Joined ASCAP

Well, I took a big step today -- even the ASCAP site told me that after I joined. The decision followed a conversation with Anne Feeney, who's been singing my song "If I Could Have Beer With the President" (which she renamed, with good reason, "The Man I Voted For," and that is its new title) all around the country. You can view and listen here. If you listen to my version on
MySpace, you'll see she took a few liberties with the tune and words: "Look what they've done to my song, Ma, look what they've done to my song..." Maybe some would consider them improvements, but at first it was disconcerting nonetheless. But then when I think of what Peter, Paul and Mary did to "If I Had a Hammer," or what the Byrds did to "Turn, Turn, Turn," I realize I should be (and am!) grateful that she liked it enough to cover it and record it! She recorded it at the Kerrville Folk Festival, and called me to tell me that they may be making a commercial recording of the performance, so she wanted to know, am I with BMI or ASCAP? I had to admit -- neither. I almost joined BMI once, then freaked out when I saw all the legal language and chickened out. She convinced me that I'd better do it.

And I haven't mentioned yet that Cindy Mangsen has covered my song, "Stories," at a Unitarian Universalist service in Bennington, VT. So I knew the time might come when I'd want to join a PRO (Performing Rights Organization) eventually, and I wasn't sure if I wanted that time to come or not. But come it did, and who knows what amazing things may come after?