The CMA Foundation has expanded its Tennessee: State of the Arts initiative to offer financial support for arts programs in each of the 147 public school districts across the state of Tennessee.

The next phase of the program is understanding the criteria necessary to establish better arts education programs and discovering barriers affecting the quality of arts education programming to better inform policymaking, district strategic planning, development of resources and support systems, and investment/philanthropic activities.

This will be done with the State of the Arts Study, a first-of-its-kind statewide arts education landscape analysis. The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, one of the CMA Foundation’s long-standing music education partners, will conduct each needs assessment.

Administrators from each district can now apply for a free needs assessment of their arts program to determine inequities that exist, allowing the CMA Foundation to offer impactful solutions benefitting students.

“The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation applauds the Tennessee Department of Education and the CMA Foundation for recognizing the tremendous impact arts education has on youth development and for utilizing our Music (and Arts) Education District Support Services to conduct this important State of the Arts Study,” says Tricia Williams, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation Program Director. “These assessments will inform school, district and state decision-makers as to the current state of arts education at every school and the resources and support needed in order for all students to have access to quality, sequential and sustainable arts programming. This State of the Arts Study will position the state of Tennessee as a leader in the nation utilizing the power of community specific, data-driven information to address and eliminate core issues challenging arts education.”

Originally launched in 2018, the CMA Foundation’s Tennessee: State of the Arts initiative is a public-private partnership with the Tennessee Department of Education, which provided an initial $1 million investment to offer financial support to eight public school districts across the state–Bradley, Coffee, Gibson SSD, Greene, Rutherford, Sevier, Shelby and Warren.

“We have learned a lot about our identity as a music education nonprofit throughout the last 10 years, but I think one of our greatest learnings has been that in order to provide impactful solutions, you need to rely on data and research to truly understand inequities that exist,” says Tiffany Kerns, CMA Foundation Executive Director. “Our expanded needs assessments will allow every district across the state of Tennessee to think strategically about arts access, while also addressing quality issues and strengthening relationships with arts educators. We are firm believers that no dollar is wasted when you are addressing actual needs versus making assumptions. When we can equip public school districts with accurate data, we are able to better prioritize our funding to provide the most impact while also helping our district partners to create long-term strategies.”

Since the initiative’s launch, the CMA Foundation has gained a wealth of knowledge from each of the eight districts and common needs, emerged including the need for high-quality instructional materials and curriculum, educator development, equipment and instructional supplies, student intervention, remediation and enrichment, and innovative programming.

Pictured (L-R): R.J. Romeo (Rome Phrey), Lisa Johnson (Rome Phrey), Elvie Shane, Ben Vaughn (WCM), Will Overton (WCM)

Wheelhouse Records/BMG’s Elvie Shane has signed a publishing deal with Rome Phrey Publishing and Warner Chappell Music Nashville.

A Kentucky native, Shane’s debut single, “My Boy,” a heartfelt song penned about his stepson, is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Country Airplay and Country Aircheck charts. His debut full length album, Backslider, is set for release Oct. 29. Shane most recently supported Brooks & Dunn on their “Reboot 2021 Tour,” and has previously opened for Jason Aldean, Miranda Lambert and more.

“When you meet Elvie you understand that he has a voice, a point of view, and he can write songs that make you feel something,” says Ben Vaughn, President & CEO, WCM Nashville. “He’s carving his own path, and his honest and powerful storytelling is really resonating with fans. We’re grateful to be working with R.J. [Romeo] and Lisa [Johnson] to support this talented songwriter.”

Romeo, Co-Owner, Rome Phrey Publishing, adds, “I’m grateful for the opportunity to work with Ben, Will [Overton], and the entire WCM team. Elvie is an amazingly talented singer/songwriter who has only just begun to tell his story. By partnering with a team that shares our enthusiasm and passion for Elvie’s talents I’m confident that Elvie will continue to write meaningful music that will speak to his fans and touch millions of people all over the world.”

“Songwriting is at the core of everything I do as an artist,” shares Shane. “I come from a place full of hard working blue collar Americans. I’m so proud to join a team of fellow storytellers that care about those folks as much as I do. I love songwriters and this crew is a passionate one. So excited to see what this new creative team adds to my music.”

Spotify and its Spotify for Artists’ newest integration, in partnership with Shopify, will give artists more opportunities to grow additional revenue streams on the platform through merchandise sales.

Through Shopify, artists and their teams will be able to manage inventory and control which items are featured on their profiles. To list their merchandise, artists will need administrative access to their Spotify for Artists account and a Shopify store. Users will be able to choose three items from their store to feature on their artist profile.

“For many fans, Spotify is the primary way they interact with an artists’ music, and we are excited to give artists a new way to capitalize on that moment,” says Camille Hearst, head of Spotify for Artists. “We want to provide artists with as many resources as possible to help turn listeners into fans, fans into superfans and, ultimately, help artists earn more. The integration of Shopify’s powerful backend for powering commerce presents a significant step forward in our efforts to help artists maximize additional revenue streams and give them agency over their careers.”

“Thousands of artists already choose Shopify as their commerce platform, and now we’re bringing fans and artists even closer together with the launch of the Spotify channel. Artists today are entrepreneurial. They’re building multifaceted brands and businesses, and now we’re making it easier for them to meet fans where they are,” adds Amir Kabbara, director of product, Shopify. “By bringing entrepreneurship to Spotify, we’re empowering artists to think beyond the traditional merch table with new ways to monetize, and to experiment with their brands through commerce.”

While any artist around the globe can link their Shopify store during this beta period, Shopify merch will only be visible to listeners in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the U.K., and the U.S.

Charley Pride. Photo: Joseph Llanes

Late country music icon Charley Pride will be honored at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) with the RIAA Lifetime Achievement Award presented by Garth Brooks on Oct. 25.

Pride’s son, Dion, will accept the honor from the RIAA on behalf of his father who passed in December 2020. RIAA Chairman & CEO, Mitch Glazier and COO Michele Ballantyne will be presenting a plaque to Pride’s family and to NMAAM.

“Sometimes the greatest honor you can receive is being part of honoring someone else—this is an honor,” says Brooks.

As part of the celebration of Pride, his music and legacy, Brooks will sit down with songwriter, author and Vanderbilt University faculty member Alice Randall for a live Q&A discussing Pride’s influence on him and on country music. Brooks will perform his duet with Pride, “Where the Cross Don’t Burn,” penned by the late Troy Jones and the late Phil Thomas.

Pride and Brooks recorded “Where the Cross Don’t Burn” in September 2020 for Brooks’ Fun album, which was released in November 2020. Brooks traveled to Pride’s studio in Dallas to record the duet, which chronicles the friendship between a young white boy and an older Black man during segregation. Brooks had held the song “Where The Cross Don’t Burn” for 10 years hoping to collaborate with Pride.

Pride’s impact on the country world was profound in both his music and the move towards wider inclusion and representation in the genre. He helped set the stage for countless artists and his influence continues to be felt today.

Robert Deaton

The Country Music Association has extended its partnership with Executive Producer Robert Deaton. The new deal, which includes the annual CMA Awards in addition to CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas, puts Deaton in the producer’s chair through 2026.

The two-time Emmy Award-winning producer and director has overseen CMA’s television properties since 2007. Deaton’s career has evolved from launching a pioneering video production company, in which he created more than 200 music videos for a variety of chart-topping artists, to producing some of the most successful properties on network television. He produced Sports Illustrated: 50 Years of Beautiful on NBC as well as the “Soul to Soul” Las Vegas residency for Tim McGraw and Faith Hill. He was executive producer of The Passion with Tyler Perry for Fox Broadcasting and currently serves as executive producer of the Billboard Music Awards on NBC.

The Nashville-based entrepreneur has expanded into film and record production, as well. He helmed the Michael W. Smith & Friends: The Spirit of Christmas collection featuring guests Vince Gill, Little Big Town, Amy Grant, Carrie Underwood, Bono and Michael McDonald. He made his feature film directorial debut in 2018 with Benched.

“The passion Robert Deaton has for country music and the genre’s history is truly special,” says CMA Chief Executive Officer, Sarah Trahern. “His extraordinary vision continues to elevate the CMA Awards, CMA Fest and CMA Country Christmas, providing one-of-a-kind television moments to music fans throughout the year. I love to see the music come to life through his eyes and I am incredibly grateful for another five years with such a terrific partner.”

“Any gig you have with Robert Deaton, you know, as an artist and as a viewer, it’s gonna be killer!” adds Garth Brooks, seven-time CMA Entertainer of the Year. “I have had the great fortune of sharing some magical moments throughout the years with Robert. He is a gift to all of us within country music and beyond. Congratulations my friend!”

“I could not be prouder and more honored to plant my flag long-term with my family at CMA,” shares Deaton. “This is home for me, these are my people. I’m blessed beyond measure.”

CMA also renewed its contract with network television partner ABC through 2026 earlier this year.