Lauren Alaina, Cam, Kenny Chesney and Hunter Hayes have partnered with the American Red Cross for The 2Steps2Minutes campaign. The initiative aims to keep families safe from fires with two simple steps: practicing a two-minute fire drill and checking smoke alarms each month.

Cam, Lauren Alaina, Dakota Bradley, and Diamond Rio’s Marty Roe all share personal home fire stories in a new 2Steps2Minutes PSA launching this week.

New experiences and prizes have launched on 2Steps2Minutes partner platforms Prizeo and Charitybuzz. The offerings include tickets to see Chesney in concert, a VIP concert experience with Rascal Flatts, and a meeting at the studio with award-winning songwriter and producer Marshall Altman. Fans also have the chance to win a number of prizes from Hunter Hayes, including a signed guitar, personal Skype video call, or a VIP hang out with the singer at a show.

“People think a home fire is something that will happen to somebody else,” said Russ Paulsen, executive director of community preparedness at the Red Cross. “But these stars know it can happen to anyone, so we all need to take two simple steps to keep our families safe. Fire drills aren’t just for school.”

The American Red Cross responds to nearly 66,000 disasters a year, the vast majority of which are home fires. On an average day, seven people die and 36 are injured from a home fire, resulting in over $7 billion in property damages each year. To combat this, in less than 18 months, the Red Cross and its partners have installed over 264,000 free smoke alarms in homes across 4,500 cities.

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry

Nashville Mayor Megan Barry will deliver the welcome address at the Music Biz 2016 Awards Breakfast on Tuesday, May 17, at 9:15 a.m. at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. After welcoming the Music Business Association (Music Biz) back to Nashville, Mayor Barry will discuss her work with the Music City Music Council and their efforts to attract and retain music industry professionals.

The Breakfast, which is sponsored by the Country Music Association (CMA), will also feature awards presentations to John Esposito, President and CEO of Warner Music Nashville and Chairman of the CMA Board of Directors, and Redeye, a leading physical and digital distributor and label services provider for some of the biggest independent artists and labels in the world.

James Donio, President of Music Biz, will also sum up the past year and lay out the Association’s priorities for 2016, while YouTube’s Fred Beteille, Chairman of the Music Biz Board of Directors, will announce the 2016-2017 Music Biz Board of Directors and the Scholarship Foundation Class of 2016.

Brett Eldredge will close out the event with a performance.

Tim Westergren

In the wake of Pandora’s former CEO Brian McAndrews leaving the company, Pandora founder Tim Westergren, 50, has taken over as CEO. The changes are effective immediately, the Oakland, Calif.-based company announced Monday in a statement.

Westergren founded what ultimately became Pandora in 2000 with the Music Genome Project. He served as Chief Creative Officer and Treasurer from February 2000 to May 2002, as Chief Executive Officer and President from May 2002 to July 2004, and as Chief Strategy Officer from July 2004 to February 2014. He has served on Pandora’s board of directors from the company’s inception.

“I am incredibly excited about the future of Pandora. We’re on the cusp of realizing an extraordinary vision: fundamentally changing the way listeners discover and enjoy music, and the way artists build and sustain their careers,” said Westergren. “We are pursuing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a massive, vibrant music marketplace. We have the audience, the technology infrastructure, the monetization engine and most importantly the right team with the passion and commitment to do it. I’m 100 percent committed to Pandora’s growth strategy, as is our executive team and Board.

A former advertising executive, McAndrews, 57, joined Pandora in 2013.

“I am honored to have been the CEO of Pandora for the past two and a half years, and I am proud of what I and our team of talented and highly passionate colleagues have achieved during this time. We have put in place a robust strategy to make Pandora the go-to source for fans and artists and position the company for long-term success in a highly dynamic space. With the team and strategy in place and execution underway, I am passing the baton on to Tim. I wish the company all the best as it continues on its next phase of growth,” McAndrews said.

Additional changes to the management structure include:

• Mike Herring, as President and Chief Financial Officer, drives monetization of Pandora’s core business covering revenue, music licensing, finance, legal, and information technology. He will continue to focus on driving efficiencies and expanding margins.
• Sara Clemens, as Chief Operating Officer, focuses on growing and scaling the business and operating new ventures. Her responsibilities include music makers, Ticketfly, international, human resources and corporate development.
• Chris Phillips, as Chief Product Officer, is responsible for product, engineering and marketing. His team will develop, deliver and drive adoption of products that connect fans and artists in new ways, including on-demand, and help advertisers reach their audiences.

Demonbreun Hill Sold To New Jersey Company

Off Broadway Shoes. Photo: Google Maps

The strip of retail property known as Demonbreun Hill has been sold for $33.5 million, reports The Tennessean. New Jersey-based real estate company Castle Rock Equity Group purchased the property from Nashville-based Elmington Capital Group.

Castle Rock said in a statement to The Tennessean that it plans to improve the retail center, with an eye toward an entertainment-based development to be built in the next several years.

“This location epitomizes the vibrant nightlife of the music industry,” said Castle Rock’s chief executive, Judah L. Angster. “We want to hone in on that spirit with each design and make sure that local establishments stay within the final footprint, as their character and identity are synonymous with Music Row.”

In fall 2013, Elmington paid nearly $17.7 million for the retail strip, which it then rebranded as Demonbreun Hill. In 2015, Elmington Capital Group obtained a mixed-use zoning for the area for the development, which would have included a grocery store and parking garage, along with residential units, hotel rooms, and office space.

Other Music Row Properties Hit Market

Property at 1222 16th Ave. S. (Photo: Davidson County Assessor of Properties)

Six commercial properties belonging to the estate of late Nashville businessman Ted Welch are for sale, including those located at 1222 16th Ave. S., and 1114 17th Ave. S.

The five office buildings and one office/retail building total 128,645 square feet of space that’s 60.4 percent leased overall. Tenants include the state’s Tennessee Republican Party, Steps Fitness plus several law firms and hair salons. The properties could be bought as a portfolio or individually.

A 47,000-square-foot office building at 2416 21st Ave. S. is the largest in the six-building portfolio. Others include the building at 2424 21st Ave. S., where the state’s Republican Party headquarters and Steps Fitness are located. The portfolio also includes buildings with addresses 2405/2409 21st Ave. S., 2120 Crestmoor Road.

Lyndsay Church

Lyndsay Church has been appointed as Manager, Regional Promotion, Columbia Nashville. The appointment was announced by Steve Hodges, EVP, Promotion & Artist Development for Sony Music Nashville.

About Church’s announcement, Hodges said, “I’m happy to welcome Lyndsay to the Columbia Nashville promo team and our Sony Music Nashville family! She has a unique ‘people pleasing’ skill set. And a huge passion for the music. Her broad background of label and management experience will be a valuable asset.”

A 2008 Vanderbilt University graduate, Church worked for Red Light Management in Nashville in 2008 and 2009. For the next two years, she worked for the COO, Finance at Capitol Records Nashville, preparing radio promotion reports and assisting with various projects for the roster, including Lady Antebellum, Luke Bryan and Keith Urban.

Most recently, while residing in Boston, Massachusetts, Church has been employed by Loomis, Sayles & Company as a Senior Legal Analyst.

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to join team Columbia at Sony Music Nashville!” Church said. “I guess you could say I’ve ‘Never Wanted Nothing More!’ I am grateful to Steve Hodges for this opportunity and feel very fortunate to begin this journey under the tutelage of someone who is so highly regarded in this industry. Let’s do this!”

Church will be based temporarily in Boston but moving to Nashville soon.