UMPG Nashville Signs Kane Brown

/by
Pictured (Back Row, L-R): Travis Gordon; Ron Stuve; Kent Earls, Executive VP/GM, UMPG; Cyndi Forman; Missy Roberts; and Stephen Denninger; (Front Row, L-R): Katie Flynn; Amelia Varni; Kane Brown; Tammy Helm.

Pictured (Back Row, L-R): Travis Gordon; Ron Stuve; Kent Earls, Executive VP/GM, UMPG; Cyndi Forman; Missy Roberts; and Stephen Denninger; (Front Row, L-R): Katie Flynn; Amelia Varni; Kane Brown; Tammy Helm.

Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) Nashville has signed an exclusive, global publishing deal with artist and songwriter Kane Brown. The announcement was made today (May 4) by Kent Earls, Executive Vice President/General Manager, UMPG Nashville.

“Kane Brown’s charismatic voice matched with his magnetic look screams superstar and the level at which he connects with his fans is revolutionary in our format,” said Earls. “We are honored to be the home of Kane’s songs for years to come.”

“I’m so excited to be part of the Universal Music Publishing team,” added Brown. “I’ve been collaborating with their incredible writers and we have been writing some amazing songs. I can’t wait for the fans to hear what’s coming next.”

Shortly after signing to RCA Nashville in January 2016, Brown released his debut single “Used To Love You Sober” to country radio. His EP Chapter 1 (RCA/Zone 4) was released in March and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Country Albums chart and No.9 on The Billboard 200. Brown is currently working on his debut full-length album, which is set to be released later this summer.

Brown got his start in music by developing a dedicated fan base through posting original and cover songs to his own social media channels. After independently releasing “Used To Love You Sober” to digital retailers, the song went viral.

Brown is currently headlining his first tour with over 40 sold out shows, and he will join Florida Georgia Line on their Dig Your Roots Tour this summer.

The Barbershop Harmony Society Plans Convention In Nashville

/by
Musical Island Boys Quartet

Musical Island Boys Quartet

The Barbershop Harmony Society 2016 International Convention will take place July 3-10 in Nashville. The organization has been headquartered in downtown Nashville since 2007.

A uniquely American art form, barbershop is four-part, a cappella, close-harmony singing style. It will be spotlighted in competitions hosted at venues across Nashville, including Music City Center, Bridgestone Arena, Schermerhorn Symphony Center, and the First Baptist Church.

The convention is expected to attract more than 6,000 singers and generate more than $11 million for the local economy.

“Barbershop harmony is improvisational music at heart,” said Marty Monson, CEO of the Society. “Although we’ll have all of our superstars here on stage and in competitions, a huge number of our guests come just to sing with each other, to meet up casually to sing their favorites with new friends. That singing spills out of the hotels and convention center, and engulfs the entire city. We are the opposite of a hide-in-conference rooms convention.”

With 23,000 members, the Society is the world’s largest all-male singing organization. Today, it has more than 800 chapters across North America with 4,500 affiliates in nine additional countries. Affiliated and female organizations around the world bring the global barbershop movement to more than 80,000 singers. Groups from England, Sweden, The Netherlands, Finland, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Germany, and Ireland travel to Nashville this summer for a week of a cappella singing.

Among the highlights of the week are two performances at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center of “Pitch Perfected: An Evening of Vocal Harmony,” which features championship quartets, on July 6-7. “A Better World Singing Day” will also take place on July 9, offering families the opportunity to be a part of making music together while enjoying free shows at The Walk of Fame Park and Bridgestone Arena.

The full week schedule includes quartet contests for singers under age 25, and the open division contest, the International Chorus Contest, and hundreds of classes ranging from vocal techniques, songwriting to comedy, to music history.

Musicians On Call Introduces Half A Million Moments Campaign

/by

Musicians on Call Half a Million Moments

Musicians On Call (MOC) has kicked off a yearlong campaign titled Half a Million Moments after reaching a milestone of having played for half a million patients. The nonprofit organization brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.

The campaign’s goal is to celebrate this milestone by thanking the champions that helped MOC reach the milestone, asking volunteers and supporters to share their stories of their favorite moment bringing music to hospitals using #MOCMoments, and to raise funds and support to help MOC serve the next half a million people. Throughout the year, MOC will be hosting Half A Million Moments Celebrations across the country including New York, Nashville, Los Angeles, Miami, Philadelphia and Cleveland.

YouTube video

 

“I’ve been a Musicians On Call volunteer for over 10 years now and I’ve experienced so many memorable moments performing at the bedsides of patients. I’m so happy that Musicians On Call has reached half a million patients, families and caregivers,” said Gavin DeGraw. “I’m a total believer in the healing power of music and grateful to Musicians On Call for providing me the opportunity to perform for and even with patients in need.”

In an effort to connect supporters to the patients they serve, MOC is announcing its new Backstage Pass Club. Supporters who donate or raise $500 on behalf of Musicians On Call will receive a limited-edition, numbered Backstage Pass, entering them to win cool prizes like concert tickets, autographed items and music themed prizes.

The $500 raised then sponsors a hospital room for one year that an MOC volunteer will visit weekly and deliver “Backstage” performances to the bedsides of patients. Each patient will receive an actual Backstage Pass sticker, just like the commemorative pass that the supporter will receive, connecting each donor with the patients MOC serves.

“We’re proud to say that Musicians On Call is the largest provider of volunteers bringing live music at the bedsides of patients in hospitals,” said Pete Griffin, MOC President. “We couldn’t have reached this many lives without the support of our volunteers, musicians, donors, hospital staff, partners, Advisory Board Members and Board of Directors who help us deliver the healing power of music in 18 cities across the country.”

In addition, MOC is excited to announce a nationwide partnership with Hard Rock Cafe who will host Volunteer Appreciation events to give thanks to its Volunteer Guides and Musicians. Musicians On Call has thousands of dedicated volunteers and supporters across the country who will take part in these events.

These momentous campaigns follow the success of the Rock The Room Tour, which raised over $387,000 for Musicians On Call over the course of three events in Nashville, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. The Rock The Room Tour was created to raise awareness of the impact music has on healing, honor leaders in entertainment and philanthropy and raise funds for Musicians On Call in order to continue making a difference in the lives of patients through its unique “bedside tours” in hospitals.

Musicians On Call (MOC) was founded in 1999 with the mission of bringing live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities ranging from children’s hospitals to adult facilities, VA hospitals and hospices. To date, its volunteers have played for half a million people across the country. By delivering live, in-room performances to patients undergoing treatment or unable to leave their beds, they add a dose of joy to life in a healthcare facility.

MOC supporters over the years include Bruce Springsteen, Kelly Clarkson, Lady Antebellum, Justin Timberlake, Ed Sheeran, Reba, Gavin DeGraw, Darius Rucker, Pharrell, Amos Lee, Nick Jonas, Rachel Platten and many more.

Tim DuBois To Receive Honorary Doctoral Degree From Oklahoma State University

/by
Tim DuBois

Tim DuBois

Tim DuBois will receive an honorary doctoral degree and speak to students at Oklahoma State University’s undergraduate commencement ceremonies on Saturday, May 7, at Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater.

DuBois will speak at 9:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. Chickasaw Nation Governor Bill Anoatubby, who will also receive an honorary doctoral degree, will keynote the 1 p.m. ceremony.

“This year’s honorees embody leadership and a true commitment to people that has allowed them to literally shape a brighter future for an industry and a nation,” said OSU President Burns Hargis. “We are pleased to recognize their accomplishments and service to others with one of our university’s highest honors, the Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.”

DuBois is known as one of the most successful executives in the recording industry, discovering and signing Arista Nashville artists including Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn, Brad Paisley, BlackHawk, Pam Tillis and Diamond Rio. An adjunct professor of management at Vanderbilt’s Owen School of Management and longtime ASCAP member, DuBois’ storied career has included recognition as a songwriter, manager, record executive and producer.

Five songs that he has co-written have been No. 1 hits on the music charts. He has received numerous awards and two Grammy award nominations. As a producer, his accolades have included over 20 No. 1 hits and Top 5 singles, and more than a dozen gold, platinum, and double-platinum albums.

DuBois, who graduated with a degree in accounting from OSU, was inducted into the Oklahoma Music Hall of Fame in 2015 and the OSU Alumni Hall of Fame in 1996. He was recently honored by the OSU Spears School of Business as one of its most influential graduates of the school’s first 100 years.

Becca Walls Resigns From WKDF After 16 Years

/by
Becca Walls

Becca Walls

Nash FM 103.3 (WKDF) on-air personality Becca Walls has resigned after 16 years with the station, she announced today (May 3). Her last day will be May 11.

“Please know this was 1000% my decision and Cumulus Nashville couldn’t have been kinder or more supportive when I delivered the news. It’s something I have thought about, prayed about, struggled with, sought advice from wiser friends about, and ultimately decided it was time,” Walls stated on social media. “My passion and love for country radio and my love affair with country music and the artists is for life. I am not leaving Nashville. It is my home and a city I have grown to love intensely.”

She will do freelance work as the Nashville correspondent for Envision Networks’ AmeriCountry daily radio prep. She is also the Nashville correspondent for the Bud and Broadway morning show on 92.3 (WIL) in St. Louis, and is exploring other options ranging from freelance work to full-time opportunities.

“I owe a big debt of gratitude to Wes Gardipe who took a chance on me 16 years ago when I had little to no experience as a solo DJ on a radio station. He believed in me because of my work with Blair Garner on After MidNite. His belief in me changed my life and since then, anyone who has believed in me, supported me, encouraged me, loved me or listened to me in the last 16 years has also changed my life in the most positive and amazing ways.”

MusicRowLife: The AristoMedia Group’s Jon and Tessa Walker Welcome Daughter

/by

The AristoMedia Group’s Jon Walker and wife Tessa welcomed daughter, Emme Josephine Walker, on Monday, May 2. She weighed in at 6 lbs, 6 oz.

This is the third grandchild for the late Jeff Walker (AristoMedia Group Founder) and his wife Terri. Emme is also the great-granddaughter of award-winning arranger, producer, conductor and music director Bill Walker and wife Jeanine Walker, and niece of AristoMedia’s Christy Walker-Watkins and Matt Watkins.

Emme Josephine Walker

Emme Josephine Walker

LANco Makes The Most Of Every Moment On Debut Arista Nashville Single

/by
LANco

LANco

One of Arista Nashville’s newest additions to its roster, LANco visited with MusicRow on Tuesday morning (May 3) to showcase three songs from their four-song LANco EP, including “Trouble Maker,” “American Love Story,” and their current single “Long Live Tonight.”

Like many bands, LANco’s members—Brandon Lancaster, Tripp Howell, Eric Steedly, Jared Hampton, and Chandler Baldwin—found a shared musical bond through performing in other bands around the Middle Tennessee area.

Introducing “Long Live Tonight,” Lancaster stated, “This song is about making the most of every moment you’ve got.”

It’s a maxim that has brought the band from secretly rehearsing in warehouses to working with Jay Joyce (Eric Church, Carrie Underwood, Little Big Town) and inking their deal with Arista Nashville.

At the time, band member Tripp Howell worked at a carpet warehouse by day, and was a musician by night. The band took advantage of the space and time they had to develop their sound. “At that time we weren’t really making any money and couldn’t afford a rehearsal spot,” says Lancaster. “Tripp had the keys to the carpet warehouse so we would sneak in there and just rehearse. We would always try to load our stuff out before the store opened. Then we got kind of lazy, so we put our equipment in the corner of the warehouse and threw old dusty rugs over our stuff, hoping not to get caught. We did get caught.”

lanco 2

LANco

Later, Lancaster would take a risk with a bigger payoff. During one of his shifts working at the Bridgestone Arena’s concession stand, Lancaster spotted Jay Joyce.

“I was a huge fan, so I thought that was the appropriate time to shut down my register. I just approached him as a fan,” says Lancaster. “We got to talking and about 30 minutes later, he invited me to his studio to play some songs.”

That meeting and a four-song performance led to an offer to record an album at Joyce’s Neon Cross Studio in Nashville.

“We did that, and got ourselves an RV and hit the road to build a fan base,” says Lancaster. “We played a show at [Nashville’s] The High Watt. There were a few guys in the green room after the show that we didn’t recognize, but it was Randy Goodman and Steve Hodges from Sony and that whole crew and they offered us a deal on the spot.”

“Long Live Tonight” officially impacts country radio on July 11. The band will spend the summer playing festivals, and recently appeared at SXSW and Tortuga Music Festival.

LANco 3

LANco with MusicRow staff

Darrell Brown Curates SongHubs To Collaborate With Australian Musicians

/by
Darrell Brown

Darrell Brown

Songwriter Darrell Brown is curating the 2016 SongHubs LA Edition at Capitol Studios in Hollywood, California. The five-day event concludes Friday (May 6).

SongHubs gives Australian songwriters the opportunity to collaborate and write music with some of the world’s best songwriters and producers. ASCAP and Capitol Studios partnered for the event with APRA AMCOS, which stands for the Australasian Performing Right Association Ltd and the Australasian Mechanical Copyright Owners Society Ltd. SongHubs was established in 2013 as an APRA AMCOS initiative, with co-funding from the Australian Federal Government.

An ASCAP writer who is based in L.A. and Nashville, Brown is a hit songwriter, arranger, producer and manager who has written songs for artists of nearly every genre of popular music, as well as writing music for film and television. His songwriting credits include LeAnn Rimes’ “Nothin’ Better to Do,” Josh Turner’s “Why Don’t We Just Dance” and Keith Urban’s “Raining on Sunday.”

Rimes is also confirmed as an official collaborator, along with multi-talented musicians Mr. Hudson, Franc Tetaz, Stuart Crichton, Aston Merrygold and Natasha Bedingfield.

“ASCAP is excited to partner with SongHubs and Capitol Studios in providing a rare opportunity for wonderful songwriters from around the globe to foster creative collaboration,” said Loretta Munoz, ASCAP AVP Membership. “It is a great example of how we’re committed to helping songwriters succeed. We are especially excited to have a songwriter with such unique gifts as Darrell Brown as curator for SongHubs LA.”

“I’ve had many successes with music creators from Australia and I wouldn’t have any success in my life it wasn’t for the support of ASCAP, “ said Brown. “Saying ‘yes’ to ASCAP and APRA to curate at SongHubs at Capitol Studios was a no-brainer. It is going to be an out-of-this-world great experience. I couldn’t be happier to be joining this amazing group of songwriters, producers and artists.”

Track Listing For Next ‘Nashville’ Compilation Announced

/by

Nashville album

Matraca Berg, Tom Douglas, Ryan Hurd, Luke Laird, Lee Miller and Maren Morris are just some of the Nashville songwriters with material on the next volume of music from the ABC series, Nashville.

Titled The Music of Nashville, Season 4, Volume 2, the compilation will be released on May 13 by Big Machine Records. Music from the show has sold over five million tracks collectively across seven soundtracks and a Christmas album.

Buddy Miller serves as soundtrack album producer. Callie Khouri and Steve Buchanan are executive soundtrack producers.

Track Listing for The Music of Nashville, Season 4, Volume 2:

1. “Can’t Say No To Love” (performed by Will Chase)
Written by: Rose Falcon, Joe Ginsberg, Gabriel Dixon

2. “Soul Survivor” (performed by Aubrey Peeples & Jonathan Jackson)
Written by: Luke Laird, Barry Dean, Natalie Hemby

3. “Only Tennessee” (performed by Clare Bowen)
Written by: Claire Guerreso, Daniel Tashian

4. “Kinda Dig The Feeling” (performed by Jonathan Jackson)
Written by: Jaren Johnston, Tyler Bryant, Tom Douglas

5. “Swept Away” (performed by Lennon Stella & Jessy Schram)
Written by: Audra Mae, Blake Sennett, Jarrod Gorbel

6. “Movin’ On Never Felt So Good” (performed by Chris Carmack)
Written by: Gareth Dunlop

7. “From Here On Out” (performed by Charles Esten)
Written by: Andy Albert, Stephanie Lambring, Timothy Bowen

8. “The Rubble” (performed by Clare Bowen & Sam Palladio)
Written by: Sarah Zimmerman, Justin Davis, Paul Moak

9. “Hole In The World” (performed by Lennon Stella)
Written by: Gordie Sampson, Katrina Elam, Steve McEwan

10. “‘Til The Stars Come Out Again” (performed by Maisy Stella)
Written by: Garrison Starr, Justin Glasco

11. “Caged Bird” (performed by Aubrey Peeples)
Written by: Tina Parol, Maren Morris

12. “One Place Too Long”  (performed by Hayden Panettiere)
Written by: Haley Cole, Bobby Hamrick

13. “Ain’t It Beautiful” (performed by Chris Carmack)
Written by: Sean McConnell, Michael Dulaney, Lee Miller

14. “Wild Card” (performed by Lennon Stella)
Written by: Rosi Golan, Claire Guerreso, Daniel Tashian

15. “Boomtown” (performed by Will Chase & Hayden Panettiere)
Written by: Ryan Hurd, Gordie Sampson, Maren Morris

16. “All We Ever Wanted” (performed by Lennon & Maisy)
Written by: Kate York, Matraca Berg

17. “Hold On To Me” (performed by Connie Britton)
Written by: Bob Moffatt, Clint Moffatt, Summer Overstreet

Tennessee Musicians Will Stream Concerts To Attract Tourists From Chicago

/by
Old Crow Medicine Show

Old Crow Medicine Show

Jason Isbell, Ashley Monroe and Old Crow Medicine Show are among the Tennessee musicians who will appear in a series of interactive concerts to be streamed in a high-traffic area of Chicago. The idea is part of a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and Nashville marketing agency FlyteVu.

Scheduled for May 23-25, the exclusive live streamed concert series will offer performances at iconic attractions in Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville. The performances will be streamed onto a two-sided video wall in a high-traffic location in Chicago and will have interactive capabilities between artist and audience as well as a 360-degree panoramic camera angle, making it the first long-distance concert if its kind.

Chicago is a top tourism market for the state of Tennessee. Due to direct flight paths into the state’s major airports and close geographical driving range, Tennessee has become an easily accessible destination for many tourists from the area.

Citizen Cope will take the stage on May 23 live from the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in his hometown of Memphis. Isbell and Old Crow Medicine Show will perform separate shows from the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on May 24. Monroe is scheduled to sing from the historic Tennessee Theatre in Knoxville on May 25.

“As the birthplace of so many genres, Tennessee’s musical history roots are deep with ground-breaking events,” said Kevin Triplett, Commissioner of Tourist Development. “The three days of streamed concerts, showcasing the amazing talent of Citizen Cope, Jason Isbell, Old Crow Medicine Show, and Ashley Monroe, feature the wide variety of music that is ours. Originating from Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville highlights these music destinations and venues as well as the artists and their music. And it makes this streamed event another incredible first that puts the music stake even deeper in the ground for Tennessee.”