Guilds, societies, and such

I love the sound of it—'I'm part of the ____ Society'. Or 'I'm in the ______ Guild'.

Harkens back to older, simpler times. Remembering olden times when 'times' was spelled with a 'Y', where jousts happened, and peasants were really, really muddy. Kind of makes me feel special, like a knight or something...at least a page.

There are some societies that you should consider joining, if only to have someone looking out for you and your music. Different countries have different organizations for such things. I live in the United States, so I chose to first join ASCAP.

ASCAP

It is the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP). It's their job to make sure that if my music is bought, sold, licensed, or published, I get my fair share. They are like bloodhounds, who are always sniffing around to make sure that my music hasn't been co-opted or stolen.

Yes, sometimes they are too draconian...