In 2018, Ashlye Keaton and Gene Meneray of The Ella Project wrote a guest column for OffBeat. Together they opined, “We are in the middle of a fundamental shift in how music and culture is created, distributed and accessed by fans. This is an incredibly disruptive time, particularly for musicians and other artists who are trying desperately to keep up with the times and understand how to distribute their work – and how to be paid fairly.”

Regrettably in 2020, especially after the devastation caused by Covid, the song remains the same.

In a press release, The Ella Project reminds musicians “The way people are accessing, consuming and listening to music has changed dramatically, and the laws and mechanisms for collecting royalties are still catching up. The Music Modernization Act was passed by Congress in 2018, and it’s supposed to make it easier for musicians to collect certain royalties. In order to maximize revenue streams, musicians have to know their rights, organize their catalogues and register with the rights organizations that will be play a role in carrying out the Music Modernization Act.”

On Wednesday October 14 at 2:00 p.m. via Zoom, The Ella Project and the New Orleans Jazz Museum will present Ashlye Keaton, Co-Founder of The Ella Project, and Lou Hill, CEO/Founder of the Water Seed Music Group and Moonrise Entertainment as they discuss: What local musicians need to know about the Music Modernization Act, updates to copyright registration for music, organizing your catalogue and how The Ella Project can help, and how and why to register with Performance Rights Organizations, especially Sound Exchange. They will also answer questions from the audience.

This forum is free, but please email [email protected] to get a link to the Zoom meeting.

An event co-presented by The Ella Project and the New Orleans Jazz Museum, this workshop is supported in part by an award from the National Endowment for the Arts.