ASCAP Debuts “East Of Center” Showcase Series

Pictured (L-R): Kimberly Kelly, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker, Mercy Bell

East of Center, a new eclectic eastside songwriter showcase series presented by ASCAP, launched Wednesday, Sept. 4th at Dee’s Country Cocktail Lounge and featured emerging songwriter-artists Mercy Bell and Kimberly Kelly.

“Paying homage to the old East Nashville that served as home to Townes Van Zandt, Guy and Susannah Clark and so many other legendary ASCAP songwriters, this showcase series is designed to feature the unique storytelling of Americana, indie, folk and traditional country and western singer-songwriters and troubadours. We are excited to create an outlet that celebrates that history while also spotlighting up-and-coming artists,” said ASCAP Associate Director of Membership Beth Brinker.

BMI Partners With SynchBig!

Pictured: Michael August (Demolition), Spencer Nohe (BMI), Alissa Moreno (BAAM Collective), Keelan Donovan, Jamie Dryburgh (Demolition), Gatlin, Jason Walker, Anna Mae, Ashleigh Ellis (BAAM Collective).  Not pictured: Maylyn, Tim Halperin, Eric Daigle (Purplebeat)

On Wednesday, Aug. 28 at The Back Corner, BMI partnered for the first time on SynchBig!, a showcase series which was designed to highlight some of Nashville’s top synching artists. The highly anticipated event brought together songwriters, producers, artists, publishers, labels, licensing companies and others, with performers including Keelan Donovan (Big Yellow Dog), MAYLYN (Purplebeat), Jason Walker (Curb|Word), Anna Mae (Prescription Songs), and BMI artists Gatlin and Tim Halperin.

Kicking off the evening, BMI’s Spencer Nohe told the crowd, “Music for sync is such an important part of the livelihoods of many of our songwriters and publishers in Nashville. Our hope for this showcase series is to help support and elevate the community.”

Other partners of the event include Demolition Music, BAAM Collective, and Purplebeat.

Vince Gill Offers Fans Listening Party For New Album OKIE

Vince Gill. Photo: Chris Hollo/Grand Ole Opry

Grand Ole Opry and Country Music Hall of Fame member Vince Gill performed on the Opry on both Friday and Saturday nights this weekend. After his Friday performance, Gill invited fans to an exclusive album listening event held in the Opry House’s Studio A where he played recorded tracks and shared stories behind the songs of his new album OKIE.

Maddie & Tae are releasing part two of their album on Oct. 18 with the new EP Everywhere I’m Goin’. The new EP was produced by Jimmy Robbins and Derek Wells, and is anchored by the new single “Bathroom Floor,” written by Maddie & Tae along with Josh Kerr.

The duo’s current single “Die From A Broken Heart,” continues to strike a deep connection, tallying over 75 million global streams, helping to propel the pair as the Best Streaming Country Female Duo of all time with 686 million streams worldwide. Meanwhile, “Die From A Broken Heart’s” videos have mounted over 17.4 million views total, catapulting Maddie & Tae as the top video streaming female artist(s) on Billboard’s Top 200 Streaming Chart for current tracks for multiple weeks.

The EP follows the album’s first part released earlier this year, and is a continuation of stories of love, loss and redemption. The project features the title track and “Trying On Rings,” a true-to-life reflection for Marlow and her fiancé. The two also reunite with former tourmate Dierks Bentley on a vocal firepower duet, “Lay Here With Me,” and rounding out the project is “Ain’t There Yet,” an honest interpretation of healing after heartbreak.

“We are so excited to keep telling our story through this next collection of songs,” said Marlow. “We are so proud to have co-written all of these songs as well. This project as a whole is super personal, but these five songs in particular take you on an even deeper dive into our lives.”

“We were absolutely blown away by the reaction to the first part of the album,” adds Dye. “Hearing our fans relate to our stories is something that will never get old. We can’t wait to continue to show more of our hearts and journey through this next chapter of music.”

Guitar Center has released a new research study it commissioned through an independent researcher on the effects of music lessons on children.

The new study explores the effects of supplemental music lessons on the development of children ages 7 to 17 that could be the key to their ongoing success. The online study, commissioned in July 2019, surveyed a total of 2,323 parents of adolescent children ages 7-17 who were currently participating in private music lessons through either a national music store, local independent music store, music institute, or with a private independent music instructor.

The study finds that students participating in supplemental music lessons enjoy a variety of positive effects and healthy habits including self-imposed limitation of screen time, increased problem-solving skills, time management and prioritization, increased self-awareness and social skills, and more.

“A growing number of parents, researchers and technology advocates acknowledge that limiting screen time in favor of other pursuits such as music aids in the healthy development of children,” said Donny Gruendler, Guitar Center Vice President of Education. “In this study, we found that students in outside of school supplemental music lessons are far more likely to balance their own screen time rather than doing it simply because they are made to do so by a parent or caregiver. That is, regularly scheduled music lessons can help build healthy after-school habits and time-management skills that students may otherwise forgo in favor of other leisure pursuits. Altogether, such habits result is a number of additional beneficial life skills and reinforces what we’ve known for some time: studying and playing music has benefits far beyond the mere learning of playing a musical instrument, and its ripple effects result in happier, healthier, more balanced children.”

King Calaway will release their debut full-length album Rivers on Oct. 4 via BBR Music Group’s Stoney Creek Records. The album builds on the group’s eponymous EP that released in January, adding seven new songs. The project was executive produced by Robert Deaton and Ross Copperman.

The album features songs crafted by Paul DiGiovanni, Devin Dawson, Mitchell Tenpenny, Steven Lee Olsen, Dave Barnes, Josh Hoge, Jordan Reynolds and more.

“We’re so excited to announce the release of a record we’ve worked so hard on this past year. Everyone who worked on this album shared a similar vision of creating an authentic, original sound while spreading a message of positivity through the lyrics and melodies,” singer and guitarist Chad Michael Jervis says of album. “With our love and passion for making music, the title track mirrors who we want to be as a group. ‘I know where we belong, I know where we feel free. And it goes on and on, like rivers to the sea.’ We hope our debut album inspires others the way our favorite albums have inspired us.”

The band has recently performed with Ricky Skaggs on the Grand Ole Opry, appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and opened for one of Garth Brooks’ tour dates. Meanwhile, the band’s current single “World For Two” was the most-added song at country radio during its first week at U.S. radio.