Highway South Records artist and Detroit native David Shelby visited the MusicRow offices on Wednesday (June 26).
Shelby picked up trumpet and accordion playing at a young age and eventually studied Jazz and Contemporary Media in college. After college, he played lead trumpet in various groups, including performances with Phil Collins and Stevie Wonder. He was first exposed to country music through a Garth Brooks concert. “You could tell Garth really cared about the crowd and entertaining,” says Shelby.
Shelby performed songs from his EP, including “Kick A Little Dirt Around” and “Moonshine.” On Aug. 8, Shelby will perform a showcase at Nashville’s 12th & Porter.
For more information, visit davidshelbymusic.com.
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Big Machine Label Group (BMLG) has made three promotions across various departments within the company. Effective immediately, Megan Knutson has been elevated to BMLG Director of Label Group Resources; Kelsey Chandler was upped to Republic Nashville Label Coordinator and Jimmy Chapin has been named BMLG International Coordinator.
“Scott Borchetta, Jimmy Harnen and the entire BMLG family are incredible!” says Knutson. “Their passion, dedication, intelligence and love of music are unmatched, and I am so proud to be a part of this amazing group of people. Jimmy has been, and continues to be, an inspiring teacher, and I look forward to utilizing all that I’ve learned in my expanded role with all three labels.”
Knutson will now work with departments and artists across each Big Machine imprint (Big Machine Records, Republic Nashville, The Valory Music Co.). Her responsibilities will encompass creating budgets and project rollouts as well as artist development activities and coordinating schedules. Knutson will also act as a liaison with Republic Records, label partner to Republic Nashville. Originally hired as Executive Assistant to Jimmy Harnen, she has risen to both Republic Nashville Label Coordinator and Label Resource Manager in the last three-plus years. She can be reached at 615.324.7901 or [email protected].

“I have thoroughly enjoyed my last two years with Republic Nashville,” says Chandler. “Under Jimmy’s leadership I have gained a plethora of knowledge and I look forward to continuing to work with this amazing team and artists in my new role.”
In her advanced position, she will provide administrative support services to all departments in relation to Republic Nashville projects and artists (The Band Perry, Florida Georgia Line, Eli Young Band, Cassadee Pope & Greg Bates). Chandler was previously Harnen’s Executive Assistant, a position she has held since 2011. She is available via kelsey.chandler@republicnashville.com or 615.324.7930.

“International business has always been a passion along with music, so the merging of the two is really amazing,” says Chapin. “This label group has been able to put country music on a global platform in a way that is unrivaled, so I’m looking forward to help take it to the next level.”
In a newly-created role, Chapin will assist in various international press and marketing needs for artists across the entire BMLG talent roster and has already assisted in various projects, including lyric videos for Taylor Swift’s “Eyes Open” and “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” which aired globally. Gaining a broad knowledge of the company, he previously served as BMLG Operations Coordinator and interned in both the Marketing and A&R departments. He can be reached at 615.324.7063 or [email protected].
“We’re extremely excited to have Jimmy join our International team. Our department (army) gets bigger as an exciting result of how far and wide we can march across the globe and share our music,” stated Brad Turcotte, head of the International department.
Republic Nashville will fill the Executive Assistant opening immediately. Prospective candidates should submit resumes to [email protected].

Leadership Music’s annual Digital Summit returns this fall with a new title, new direction, and a renewed focus on educating and connecting music industry and digital marketing leaders. The nine-year-old conference is being renamed and rebranded as the Leadership Music Summit, a move that will allow for the theme of the event to address and incorporate the hot-button issues of the moment from year-to-year. Slated for Tuesday, Sept. 10 at Nashville’s Marathon Music Works, the 2013 summit is subtitled “Digital Solutions Powered by the Entrepreneurial Spirit.” Co-chairs for this year’s event are Leadership Music alumni Heather McBee (“America’s Morning Show,” Cumulus Media) and Cameo Carlson (Borman Entertainment).
“Our goal with this year’s event is to introduce members of the music community to the growing number of digital marketing and platform opportunities that are being developed by entrepreneurs,” says McBee. The 2013 event is targeted to attendees and participants ranging from college students to movers-and-shakers of the entrepreneurial community across the Southeast to a variety of music industry leaders and decision-makers, including artist managers, record label staff and executives, attorneys, business managers and members of the media, marketing and publicity communities.
Planned panel topics include “Bringing Content to Fruition” and “Marketing & Engagement.” An anticipated highlight is “The Dream Projects,” a competition where content “owners” (i.e. record labels, managers, publishers, artists) can pre-submit a need that would benefit from digital ideas and initiatives. Three “finalists” will be chosen from the pool of submissions; each will be provided a 10-minute presentation opportunity at the Summit. A panel of judges will choose a “winner,” and assist that content owner in connecting with potential digital solution providers. An inverse opportunity will also be provided to digital start-ups – three “finalists” will be selected from a field of pre-submitted initiatives, each will be allowed to present their idea of a dream project and connections will be made with music industry entities who can utilize the “winning” concept. In addition to receiving a cash prize, the winning projects will be included in the feature news in MusicRow.