Washington Area Music Association (WAMA)

WAMA NEWS - INDEX February/March 1997
Do It Yourself! Settling Disputes The Easy Way by Pete Clemow	DC101 Sponsors WAMA CD DCCD-7 Announced	Hometown Grammy Winners
Complete List of Grammy Nominees Hometown, that is!	Local Notes More than you can shake a baton at.	New Releases More than you can shake a CD at.
Seminars, Workshops, & Conferences	Grants
Classified Advertising	Studio News	Misc. & Etc.

Do It Yourself!

Settling Disputes The Easy Way

by Pete Clemow
Your band has been hired to open the Donny and Marie Reunion Concert. You sign a contract to tour with the show. The members of your band incur traveling and other expenses to get to the city where the tour is to start. You show up at the concert hall on the first day and are told that Tito Jackson is going to open the concert instead. Has your contract been breached? Do you have a Claim?

You have been hired to perform at your mailman's wedding. While setting up at the reception, you trip over a potted plant that was negligently left next to your keyboard when your back was turned. The bad sprain that you receive as you fall does not cause permanent injury but you would like someone to pay the doctor bills. No one will claim responsibility. What do you do?

Arts Mediation

Before you rush to court, you might want to try mediation. Mediation is a process where an independent mediator assists both parties in reaching an agreement. The agreement is then written down and signed so as to be enforceable by law. Mediation is usually less expensive and faster than going to court. Further, mediation is less adversarial than a lawsuit, a factor which may be important if you ever want to work with this person again. Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts provides an inexpensive arts mediation service. You can contact the Arts Mediation Coordinator at (202) 393-2826 for more information. Keep in mind that if you fail to reach an agreement through mediation, your legal rights are not affected in any way.

Purpose Of Small Claims Courts

If you are not able to reach an agreement in mediation, you have another do-it-yourself alternative with Small Claims Court. Although specifics vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, most Small Claims Courts are informal civil courts that hear claims up to a set dollar amount. A claim is a legal right that you may assert.

Small Claims Courts are designed to be quick, simple and inexpensive to use. Contact the Clerk of the Court in which you plan to file for detailed instructions on the filing and collecting procedures.

Small Claims Courts are informal and their procedures are simple enough so that you do not need an attorney. In most cases you just tell your side of the issue and the judge will come to a fair decision. It is not necessary to have an in depth knowledge of the law in order to present your case, after the judge hears both sides of the story, he will reach the appropriate legal conclusions. In some jurisdictions you may obtain the services of an attorney if you would like. You may wish to consult an attorney if your case is complicated or you are unsure of your legal rights. In some jurisdictions, corporations are required to have legal representation. If you think that you will want legal assistance it is advisable to look for an attorney well in advance of the hearing date or even prior to filing your claim.

Where to File Suit

You may file suit in the jurisdiction where the other party lives, works or does business. If your claim is based upon a specific incident, you may file suit in the jurisdiction where that incident took place. If possible, it is advisable to sue in the jurisdiction where the other party's assets are located as this will make it easier to collect a judgment in your favor.

Procedures

Small claims courts provide a simple form to use when filing suit. In the District of Columbia this is called a Statement of Claim Form. The forms differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction but for the most part you will need: the names and addresses of the parties involved; and a short and plain statement of the facts of your claim including the relevant dates and times.

You will then need to have the opposing party served with the papers. Again, procedures differ from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Most courts will provide service through registered mail if you pay a small fee. You may also have the person served by an independent process server. In some jurisdictions the county Sheriff will serve the defendant. Ask the clerk of the court in which you file for the specific procedures available in your jurisdiction.

If you win:

a. First try to get the court to order the amount paid in full up front.

b. If you do not receive payment within a reasonable period of time:

If you know that the losing party has assets or works in the jurisdiction, you may ask the court to go after his assets or his salary. In the District of Columbia you do this by filing a Writ of Attachment, there are similar forms in other jurisdictions.

If you are not familiar with the losing parties assets, the court may order him to appear and give an accounting of his assets.

If you lose you usually have two options.

You can accept the verdict, or you can appeal the decision. Appeals are not always automatic, they may be at the discretion of the reviewing court. Again, ask the clerk of the court in which you file for specific appeals procedures.

District of Columbia Small Claims Court 500 Indiana Ave., N.W. John Marshall Level, Room JM-260 Washington, DC 20001 (202) 87 9-1120 (Claims up to $5,000)

Fairfax County General District Court Small Claims Division 4110 Chain Bridge Road, Fairfax, VA 22030 (703) 246-2115 (claims up to $1,000)

Prince George's County Small Claims Court District Court of Maryland #5 14735 Main Street, Bourne Wing Upper Marlboro, MD 20772 (301) 952-5967 (Claims up to $2, 500)

Montgomery County Small Claims Court District Court of Maryland 27 Courthouse Square Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 27 9-1502 (Claims up to $2,500)

Pete Clemow is a legal intern with Washington Area Lawyers for the Arts, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping artists with their legal needs. WALA can be reached at 202-393-2826.

DC101 Sponsors WAMA CD

DCCD-7 Announced

WAMA and FM radio station DC101 will sponsor the seventh in the series of Washington compilation CDs. The AOR station has agreed to use its on-air marketing power in Washington/Baltimore to promote the project, beginning with the submission segment, through to CD's release.

The WAMA DCCD Project was developed to help give exposure and recognition to area artists. The CDs are distributed to music industry decision makers, the media, and are available for sale. Unlike previous DCCDs, the music will be limited to rock/pop and alternative rock, broadly in keeping with the radio format of DC101. DC101 will also assist in the judging process and provide air personalities to host the release parties.

The CD Committee is actively pursuing other radio partners for future CDs designed for different genres of music.

Click Here for the Submission Guidelines and Rules.

Hometown Grammy Winners

Toni Braxton
- Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
  - Un-break My Heart
- Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
  - You're Makin' Me High
Dave Matthews Band
- Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group
  - So Much To Say
Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Best Spoken Word or Non-musical Album
  - It Takes A Village
Leonard Slatkin, conducting
The National Symphony Orchestra
- Best Classical Album
  Male Chorus of the Oratorio Society of Washington
  Male Chorus of the Choral Arts Society of Washington
  -Corigliano:Of Rage and Remembrance
  (Sym. No. 1 Etc.)
DC Talk
- Best Rock Gospel Album
  - Jesus Freak
Frank Zappa (Baltimore)
- Lifetime Achievement Award
Complete List of Hometown Grammy Nominations

The Washington area had quite a few representatives in the running for the 39th Grammy Awards Nominations . The list includes Jazz vocalist Shirely Horn, R&B diva Toni Braxton, alternative rock singer/songwriter Tori Amos, R&B/rapper Me'Shell Ndegeocello, country music star Mary Chapin Carpenter.
- Toni Braxton
  - Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - Un-break My Heart
  - Best Pop Album - Secrets
  - Best Female R&B Vocal Performance
    - You're Makin' Me High
- Dave Matthews Band
- Tori Amos
- Me'Shell Ndegeocello - with Chaka Khan
- Mary Chapin Carpenter
  - Best Female Country Vocal Performance
    - Let Me Into Your Heart
- Shirely Horn
- dc Talk
- Yolanda Adams
- Cathy Fink&Marcy Marxer
- Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Phyllis Bryn-Julson
- Leonard Slatkin, conducting
  The National Symphony Orchestra
- John McCutcheon
  - Four Seasons:Wintersongs
    Bob Dawson and John McCutcheon, producers
- (Local management company CD Enterprise's) Salt-N-Pepa
- (Local record company RAS')
  Bunny Wailer
Local Notes
Compiled by Maria Villafana
- Blues guitarist/vocalist Jimmy Thackery is on the front cover of the current issue of Blues Revue Magazine. The West Virginia based publication, which usually features more visible blues musicians like Dr. John, B.B. King and Koko Taylor, chose Thackery because "he is a blues road warrior." "He is one of the most talented blues musicians working 250 plus days a year, he needs to be recognized," Blues Revue publishing editor Bob Vorel said.
- MTV has licensed the use of Say It Anyway, the latest album from the pop/rock group Once Hush, for use in its real life docu-drama Real World. The group's music will be used in an upcoming episode which starts shooting in Boston and airs in June. The songs were selected by Real World music supervisor, Brian Friedman, who was impressed by the songs' "great personality and East coast vibe."
- Appearing at the National Association of Music Merchants' (NAMM) trade show in California, guitarist Tom Principato has endorsed The Squier, a new line of Fender guitars. Following NAMM, Principato will resume touring the Eastern seaboard and working on his upcoming double CD release, Keeper of the Flame. The spring release of the album, on the Powerhouse label, will coincide with Principato's European tour which kicks off, in Paris, in early April.
- Taking a break from the road, the contemporary folk group Eddie From Ohio (EFO) is currently at work on a new album at Bias Recording in Springfield. Billy Wolf, who produced the group's last album I Rode Fido Home, released in 1995, is again at the helm shaping the 12 to 15 cuts of the as yet unnamed new album which is due out in April. EFO resumed playing on Wednesday, Jan. 22, in New York City, headlining the Bottom Line for the first time.
- Fake Wood Trim, emmet swimming's first national single off the alternative rock group's new album titled Arlington to Boston, will be released on Feb. 4. The song Arlington, off the same album, will be heard on TV commercials for the new multi-media publication Launch Magazine. The spots will be aired on MTV, E!, Comedy Central and ESPN. Produced by guru Don Dixon Arlington to Boston debuted at number three on the Billboard's South Atlantic Heatseekers Chart on its release last summer.
- Percussionist Gali Sanchez is in Los Angeles this month conducting clinics with fellow percussionists Giovannie Hidalgo and Sheila E. In February Sanchez began work on new albums for Kim Waters' and urban contemporary vocalsit Maysa plus expand his percussion clinics into the Midwest.
- The Four Bitchin' Babes, which includes Virginia singer/songwriter Debi Smith, was seen on the CBS Sunday Morning show on Jan. 19. The 8 1/2 minute segment showed part of an October '96 Geneva, N.Y., concert with Smith, and the other Babes, singing a cut from the quartet's latest contemporary folk album, Fax It, Charge It, Don't Ask Me What's for Dinner. Smith is currently mixing a new solo album, titled More Than Once, at Amerisound Studios in Ohio.
- The indie pop group Poole, the only Washington related group to take part in the Jan. 11 Grammy Showcase held in Philadelphia, did not take home the brass ring but did definitely have a good time. After being treated to a pre-showcase reception, the five piece spinART records label band bopped the 1000 plus crowd with four new songs plus Loon and Favorite Beatnik Star from its first album Alaska Day. Encouraged by the crowd's enthusiastic response, which included the tossing of ladies' undergarments and impromptu moshing on the stage, the group looks forward to supporting its upcoming May 6 album release, The Late Engagement.
- After spending two years on the West coast trying to resolve salmon hatchery issues in the Columbia River Basin biologist/Hula Monsters bassist, Mo Nelson, is back in town. While in Portland, Mo kept in tune by performing at the Saturday Market, then with guitarist Turtle Vandemarr in a five piece swing jazz combo and with friends at the Local Boyz Hawaiian Cafe. Now, armed with new Hawaiian songs which he can sing in the native dialect, Mo and the Hula Monsters can be seen every other Tuesday night, at the Cat's Eye, at Fell's Point in Baltimore.
- D.C.'s Tom Principato receives heavy praise from, ex-Muddy Waters guitarist and Alligator Records recording artist, Steady Rollin' Bob Margolin, in the current issue of Blues Revue. Margolin writes, in his column Expose, "Tom can make your head spin with speed and hot licks and in the next second break your heart with expression and tone, as beautiful, passionate and sweet as the best lover you never had."
- Music business manager David Dickerson completed negotiations on a distribution deal between the Baltimore based label Sha Bach Music, owned by Patrick Henderson, and Island Records. Sha Bach Music's first release through Island will be an album by the Jones Boys, a Take 6 like Gospel-influenced R&B group.
- Attorney John Simson, former co-manager of Mary Chapin Carpenter, has formed a new company, League Management. Artists represented by the new venture include the Christian singer Sarah Masen, who recently received two Dove Award nominations, for Best New Artist and Best Rock Album.
- Teenage hip hop/rap group Two Unique will perform during Canadian Music Week '97 (CMW '97), a music business showcase and seminar event that culminates with Canada's premier music awards show, the Junos. The duo, known seperately as Cheryl "Ruff Starr" Fraiser and Beth "Bakin' Soda" Fomokong, were invited to take part in CMW '97 after they performed in last year's North By Northeast music conference.
- The band Euphoria has parted ways with bassist Kelly Keys. The band will debut its new lineup, featuring Dan Alestock on bass on March 21 at Jaxx.
- Hal Howland was named the production manager of the Benjamin T. Rome School of Catholic University.
- Bill Baker has been chosen to perform at South By Southwest. This is his first performance at the annual event, and accompanying him to Austin are cellist Rick Schmidt of Takoma Park, MD and Boston area bassist Craig Nicholson.
- After five years of running the Local Music Store (LMS), one of the few independent album distributors in the region, founding member Debbie Lindsey has sold her majority ownership. The retail distribution, radio promotion and related services was purchased by current LMS staffers Jay Hardin, David Ham and Carlos Pinto. The mail order and on-line album catalog was sold to Campbell Musical Arts Group based in Rockville. Lindsey explained her decision by stating, "It's the challenge of starting new things that I love, and I am ready to tackle new projects."

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