NSAI Discusses Music Licensing Reform in Washington D.C.

Representatives from the Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), including Executive Director Bart Herbison, participated in three days of meetings in Washington D.C. this week on the topic of music licensing reform.

Pictured (L-R): NSAI Legislative Co-Chair Roger Brown, Songwriter Equity Act sponsor Congressman Doug Collins (GA), songwriter Jeff Cohen, NSAI’S Bart Herbison and Jennifer Turnbow.

Pictured (L-R): NSAI Legislative Co-Chair Roger Brown, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (VA), NSAI’s Bart Herbison

Kim Davison Joins Crowd Surf As Project Manager

Kim Davison

Crowd Surf founders Cassie Petrey and Jade Driver have hired Kim Davison as Project Manager. In her new role, Davison will oversee marketing efforts for Crowd Surf’s Los Angeles-based clients.

“I’ve known Kim for years, and had always hoped that we could work together one day. She has an incredible positive energy, and really super-serves any project she works on. I’m so glad the stars finally aligned, and we were able to make this happen,” said Petrey.

Davison has relocated to Venice, California, after eight years in Nashville, where she managed digital marketing initiatives for companies such as Warner Bros. Nashville and Skyville. She also co-founded her own retail business, Goodbuy Girls. She will report to Driver and Petrey. Davison can be reached at kim@crowdsurf.net.

Harmon Music Management Signs The Vegabonds

Southern rock band The Vegabonds have signed with the roster of Harmon Music Management, spearheaded by Rusty Harmon and Sunni Ray. The band joins an artist roster that includes STELLA//JAMES, Laura Reed, TOWNE, and Chesapeake Sons.

“I love bands that work hard, tour, and write great songs,” states Harmon. “The Vegabonds exemplify all of those qualities. I’m excited to help guide their career and be a part of their business.” 

The Vegabonds

 

Crown Pointe Productions Opens Nashville Office

Michael Maples

Photographer/Director Michael Maples has opened a Nashville outpost of his Los Angeles-based Crown Pointe Productions, a full-service commercial production company that specializes in film, web content, and photography.

A Nashville native, Maples moved to Los Angeles 16 years ago to work as a fashion photographer. His clients have included Google’s popular video game Ingress, women’s fashion line Dickie’s Girl, and Maks and Peta from ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Pointe Productions studios are located at 5915 Robertson Ave, Nashville TN 37209.

Maples can be reached by phone at 323-691-4300 or at CrownPointeProductionsNASH@gmail.com

Merle Haggard Cancels Tour Dates

Merle Haggard

Merle Haggard has cleared his touring calendar to recover from illness, according to a statement from his media representative:

“Haggard has had to cancel his February tour due to his health. He is still feeling weak from his recent struggle with double pneumonia and has decided to seek further treatment for it. Merle is hopeful he will be back on the road later in the spring. Check back at www.merlehaggard.com for updates.”

Carrie Underwood Begins Storyteller Tour

Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round. Photo: Steve Jennings

Carrie Underwood’s Storyteller Tour – Stories in the Round launched on Saturday (Jan. 30) in Jacksonville, Florida, and continued Monday in Atlanta, both to sold-out 360-degree crowds. Her next tour stop will be Friday (Feb. 5) in Louisville, Kentucky. Barry Lather is the tour’s Creative Director and Butch Allen is Production and Lighting Designer. The Storyteller Tour required many weeks of technical planning and rehearsing to program lighting cues, automation, and special effects, followed by numerous performance rehearsals with Underwood and her band.

Keith Urban Adds Three Tour Dates

Keith Urban

Keith Urban has added three new ripCORD World Tour 2016 performances.

On Aug. 4, Urban will mark his first performance in Bozeman, Montana, since 2005. He’ll follow that with his first-ever show in Pocatello, Idaho, on Aug. 5. In addition, Urban will return to Sioux City, Iowa, on Oct. 7 for his first concert there since 2004.

Urban’s ripCORD Tour will kick off on June 2 in Kansas City, Missouri. Special guests are Brett Eldredge and Maren Morris.

Chris Young Joins T.J. Martell Gala

Chris Young

The T.J. Martell Foundation has announced that Chris Young, Joe Walsh and Ruby Wilson will join host Charles Esten and previously announced performers Don Henley and Ronnie Milsap at the 8th Annual Nashville Honors Gala taking place at Nashville’s Omni Hotel on Feb. 29.

This year’s previously-announced honorees are:

Aubrey Harwell: Spirit of Nashville Award
Brian Philips: Frances Preston Outstanding Music Industry Achievement Award
Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D.: Medical Research Advancement Award
Kenny Rogers: Tony Martell Lifetime Entertainment Achievement Award
FedEx Corporation: Outstanding Global Citizenship Award with Frederick W. Smith accepting on behalf of more than 350,000 team members around the world

Honors Gala co-chairs this year are board members, Dave Berryman, president of Gibson Guitar Corporation, and Leslie Fram, CMT’s senior vice president of music strategy. The evening is produced by Martin Fisher and Edie Hoback of High Five Entertainment.

The Honors Gala has raised over $3.5 million since its inception in 2009.

Paul Rourke

ASCAP has appointed Paul Rourke as the organization’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, reporting to ASCAP CEO Elizabeth Matthews. Rourke will be a key member of ASCAP’s executive management team and will be responsible for all of the organization’s financial matters across all business units on a global basis.

Most recently Rourke was EVP/CFO, Finance and Technology at Viacom International Media Networks from 2011 to 2015, where he also served as an active Board member on joint ventures in India and Korea. Rourke joined MTVN in 2006 as Senior Vice President, Corporate Finance.

Prior to joining MTVN, Rourke worked as Senior Vice President of Treasury Operations for CBS Radio, one of the largest major radio operators in the U.S. He also served as Treasurer of Scient Inc., a New York based tech consulting firm, and held a number of positions at Young & Rubicam Inc, a marketing and communications company.

Matthews said, “ASCAP is in the midst of a major transformation into a new and modernized era in performing rights including the ability to provide our members and our licensing partners first-in-class services on a global basis. Paul has vast experience working in international markets around the world, setting up and developing the financial infrastructure to support growth in the media, technology and entertainment sectors. His global financial experience and ability to deliver excellent results on strategic initiatives will prove invaluable to ASCAP’s execution of our multi-year strategy. We look forward to having his expertise as part of ASCAP’s new executive management team.”

Rourke added, “ASCAP is at the heart of driving a transformation in the music industry in ways that will ensure a healthy future for music creators, for licensees and for fans alike. As a music lover, I am thrilled about joining the ASCAP team, where I believe that I can make a real difference in the lives of ASCAP’s writer and publisher members by building an efficient, global and growth-driven financial infrastructure in support of ASCAP’s strategic vision.”

Sam Hunt. Photo: UMG Nashville

Sam Hunt and Seal will headline the Super Bowl 50 NFL Tailgate Party at Levi’s Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area on Sunday, Feb. 7, as the Denver Broncos meet the Carolina Panthers. Coverage of the two performances will be televised as part of CBS’s Super Bowl Sunday pregame show, The Super Bowl Today. The announcement was made by the NFL and CBS.

More than 118.5 million viewers in the U.S. watched last year’s Super Bowl, the most-watched television program in history. The pregame show and Super Bowl 50 will be broadcast worldwide.

The NFL previously announced that Coldplay will headline the Pepsi Super Bowl 50 HalftimeShow. The pregame and halftime shows is an NFL Network Production and will be executive produced by Ricky Kirshner and directed by Hamish Hamilton.