The ASCAP Foundation and The Library of Congress will present the ninth annual “We Write the Songs” event together at the historic Coolidge Auditorium in The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on April 25. The evening celebrates the gift by The ASCAP Foundation to the Library of Congress of the original manuscripts, lead sheets, lyrics sheets, photos and letters of some of America’s greatest songwriters.

Hosted by ASCAP Foundation President Paul Williams, the evening will include performances by Peter Frampton and Gordon Kennedy (“Baby I Love Your Way” & “Change the World”), Rob Thomas of Matchbox Twenty (“Smooth”), Eric Bazilian and Rob Hyman of The Hooters (“One of Us” & “Time After Time”), Ledisi (“Pieces of Me”) and young jazz composer and singer Camille Thurman.

The event takes place the night before ASCAP’s “Stand with Songwriters” Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill April 26, when many of the “We Write the Songs” music creators will meet personally with legislators to discuss the challenges facing songwriters in the digital age and urge policymakers to update the outdated and overreaching federal regulations that govern how songwriters license their work.

“We Write the Songs” has become a Washington tradition and an exclusive ticket for legislative and cultural dignitaries, and is not open to the public.

The Music Biz Association will present discussions surrounding the international success and impact of the Country Music Association’s “Forever Country,” and Tim McGraw‘s “Humble and Kind,” as well as the strategy behind breaking artist Thomas Rhett on an international level, in a series of case studies titled “Country Music’s Gone Global.” The discussions will be held Wednesday, May 17 from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. as part of the Music Biz 2017 convention at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

At 11 a.m., CMA and UMG Nashville will explore the multi-artist, multi-label country single “Forever Country,” and its accompanying video which commemorated the CMA Awards’ 50th broadcast. This session and case study takes a deeper look at Forever Country and the impact on overall International audiences and adoption of country music globally prior to, during, and since release with research from the CMA and Universal Music Group Nashville.

Those taking part in the session include Annie Ortmeier, Sr. Director of Streaming & Digital Marketing, Universal Music Group Nashville; Karen Stump, Sr., Director of Consumer Insights, Country Music Association (CMA); and Damon Whiteside, Chief Marketing Officer, Country Music Association (CMA).

At 11:40 a.m., a session will focus on the marketing campaign behind Tim McGraw’s “Humble and Kind,” which became a No. 1, platinum-selling single that would go on to inspire a New York Times Best Seller book.  McGraw’s management company, EM.Co, partnered with Facebook to premiere the song’s accompanying music video, and launched a social media campaign that brought in millions of views and spurred a movement for fans to create original content and complete random acts of kindness. During the Academy of Country Music Awards, McGraw welcomed 130 people from across the globe to join him for a performance of “Humble and Kind” on the ACM Awards stage.

Those taking part in the session include Brian Kaplan, VP of Marketing and Digital, EM.Co, and James Stewart, Sr. Director of Marketing, EM.Co.

At 12:15 p.m., a session will focus on the strategy, opportunities, and challenges surrounding taking Big Machine Label Group artist Thomas Rhett’s stateside success, including his six-week No. 1 single “Die A Happy Man,” into international territory. He has had headlining shows in Belgium, Canada, England, Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Scotland. On the verge of a third album and a 2017 world tour, this timely discussion will give a current perspective on the challenges and opportunities of going global, as well as an inside look at the components necessary to do so, and much more.

The session will be moderated by Billboard columnist Phyllis Stark, and will include Jimmy Chapin, International Director, Big Machine Label Group; Virginia Davis, Founder and Managing Partner, G Major Management; Anna-Sophie Mertens, Promoter, Live Nation UK; and Akiko Rogers, Agent, William Morris Endeavor Entertainment (WME).

Day passes for Wednesday, May 17, are also available for $199. These passes will allow buyers to access all Music Biz 2017 programming on May 17 only, including the CMA-sponsored Awards Breakfast & Presentations (featuring awards presentations to UMG Nashville’s Mike Dungan and Music Millennium’s Terry Currier and a live performance by Little Big Town) and Country Music’s Gone Global. To purchase the May 17 day pass, visit musicbiz2017.eventbrite.com and use code COUNTRYDAY to reveal the ticket.

Music Biz 2017 will be held May 15-18 at Renaissance Nashville Hotel.

Leading into the first of two hometown, headlining shows on his 2017 Home Team Tour at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater on Thursday (April 20), Thomas Rhett stacked the deck, charming the crowd chart-topping songs, surprise collaborations, and even a cover tune or two.

As cloudy skies gave way to a balmy evening at the outdoor venue, Rhett made a dramatic entrance in a puff of smoke center stage, grabbing the crowd’s attention before he even launched into “Crash and Burn.”

Equipped with the songs and style that make him an artist with some of the highest crossover potential, Rhett had the crowd on their feet and dancing with hits and album tracks including “Make Me Wanna,” “Get Me Some of That,” “T-Shirt,” “Vacation,” and “Shake Your South Side.” Mid-show, on a satellite stage, Rhett offered his earliest hits, including “Something To Do With My Hands,” and “Beer With Jesus,” which the star penned in a dorm room at Lipscomb University.

The talented songwriter was able to fill his set with not only his own hits, but a string of those he penned for other artists, including Florida Georgia Line (“Round Here”) Lee Brice (“Parking Lot Party”) and Michael Ray (“Think A Little Less”).

Meanwhile, background video offered glimpses of Rhett’s childhood, from sharpening his craft of songwriting at age 8 to a teen thrashing at a drum set.

Thomas Rhett’s six-week No. 1 song and current CMA Single of the Year “Die A Happy Man” was infused with an extra shade of soulfulness, complete with saxophone. Later in the evening, the crowd learned that Rhett can still pound the skins, as he and drummer Chris Kimmerer took turns showing off their skillful rhythms.

It may have been Rhett’s hometown headlining show, but he shared his stage time generously. Thomas Rhett welcomed a plethora of special guests. Grammy winner Maren Morris joined him for the new single, “Craving You,” while Danielle Bradbery joined for “Playing With Fire,” a track Jordin Sparks collaborated on for his Tangled Up album.

Dierks Bentley, who had previously been up the road at Bridgestone Arena celebrating the Nashville Predators’ Game 4 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, joined Thomas Rhett for “Somewhere On A Beach,” which they performed on a satellite stage in the middle of the outdoor venue, to the delight of fans with lawn seating.

Special guest Kelsea Ballerini, who is set to join Rhett as co-host for the Country Music Association’s “CMA Fest 2017” special on ABC this summer, was all smiles, songs and sparkle as she offered hits like “Yeah Boy,” “Dibs,” and “Peter Pan,” as well as fan-favorite album cuts such as “Stilettos” and the rap and rock influences of “XO.”

When she is not on the road, Ballerini has been putting the finishing touches on her sophomore album for Black River Entertainment. She used the show in Nashville to showcase a new track, “Beautiful For A Moment,” a reverie rich in images of Valentine’s Day, roses, and leather jackets.

Despite Ballerini’s youth, she is a seasoned performer, commanding the stage with a confident yet accessible charisma. She often knelt on the stage to shake hands and interact with fans in the front rows.

The wave of uptempo, infectious country-pop tunes slowed as Ballerini took center stage to accompany herself on acoustic guitar, offering a series of cover songs including The Chainsmokers’ “Closer.”

“I’m the biggest fan girl and grew up going to concerts,” she said, adding how much she wanted to share a “guitar moment” with the Nashville crowd.

She opted to go barefoot for her closing song, and her first No.1 hit, “Love Me Like You Mean It,” before skipping offstage.

Recent RCA Nashville signee Ryan Hurd also showcased a casual effervescence onstage before Ballerini, as he offered several of the tracks he has released over the past few months, including “We Do Us,” and “Love In A Bar.” Hurd proved his music can move into full-fledged rock territory on “City Girl,” as two guitarists offered crunchy guitar chords and even a solo “duel” during the performance.

Meanwhile, Triple Tigers Records artist Russell Dickerson warmed the crowd, offering a laid-back, California vibe similar to Hurd with tracks such as “MGNO (My Girls Night Out)” and current single “Yours.”

“This song changed my life because I wrote it about the beautiful woman who changed my life,” Dickerson said in introducing the track.

This generation of country artists have grown up sampling the choice fruits from all styles of music, and those influences showed as each paid homage to current and classic hits. Dickerson injected Whitney Houston’s “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” into his own original “MGNO.” Ballerini offered the aforementioned tune from The Chainsmokers while Thomas Rhett brought all the openers back to the stage with Bruno Mars’ “24K Magic.” The song made for an appropriate closer as fireworks painted the evening sky in a rainbow of colors, further lending a magical feel to the evening.

Thomas Rhett brings another headlining show on his Home Team Tour tonight (April 21) at Ascend Amphitheater.