GRAMMY Camp In Nashville This Week

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The Recording Academy hosted GRAMMY Camp in Nashville this week for 33 high school students from across the country. Though the camp started eight years ago, this is the first year it was held in Music City. The interactive residential experience focusing on commercial music was held at Black River Entertainment from June 17–24. GRAMMY Camp Nashville offers campers the opportunity to work in integrated industry teams in six fields: Engineering for Audio & Video; Electronic Music Production; Marketing & Management; Music Journalism; Performance — Instrumental or Vocal; and Songwriting.

The faculty included award-winning audio/video producer Nathan Adam; DJ/producer Greg “Stryke” Chin; former music industry executive Amy Macy; Dove, Emmy, and GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and producer Drew Ramsey; and songwriter and producer/engineer Dave Tough. Gordon Kerr, chief executive officer, Black River Entertainment was also on hand.

Tomorrow (6/23) GRAMMY Camp Nashville will culminate in a Launch Party at Rocketown produced by the students and featuring original performances, content and video presentations created during GRAMMY Camp. The following Industry Advisors will attend the launch party, provide feedback on presentations, and participate in a networking session with the GRAMMY Campers: John Alexander, vice president of strategic marketing, Black River Entertainment; Will Anderson, lead singer of Mercury Records chart-topping band Parachute; Benita Bellamy, chief executive officer, the Bellamy Group, LLC; Tate Cunningham, member of Universal Republic band SafetySuit; Black River recording artist Sarah Darling; Mark Montgomery, founder, Flo Thinkery; and Bryan White, multi-platinum recording artist. Neil Portnow, President/CEO of The Recording Academy and the GRAMMY Foundation® will offer opening remarks, and GRAMMY Foundation Vice President Scott Goldman will moderate the discussion. GRAMMY Foundation Sr. Vice President Kristen Madsen will also be in attendance.

Charlie Cook On Air: New Acts

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I was having a conversation with a friend the other day. He listens to Country Music Radio about a third of the time, and listens to CHR and Talk Radio the other times. I think he sneaks in Howard [Stern] on Sirius during his alone time too but our conversation was about Country Music and how a real “fan” has come to appreciate the new music on the radio.

I asked him who his favorite artists were and the usual suspects were all near the top of the list. He loves Garth Brooks and still raves about seeing his show in Las Vegas over a year ago. He likes Jake Owen and Carrie Underwood.

By then I figured that I had a focus group of one and I could find out some habits from a male P2 as long as I continued to pay for the beer. I thought I should hurry along before all of the answers were Hank, Jr. or Jamey Johnson.

Remember that this is a fan who listens to about 4 hours of the format every week. He appreciates the music and likes the “Newer Country Music,” as he called it. So who are your favorite new acts? I asked.

Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry and Reba were mentioned after a little thought. I decided to ask him about some individual songs and see if he could ID even newer artists associated with the music.

How about, “Need You Now”? He told me that this was one of his favorite songs from the last 6 months (?) but he wasn’t sure who the singers were. He knew it was a male and female duo. (Sorry Dave).

He knew that Toby Keith sings “Made in America” and that Billy Currington sings “People Are Crazy”.

He loves “You Don’t Know Her Like I Do” but could not tell me who sang it with a gun to his head. He thought it might be Jason Aldean.

We are very lucky in the format right now as there are a ton of new and newish acts that sound like they could be around for a long time.

The earlier referenced Brantley Gilbert is near the top of the list. Thompson Square, and now Kip Moore make up the level of acts that have gotten significant radio play but are still finding a base of fans that can support an appearance on their own.

We have a strong tier of acts like Luke Bryan, Eric Church and Jake Owen who are now multiple No. 1 acts and can play bigger venues by themselves. Of course we have the stadium acts like Kenny, Carrie and Jason.

Just being able to identify these performers by only their first names is an indication that they have made it and are the big stars. Those of us inside the format can easily refer to Luke, Eric and Jake and know who we are talking about but my friend might be challenged to come up with their surnames and certainly he would have trouble matching a name with a face.

I admit that a focus group of one and particularly a male in his 40s is going to be a tough putt when discussing Country Music Radio but in order to grow the format we need to make these P2s comfortable and include them in our growth curve.

If you accept the above three tiers then in order to grow the format we need to work the fourth tier.

A couple of weeks back I watched Sonia Leigh absolutely capture the crowd at the CMA Music Fest Bud Light Stage. I had not seen her and her tight band perform before and I was impressed not only by her performance but by the passion of the smallish group of fans who did know her music.

That stage was hopping all day with The Trailer Choir working their butts off (pun intended in Big Vinny’s case) for the fans there and Jaida Dreyer, who is totally comfortable on stage and has a unique vocal styling that helps her stand out.

I know Vinny was on TV and the band was in the Toby Keith movie so they might have an advantage over some of the new acts but if we are going to move Luke, et al into tier one and then Brantley into tier two so we can make room for Sonia, Jaida, Maggie Rose, Andy Gibson, Jon Pardi, Thomas Rhett and on and on into the next group, radio has to step up and work it.

Because this is what radio does best. Nothing beats radio for introducing new artists to fans but not everyone has Shazam on their smart phones so it is incumbent on radio to talk about the new acts just like we talk about the Superstars.

The old slogan is true: If you play it, say it.

Many AC stations use song tags but this is not going to work on a current format like Country. WUBL in Atlanta used to tag the new songs. I like this but we need to know about what makes Dustin Lynch different from Greg Bates. Why is Edens Edge, beyond great harmonies, worth my 10 to 30 bucks for a CD or concert ticket?

I have talked about this many times and the recent CMA research convinces me that we are on the cusp of another format explosion. CHR Music is GREAT right now. The format has some killer music today but that music changes about every 6 months so who knows what acts will be noteworthy by Christmas on CHR.

Country is not like that. We are going to be playing Josh Thompson, Hunter Hayes and Gloriana for years. Let’s get to know them better. Ultimately we will see them on TV, which is the best way hook the face with the music, but radio is the best way to tell a story about the act.

As long as WYCD does not tell their listeners that Josh is a Green Bay Packer fan, he has a real chance to be star in Detroit.

We have so many great new acts to talk about, why keep the good news a secret?

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of MusicRow.)

No. 1 Party: Jake Owen’s “Alone With You”

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(L-R): Razor & Tie Publishing’s Lisa Johnson, RCA Records’ Keith Gale, producer Rodney Clawson, co-writer JT Harding, Jake Owen, co-writer Catt Gravitt, Songs MP3’s Kelly King, co-writer Shane McAnally, SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan, Little Blue Egg Publishing’s Robin Palmer, BMI’s Clay Bradley, and Kobalt Music Publishing’s Whitney Daane. Photo: Steve Lowry

RCA’s Jake Owen and songwriters, JT Harding, Catt Gravitt and Shane McAnally celebrated their recent No. 1 chart-topper, “Alone With You,” with a packed and sweaty crowd of Music Row friends and executives at Nashville’s Cabana on Tuesday (6/19).

Produced by Joey Moi and Rodney Clawson, the song marks Owen’s second trip to the top of the chart and Gravitt’s first country No. 1. McAnally and Harding previously had success together in 2011 with Kenny Chesney’s No. 1 hit “Somewhere With You.”

Plaques and awards were handed out in spades honoring the creative team. Presenters included BMI’s Clay Bradley, ASCAP’s LeAnn Phelan and SESAC’s Shannan Hatch. Bradley was quick to point out “Jake has redefined his career with this record,” and the audience was in full agreement.

RCA Records’ Keith Gale joined the presenters and acknowledged, “This album should be called ‘Greatest Hits.'” The accolades continued with Razor & Tie Publishing’s Lisa Johnson, Songs MP3’s Kelly King, Little Blue Egg Publishing’s Robin Palmer, Kobalt Music Publishing’s Whitney Daane, Avenue Bank’s Ron Cox, CMA’s Brandi Simms and CRB’s Keith Kaufman.

Jake Owen took the stage and admitted, “It took awhile to get here and a lot of people to help me get here.” He gave a special thanks to Renee Bell for sending him the song two and a half years ago. He also thanked his new beautiful bride, Lacey who was among the attendees. Looking at the writers, he added, “You allow me to have a pretty awesome life.

The No. 1 celebration quickly began to resemble a night at Zanies as JT Harding gave a heartfelt thanks to his mom in the audience for never complaining about his loud music or coming to breakfast on a regular basis with KISS makeup on. Describing the writing session, Harding recalled that Gravitt “wanted to feel it” before agreeing the song was finished and made a graphic gesture that shocked he and McAnally into looking like “two cub scouts looking at a Playboy for the first time.” Giving much credit to Owen, Harding added, “He has to work ten times as hard with this song because its a booty call song, and no one as good looking as him has ever been someone’s booty call.”

Gravitt confessed, “I’m just lucky that I don’t have a pee bag and a wheelchair attached to my body ’cause it’s taken me so long get here. I am more grateful to Jake Owen than he knows.” After the laughter had settled, she then looked out over the audience; getting choked up admitting it has “taken a village for me.” Starting with her parents, she thanked the many people who had been influential in her career.

Taking his turn, McAnally also got emotional thanking his family who were in attendance. “I’m grateful to many people in this room,” he added. Addressing Owen, he said, “These are life changing events for us,” thanking him for taking a bold position and a risk in doing a song like this.” Calling his fellow co-writers “a wall of optimism,” McAnally thanked them bringing joy to his life.

Dave Berg Inks New Publishing Agreement

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Singer/Songwriter Dave Berg has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with Los Angeles and New York-based Downtown Music Publishing, and his upcoming full length album Not Quite So Alone will be released by Downtown imprint Mercer Street Records.

Berg’s credits as a country songwriter include the No. 1 hits “Somebody” by Reba McEntire, “If You’re Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)” and “These Are My People” by Rodney Atkins, and “Moments” by Emerson Drive. He has received Songwriter of the Year honors from ASCAP, Billboard, and NSAI. In 2007, his co-written song “Stupid Boy” recorded by Keith Urban, earned a Grammy for Best Country Vocal Performance. Recent activity includes “Wine After Whiskey” which appears on Carrie Underwood’s latest album Blown Away, and “While He Still Knows Who I Am,” which Kenny Chesney cut for Welcome to the Fishbowl.

“Dave is simply an extraordinary talent,” said Justin Kalifowitz, President of Downtown Music Publishing. “In addition to writing some of the biggest Country hits of the past five years, Dave’s latest album is a testament to his craft as a true singer/songwriter. We are excited to be working with Dave and his management team of Martha Earls and Mike Molinar at Big Machine.”

Earls and Molinar will continue to represent Berg locally in Nashville.

Church’s “Chief” Certified Platinum

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Eric Church’s album Chief has been certified Platinum by the RIAA. Chief, released in July 2011, debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Top 200 and Country album charts. The album’s third single “Springsteen,” co-written by Church, has been a multi-week No. 1 on the Billboard, Mediabase, and MusicRow charts.

Previous Church albums, Sinners Like Me and Carolina are both certified Gold by the RIAA.

Additionally, Church brought his “Classic Feel Good Mix” to the latest installment of Team Coco’s Rdio mixtape series. Every week, the series  features music selections from Conan O’Brien, Team Coco and Conan’s guests. You can listen to Church’s picks here.

BMLG Adds Canadian Marketing Manager

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Sherry Sinclaire

The Big Machine Label Group and Universal Music Canada have announced the addition of Sherry Sinclaire as Marketing Manager.

In her new role, Sinclaire will oversee production, marketing, sales, and publicity initiatives for BMLG in Canada. She joins Angela Borchetta White, who was recently announced as National Director of Country Radio in Canada, and will be based out of Universal Canada’s Toronto offices.

Sinclaire began her career at Ticketmaster and became one of the first employees at MCA/Universal Concerts Canada’s (Live Nation) Western Canadian offices. She also served with Virgin Records and Warcon Records, working in promotion, marketing and publicity. She has also served as the Canadian Label Manager for Sanctuary Records. Most recently she spent close to four years with TELUS as Marketing Manager/Content Programming, helping the company’s digital music shop become the No. 1 mobile music partner and No. 2 digital retailer in Canada.

“I am thrilled to be joining the team at Big Machine Label Group. It is an honor to be asked to join a family that passionately believes in their artists,” said Sinclaire. “I look forward to working closely with the team, in conjunction with Universal Music Canada, to ensure that Canada remains an important piece of our artists’ careers.”

Reach her at [email protected] or 416-718-4090.

ACM Lifting Lives Camp In Nashville This Week

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(L-R): Rondal Richardson, Entertainment Industry Relations Manager, Vanderbilt University; Rob Baker, RLB Artist Management; Tree Paine, VP Publicity, Warner Music Nashville; Lori Genes Christian, Capitol Nashville/ACM Lifting Lives Camp PR; David Lee Murphy; Brett Eldredge; Tiffany Moon, ACM Exec. VP/Managing Director; Lorie Lytle, ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp Founder; Dr. Elisabeth Dykens, Director of the Kennedy Center; Doug Casmus, D Management Company; Adam Michael, Director of Development, Vanderbilt Kennedy Center

ACM Lifting Lives Music Camp is in session this week in Nashville, where campers from around the country come for music enrichment through performance and education. The camp, a partnership between ACM Lifting Lives and Vanderbilt Kennedy Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, has the dual purpose of studying campers with Williams syndrome and other disabilities.

On Monday (6/18), Brett Eldredge and David Lee Murphy lead campers in a songwriting session, creating “We’re Having a Party,” an original song based on campers’ personal experiences and inspirations. Yesterday Luke Bryan visited the campers during their recording session, where they recorded “We’re Having a Party” with producer Paul Worley. Later that day, Lauren Alaina dropped by and participated in a karaoke event at Winner’s with the campers. Today (6/21) they are scheduled for a campsite cookout with Jana Kramer, followed tomorrow by a performance with Big & Rich at the Grand Ole Opry.

Photo: Getty Images/Courtesy of ACM Lifting Lives

(L-R): Lorie Lytle, Luke Bryan, Tiffany Moon, Kerri Edwards, Rondal Richardson

(L-R): Rod Essig, Lauren Alaina, Tiffany Moon, Lorie Lytle, Rondal Richardson

MusicRowPics: 2012 MusicRow Awards

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MusicRow presented its 24th annual MusicRow Awards yesterday (6/20) in front of a packed house at BMI. The event honors the Top Ten Album All-Star Musician, determined by album credits, and the reader-voted awards Breakthrough Artist, Breakthrough Songwriter, Song of the Year and Producer of the Year. Complete coverage of event here. Photos: Izzynashville.com

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Angaleena Presley Enters EMI, Ten Ten Partnership

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EMI Music Publishing has signed a long-term worldwide publishing agreement with singer, songwriter Angaleena Presley. All future songwriting work will be represented by EMI on a global basis, in partnership with Ten Ten Music.

Presley is a member of Pistol Annies, and co-wrote the band’s debut album Hell On Heels with band mates Miranda Lambert and Ashley Monroe. The single “Hell on Heels” has been certified gold for 500,000 downloads. Presley also co-wrote Lambert’s current single “Fastest Girl In Town.” She is currently working on solo material and performing with the Pistol Annies throughout the summer.

EMI Music Publishing Nashville’s Ben Vaughn commented, “You just have to listen to Angaleena’s lyrics to hear that she is a classic modern day songwriter whose music connects to anyone that loves authentic music. Everyone at EMI would like to welcome Angaleena and our new partner Ten Ten Music, and we look forward to the bright future of this talented writer and artist.”

Ten Ten Music co-president Jewel Coburn, added, “When Barry and I first met Angaleena we both went ‘wow!’ Several years down the road we helped set her up with Ashley Monroe as writing partners and Ashley introduced Angaleena to Miranda. It was a perfect match! It’s been magical seeing Angaleena grow as a writer and performer, we have believed in her right from start and we continue to support her on this incredible journey.”

“The road from my front porch in Kentucky to Music Row has been long and hard but well worth traveling,” expressed Presley. “I want to thank everyone at EMI and Ten Ten Music for helping make my little songs reach front porch dreamers all over the world.”

Industry Ink (6/21/12)

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Schlitz Inducted Into Hall of Fame, Signs With Sea Gayle
Legendary tunesmith Don Schlitz was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s 43rd annual Awards Gala on June 14, and was saluted by Kenny Rogers who performed Schlitz’s classic “The Gambler.” Schlitz also recently signed to Nashville-based Sea Gayle Music, whose VP of Creative Mike Owens was in New York for the celebration.

(l-r) are Sea Gayle Music's Mike Owens, Stacey Schlitz, Don Schlitz, ASCAP's LeAnn Phelan and Marc Driskill. Photo: Gary Gershoff.

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Debbie Moore

Third Coast Promotes Debbie Moore
Debbie Moore has been promoted to Vice President of Nashville-based Third Coast Talent, where she will focus on artist contracts, press, and media. Third Coast represents Little Jimmy Dickens, Janie Fricke, Jeannie Seely, T.G. Sheppard, and Gene Watson. She joined Third Coast in 2002 as Entertainment Coordinator, and previously worked with BMI for 11 years. She is also a member of Moore & Moore (with her twin sister Carrie) and a songwriter who penned the No. 1 hit “Wish You Were Here” for Mark Wills.

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The Grascals Ink New Booking Deal
The Grascals have signed an exclusive booking agreement with Nashville’s Conway Entertainment Group, headed up by veteran Tony Conway. The Grascals signed to Mountain Home Music earlier in 2012 and released new album Life Finds A Way.

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Jim Havey PR To Rep The Label
The Label, Gary Allan’s high-end men’s boutique in the 12 South district, has retained Nashville-based Jim Havey Public Relations to handle publicity.

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Logan Hall

KY’s Country Music Road to Fame Winner Announced
Logan Hall of Vergie, KY, took home the grand prize in the Country Music Road to Fame talent competition held June 16 at the Mountain Arts Center in Prestonburg, KY. Hall will have the opportunity to write and record an original song at Tom T. Hall’s studio and participate in a career development course with PCG Nashville.

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Cassidy Departs DSR Entertainment
Kristen Cassidy has exited her position with DSR Entertainment, which oversees the career of David St. Romain. “David is an amazing talent,” said Cassidy. “I wish him happiness and continued success.” Going forward reach her at [email protected].

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Willis Launches Volt Music Group
Manager and Radio Submit co-owner Monte Willis and partner Donnie Dolac have announced the opening of new publishing and management company Volt Music Group. “Many of the high points of my career have come from my work in Nashville and I am very excited to find the right partners in the Doleac family to once again focus on what I love most, working with songwriters,” said Willis. Signings will be announced soon.