Ron Samuels, Vice Chairman of the CMA Foundation, recently presented a check for $39,500 to advance music education at Rocketown in Middle Tennessee. The presentation was made during the quarterly CMA Board of Directors meetings in Nashville. In the past 20 years, Rocketown of Middle Tennessee has served youth between the ages of eight and 22, from all ethnic, religious and socio-economic backgrounds.
In 2013, Rocketown served more than 110,000 youth encounters through after-school programs, skatepark experiences, and concerts.

Pictured (L-R): John Huie, co-Head CAA Nashville and CMA Foundation Board member; Ed Hardy, CMA Board Chairman; Ron Samuels, Chairman & CEO of Avenue Bank and CMA Foundation Vice Chairman; Frank Bumstead, Chairman of Flood, Bumstead, McCready & McCarthy, Inc. and CMA Board President; Jim Mallory, Executive Director of Rocketown; Lon Helton, publisher and CEO of Country Aircheck and CMA Foundation Board member; Sarah Trahern, CMA CEO. Photo: Donn Jones / CMA

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Buddy Lee Attractions has expanded its agency representation to include Bluegrass performing artists. The agency recently signed The Roys to an exclusive agreement, and now has added Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome to its roster. Jeff Brown & Still Lonesome includes Jeff Brown (guitar/vocals), Austin Brown (bass), Josh Underwood (banjo/vocals), Kyle Murphy (fiddle), and Josh Blankenship (mandolin vocals). The group released Blue Side of Me (Mountain Fever Records) on July 16.

Jeff Brown and Still Lonesome

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Render Records has added duo Lost Hollow to its artist roster. The duo includes Tommy Harden, who has played drums on “Hard to Love” (Lee Brice), “Cowboys and Angels” (Dustin Lynch) and others. He also plays in Reba’s road band. Singer Lor is the other half of the duo. They co-wrote two tracks on Reba‘s Duets album, including “Sleeping with a Telephone” (a duet with Faith Hill) and “Everyday People” (a duet with Carole King).
“I have worked with Tommy for several years while producing records, his leadership, work ethic and creativity have always been the reason he is my first call for sessions of any size,” says Render CEO Steve Freeman. “When I found out about Tommy and Lorrie’s Lost Hollow project, I knew it would be amazing and it is and I became an instant fan. I love music you can’t put a label on. You can literally feel the passion they have in their music and harmony and that’s what this business is all about for me and for Render, working with artists that not only actually have something to say, but say it in a way that is new, creative, empowering, seductive, thought provoking and always from the heart and that is Lost Hollow by pure definition. We are so pleased to have them and be responsible for introducing Lost Hollow and their music to the world.”
Render Records has offices in Nashville, Austin, and Los Angeles and boasts a label roster that includes Lost Hollow, David Aldo, Jamie Jones, DOWNDAY, and Texas band Miles Williams & Hammer Down.

Pictured (back, L-R): Steve Freeman and Tommy Harden. (Front): Lor

American Federation of Musicians (AFM) member-musicians have ratified the revised AFM’s Commercial Announcement (jingle) agreement and a new Videogame agreement. The newly ratified jingle agreement went into effect June 5, 2014 and will extend through June 4, 2017. The videogame agreement became effective June 10, 2014, and will expire Dec. 31, 2017.
“I am pleased that we were able to achieve significant improvements for musicians who earn a living recording music for commercial announcements, and I am also encouraged by the interest we are receiving from the videogame industry concerning the use of our new game agreement,” said AFM International President Ray Hair.
New features of the Commercial Announcements agreement include:
(1) 6 percent increase to base wages, initial use and re-use cycles, dubs, and conversions
(2) Increase in Health and Welfare Fund contributions to $26.00 and 6 percent of scale
(3) Increase in Pension Fund contribution to 16.5 percent
(4) Increase in sideline musician base wages to $215.00
(5) Internet/New Media per-spot use applicable to made-for or moved-over, will increase to $100 for an 8-week cycle; $200 for a 26-week cycle; and $300 for a 52-week cycle
(6) New 52-week initial use cycle, per spot, for all media, all platforms—$1,245 payable up front
(7) New 52-week re-use cycle, per spot, all media, all platforms—$933.75, payable up front
The Videogame Agreement, a product of discussions with representatives of Microsoft Corporation that spanned 18 months, provides for a 33 percent increase in hourly session pay, compared to rates contained in an existing agreement promulgated by the AFM in 2006. An important feature of the new agreement is a provision permitting game companies to use tracks recorded for a particular game across all platforms applicable to a game franchise or series.