Executive Committee Candidate - Stan Meissner
SOCAN
I’m Stan Meissner. I’m a SOCAN board member from Canada, and it has been my honour to have been a member of the CIAM Exco for the last few terms.
Through my time at CIAM, I strive to bring a reasoned and knowledgeable perspective and opinion on the battles we face, and in my role as chair of the ExCo governance committee, together with my esteemed colleagues, we continue to ensure that our relationships and internal rules stay in sync with the realties facing creators today.
With everything happening in our world these days, with all of the issues surrounding AI and how it will affect and disrupt our creative industry, as well as the threats of rights withdrawals from CMOs, buyouts, sales of writer shares, and all of the ways that can and likely will affect our landscape globally, I can’t stress enough how important it is that on the ExCo, we have informed representation from North America, and specifically Canada, for its unique perspective.
The music business continues to reinvent itself and it seems that there is a constant pressure to threaten the rights of creators and our ability to survive in this ever changing landscape.
The fight for songwriters and creators to be compensated fairly for our work has been our constant battle since the beginnings of droit d’auteur and copyright.
Our role at CIAM is to speak up and be the one voice, an international voice, that speaks purely for creators and our rights. And we need to speak up louder than all of those who continually claim to speak for us.
I’ve spent my entire songwriting career being involved in advocating for creator’s rights. Given the breadth of my experiences, I feel I can continue to bring an informed perspective to the ExCo, and I would appreciate your vote and support.
BIO
Stan Meissner has been a professional songwriter/composer for several decades, under contracts with BMG Music Publishing, Warner-Chappell and Rondor/Universal Music, writing for many international acts including:Céline Dion, Lara Fabian, Eddie Money, Shania Twain, LeeAnn Womack, Ricochet, Rita Coolidge, BJ Thomas, Lee Aaron among many others. As a recording artist in the ‘80s and 90s, he released three solo albums on A&M and Duke Street/Universal garnering numerous top 10 hits in Canada.
Meissner has also written music for several TV shows and films including: Beverly Hills 90210, A&E's Biography, Berenstain Bears, Tropical Heat, Friday the 13th and Ghoulies and many more. Stan's work has earned him numerous gold and multi-platinum records, as well as a Gemini Award, two JUNO nominations, Canadian Music Publishers Association Award, British Columbia Country Music Association 'Songwriter of the Year' Award, and a SOCAN #1 Award.
As a member of the CIAM ExCo since 2012, President of the Board of Directors of SOCAN (2012-2018), Chair of the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame (2012-2026), President of the SOCAN Foundation (2006-2012) and President of the Songwriters Association of Canada (2000-2006), Stan has been very active in the songwriting community, working as a tireless advocate to further a more positive environment for creators in Canada and around the world.