The following text excerpted from a Library of Congress press release.
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), one of the world’s leading performing-rights organizations, through the past 100 years has been protecting the use of its members’ musical works, monitoring broadcast, online and live usage and ensuring that music creators are fairly compensated. In the last five years, ASCAP has distributed more than $5 billion in royalties to its songwriters, composers and music publishers.
An exhibition at the Library of Congress, “ASCAP: One Hundred Years and Beyond,” celebrates the ASCAP Collection at the Library of Congress on the occasion of the organization’s centennial, recalling notable moments and artists in its history, exploring its current work and challenges, and looking to its future as a force in mentoring and inspiring the creativity of new generations.
“ASCAP: One Hundred Years and Beyond” opened Thursday, Feb. 13 and runs through Saturday, July 26, 2014, in the Performing Arts Reading Room Gallery on the first level of the James Madison Memorial Building, 101 Independence Ave. S.E., Washington, D.C. The exhibition is free and open to the public from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
The exhibition will then travel to Los Angeles, opening at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in its Library of Congress Ira Gershwin Gallery on Aug. 23, 2014 and running through Feb. 14, 2015.
The exhibition features 45 objects, including sheet music, photographs, pamphlets, posters and more. Some highlights include the first ASCAP license, which was issued to Rector’s Restaurant in New York City (Broadway and 44th Street) in 1914; the original manuscript of “The Pink Panther” in the hand of composer Henry Mancini; Paul Williams’ lyrics for “The Rainbow Connection”; and the original lyrics, including drafts and revisions, for “The Way We Were” by Alan and Marilyn Bergman.
To read more about audio selections, artists featured in the display, and more ASCAP collection materials, click through to the official press release. Hope to see many of you at the exhibit!