News & Blog

Ms. Richardson Goes To Washington...April 2010

April 14th-15th I spent in Washington, D.C. Before you say, "Why didn't you tell me??" let me explain. I am a Board Member and the Advocacy Rep for the Memphis Chapter of The Recording Academy.

I went to D.C. as part of the 10th annual Grammys On The Hill, a yearly event where music professionals from across the country meet on Capitol Hill to lobby for creative rights. This year, more than 200 Recording Academy members attended, making this year the largest yet.

Garth Brooks, Sen. Dick Durbin, and Rep. Darrell Issa were honored for their commitment to improving the lives of working musicians at a reception on Wednesday night. The highlight of my evening was seeing Tommy Simms, Gordon Kennedy, and Wayne Kirkpatrick perform songs they've written for Garth, and a few written for Chris Gaines (wink, wink). They were amazing. BEYOND THAT...I actually met all three of them and got a photo with them (see below). Amazing. I almost cried. Honestly.

I also met and chatted with Rep. Steve Cohen and The Recording Academy President/CEO Neil Portnow. A treat indeed.

Garth waded through throngs of folks wanting to have a picture made. I put on my papparazzi hat and snapped candids of him from two feet away. Garth is great, no joke. But for me personally, the thrill was in meeting the songwriting trio of Simms, Kennedy, and Kirkpatrick.

It was an early morning after an evening of dreamy picture taking. After a lengthy security check, we were addressed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Not long after we were on our way to meet with congressional staffers. Our meetings were quick but to the point. We stated our views on The Performace Rights Act (HR848) and other legislation for which we'd like their support. They were kind to offer their time, and I appreciate their openness.

After a whirlwind 24 hours, I was back at the airport and headed home to Arkansas. It was fast and furious and I can't wait for next year.

This is just my take, but here are a few more resources if you're interested in joining for 2011:

http://www2.grammy.com/Recording_Academy/Advocacy/goth.aspx

The Washington Scene article and pics

Below are a few pics from my trip and a cool video from thegrammys YouTube channel. Enjoy!