A Hopeful New Year

Each year as the holiday season approaches and seasonal music fills the airwaves, ASCAP announces its top 25 holiday songs, based on performance data tracked by ASCAP's radio airplay monitoring service, Mediaguide. More than anything else, music sets the mood for the holidays, evoking the magic of the season and memories of holidays past. These timeless classics have been recorded by artists in every genre, yet each song retains the original stamp of its creators. They are some of the best examples of the power a songwriter creates when he or she marries melody, lyrics, rhythm and emotion in a way that touches peoples lives. You can find our holiday song list at www.ascap.com.

This season is also a time of hope and resolve for the new year. 2008 will surely be a year of change in our country. The election of a new U.S. President and Congress will bring a shift in leadership to Washington, DC. ASCAP’s hope is that whoever assumes the leadership of our country will understand the rights, challenges and value of the music creator community. Our resolve, as ever, is to strengthen that understanding whenever and wherever possible, not only on the legislative front but also in the worlds of technology, education and media.

With the rapid development of new delivery systems for music, video and other art forms, it is clear that we are at another pivotal moment in the history of creators’ rights. ASCAP is at the ready. Heading into 2008, our membership now exceeds 300,000 songwriters, composers and music publishers. We know the value of writing and publishing the music that is loved around the world. We will remain steadfast in our efforts to protect our right to be fairly compensated.

I would like to wish everyone the very best for the holidays and a happy, hopeful and creative new year.