Jim Brickman s Faith up for best new age album at 2010 Grammy Awards Toronto, Ontario- December 7, 2010 –In addition to the dozen Canadians nominated for awards at the 2010 Grammys there are several more Canadians connected to the Grammy Nominees list. Included in the latter list are Canadian vocalists Amy Sky and Mark Masri who both appear as guest vocalists on pianist Jim Brickman’s CD Faith which has been nominated for Best New Age album (Category 43). Faith is a collection of 18 beloved hymns and inspirational originals released by Somerset Entertainment. It is an instrumental album, with the exceptions of “Love Never Fails” featuring Amy Sky and “Fly Away” featuring Mark Masri. These 2 tracks are the only vocal collaborations on the album. Neither Amy nor Mark are strangers to award nominations; Amy has been nominated for several awards including 3 Junos, and Mark has been nominated for both a Covenant Award and a Juno. "Jim has been a treasured collaborator of mine for years, and “Love Never Fails” is one of my favourite songs, so it is very exciting to be a part of his Grammy nominated CD!" commented Amy Sky, on hearing of the honour. Amy and Mark Masri have also collaborated on Masri’s forthcoming album “La Voce” due in early 2010 from Green Hill-EMI. The 52nd Grammy Awards will take place on January 31, 2010. How much value do we place on music? That s a huge question, and one that lies at the heart of proposed reforms to Canada s copyright law. The Harper government has promised at various times to bring in new legislation, and recently the government held a number of townhall-style consultation meetings seeking input and suggestions. But the legislation has yet to emerge from cabinet, and time is running out before the Christmas recess and, potentially, an election call. The Copyright Act is important legislation for Canada s songwriters, recording artists and other rights holders, because it sets the rules around the copying and use of music, and how the artists who create it are paid for their work. Like so many other Canadians who make and market something, we make our living from the sale and use of what we create. Some people make furniture or footwear or even wireless hand-held communication devices. We make music. Just like the clever folks who created the BlackBerry, Canada s songwriters and recording artists are proud of the music they create. It has value, in both the artistic and monetary senses of the word. But unlike the creators of other things, artists don t enjoy the same kind of safeguards to ensure they are fairly compensated when their work is copied and used. The Copyright Act was last updated in 1997. Some significant changes were made at that time, especially with respect to private copying of music. Did you ever make mixed tapes of favourite songs from your vinyl record collection? Prior to 1997, that was against the law – even though every stereo system was designed to do it. But the 97 reforms addressed that issue in two ways: first, it permitted home taping or otherwise making copies of music for private use; and second, it entrenched in law the fact that private copies have a tangible value – and it provided compensation for the creators of the music through the Private Copying Levy. The levy was applied to blank media, such as cassette tapes, CD-R s and mini-discs, which were the popular technologies of the day for copying music. Since then, the levy has seen more than $150 million paid to songwriters, composers, recording artists and other rights holders for the copying of their music. This money has been paid to more than 97,000 rights holders, most of whom would not be able to continue their careers without this revenue. This isn t money from government, but it is an important source of earned income for musicians – one of the ways they can make a living from the music they create. Today, the technology is dramatically different. Digital audio recorders like the iPod have become the new standard for making and playing copies of music. Hardly anyone uses cassette tapes or mini-discs anymore, and even the private copying of music to CD-Rs is declining significantly. If Canada s songwriters and recording artists are going to be able to make a living from the music they create, we need copyright legislation designed to reflect the technologies people are using now, and which is also flexible enough to accommodate future changes. Measures to properly protect artists work, and to ensure that they receive fair compensation for the copying and use of their music, make it possible for them to earn a living. Without the needed changes, many Canadian songwriters and artists won t be able to afford to continue to create music at all. Canada s MPs are focused – and rightly so – on finding ways to support various sectors of our economy, with the goal of ensuring that they remain viable amid the global economic turbulence. Modernizing Canada s Copyright Act so that Canada s songwriters and recording artists can continue to earn a living from the use of our music is essential for our sector of the economy. We re not asking for a multi-billion dollar bailout. We re just asking for copyright legislation that will let us continue to have our livelihoods amid the technological realities of the 21st century. Amy Sky, Marc Jordan and Marie Denise Pelletier are songwriters and recording artists who make their living from their music. Learn more about this issue at www.savethelevy.ca
Amy Sky is Toronto-based company (Ontario, Canada) with a phone number 4163685599. Our data show that the company is located at the address: 2 Berkeley St Ste 202. The company has a web site: www.amysky.com.
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