WASHINGTON, DC. (By Barb Dehgan/ The Recording Academy) - The first-ever Recording Arts Day on Capitol Hill will take place Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2005, in partnership with the Recording Arts and Sciences Congressional Caucus (RASCC), The Recording Academy, and numerous music industry groups and associations. More than 50 music professionals from across the country will participate in this grassroots advocacy day designed to inform policy makers of the important role the recording arts play in the nation's culture and economy; stress the value of music education (especially in cultivating the next generation of artists); and raise the profile of the recording arts during meetings with legislators. Participating artists include songwriter Desmond Child ("
Livin' La Vida Loca"), three-time GRAMMY® winner
Gloria Estefan, musician/"American Idol" judge Randy Jackson, producer and three-time GRAMMY winner Jimmy Jam, saxophonist Dave Koz, and jazz guitarist and GRAMMY winner
Earl Klugh among many others. Recording Arts Day will include:
- The Power of Music: Gloria Estefan will mentor young musicians, culminating in a unique jam session with members of Congress and other guest artists;
- Meetings and briefings with recording arts professionals and other key policy makers; and
- GRAMMYs on the Hill: The Recording Academy's annual Advocacy event will honor Estefan, Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.).
"The music community needs an annual presence in Washington to promote our unified message: Recording arts and sciences are an essential contributor and vital element of our nation's culture and economy," said Recording Academy President Neil Portnow. "And we are looking forward to capping off a successful, first-ever Recording Arts Day by celebrating the efforts of this year's deserving honorees at our annual GRAMMYs on the Hill event."
During Recording Arts Day, the RASCC and the GRAMMY Foundation will host The Power of Music, a unique mentoring opportunity for young music students. Estefan will work with these talented musicians and conclude the workshop with a jam session that will include the students, members of Congress, and other recording artists; guests from Capitol Hill and members of the media will be invited to attend.
Throughout the day, the delegation of music professionals from across the country will meet with members of Congress and other policy makers at special briefings and in small breakout meetings to discuss the issues that affect the creation and distribution of recorded music. Virtually every facet of the music community - musicians, songwriters, singers, producers, as well as business professionals that distribute music to the public - will be represented.
Later that evening, The Recording Academy will honor Sen. Alexander, Rep. Hoyer and Estefan at the 5th annual GRAMMYs on the Hill event at the Willard Inter-Continental Hotel. The Academy created GRAMMYs on the Hill to honor outstanding legislators who work to improve the environment for music makers, and artists who use the power of music to improve all our lives. Sen. Alexander, a champion of songwriters and the chair of the Senate's Songwriters' Caucus, is being honored for a lifetime commitment to education; Rep. Hoyer, an active advocate in Washington for creators' rights and co-chair of the RASCC, for leading the passage of the sound recording preservation act; and Estefan for her exceptional 25-year music career. Additionally, the music department of Danville High School in Danville, Ark. - an Enterprise Award-winning GRAMMY Signature School - will be recognized for its outstanding commitment to music education despite economic challenges.
