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The southeastern corner of Iowa is home to Lee County.\\xa0 There, a little town called Donnellson has one water-tower, some shops, a nice city park and the distinction of having its first organized music scene created by one live-music-loving farmer by the name of Doug Seyb.\\xa0 For 15 years, Doug ran the quasi-house-concert-meets-Grange-meeting-meets-Austin City Limits "Under The Water Tower" series.\\xa0 It was a series that presented live, independent musicians, offering their own originals and pretty much nothing else, to a populace that hungered for community through music. \\xa0 A "whos-who" of regional, local, national and international artists, all independent and all featuring their own original music visited "Under the Water Tower." \\xa0 It was never a money-maker, but a community sustainer.\\xa0 It was, truthfully, what real music should be all about.\\xa0

All was well with this small, well attended temple of independent music.\\xa0 That was, until the music licensing agency of ASCAP asked Doug for money to support the very musicians Seyb was supporting.\\xa0 What amounted were thinly veiled (and not so thinly veiled) threats of lawsuits by ASCAP representatives for their "licensing fee"\\xa0 in order for Doug to continue the\\xa0 public gathering at Under the Water Tower. \\xa0

The result?\\xa0 Seyb ended the series.\\xa0 ASCAP did not get their money they maintained was being used to support the artists featured at the venue.\\xa0 Those artists the agency was supposedly supporting lost a venue and desperately needed funds for their survival. And the folks of Lee County lost community and joy through music.\\xa0 Sadly, this has been part of an ongoing campaign by licensing agencies that have successfully driven live music out of small, rural and for all intents and purposes, non-profit venues.\\xa0 Mom and Pop restaurants and coffee houses lost out. \\xa0

Nobody won.\\xa0

Independent artists are now turning to house concerts and other under-the-radar opportunities to survive.\\xa0

Music promoters like Seyb are a treasure of the live, independent musical performers and their audiences. Doug, a farmer by trade has continued to support live, independent music in Lee County through other less-traditional opportunities.\\xa0 He offers advice to those wishing to create house concerts and other means of keeping live, original, rural, regional music alive and kicking. \\xa0 The Farmer s

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