Join union members at Louisiana Music Industry Day, May 16

Music is an indelible part of Louisiana’s history, culture, and economy, and right now we have the opportunity to protect and promote Louisiana music for the next generation of music makers.

The Louisiana State Legislature is currently considering two bills that are essential to the music community in the state. The first bill is HB 415, the Allen Toussaint Legacy Act. This bill would protect the memory of legacy artists like Allen Toussaint by making it illegal to “use the identity of an individual for a commercial purpose without having previously obtained the right from the individual or from” their representatives. In other words, the bill ensures an artist’s family or other representatives would need to be consulted before the artist’s identity could be used for financial gain.

The second bill is HB 646, which would improve Louisiana’s sound recording investment tax credit so that more small businesses and entrepreneurs are incentivized to create music here in Louisiana.

We need your help to tell your representatives in both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate to support these two bills. On Tuesday, May 16, from 1-5pm at the State Capitol, Academy members and music advocates from across the state will gather in Baton Rouge to take our message directly to the state legislature.

If you want to participate in this day of advocacy for Louisiana music, contact Reid Wick at reid.wick@grammy.com for more information. You can also join The Recording Academy in asking your state representatives to support HB 415, the Allen Toussaint Legacy Act, and HB 646, to create music jobs in Louisiana by filling out the forms on this link.

Check out grammypro.com’s overview of  the bills and Louisiana Music Industry Day in Baton Rouge here.

Contact your state legislators today and ask them to support two key bills that will preserve Louisiana’s past music heritage and also ensure a bright future for the next generation of music makers. You can find a list of Louisiana House Representatives here. To find your State Senator, click here and input your address.