Belmont University’s Dr. Eric Holt leads a morning panel as part of Belmont University’s Minding the Gap symposium.
Belmont University’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business recently hosted a day-long symposium, titled Minding the Gap: Diversity and Entertainment Symposium, on Friday, Sept. 27, organized by Dr. Cheryl Slay Carr. The series of six panels focused on timely conversations surrounding diversity in music, music business, arts and film.
The first of the six panels, titled “The Rise of an Urban Music Scene in Nashville,” was led by Belmont faculty member Dr. Eric Holt and featured panelists including RCA Inspiration’s Sr. VP Phil Thornton, producer/writer Ron Gilmore of Dreamville, D’Llisha Davis of 2L’s On A Cloud, hip-hop artist Tim Gent, and Shannon Sanders, producer/songwriter and programmer for 102.1FM The Ville.
Thornton addressed the issue of the lack of black executives in the entertainment industry, which is still the case even with the reigning popularity of hip-hop and R&B.
“We work in an industry where R&B and hip-hop is the most-streamed genre. Unfortunately, the label and the publishers as far as the top level of leadership, does not reflect that of African Americans. We have Sylvia Rhone at Epic Records, Jon Platt at Warner Chappell and Darcus Beese at Island, but I’m talking about a handful of executives when there are two dozen or more record labels. That to me has to change. But even beyond the CEO level, you get to the SVP, VP level, it’s not reflective of the culture…it’s a responsibility for executives like myself to put my money where my mouth is…I can talk about it, but am I being part of the solution to usher in the next wave of executives? For me personally and my friends, we are but we need more of us to usher in more diversity…that’s to me the most impactful way to do great business on a record company level. It can’t be just all people who don’t represent the culture, and let me be clear, just because you are not African American or Hispanic, it doesn’t mean you can promote, I’m not saying that, But I am saying diversity is key and it helps to have people who understand the culture and the nuances to be in these boardrooms.
“I’ve noticed even in the organization I currently work for, it’s me and one woman…the rest is older white men. We bring a different perspective and a different point of view. We talk about hip-hop in the meetings, we talked about country when Lil Nas X when it first came out, nobody in the room got it, they were like, ‘How did this happen?’ We were like, ‘This is a no-brainer.’ We have the responsibility as executives to bring in the next wave and give more internships and entry-level positions and open it up. The digital landscape has made it easier to work with producers and so forth.”
According to Gilmore, who has produced for J. Cole and owns his own label, Dreamville, he realized that growing up in Nashville, and attending Nashville School of the Arts, prepared him well to be a musician, when he left for New York in 2010.
“Nashville overly prepared me for what I was about to do. That’s why I’m coming back [to Nashville]. I could read music, I could compose, I’m a really good player and that comes from being around amazing musicians in Nashville all my life,” he said.
Sanders, who has worked with India Arie, added, “I’ve known about Ron forever and all the people he came up with. He’s right. There are two things here, the music and then the music business. We’ve been prepared musically. But what’s new and emerging is urban music business in the city.”
Several of the panelists spoke of the lack of music business infrastructure for Nashville’s urban music community, as well as the growth of promotion for urban music that they have seen in the past few years in Music City. Sanders launched radio station 102.1 FM The Ville as a way to promote the work of local urban music artists in Nashville.
“I was in Leadership Music, Class of 2017, one of my classmates [Cromwell Group’s] Bayard Walters owns a cluster of radio stations. We became friends and decided to make an R&B station that focuses on classic R&B. But I wanted to play local soul and R&B. We play it twice a day, during the drive time, which guarantees that the greatest number of listeners can hear local artists.”
Gent, originally from Clarksville, Tennessee and now a Nashville resident, was a featured artist on a recent Red Bull-produced, sold-out show at Marathon Music Works and all local artists. Gent said that he feels a shift in the music scene, as it has slowly garnered more support in Music City.
“It’s changed a lot. Even two years ago I had taken a few publishing meetings on Music Row and played some music and never heard anything back. This year, I’m taking meetings with publishers and execs and they are more engaged than they have ever been. Even Red Bull’s involvement…there has been a real shift that I’ve seen personally of people who are interesting. Venues are reaching out to management and I’ve been here back and forth since 2011.”
Holt asked the panel what it would take for an artist to break out of the Nashville music scene, noting that there have been nationally-ranked writers and producers in the urban music scene over the past decade, but no artist of note in the urban music scene.
“Sometimes it’s bridge building,” Davis said. “It takes something as simple as being introduced to people and connecting with people.”
“Everybody wants to be Jay-Z and Beyonce, everyone wants to be the artist out front,” Gent said. “Everybody is not going to be them, it’s just not that way. That doesn’t mean we can’t still have the same kind of culture. We have to start training the youth who want to be in music, and mentoring young executives. How can we transform a simple joy in music into a career?”
Thornton, who is a hit songwriter and producer for artists including Chris Brown and Bruno Mars, agreed. “There is so much talent, but we need the business infrastructure.”
GMA’s Jackie Patillo, CAA’s Coady Rapp and UMG’s Eryka Hammonds.
Another session, “Who’s in the Room Where It Happens: A Look at Women in the Music Industry,” was moderated by Belmont faculty Dr. Cheryl Slay Carr and featured these panelists: Gospel Music Association’s Jackie Patillo, Creative Artists Agency’s Coady Rapp and Universal Music Group’s Eryka Hammonds.
The panel discussed how women can get in the rooms where deals and decisions are made, and how they can better advocate for one another.
“For us at CAA, we are so focused on inclusivity right now that our rooms are looking way better than they did this time last year, when it comes to racial diversity, gender equality and all of those conversation pieces we are all having right now,” Rapp said. “To get in the rooms, have a perspective on every topic, even if it seems like a minute detail. Show value to the conversation and you will continually be asked in the room over and over again and then it becomes common place for you to be there. It’s making sure you are adding value quickly and having an opinion.”
“At the Gospel Music Association, it’s our job to unify and move the Christian and Gospel music industry forward, so I am in constant contact with all the heads of our labels, our songwriters, our artists, our managers, our producers,” Patillo said. “It’s been open to new ideas and hard work. Inclusivity for me doesn’t mean just color, it means age, too. I’m working with Bill Gaither and new artist Riley Clemmons. I’m not just working with gospel and southern gospel, but urban hip-hop, rap, and Kirk Franklin is different than Shirley Caesar. It’s being versed on more than your narrow personal taste. I think that’s one of the keys.”
They also spoke about the importance of listening and trying to understand various viewpoints.
“I will say this whole topic can be so messy and we have run into so many times where it’s a really complex conversation when there are so many levels of diversity when it comes to religion, race, socio-economics, all of these factors of diversity,” said Rapp. “So that’s where as a company—and it’s so important—to assume positive intent. It’s finding your friends or people you trust in the workplace and asking the honest questions. I have an African American female co-worker, and she’s like, ‘We can say the exact same thing and you are considered passionate and I’m considered angry.’ I think that’s such an important difference. As a white woman, the fact that that is something she deals with every day that I never even picked up on, now that she had told me that and we had that open, brave conversation, I’m so much more aware of that dynamic in every room.”
Carr also asked the panelists for solutions to help more female executives accelerate into upper levels of music industry leadership.
“ A lot of times I feel like you may have to again advocate for yourself first,” said UMG’s Hammonds. “I do our intern coordination, I’m not only looking for skills, but how can I include other people to bring people up in the industry? It takes not only getting yourself in that space but bringing other people along.”
“As someone who is in charge of hiring and developing and engaging our employees at CAA in our region, I echo the point of advocating for each other. When people come into an organization, don’t force them to conform into what already existed. The important thing is to always come from a place of positive intent. Help people get in the door, but once they are there, help them to bring their full selves into the office every day. Introduce them to your network.”
“Leadership is important,” added Patillo. “I have someone I’ve been mentoring. It’s being willing to raise other people up and help other people be successful.”
Carrie Underwood’s Cry Pretty Tour 360 Sells Out Madison Square Garden
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto Credit: Jeff Johnson
Carrie Underwood performed to yet another sold-out crowd at New York’s famed Madison Square Garden last night (Oct. 2) following recent sold-out shows at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena and L.A.’s Staples Arena on her Cry Pretty Tour 360.
While in NYC, Underwood will also perform on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert tonight before resuming the tour with upcoming stops in Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, Cleveland, Atlanta, Chicago, and more before wrapping on Oct. 31 in Detroit. The tour is sponsored by CALIA and promoted by AEG Presents, with special guests Maddie & Tae and Runaway June.
Cry Pretty 360 Tour Dates:
Oct 4, 2019 Washington, D.C. Capital One Arena
Oct 5, 2019 Philadelphia, PA Wells Fargo Center
Oct 9, 2019 Mashantucket, CT The Grand Theater at Foxwoods
Oct 10, 2019 Boston, MA TD Garden
Oct 12, 2019 Pittsburgh, PA PPG Paints Arena
Oct 13, 2019 Buffalo, NY KeyBank Center
Oct. 14, 2019 Toronto, ONT ScotiaBank Arena
Oct 16, 2019 Cleveland, OH Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse
Oct 17, 2019 Louisville, KY KFC Yum! Center
Oct 19, 2019 Atlanta, GA State Farm Arena
Oct 20, 2019 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena
Oct 23, 2019 Memphis, TN FedExForum
Oct 24, 2019 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
Oct 26, 2019 Des Moines, IA Wells Fargo Arena
Oct 27, 2019 Sioux Falls, SD Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Oct 29, 2019 Chicago, IL United Center
Oct 31, 2019 Detroit, MI Little Caesars Arena
Photo Credit: Jeff Johnson
Belmont University Welcomes Top Industry Executives, Creatives For Minding The Gap: Diversity and Entertainment Symposium
/by Jessica NicholsonBelmont University’s Dr. Eric Holt leads a morning panel as part of Belmont University’s Minding the Gap symposium.
Belmont University’s Curb College of Entertainment and Music Business recently hosted a day-long symposium, titled Minding the Gap: Diversity and Entertainment Symposium, on Friday, Sept. 27, organized by Dr. Cheryl Slay Carr. The series of six panels focused on timely conversations surrounding diversity in music, music business, arts and film.
The first of the six panels, titled “The Rise of an Urban Music Scene in Nashville,” was led by Belmont faculty member Dr. Eric Holt and featured panelists including RCA Inspiration’s Sr. VP Phil Thornton, producer/writer Ron Gilmore of Dreamville, D’Llisha Davis of 2L’s On A Cloud, hip-hop artist Tim Gent, and Shannon Sanders, producer/songwriter and programmer for 102.1FM The Ville.
Thornton addressed the issue of the lack of black executives in the entertainment industry, which is still the case even with the reigning popularity of hip-hop and R&B.
“We work in an industry where R&B and hip-hop is the most-streamed genre. Unfortunately, the label and the publishers as far as the top level of leadership, does not reflect that of African Americans. We have Sylvia Rhone at Epic Records, Jon Platt at Warner Chappell and Darcus Beese at Island, but I’m talking about a handful of executives when there are two dozen or more record labels. That to me has to change. But even beyond the CEO level, you get to the SVP, VP level, it’s not reflective of the culture…it’s a responsibility for executives like myself to put my money where my mouth is…I can talk about it, but am I being part of the solution to usher in the next wave of executives? For me personally and my friends, we are but we need more of us to usher in more diversity…that’s to me the most impactful way to do great business on a record company level. It can’t be just all people who don’t represent the culture, and let me be clear, just because you are not African American or Hispanic, it doesn’t mean you can promote, I’m not saying that, But I am saying diversity is key and it helps to have people who understand the culture and the nuances to be in these boardrooms.
“I’ve noticed even in the organization I currently work for, it’s me and one woman…the rest is older white men. We bring a different perspective and a different point of view. We talk about hip-hop in the meetings, we talked about country when Lil Nas X when it first came out, nobody in the room got it, they were like, ‘How did this happen?’ We were like, ‘This is a no-brainer.’ We have the responsibility as executives to bring in the next wave and give more internships and entry-level positions and open it up. The digital landscape has made it easier to work with producers and so forth.”
According to Gilmore, who has produced for J. Cole and owns his own label, Dreamville, he realized that growing up in Nashville, and attending Nashville School of the Arts, prepared him well to be a musician, when he left for New York in 2010.
“Nashville overly prepared me for what I was about to do. That’s why I’m coming back [to Nashville]. I could read music, I could compose, I’m a really good player and that comes from being around amazing musicians in Nashville all my life,” he said.
Sanders, who has worked with India Arie, added, “I’ve known about Ron forever and all the people he came up with. He’s right. There are two things here, the music and then the music business. We’ve been prepared musically. But what’s new and emerging is urban music business in the city.”
Several of the panelists spoke of the lack of music business infrastructure for Nashville’s urban music community, as well as the growth of promotion for urban music that they have seen in the past few years in Music City. Sanders launched radio station 102.1 FM The Ville as a way to promote the work of local urban music artists in Nashville.
“I was in Leadership Music, Class of 2017, one of my classmates [Cromwell Group’s] Bayard Walters owns a cluster of radio stations. We became friends and decided to make an R&B station that focuses on classic R&B. But I wanted to play local soul and R&B. We play it twice a day, during the drive time, which guarantees that the greatest number of listeners can hear local artists.”
Gent, originally from Clarksville, Tennessee and now a Nashville resident, was a featured artist on a recent Red Bull-produced, sold-out show at Marathon Music Works and all local artists. Gent said that he feels a shift in the music scene, as it has slowly garnered more support in Music City.
“It’s changed a lot. Even two years ago I had taken a few publishing meetings on Music Row and played some music and never heard anything back. This year, I’m taking meetings with publishers and execs and they are more engaged than they have ever been. Even Red Bull’s involvement…there has been a real shift that I’ve seen personally of people who are interesting. Venues are reaching out to management and I’ve been here back and forth since 2011.”
Holt asked the panel what it would take for an artist to break out of the Nashville music scene, noting that there have been nationally-ranked writers and producers in the urban music scene over the past decade, but no artist of note in the urban music scene.
“Sometimes it’s bridge building,” Davis said. “It takes something as simple as being introduced to people and connecting with people.”
“Everybody wants to be Jay-Z and Beyonce, everyone wants to be the artist out front,” Gent said. “Everybody is not going to be them, it’s just not that way. That doesn’t mean we can’t still have the same kind of culture. We have to start training the youth who want to be in music, and mentoring young executives. How can we transform a simple joy in music into a career?”
Thornton, who is a hit songwriter and producer for artists including Chris Brown and Bruno Mars, agreed. “There is so much talent, but we need the business infrastructure.”
GMA’s Jackie Patillo, CAA’s Coady Rapp and UMG’s Eryka Hammonds.
Another session, “Who’s in the Room Where It Happens: A Look at Women in the Music Industry,” was moderated by Belmont faculty Dr. Cheryl Slay Carr and featured these panelists: Gospel Music Association’s Jackie Patillo, Creative Artists Agency’s Coady Rapp and Universal Music Group’s Eryka Hammonds.
The panel discussed how women can get in the rooms where deals and decisions are made, and how they can better advocate for one another.
“For us at CAA, we are so focused on inclusivity right now that our rooms are looking way better than they did this time last year, when it comes to racial diversity, gender equality and all of those conversation pieces we are all having right now,” Rapp said. “To get in the rooms, have a perspective on every topic, even if it seems like a minute detail. Show value to the conversation and you will continually be asked in the room over and over again and then it becomes common place for you to be there. It’s making sure you are adding value quickly and having an opinion.”
“At the Gospel Music Association, it’s our job to unify and move the Christian and Gospel music industry forward, so I am in constant contact with all the heads of our labels, our songwriters, our artists, our managers, our producers,” Patillo said. “It’s been open to new ideas and hard work. Inclusivity for me doesn’t mean just color, it means age, too. I’m working with Bill Gaither and new artist Riley Clemmons. I’m not just working with gospel and southern gospel, but urban hip-hop, rap, and Kirk Franklin is different than Shirley Caesar. It’s being versed on more than your narrow personal taste. I think that’s one of the keys.”
They also spoke about the importance of listening and trying to understand various viewpoints.
“I will say this whole topic can be so messy and we have run into so many times where it’s a really complex conversation when there are so many levels of diversity when it comes to religion, race, socio-economics, all of these factors of diversity,” said Rapp. “So that’s where as a company—and it’s so important—to assume positive intent. It’s finding your friends or people you trust in the workplace and asking the honest questions. I have an African American female co-worker, and she’s like, ‘We can say the exact same thing and you are considered passionate and I’m considered angry.’ I think that’s such an important difference. As a white woman, the fact that that is something she deals with every day that I never even picked up on, now that she had told me that and we had that open, brave conversation, I’m so much more aware of that dynamic in every room.”
Carr also asked the panelists for solutions to help more female executives accelerate into upper levels of music industry leadership.
“ A lot of times I feel like you may have to again advocate for yourself first,” said UMG’s Hammonds. “I do our intern coordination, I’m not only looking for skills, but how can I include other people to bring people up in the industry? It takes not only getting yourself in that space but bringing other people along.”
“As someone who is in charge of hiring and developing and engaging our employees at CAA in our region, I echo the point of advocating for each other. When people come into an organization, don’t force them to conform into what already existed. The important thing is to always come from a place of positive intent. Help people get in the door, but once they are there, help them to bring their full selves into the office every day. Introduce them to your network.”
“Leadership is important,” added Patillo. “I have someone I’ve been mentoring. It’s being willing to raise other people up and help other people be successful.”
Jon Pardi Brings Real Country Music To Country Music’s Mother Church
/by Sarah SkatesJon Pardi headlines the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jon Pardi/Facebook
Fans two-stepped in the Ryman Auditorium balcony Tuesday night (Oct. 1) while Jon Pardi performed to the sold-out venue. It was a non-stop singalong for Pardi-goers as the star offered songs from his excellent new album Heartache Medication, and a string of previous hits including “Head Over Boots,” “Dirt On My Boots,” “Up All Night,” and “Night Shift.”
“You all are rowdy, I love it!” exclaimed the entertainer before launching into “Heartache on the Dance Floor.” Onstage, Pardi was having the time of his life, and in the pews, the fans were too.
The night before, Pardi performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, then flew back to Nashville for his official tour launch and the first of his two-night run at the Mother Church of Country Music. For opening night, Pardi had a few tricks up the sleeve of his pearl-button shirt. His heroes Brooks & Dunn joined the singer for the duo’s classics “Neon Moon” and “My Next Broken Heart.” Also, a seven-piece mariachi band paraded out for Pardi’s cool new song “Tequila Little Time,” which he co-wrote with Rhett Akins and Luke Laird.
Jon Pardi welcomes Brooks & Dunn during his headlining show at the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jon Pardi/Facebook
Pardi has a stellar knack for song selection, picking from his own strong co-writes as well as outside songs from Nashville’s upper echelon of writers. This California cowboy’s brand of neo-traditionalism is much needed-in today’s country landscape. Heartache Medication relieves fans’ ache for real country music with a perfect balance of partying (“Tied One On,” “Me and Jack”) and perspective (“Old Hat,” “Starlight,” “Ain’t Always The Cowboy,” “Love Her Like She’s Leaving”).
And Pardi reminded the crowd that picking powerful songs is nothing new when he performed “All Time High” and “California Sunrise,” the title track from his 2016 album.
Opener Riley Green showed loads of musical potential following his first No. 1, “There Was This Girl.” He had a rocking band, excellent songs like “Bury Me in Dixie,” and a captivating solo acoustic performance of “I Wish Grandpas Never Died.”
Pardi and Green are sure to have the Ryman rocking again tonight.
Jon Pardi backstage at the Ryman Auditorium. Photo: Jon Pardi/Facebook
Warner Music Nashville Expands Roles For VPs Victoria Nugent, Mike Dupree
/by Jessica NicholsonVictoria Nugent, Mike Dupree
Warner Music Nashville has welcomed VP Strategic Marketing Victoria (Torie) Nugent back to Music City with new duties that expand her role in artist development. In addition to leading in-house analytics, Nugent will now oversee the day-to-day functions of the digital and strategic partnerships teams.
Mike Dupree, as VP Creative Director, will extend his purview to include all visual creative initiatives for the label, including video production and graphic design. Both positions will remain reporting to SVP Artist Development Shane Tarleton.
“I’m incredibly proud to have Torie and Mike among those leading the WMN Artist Development team,” Tarleton said. “They consistently bring innovation to their jobs and to the artists we serve. It’s an honor to work alongside these two luminaries as we continue to challenge norms and elevate our artists’ brands.”
Though she briefly moved to Seattle, Nugent has been part of the Warner Music Nashville family since 2011 and came equipped with three years of experience at Nielsen. Her current position allows her to use data-based research and analysis to optimize marketing functions.
Nugent said, “I could not be happier to be back in Nashville, working alongside some of the most forward-thinking and genuinely fun people in the business. I am incredibly grateful to Espo, Ben and Shane for the opportunity. Brooke Hardesty has built a bold and passionate digital team, and it is exciting to be joining forces with both her and our partnerships team to drive strategic decision-making for our artists and label.”
Dupree began his career at Word Entertainment, and in 2010 he began working with Warner Music Nashville’s country roster. Following a brief period in the healthcare industry, he returned to the WMN family in 2016 and has since contributed to award-winning videos for artists including Blake Shelton, Dan + Shay, Chris Janson and more.
“It’s a rare gift to love your work—and it’s even more extraordinary when it’s with your favorite people!” Dupree said. “I’m so very grateful for our amazing team and roster of insanely talented artists, and I look forward to building on the incredible foundation of success that Espo has created. Exciting days lie ahead for Warner, and I’m truly humbled by the trust that Shane has placed with me in this new role.”
Rascal Flatts Joins Country Radio Seminar’s Speaker Lineup
/by Lorie HollabaughPhoto Credit: Robby Klein
Rascal Flatts joins the list of speakers set for the upcoming Country Radio Seminar (CRS) 2020. Rascal Flatts: 20 Years Of Country Radio Success, is set for 4 p.m. CT on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at Nashville’s Omni Hotel, and is sponsored by the Country Music Association as its annual featured session at CRS.
Sarah Trahern, Chief Executive Officer for CMA, will conduct the in-depth Q&A with Rascal Flatts’ Jay DeMarcus, Joe Don Rooney and Gary LeVox, and together they will share insight into the trio’s 20-year journey, as Rascal Flatts broke down boundaries as true trailblazers in the genre while maintaining a longevity and relevance that continues to propel them to the top of the country charts. Prior to the 60-min discussion, Rascal Flatts will also appear at the Opening Ceremonies to reveal the Country Radio Hall of Fame Class of 2020.
“Rascal Flatts’ indelible mark on country music for the past two decades makes this a must-see event for CRS2020,” said CRB/CRS President of the Board, Kurt Johnson. “Gary, Jay and Joe Don are among the greatest legends of our genre, and their stories will be riveting.”
With seventeen No. 1’s, over 23.4 million albums sold, 35 million digital downloads and 2.2 billion streams worldwide, time and success have only put Rascal Flatts closer to their core with expert musicianship, razor-sharp vocals and songs that have shaped lives, loves and the genre of country itself. The trio’s Top 20 single “Back To Life” follows back-to-back chart-topping singles “Yours If You Want It” as well as “I Like The Sound Of That.” The group has also earned over 40 trophies from the ACA, ACM, AMA, CMA, People’s Choice and more, also making them the most awarded country group of the past decade. Known as one of the hottest-selling touring acts in any genre, Rascal Flatts has sold over 11 million concert tickets to date.
“2020 is going to be our 20th Anniversary as a band and is a huge milestone for us,” shared Gary LeVox. “Country radio has been such an important part of our story and so we’re looking forward to reflecting on where it all began and where country radio continues to take us today.”
Midland Celebrates RIAA Certs
/by Lorie Hollabaugh(L-R) RIAA’s Jackie Jones, Midland’s Jess Carson, Mark Wystrach and Cameron Duddy Photo Credit: Collin Duddy
MIDLAND recently celebrated alongside Jackie Jones from the RIAA as their breakout single “Drinkin’ Problem” was officially certified Double Platinum and “Burn Out” reached Gold status. Both singles hail from their critically acclaimed debut album On The Rocks, which landed at the No. 1 spot on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart.
Their newly-released sophomore album Let It Roll continued their No. 1 streak as it also debuted in the top spot of Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart. The trio is currently on their global Let It Roll Tour, which kicked off last month in New York City before trekking to Australia for the international leg of the tour.
Mark Your Calendar—October 2019
/by LB CantrellIndustry Events
October 3-12
50th NashFilm Fest
October 10
First round voting ends for 62nd Grammy Awards
October 14
49th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Gala at Nashville’s Music City Center
October 15
50th Annual GMA Dove Awards
October 16
CMT Artists of the Year at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center
October 22
2019 Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum concert at Nashville’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center
October 24
CMA Awards final ballot closes at 6 p.m. CT
October 27-29
IEBA 2019 annual conference at JW Marriott in Nashville
Single Add Dates
October 3
Royal South/Cry, Cry
October 7
Craig Morgan/The Father, My Son, And The Holy Ghost/Tripple Shoes
Lauren Alaina/Getting Good/Mercury Nashville
Ned LeDoux/Old Fashioned/Thirty Tigers
Corey Farlow/We’re Hooked/Big Catch Records
October 10
Briana Renae/Maybe You Can Be My Man
October 11
Charles Esten/A Road and A Radio
October 14
The Highwomen/The Highwomen/Redesigning Women/Low Country Sound/Elektra/WMN Radio & Streaming
Cort Carpenter/Dollar Store/Triple C Records
Paige King Johnson/Water Down the Whiskey/Tanglewood Records
October 17
Carvin Walls/Sometimes I Lie
October 21
The Band Steele/Waitin’ on Sunshine/Fire River Records
Mags/Emotional Honesty/Emerald Fields Productions
October 24
Mikayla Lane/Diamonds
October 28
Runnin’ Shine/Shotgun/Great Heights Recording
Andrew Hopson/Paint The Town Redneck
Album Releases
October 4
Brantley Gilbert/Fire & Brimstone/The Valory Music Co.
King Calaway/Rivers/Stoney Creek Records
Louise Mandrell/Playing Favorites
October 11
Kelleigh Bannen/Favorite Colors
Kendell Marvel/Solid Gold Sounds/Easy Eye Sound
Ruston Kelly/Dirt Emo Vol. 1/Rounder Records
October 18
Chris Janson/Real Friends
EmiSunshine/Family Wars/Little Blackbird Records
Keb’ Mo’/Moonlight, Mistletoe & You/Concord Records
The Carter Family/The Carter Family-Across Generations/Reviver Entertainment Group/Legacy
October 22
Rissi Palmer/REVIVAL
October 25
Old Dominion/Old Dominion/RCA Nashville
Jon Langston/Now You Know/32 Bridge Entertainment/UMG Nashville
CMA Songwriters Series Takes Part In Inaugural C2C Australia
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Eric Paslay, Lacy Cavalier, Jess Moskaluke and Travis Collins
The CMA Songwriter Series recently took part in the inaugural Country to Country (C2C) Australia bringing an in-the-round performance to Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney on Sept. 28 and Brisbane Entertainment Centre on Sept. 29.
Eric Paslay hosted shows in both cities along with Lacy Cavalier, Jess Moskaluke and Travis Collins performing in Sydney and Sinead Burgess and RaeLynn joining Paslay and Collins in Brisbane.
CMA has continued to expand its international reach, returning to Australia a second time this year after visiting the territory in March when it brought its artist focused touring series Introducing Nashville to audiences in Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Lismore and Melbourne.
“It’s been fantastic to see how the fanbase for Country Music has continued to grow in Australia in recent years and CMA is proud to have its CMA Songwriters Series shows be part of the inaugural Country to Country in Australia,” says Milly Olykan, CMA Vice President, International Relations and Development. “With CMA’s continued mission to expand Country Music internationally, it was incredible to be able to bring both North American and local Australian artists to fans in Australia who have such a passion for these artists and the genre.”
Pictured (L-R): Travis Collins, Raelynn, Sinead Burgess and Eric Paslay.
Kalie Shorr Gets Raw On First Full-Length Project ‘Open Book’ [Interview]
/by Jessica NicholsonOn her first full-length album, Open Book, which released Sept. 27, Kalie Shorr sprinkles in song titles such as “Gatsby” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
A self-professed “literary nerd,” Shorr co-wrote each of the album’s 13 tracks (and co-produced the project, alongside Skip Black). Like her literary heroes, Shorr digs deep on her new project, all forward, fiery, and transparently frank, as she accepts her own foibles and complicated relationships, whether they be familial, romantic, or with herself.
I’m an open book with an opening ending, she sings on the album’s introduction, “Too Much To Say.”
“That song is like me saying, ‘Ok, here’s what you are in for, here’s what you are going to get and if you are not emotionally ready to process, you don’t have to listen and this is your warning.
“I definitely thought about the album like an essay of what my last year was like,” she says. “I thought well if I was writing this like an essay of what my last year was like, ‘Too much to say’ is the thesis statement, ‘Escape’ is my background and my childhood and then the breakup happens and you see how that all plays out, and then ‘The World Keeps Spinning” brings me back into the family stuff and ‘Angry Butterfly’ is like the concluding paragraph.”
She penned “Too Much To Say” after doggedly attempting—and finally failing—to keep up appearances in the wake of the loss of her older half-sister Ashley, who died from a heroin overdose in January.
“I was at the Red Door in Nashville. It was right after my sister had passed away, which was in all the tabloids, and Nashville’s a small town. There were a lot of well-intentioned people coming up to me to talk about it at 3 a.m. when I was drunk and didn’t want to talk about it. I don’t fault anyone for that—it’s always tricky knowing how to navigate those things, but I had an acquaintance come up and ask ‘How are you feeling?’ I was so tired of saying ‘good’ because I wasn’t, and that’s ok to not be good. I was like, ‘I’m pretty f*ckin’ awful, how are you?’ I didn’t have the energy to keep up this pretense that I had it all together.
“I had to talk to my family about it because it’s a really personal song. It’s my story of what happened, but it’s other people’s story, too—and my dad said, ‘You know Kalie, it’s what happened. It’s absolutely true and if it helps someone else, then I want it to be out there.’ Him having that perspective on everything, it’s been nice to have that support.”
The unflinchingly transparent tune was a turning point in the album’s creation; she wrote the rest of the album in two weeks, through intense writing sessions with close friends and co-writers, including Savannah Keyes, Carpenter, and Robyn Collins.
“I’m so proud that song suffragettes has brought me that. It’s changed my life and it’s made me a better artist and woman,” Shorr says.
In “Escape,” which she co-wrote with fellow Song Suffragette member Candi Carpenter, she delves further into her childhood, outlining her family’s various coping mechanisms, from religion to smoking and alcohol, before turning the light on herself, claiming that escaping was her way of coping.
“I grew up surrounded by a lot of addiction and there are a lot of things people use to escape in healthy ways and I wanted to break that cycle. Me getting to Nashville—I needed to change my life in so many ways but that was me actively choosing not to fall into the patterns I’ve seen and grown up watching.”
The specificity in her writing, and her airy, frothy vocals are reminiscent of the blend of pop-country that Taylor Swift crafted during her earlier Nashville days—if she’d embraced an emo or punk ethos, as Shorr does on “Vices,” the on-the-nose “F U Forever,” and album closer “Angry Butterfly” revel in a devil-may-care attitude.
“I’m a big ‘90s rock person and the people who pioneered pop-punk like The Cure and Third Eye Blind, and Lit. I ended up writing with them and that was so cool. Alanis Morissette and Jagged Little Pill, I just wore that out. It got me through my first high school breakup and I love how outspoken women can be at such a young age and you see it in people like Alanis and Billie Eilish, and Avril [Lavigne]. It’s so unfiltered and I think it’s because they don’t know how to be anything other than who they are yet. I wanted to kind of reclaim some of that youthful angst in a way because it’s who you are before the world tells you who to be. I try to go back to my younger self. I still run around acting like an emo kid so it’s not that hard.”
But she also finds room on Open Book for a song like “Big Houses,” penned with Keyes and Skip Black, which tributes her champions, like her mother, who would drive from their lower-class neighborhood to look at homes in higher-income neighborhoods, as a way of showing her daughter there was a world outside of the life they were living.
Though the album’s 13 tracks plumb the emotional wreckage Shorr has survived over the past few years, there has also been some moves toward healing. On “Gatsby,” she ponders her seemingly effortless ability to mask her true emotional pain, and her penchant for dating unworthy suitors because of a dysfunctional relationship with her father. Shorr says there have been some steps toward mending the paternal relationship.
“When I went home for the funeral, I hadn’t seen my dad in six years, since my high school graduation. We talked a little bit, like Christmas and birthdays, but we hadn’t really worked on our relationship. Something like that will really bring you back together. It’s bittersweet, I really wish he had been there for me through my teenage years, but reconnecting with him has been really healing. I’ll probably get into that on the next album.”
In November, Shorr will showcase some of her music as an opener for LeAnn Rimes’ You And Me And Christmas Tour, which launches in Waterloo, New York, and wraps Dec. 15 in Jacksonville, Florida.
“She is lovely and her whole team is amazing. I look up to her so much. Her audience really understands me in a way I wasn’t expecting, but it makes sense. She’s such an incredible vocalist—there’s this calm, soulful energy about her and I’m so happy to get to tour with her.”
Garth Brooks To Receive Library of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song
/by Jessica NicholsonGarth Brooks will be the next recipient of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, making Brooks the youngest recipient of the honor.
“Garth Brooks’ appeal as a performer, songwriter and humanitarian has brought many new fans into the world of country music,” said Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden. “During his career, Brooks has set countless records, earned numerous awards and elevated country music into a national anthem of the American people.”
Bestowed in recognition of the songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin, the Gershwin Prize recognizes a living musical artist’s lifetime achievement in promoting the genre of song as a vehicle of entertainment, information, inspiration and cultural understanding. Previous recipients are Paul Simon, Stevie Wonder, Sir Paul McCartney, songwriting duo Burt Bacharach and the late Hal David, Carole King, Billy Joel, Willie Nelson, Smokey Robinson, Tony Bennett and Emilio and Gloria Estefan.
“An award is only as good as the names on it,” said Brooks. “First off, for any musician, the name Gershwin says it all. Add to Ira’s and George’s names the names of the past recipients, and you have an award of the highest honor. I am truly humbled.”
Brooks will receive the prize at an all-star tribute concert in Washington, D.C., in March 2020. Garth Brooks: The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song will air on PBS stations nationwide later that spring. The program also will be broadcast via the American Forces Network to U.S. Department of Defense locations around the world.
Since his first chart-topper, “If Tomorrow Never Comes” came in 1989, Brooks’ songwriting has often addressed timely topics. In 1993, Brooks earned a GLADD Media Award for “We Shall Be Free,” which addressed homophobia, homelessness, and racism.