FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Arlington, VA, March 20, 2000) - Toni Braxton, Biz Markie, 'N Sync, Shenandoah, and Michele Shocked have all enjoyed some degree of success as recording artists. But what else do they have in common? At some point, a business-related legal problem derailed the music career of each - at least temporarily.

Battle-scarred musicians point to industry knowledge as the best defense against missteps that may lead to the abrupt end of a promising career. The Musician's Guide Through the Legal Jungle, the first in a series of audiobooks produced by Arlington, Virginia-based Sashay Communications, simplifies the information musicians need to make sound business decisions," explains Joy Butler, a principal and the general counsel of Sashay. Butler, a Harvard Law School graduate who represented entertainment and media clients in private practice prior to joining Sashay, wrote the production script for The Musician's Guide.

Visitors to the companion website, www.legaljungleguide.com, will find excerpts and a detailed outline of the audiobook as well as free resources on the music industry.

While the music industry is fascinating, the laws surrounding it can be complex. "I encourage all my clients to read up on the industry but many find it difficult to wade through a 400-page book of legalese," laments Dedra Davis, a music attorney with offices in Houston and New York. The Musician's Guide gets around this problem by presenting the law as an informal conversation in which a legal expert explains to a musician how to best protect her interests and advance her career.

"The audiobook cuts right to the chase without getting bogged down in legalese," agrees Ken Inouye, an 18-year music industry veteran, who after successful stints as an MCA talent scout and a member of the D.C. -punk band Marginal Man, now operates In Your Eye, a musician's resource website.

Musicians need industry knowledge at the start of their careers. By the time a musician hits the "big time", he's already locked into extended contracts with managers, agents, record labels and music publishing companies. At that point, getting out of a one-sided contract requires extended negotiation and perhaps a lengthy lawsuit. "We had no idea what we were getting into." and "We knew nothing about the music business." are common refrains from disillusioned musicians who enter the industry ill-prepared for the business side.

Highly publicized cases illustrate how legal problems interrupt a musician's career momentum. After selling over seven million records, the three members of the hip-hop group TLC found their careers stalled for nearly five years while they fought to break their management and recording contracts in court proceedings that included each member filing for personal bankruptcy. The country band Shenandoah lost a recording contract and sat sidelined while it battled to reclaim its name in litigation costing the group millions of dollars and pushing it into bankruptcy.

"TLC and Shenandoah were fortunate to be able to make come-backs," says Butler. "Musical artists frequently have only one shot at and a few years of star status. They can't always recover from a lengthy hiatus brought on by a legal challenge."

The Musician's Guide sells for $29.95. The 3-hour digitally-mastered audio program was produced by Sashay Communications, LLC, and features the professional voices of James Chatelain, Lynne Reynolds, Dionne Rogers and James Watson. The audiobook includes a 62-page booklet containing illustrative examples, a glossary, contract negotiation guides and a listing of resources.

The audiobook is available online at www.legaljungleguide.com, by toll-free order to 877-995-8645, or by sending a check or money order for $29.95 + $4 shipping and handling to Sashay Communications, 2200 Wilson Boulevard, #102-329, Arlington, VA 22201.