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The Indie Queen of Digital Music
by Brad King

3:00 a.m. Jul. 10, 2000 PDT

   

The digital music revolution has so far made stars out of MP3.com, Napster, and the folks at the RIAA, but it hasn't done much for musicians.

Jenny Toomey is hoping to change all that with the newly formed Coalition for the Future of Music. Call the group a political arm for the independent music community.


    



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With the help of icast's Brian Zisk, Low Power Radio Coalition executive director Michael Bracy, and former assistant Massachusetts Attorney General Walter McDonough, Toomey wants to make sure that musicians aren't left behind as technology companies and the major labels continue to move toward digital distribution of music.

"What became clear to me was that there is no voice for independent musicians that is connecting with my music community," Toomey said. "One of the most important things we can do is connect with the independent community. We can try to find out what's working with them and try to make sure that when there is legislation to be able to represent the position of what's actually happening in the independent community."

Toomey has already started lobbying Senators, trying to make sure lawmakers are aware of the concerns of the independent music community. Along with the development of the organization's website, Toomey said she also wants to work with technology companies that focus on artist's rights.

She is maybe best known for creating the Mechanic's Guide to Putting Out Records, Cassettes and CDs, a 24-page booklet that laid out how small labels and independent bands should go about getting their music to the people. When the digital-music age got her thinking about updating the guide, she was in for a shock.

"I wasn't very involved in the Internet community this time last year, but (Tsunami bandmate) Kristin (Thomson) and I had created this 24-page guide which distilled all the basic steps to putting out a record," Toomey said.

"We decided to update it and put it on the Web. It was just incredible to us the amount of information there was to process. The original idea ... was to digest all the information and process it the same way the guide to putting out records was processes. It took about a month to realize that was impossible."

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