Andie Rankins Promoted To Dir. Publishing Admin At Essential Music

Andie Rankins has been promoted to Director of Publishing Administration at Essential Music Publishing. Rankins manages the administration of a growing catalog of award-winning copyrights, and previously served as Manager of Publishing Administration, where she led the conception and development of the intuitive new online licensing tool for the company’s catalog. In her expanded duties, Rankins will also guide the overall growth of the publishing administration arm of the company and expand the metadata initiatives. She joined Provident in 2015, following stints at Music Services, Inc. and LifeWay.

John Pate Inks With Mixtape Music

John Pate has signed a publishing deal with Mixtape Music. His new single, “He Didn’t Know,” was released February 25.

Pate, who hails from Jackson, Tenn., attended college at Faulkner University and during that time traveled all over the Southeast singing in an a capella quartet. When the group disbanded, he transferred to the University of Memphis Lambuth and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Music and Entertainment. After moving to Nashville, he interned for 50 Egg Music.

IBMA Foundation Announces $12,050 In Arnold Shultz Fund Grants

The International Bluegrass Music Association Foundation recently awarded $12,050 in Arnold Shultz Fund grants to eight programs and individuals in Alaska, Arizona, California, Kentucky, Louisiana, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. The Arnold Shultz Fund was established in 2020 by the IBMA Foundation to encourage participation in bluegrass music by people of color.

“We’re proud to announce the first round of Arnold Shultz Fund grant recipients, and we hope to keep doing this for many years to come,” said Dr. Richard Brown, co-chair of the Shultz advisory committee. “We are pleased to offer a proactive, helping hand to individuals who come from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in the bluegrass community. Bluegrass music belongs to everyone. We are grateful to our donors who continue to support the IBMA Foundation and this initiative, especially during the COVID pandemic. Their generosity has made it possible to award grants to these very deserving musicians and program organizers.”

Arnold Shultz Fund grant recipients:

• BASEArizona and Jam Pak Band, BanJam 2021; Chandler, AZ
• Bluegrass Pride and Decolonizing the Music Room, “Juneteenth: A Rainbow Revival”; San Francisco, CA and Fort Worth, TX
• Dancing with the Spirit, Bluegrass Song Videos & Curriculum for Alaskan Village Schools; Fairbanks, AK
• Nokosee Fields, recording project; Lafayette, LA
• Louisville Folk School, “Black Voices in Kentucky Music History”; Louisville, KY
• NorthStar Church of the Arts, “Country Soul Songbook”; Durham, NC
• Stephen Wang, guitar lessons; Los Gatos, CA
• Tray Wellington, audio and visual gear upgrade; Johnson City, TN

The Nashville Songwriters Association International held its 21st Annual Song Contest, welcoming aspiring songwriters from around the world to enter their songs and/or lyrics for a chance to win, on Feb. 16.

The contest, which was presented by Martin Guitars, Strings and CMT, had nearly 2,500 entries. After several rounds of judging, a total of 22 songs placed in the contest following the final judging by a panel that included Jacqueline Renner, CEO of C.F.Martin & Co., Leslie Fram, Senior VP of Music & Talent at CMT, Tim Hunze, Senior Director of Creative at Anthem Entertainment, and NSAI Board President Steve Bogard.  “I Do” by Matthew Soileau (co-written by Brandon Chase) won the coveted top prize.

Matthew Soileau

Soileau, who hails from Spring, TX, took home $5,000 cash, mentor sessions with Tenille Townes and songwriters Ross Golan and Joe London, and a one year single-song contract with Anthem Entertainment along with several other prizes, including a brand new Martin Guitar.

Claire Bunnik from Pefferlaw, Ontario, Canada won the contest’s Lyric-Only category with her entry “Raising A Son,” winning a mentor session with Grammy-winning songwriter-artist Brett James, $2,000 cash, a Martin Guitar and more.

The other nine finalists also won a Martin Guitar, an industry meeting, and one year of NSAI membership. Every contest entry also has a scorecard evaluation from the judging that will be sent out to participants.

The Women’s Music Business Association has announced a new program allowing members and alumni to engage with one another. Leading the program are WMBA Alumni Co-Chairs Aimee Graham and Melissa Flaxman, overseen by WMBA Executive Board member Lindsey Clark.

The alumni series will kick-off on March 31 at 6 p.m. via Zoom, with a conversation with Clark (Deaton Flanigen Productions), Executive Board Chairwoman Brandi Simms (MooTV, Moo Creative & The Steel Mill), and board member Amery Fridenstine (Above Board Consulting). The event is open to members and alumni of WMBA, as well as the public.

Furthermore, the alumni program will be creating more opportunities for the membership and alumni to come together through mentorship programs, social events, and more.

Joining Simms, Clark and Fridenstine on the WMBA board are Cameo Carlson (Mtheory Nashville), Mary Catherine Kinney (Spotify), and Legal Counsel Lauren Spahn (Shackelford, Bowen, McKinley, & Norton LLP).

Celebrating its 21st year, the WMBA is dedicated to fostering opportunities for women within the music industry through education, networking, industry involvement, and community service.

Brandi Carlile. Photo: Sachyn Mital

Brandi Carlile will lend a hand to a few deserving organizations with her upcoming special livestream concert from Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Sunday, March 28.

The show, which is Carlile’s first full-band performance since before the pandemic, will broadcast via Veeps with a portion of ticket sales benefiting two organizations: The Rainey Day Fund and Fanny’s School of Music, with all remaining proceeds supporting Carlile’s band and crew. Tickets for the show are on sale now, including a ticket bundle that includes a pre-order of Carlile’s forthcoming memoir, Broken Horses. Full ticket details can be found at brandicarlile.veeps.com.

Broken Horses reveals Carlile’s own story, recounting the events of her life that have shaped her music and the music that has shaped her life, and is due out on April 6 via Crown, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group. Along with her upcoming show and memoire release, Carlile is nominated in two categories at the 63rd Grammy Awards: Best Song Written for Visual Media (“Carried Me With You” from Onward written with Phil Hanseroth and Tim Hanseroth) and Best Country Song (“Crowded Table” performed by The Highwomen written with Natalie Hemby and Lori McKenna). She also produced The Secret Sisters’ acclaimed new album, Saturn Return, which is nominated for Best Folk Album.

(Top row, L-R): Charles Esten, Lori Feldman, Michelle Klinger, Jessica Lee; (Bottom row, L-R): Lee Perlman, Alissa Pollack, Dr. Todd Rubin and Cathy Sullivan

Musicians On Call (MOC), the nonprofit organization which brings live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities, welcomes Charles Esten, Lori Feldman, Michelle Frohlich-Klinger, Jessica Lee, Lee Perlman, Dr. Todd Rubin and Cathy Sullivan to its National Board of Directors.

Additionally, iHeartMedia Executive Vice President, Global Music Marketing and Strategy Alissa Pollack has been elected Vice Chair of the National Board.

“Due to the stress, anxiety and uncertainty caused by the pandemic, Musicians On Call’s programs were needed more than ever last year to support patients, families and caregivers in healthcare facilities. Thanks to our incredible volunteers, supporters, staff and Board, we brought the healing power of music to more people virtually in 2020 than in any other year in our history,” said Musicians On Call President & CEO Pete Griffin. “We are excited to build on this momentum and continue sharing the joys of live music with record numbers in 2021 and beyond. Each of the leaders we are welcoming to our National Board of Directors bring extraordinary talents and expertise that will help us grow MOC in new and strategic ways in the coming years.”

Esten is best known for his role as Deacon Claybourne on CMT’s Nashville, and his current role of Ward Cameron in the Netflix series Outer Banks. Esten is an active Musicians On Call volunteer and regularly performs for patients and caregivers in hospitals, hospice centers, and VA facilities. He also serves as the National Honorary Spokesman for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Light The Night campaign.

Feldman spent more than 25 years in the record industry, most recently as EVP of Strategic Marketing at Warner Records. In late 2019 she joined Paradigm Talent Agency as chief marketing officer. Feldman has been recognized numerous times in Billboard’s Top 100 Women in Music and Branding Power Players lists. She has introduced many artists to MOC’s mission and served on the organization’s President’s and Advisory Councils.

Frohlich-Klinger has led numerous social impact causes since 2008, including teaming up with artist Carlos Augusto Pereira to create elaborate murals in the hallways of Miami Children’s Hospital and launching the Miami Branch of Musicians On Call, where she served as Program Director from 2009 to 2012.

Jessica Lee is co-chair of the Privacy, Security & Data Innovations practice at Loeb & Loeb.

Lee Perlman is Executive Vice President, Chief Administrative and Financial Officer of the Greater New York Hospital Association.

Todd A. Rubin, MD is a Nashville-based orthopedic surgeon who specializes in disorders of the hand, wrist, elbow, and shoulder.

Cathy Sullivan is a CPA at Baker, Sullivan Hoover PLC. She is Trustee for the John and June Cash Trusts. She is a longtime Volunteer Guide for Musicians On Call, helping the organization launch its Bedside Performance Program in Nashville in 2007. She has also served on MOC’s Advisory Council for more than a decade.