DC city flag (Photo by Mr.TinDC)
A coalition of DC music community representatives have released a Music Platform and Checklist for all candidates running for a DC Councilmember office in 2020.
“The music economy has had success over the past couple of years advocating for some substantial reform, data collection and important pieces of legislation,” said Chris Naoum of Listen Local First DC. “There are thousands of creatives and people working in the music ecosystem who live and vote in the District and we wanted to find out where the candidates stand on the issues that matter the most to this community.”
The coalition of signatories consisting of organizations, venues, nonprofits, and artists, crafted the set of statements, policies, initiatives, and proposals that are essential to supporting DC’s music ecosystem. The checklist urges the candidates to support a safe, sustainable, and vibrant music community that has been hit hard by COVID-19.
Amy K Bormet, jazz musician and founder of the Washington Women in Jazz Festival, noted, “As we move into reopening DC, these policies are our guiding paths for renewing and strengthening our unique scene.”
Organizers are asking every candidate running for office in Washington DC to fill out the Music Platform checklist. Each campaign can take five minutes to review each of the statements and sign on to those that they support. This is an opportunity to provide valuable feedback on where the candidates stand on issues that the music industry cares deeply about, and gain the support of a large community of DC voters.
If campaigns have made their email addresses publicly available they should have received the Music Platform Checklist by the end of the day on May 19, the coalition said. The music representatives request return of the form by May 25.
Download the Music Policy Platform Checklist for 2020 DC Council Candidates
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The initial list of supporters of this Music Platform can be found below:
Listen Local First DC, Future of Music Coalition, DC Jazz Festival, National Cannabis Festival, All Things Go , CapitalBop, The MusicianShip (Wammie Awards and DC Funk Parade), Capitol Hill Jazz Foundation, DC Music Summit, Songbyrd Record Store & Cafe, 7DrumCity, Washington Women in Jazz Festival, Pie Shop DC, Union Stage, DC9 Nightclub, Capital Fringe, Peace + Happyness Inc, This Could Go Boom!, The Neo Elite, Capitol Groove Collective, The High Street Presents, The Hut at the Anacostia Art Center, Down in the Reeds Festival, Strange Woman Records, Babe City Records, District Funk Records, Bumper Jacksons LLC, Black Masala, Den-Mate, The Sea Life, Hedrush Agency, Sara Curtin and Maureen Andary of The Sweater Set, Dior Ashley Brown, Jess Eliot Myhre, Jonathan Een Newton, Michael Ounallah, Elena Lacayo (Elena & Los Fulanos), Nico Hobson (GoWin Media/ GoGoRadio LIVE/ WINDCRadio), Yaddiya (Moechella, LongLiveGoGoDC), Nelson Jacobson (Altavoz Distribution), Aaron Myers, Emma [Emma G] Amiri-Ghaemmaghamy, Artis Moon (Boundless Eclectic), Maryjo Mattea (Dear Daria, Color Palette, Endless Winter, Loi Loi, and Two Dragons and a Cheetah), Matthew Dowling (the Effects, SWOLL, Paperhaus), Kokayi, Holly Bass, Molly Ruland (Heartcast Media), Paige Mueller (Curious Caravan), Beth Cannon (Elizabeth II, Bottled Up), Sandra Basanti (Pie Shop), Lauren Calve, Diana Ezerins (Kennedy Center Millennium Stage), Stephen Baiyewu, Professor Anna Harwell Celenza (Authur, Georgetown University), Jasmine Williams (of Oh, Violet), Cecily Bumbray, Andy Valenti (Oh He Dead), Nicholas Fontana (Pearl Street Warehouse) , Nikhil Rao (Bottled Up), Brenna Muller (7DrumCity), Dom Flemons (The American Songster), John Heinze(7DC AZTEC SUN), Adam Ashforth (Oh He Dead), Stanley Spottswood Jr., DJ 2-Tone Jones (SHAOLIN JAZZ), Erin Frisby (This Could Go Boom! The OSYX), Kim Dreux Kelly (Think Local First DC), Karen Baker (Social Art and Culture), Sterling Anderson (Steelosoul), Graham Smith-White(The Infinite Goodness, Sunrise Review), Will Eastman (U Street Music Hall), Jay Nemeyer (Color Palette, Mystery Friends), Daniel Warren Hill (Alchemical Records), Ra-Jah Kelly, Joshua Hunter (Endless Winter, Dear Daria, Color Palette)