Toby Keith To Be Honored With Nashville Symphony’s Harmony Award

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Toby Keith has been named as the 2018 recipient of the Nashville Symphony’s Harmony Award.

Keith will be presented the award and perform during the 34th annual Symphony Ball on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018, at Schermerhorn Symphony Center. Presented annually by the Nashville Symphony and selected by a dedicated committee, the Harmony Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies the harmonious spirit of Nashville’s musical community.

“Toby Keith has the unique ability to capture the essence of life’s most passionate and memorable moments through music, as evidenced by an incredible career that has produced hit music every year over the past three decades,” said Katie Crumbo and Laurie Seabury, chairmen of the 2018 Symphony Ball fundraiser. “More than just an outstanding singer and songwriter with a legendary onstage energy, Toby has made selfless contributions to the world around him – including scores of performances for U.S. service personnel abroad and assisting the families of children with critical illnesses through the Toby Keith Foundation – that prove his impact reaches well beyond music. We look forward to celebrating Toby and all of his tremendous accomplishments at the 2018 Symphony Ball.”

“I’m so appreciative of this honor given to me by the Nashville Symphony,” Keith said. “Thank you, it means a great deal to me.”

The Symphony Ball is one of the Nashville Symphony’s two annual fundraisers. Since its inception in 1985, the Ball has raised millions for the Symphony, sustaining the organization’s mission of achieving excellence in musical performance and educational programs, while engaging the community, enriching audiences and shaping cultural life.

Past recipients of the Harmony Award include Chet Atkins, Mike and Linda Curb, Rascal Flatts, Béla Fleck, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw, Wynonna and Naomi Judd, Miranda Lambert, Lyle Lovett, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, Dolly Parton, LeAnn Rimes, Michael W. Smith, Marty Stuart, Taylor Swift, Steven Tyler, Carrie Underwood, Keith Urban, Steve Winwood and Trisha Yearwood.

Carrie Underwood To Team With Grand Ole Opry For 10th Annual Opry Goes Pink

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The Grand Ole Opry and Carrie Underwood are joining together in the fight against breast cancer on Friday, Oct. 26 with a special 10th Annual Opry Goes Pink. Opry member and Capitol Records Nashville artist Underwood will flip the switch on the Opry’s signature barn backdrop, turning it pink for the night as the “Cry Pretty” star takes the stage to perform on two shows that night. Underwood also flipped the switch on the inaugural Opry Goes Pink in 2009.

Underwood and the Opry have teamed to create Cry Pretty Opry Goes Pink packages featuring Opry Goes Pink tickets, Underwood’s Cry Pretty album (available now) and a collectible print. Beginning today, when fans order the package or tickets, $5 from every package and ticket sold will be donated to the fight against breast cancer. Tickets and packages are available at opry.com and at (800) SEE-OPRY.

Weekly Chart Report (9/14/18)

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Dolly Parton To Present 9 To 5 The Musical At The Savoy In London

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Dolly Parton is bringing 9 To 5 The Musical to the Savoy Theatre in London for a limited season from Jan. 28–Aug. 31, 2019. The musical will star Louise Redknapp as ‘Violet Newstead’, Amber Davies as ‘Judy Bernly’, Natalie McQueen as ‘Doralee Rhodes’ and Brian Conley as ‘Franklin Hart’.

Inspired by the cult film, 9 To 5 The Musical was written by Patricia Resnick, with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton. It is directed by Jeff Calhoun, with choreography by Lisa Stevens, set and costume design by Tom Rogers, lighting design by Howard Hudson, musical supervision, arrangements and orchestrations by Mark Crossland, musical direction by Andrew Hilton and casting by Victoria Roe. Music from the show, 9 To 5 The Musical Original Broadcast Cast Recording is planned for re-release via Dolly Records/Sony Music.

Tickets for the London run will go on sale Sept. 18.

LifeNotes: Alan Jackson’s Son-In-Law Ben Selecman Dies

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Samuel Benton “Ben” Selecman, husband of Mattie Jackson Selecman and son-in-law of country artist Alan Jackson, died unexpectedly Wednesday, Sept. 12, in West Palm Beach, Florida. Selecman, a Nashville resident, had recently suffered severe traumatic head injuries in a fall. He was 28 years old.

Selecman was an East Tennessee (Knoxville) native and University of Tennessee Knoxville graduate. He earned his law degree at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law and was employed as an Assistant D.A. by the Nashville-Davidson County District Attorney’s Office.

Selecman married wife Mattie, the oldest daughter of the country singer-songwriter and his wife Denise, last October. In addition to his wife, Selecman is survived by parents Mark and Brenda Selecman, brother Cole Selecman and his wife, Morgan.

 

Spotify Increases Download Limit To 10,000 Tracks

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Spotify has increased the number of songs Premium users can download offline to a single device, from 3,333 songs to 10,000 songs. Additionally, Spotify now allows subscribers to download songs on up to five devices, instead of the previous limit of three devices.

“At Spotify, we’re always working on improving the experience for our users,” said a Spotify spokesperson. “We can now confirm that we have increased the number of offline tracks per device — from 3,333 on 3 devices to 10,000 tracks per device for up to 5 devices.”

In total, Premium users can download a limit of 50,000 songs, which is less than Apple Music’s limit of 100,000 songs, while Amazon Prime Music allows users to download an unlimited amount of songs onto four different devices. Spotify Premium is available for $10 per month.

 

 

TobyMac To Release ‘The Elements’ In October

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TobyMac will return with his first new album in three years, when The Elements releases Oct. 12.

The 11-track album includes “I just need U.,” which topped the CCM radio charts for 12 weeks. The project’s second single, “Everything,” is at No. 4 on the Hot AC and in the Top 15 at AC Indicator, AC Monitored, and Christian Airplay.

TobyMac and his DiverseCity Band will launch a 12-city theatre run with guest Ryan Stevenson later this year, following TobyMac’s 18 sold-out arena shows as part of his HITS DEEP Tour.

TobyMac has five Gospel Music Association (GMA) Dove Award nominations for the upcoming 49th annual GMA Dove Awards, including nods in major categories such as Song of the Year (“I just need U.”), Songwriter of the Year (Artist) and Contemporary Christian Artist of the Year.

The Elements Track Listing:
1. The Elements
2. I just need U.
3. Scars
4. Everything
5. Starts With Me (feat. Aaron Cole)
6. Edge Of My Seat
7. It’s You
8. Horizon (A New Day)
9. Hello Future
10. Overflow
11. See The Light

Luke Bryan Reveals Benefit Show For Community Foundation Of South Georgia

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Luke Bryan

Georgia natives Luke Bryan, Phillip Phillips, Cole Swindell, The Peach Pickers and DJ Rock will host a benefit show in their home state on Oct. 3 at the Exchange Club of Albany in Albany, Georgia. Proceeds raised will be donated to The Heart of South Georgia Fund of The Community Foundation of South Georgia to support the ongoing natural disaster relief efforts as well as other needs within the community.

“My hometown is more than a place for me. It is a way of life,” Bryan said. “Growing up in South Georgia has had such an impact on me in so many ways and I’m so glad that this group of amazing artists and writers are able to come back home and help those who have been hit by such devastation over the past couple of years.”

“Albany is my home,” Phillips said. “I have traveled near and far, but always come back home. This is where my family is and where I planted my roots. I was home on Jan. 22, 2017, when the tornado ravaged our area and surrounding areas. I was able to get out that night and in the days following to serve alongside my community, seeing the true heart of our city. I am honored to have the opportunity now to play this special show.”

“When I was asked to be a part of this event I didn’t hesitate,” Swindell added. “Even though I get to travel the country doing what I love day after day there is nothing that gives me a sense of recharging than coming back home to South Georgia and being around the people who helped get me here. Being able to give back in some small way means the world to me.”

Dallas Davidson of The Peach Pickers said, “I’m extremely excited to be a part of The Heart of South Georgia show. It’s an honor to be able to give back to a town that gave me so much. No matter where I am I always take a piece of Albany, Georgia with me.”

For more, visit heartofsouthgeorgia.org.

MV2 Expands Creative Team With Mike Whelan And Ben Strain

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Pictured (L-R): Nicole Sherrill – Creative Director, Tony Harrell – General Manager, Mike Whelan – Senior Creative Director, Ben Strain – Creative Director, Lauren Davis – Artist Management & Contract Administration, Lindsey Parrish – Digital Marketing Manager Photo by Acacia Evans

MV2 Entertainment has added industry vets Mike Whelan as Senior Creative Director and Ben Strain as Creative Director.

Whelan has 33 years of experience in music publishing, including stints with Polygram Music, Acuff-Rose Publishing, Sony/ATV Publishing and ole Music. He has worked with writers Bob McDill, Dean Dillon, Tony Martin, Skip Ewing, Casey Beathard, and more and as a plugger has had over 85 BMI and ASCAP Award-winning songs – 40 of which have topped the music charts. Whelan was also instrumental in helping secure record deals for up-and-comers Jordan Davis and Adam Hambrick with Universal Records.

Strain’s previous stops include Sony Records, Monument Publishing, Sony/ATV Publishing and ole Music. He’s worked with writers including Josh Thompson, Jeremy Stover, Tony Martin, Preston Brust, Chris Lucas, Dave Turnbull, Chris Janson and more, and placed over 100 cuts with artists including Tim McGraw, Little Big Town, Kelsea Ballerini, Dan & Shay, Justin Moore, Cole Swindell, Rascal Flatts, Jake Owen and more. Strain was key in six No. 1 songs, including Kelsea Ballerini’s “Peter Pan,” Jordan Davis’ “Singles You Up,” and LOCASH’s “I Know Somebody.”

“We have so many exciting things happening here at MV2 and our new additions are undoubtedly high up on that list. We are incredibly excited to have both Mike and Ben join our team. They bring drive, experience, a love for music and values that truly fit our culture,” said MV2 General Manager Tony Harrell.

MV2’s roster includes Thomas Archer, Nick Donley, Jimmie Deeghan, Eric Dodd, Clay Mills, Robert Arthur and Nora Collins.

Whelan and Strain can be reached at mike_whelan@mv2entertainment.com and ben_strain@mv2entertainment.com.

Nashville Startup AVVAY Announces $1 Million Seed Round

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Pictured (L-R): Nick Dominguez (CXO), Mike Johnson (Lead Engineer), Addison Bean (Junior Engineer), Liza Kawaller (Business Development), Josh Colbert (CTO), Jon Howard (CEO), Nick de Partee (CCO). Photo by: Monique Villa

Nashville startup AVVAY, an online marketplace that helps creatives book locations for photo/video shoots, recording sessions, performances, and other creative events, has announced its $1 million seed round. The round is led by Denver-based Zero G Capital, with participation from Matchstick Ventures, SpringTime Ventures and Service Provider Capital, among others.

AVVAY was founded by Jon Howard, who has been on the road as a guitarist with Paramore. AVVAY currently serves the Nashville, Portland, Chicago, Dallas and Houston markets. At the time, Howard was also producing albums.

“I was making a solo record for Paramore’s drummer at that time — and the plan was to find interesting locations in each city we went,” Howard said. “Unless I was knocking on doors or knew someone, there was no way to access these places. AVVAY was born out of trying to solve these problems for ourselves.”

Along with the rest of the AVVAY founding team, Howard spent three months in Boulder, Colorado, as part of the tech accelerator, Techstars. They returned to Nashville in May, and with the closing of their seed round, the team is ready to continue AVVAY’s growth.

“One of the benefits of being accepted into the accelerator program is gaining access to the Techstars Network, which has provided us with incredible mentorship,” said Howard. “We spent three months taking a deep dive into our vision and processes, and now we’re excited about closing this seed round and continuing to bring our vision to fruition. Content creators are massively underserved and we are addressing their challenges head on.”

The AVVAY team includes founders Jon Howard, Nick de Partee, Josh Colbert and Nick Dominguez, early team member Mike Johnson and new addition Liza Kawaller.

“We are looking forward to creating really cool, interesting tech jobs here in Tennessee,” said Howard.

AVVAY was founded in 2016 and is headquartered in Cool Springs at 106 Mission Court, Suite 103B, Franklin, Tennessee.