Industry Ink: Mike Curb Foundation, ASCAP, Recording Academy, More
Mike Curb Foundation Establishes Music Program At Occidental College

Mike Curb
The Mike Curb Foundation has gifted Occidental College’s new John Branca Institute for Music $500,000 to establish the Mike Curb Endowed Program in Popular Music History, which seeks to enhance the institute’s curricular offerings by providing a variety of guest speakers and career development events to students and alumni. The program will also name recognized music professionals to the Linda and Mike Curb Fellowship. In celebration of its establishment, an on-campus concert starring members of the school’s music community will be held on Oct. 18.
“We are thrilled that the Mike Curb Foundation is joining forces with the Branca Institute in its inaugural year,” says David Kasunic, John Branca Institute Director & Associate Professor of Music. “This gift rightly emphasizes the study of the history of popular music as a prerequisite to creating and understanding popular music today, and that the people who know this history best are the experienced music professionals who have been part of this history.”
ASCAP Supports Members At All Things Go Music Festival

Pictured (L–R): ASCAP’s Jason Silberman, Nicholas Carpenter (Medium Build), ASCAP’s Jody Klein and Kaitlyn Sugarman
ASCAP team members were on hand to support members during the All Things Go Music Festival in Washington, D.C. and New York City this past weekend (Sept. 28–29).
They met up with Nicholas Carpenter, also known as Medium Build, backstage at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday (Sept. 29).
Recording Academy Hosts 10th Annual Music Advocacy Day

Michael Trotter Jr., Maggie Rose, Recording Academy’s Harvey Mason Jr. and Todd Dupler, and Recording Academy Nashville Chapter members with Tennessee Representative Mark Green. Photo: Courtesy of the Recording Academy/Tibrina Hobson for Getty Images
A record 2,100 Recording Academy members gathered across the country for the organization’s 10th annual Music Advocacy Day on Tuesday (Oct. 1), a grassroots advocacy movement that aims to connect members with their congressional representatives to discuss issues affecting the music industry.
Participants included multi-Grammy winner and this year’s Music Advocacy Day Artist Ambassador Mark Ronson, double-Grammy nominee Michael Trotter Jr. of The War And Treaty and artist Maggie Rose, who met with the office of New York Representative Daniel Goldman and Tennessee Representative Mark Green to advocate for the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act, which creates a federal property right to protect artists and other individuals from having their image, voice or likeness misused by generative artificial intelligence (AI) to develop deepfakes and clones, as well as the Fans First Act, American Music Tourism Act, Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act and American Music Fairness Act.
Gotee Records Signs Lydi Lynn

Pictured (L–R, back row): Tyrus Morgan, Keelin Crew, Joey Elwood, Xander Morrison and Brad Moist; (L–R, front row): TobyMac and Lydi Lynn
Gotee Records has signed pop singer-songwriter Lydi Lynn. The Portland native first shared her sound and style through lead single “Keep Breathing,” and now resides in Nashville. She is currently supporting Jervis Campbell on his “Magnolia Tour,” and plans to release her debut EP, Desert Dream, next Friday (Oct. 11).
“I’m honored to be a part of such a phenomenal team and family at Gotee,” says Lynn. “Working on my first EP has been an incredibly special process, and I can’t wait for these songs to be heard. I’m praying they can be a part of someone’s story the way they have been for mine.”
Annual Dogtober Writer’s Round Supports Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

Pictured (L–R): Jake Rose, Grant Vogel, Jillian Cardarelli and Marcus Hummon. Photo: Nick Tavares/NPT Photography
The PEDIGREE Foundation hosted its annual Dogtober Writer’s Round at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsey on Tuesday (Oct. 1) and raised over $15,300 to support relief efforts for animal shelters and rescues affected by Hurricane Helene.
During the event, songwriters Marcus Hummon, Jillian Cardarelli, Jake Rose and Grant Vogel took the stage to share the stories behind their tunes. Additionally, donations can still be made on the PEDIGREE Foundation’s website.
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