments-fcc-open-internet
A diverse group of Rock the Net artists are spotlighted in an attractive, “in their own words” booklet. Download the PDF here:
http://futureofmusic.org/sites/default/files/NN_Glossy_2010.pdf
FMC sees open internet structures as essential to the establishment of a legitimate digital music marketplace that compensates artists while allowing fans to access an array of music in innovative ways.
Future of Music Coalition is a national non-profit education, research and advocacy organization that seeks a bright future for creators and listeners. FMC works towards this goal through continuous interaction with its primary constituency — musicians — and in collaboration with other creator/public interest groups. More