LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

[March 16th, 2005] In Defense of Royalty

In your Feb. 23 issue, you posted BMI (Broadcast Music International) and ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) as Rogues of the Week for simply doing their respective jobs. You characterized the groups as bullies working for the music-industry titans, while the truth is that these two groups are standing up for and protecting the rights of musicians everywhere.

There are these things called copyright laws and music licenses that are used to determine how much royalty money musicians get for their creations. Do you think Ozzie would be able to determine and collect his own royalties without the aid of ASCAP and/or BMI? What about the travesties of the past, such as Pat Boone getting more money from Little Richard songs than Little Richard? ASCAP and BMI are the legal resources to aid musicians with these financial matters. The fact that the small venues you featured in your article (Crêpe Soleil and the Abbey Cafe) failed to include the cost of music in their business plan does not make ASCAP or BMI rogue-ish in any manner.

I do have empathy for the Abbey Cafe, but I find it hard to believe their claim that they play only original independent local music. I've played music for 20 years, and every musician I've ever known plays a cover song every now and then. And if there isn't a live musician in the room, is there no music at all? No tapes, CDs or radio? I find that difficult to believe as well.

You want to go after some big-business titans who are trying to crush the little guy, go after Wal-Mart. ASCAP and BMI represent musicians, and, despite all the other crap that's created a music industry that does everything it can to screw musicians (petdance.com/actionpark/albini/the-problem-with-music.html), ASCAP and BMI are two of the few groups trying to get musicians their due. Paying for music is just part of doing business, like advertising and utility bills, so get over it and do the right thing.

Speaking of utility bills, why wasn't George W. Bush called out as the Rogue of the Week for trying to push the BPA into charging market rates for electricity in his new budget outline, with the effect of increasing consumer bills by 30 percent or more? I think this would cost the Abbey Cafe a lot more than paying for music. Just where are your priorities, Rogue Desk?

Ian Barrett Southeast
Schiller Street

Everyone's a Critic

Dear Amanda Deutch: I am writing in response to your inane and insipid review of the new Portland-made film Bigger Than the Sky [WW, Feb. 23, 2005]. Not only do you devalue the pretense of the movie and insult the actors and their abilities, you project the air of true idiocy. I understand disliking a film, but using banal terminology such as "crappy," "lobotomy" and "annoying" in your review shows your lackluster ability for good writing. Perhaps you should take a seat in the back and entertain yourself by reading Writing for Dummies.

Belle Raymond
Northeast Broadway