Touring Career Workshop Celebrates A Decade

Pictured (L-R): Devon Roberts, John Schirmer, Erik Parker (seated, Co-Founder), Mark Steinwachs, Erik Leighty, Chris Lisle (Seated, Co-Founder), Tee-Cee Bailey. Photo: 2021 Harry Butler Nashville

The Touring Career Workshop recently celebrated its 10th birthday at Yazoo Brewing Company in Nashville.

The Touring Career Workshop is a free annual event created by Chris Lisle and Erik Parker to serve and educate people in the touring music industry. The inaugural workshop was held in November 2011 at Belmont University and was attended by over fifty industry professionals. In years since, over 350 people have attended their yearly events.

“Although we were unable to hold our fall workshop in its traditional format, it was really great to join together with friends and colleagues to celebrate our huge milestone,” shares Lisle. “We cannot wait to see what the next ten years brings!”

SOLID Hosts 35th Annual Turkey Bowl Tournament, Raises Over $10,000

Pictured (L-R): Sean Fallon (SOLID Secretary) and Avery King (SOLID President) alongside SOLID board members Paul Ermlich, Tatiana Angulo, Rachel Guttmann. Photo Courtesy of SOLID.

SOLID (Society of Leaders in Development) hosted its 35th Annual Turkey Bowl Tournament at Mid State SportsPlex on Saturday (Nov. 13), raising more than $10,000 for the 2021 SOLID Shares partners: MusiCares, Notes for Notes, The Onsite Foundation (Ryan’s Grove), The Equity Alliance and The National Museum of African American Music. The organization also collected over 3,000 pounds of nonperishable food to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle Tennessee.

“It was amazing to be able to bring Turkey Bowl back after having to take last year off due to the shutdown. Seeing the Nashville music industry show up to support our awesome nonprofit partners in such great numbers is a feeling that will never get old,” says Paul Erlmich, SOLID Community Outreach Co-Chair. “My co-chair Ritz McCain and I owe a huge thanks to the SOLID board and our committee members for making the day happen.”

“We are incredibly grateful to have seen such an impressive turnout during our first Turkey Bowl fundraiser post-shutdown,” adds Avery King, SOLID President. “Seeing our Nashville community rally together to raise more than $10,000 for our SOLID shares partners while also collecting over 3,000 pounds of food for Second Harvest makes me incredibly proud to work alongside all of these people.”

In 2021, SOLID’s philanthropic efforts have raised over $42,000. Over its 24 year history, the organization has been able to donate over $400,000 to local charities and nonprofits. In the past three years, SOLID’s members have also donated more than 300 hours of their time to the Nashville community.

Bridget Cirone Exits Academy Of Country Music

Bridget Cirone

Bridget Cirone has exited her position at the Academy of Country Music. After the Thanksgiving holiday, Cirone will join the team at Sunshine Sachs in its Los Angeles office.

Cirone first joined the Academy in 2018 as an assistant for both the Marketing and Creative & Content departments, and most recently served as Manager, Marketing. In her time at the ACM, she supported all publicity and marketing initiatives for the Academy and ACM Lifting Lives, including overseeing red carpet media, press materials, and more.

A Marquette University alum, Cirone started her career in college working for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, WISN 12 News and Marquette Basketball. Upon graduating she moved back to Las Vegas where she worked at Wicked Creative, an entertainment, hospitality and lifestyle public relations firm.

IVPR Adds Lucy Volpe As Senior Publicist

Lucy Volpe. Photo: Autumn Dozier

IVPR, a Nashville-based PR firm, has added Lucy Volpe as senior publicist.

Volpe previously spent time at Big Feat PR where she worked on campaigns for Arlo McKinley, John R. Miller, Charley Crockett, Lydia Luce and more. The St. Pete, Florida, native brings 10+ years of experience to IVPR with a specialty in artist and festival PR.

“Lucy is one of those rare individuals who has built a career by combining her personal strengths and passions into a singular focus work-wise. I value her work ethic, passion for our clients, sense of what makes for a solid story, and well-honed knowledge of the ever changing media landscape,” says Maria Ivey, owner of IVPR. “She gives a damn and that’s really all we can ever hope for in a teammate.”

“It’s rare to find people in this industry where there is no room for ego, where everyone is genuinely supportive of each other and wants to achieve the same goals for our clients,” adds Volpe. “I am incredibly honored to be on team IVPR.”

IVPR represents a variety of clients, including Del McCoury, Yonder Mountain Stringband, MerleFest, The Infamous Stringdusters, DelFest, Anders Osborne, Colter Wall, David Ferguson, Kelsey Waldon, Jamestown Revival, Esther Rose, Luke Laird, Michaela Anne, Rising Appalachia, Park City Song Summit, High Sierra Music Festival, and more.

The Recording Academy’s MusiCares is bringing back its Help for the Holidays program, distributing aid to music professionals in need to cover essentials this holiday season.

Starting today, MusiCares is offering $250 e-gift cards from Kroger and Walmart to the first 4,000 eligible applicants for use on essential items like food, gas and prescriptions.

“Even though live music is making a comeback, many in the music community are still struggling after months of lost income,” says Laura Segura, Executive Director of MusiCares. “We want to emphasize that our community is still in need of extra support to cover basic needs. We hope this year’s gift card distribution will ease the burden and spur others to donate and support music professionals.”

Any music professional with five years of employment in the industry and/or six commercially released recordings or videos is eligible to apply. Employment does not need to be consecutive in order to be eligible. All genres and professions are eligible, including artists, musicians, production crews, technicians, business teams, and anyone impacted by the loss of income due to live music event cancellations or who has experienced financial strain due to the pandemic. Applications are available now at MusiCareshelps.org.

Started as a response to the COVID-19 crisis in 2020, MusiCares distributed 4,000 e-gift cards last year to music professionals in need.

Ashley Gorley. Photo: Josh Ulmer

Ashley Gorley remains at No. 1 this week on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart for his sixth consecutive week. He is a co-writer on the currently charting songs: “New Truck” (Dylan Scott), “You Should Probably Leave” (Chris Stapleton), “Sand In My Boots” (Morgan Wallen), “Give Heaven Some Hell” (Hardy), “Beers On Me” (Dierks Bentley, Hardy & Breland), “Steal My Love” (Dan + Shay), “Take My Name” (Parmalee), “What He Didn’t Do” (Carly Pearce), and “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett).

Newly crowned BMI Country Songwriter of the Year, Jesse Frasure, keeps his place at No. 2 this week. He is a co-writer on “If I Was A Cowboy” (Miranda Lambert), “Whiskey And Rain” (Michael Ray), “One Mississippi” (Kane Brown) and “Slow Down Summer” (Thomas Rhett).

Michael Hardy (No. 3), Rhett Akins (No. 4), and Eric Church (No. 5) round out the top five on the MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

The weekly MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart uses algorithms based upon song activity according to airplay, digital download track sales and streams. This unique and exclusive addition to the MusicRow portfolio is the only songwriter chart of its kind.

Click here to view the full MusicRow Top Songwriter Chart.

Pictured (L-R): Roxy King (UMPG Nashville), Evan Cline, LeAnn Phelan (LP Creative Management). Photo: Annelise Loughead

Universal Music Publishing Group Nashville has signed Evan Cline to an exclusive, global publishing agreement.

Cline has collaborated with some of the top artists and songwriters across pop, country and sync in Nashville and beyond. The songwriter, producer and artist co-wrote and produced Teddy Swims’ latest single, “Please Turn Green,” and co-wrote and produced the “Liar” by Karl Michael ft. Teddy Swims.

Roxy King, A&R Director, UMPG Nashville, says: “As a talent and as a person, Evan is one-of-a-kind. His ability to bring out the best in everyone he works with is truly remarkable. UMPG is thrilled to be working with him and I can’t wait for the rest of Nashville, and the music industry at-large, to experience it for themselves.”

“Signing with UMPG is everything I could ask for,” Cline adds. “It was very important to have a company that could expose me to a wide variety of opportunities and genres-both within Nashville and across the globe. Roxy King made this decision extremely easy with her previous success, motivation, and vision for me going forward. I can’t wait to get started!”