Justin Moore will release his fifth studio album, Late Nights And Longnecks, on April 26 via The Valory Music Co.

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, he debuted the video for the album’s lead single, “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home,” which Moore penned with his longtime producer Jeremy Stover, as well as Paul DiGiovanni and Chase McGill. The writers were reflecting on how tragedies in schools, first-responder situations and military losses affect entire communities.

Directed by Cody Villalobos, a former EMT, the video features real fire fighters and former policemen as actors, and the classroom is a replica from an elementary school in Nevada. Coincidentally, the piece was filmed on Veterans Day 2018, and former military personnel were on set to help with details on how to wear the gear and the use of the equipment.

The Grammy Music Education Coalition (GMEC) has announced its 2019 plans which includes an All-Star Ambassador program and the launch of intensive programs in Philadelphia and Nashville.

This year, the GMEC is focused on funding and services for Nashville and Philadelphia public school systems, with a goal to invest $1 million in each district during the inaugural year, while overseeing and coordinating programs of its coalition partners. The Nashville investment includes an elementary music coach, a program coordinator, and professional development through spring/summer music and audio technology events for all teachers.

The coalition aims to invest $5 million into each of these two districts over the next three years.

The GMEC partners range from the The Grammy Museum and The Recording Academy to the NAMM Foundation (National Association of Music Merchants), the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), Little Kids Rock, VH1 Save the Music Foundation and the Lang Lang International Music Foundation (full list below).

Starting this spring, the GMEC will launch an All-Star Ambassador program consisting of a diverse group of musicians who all have personal connections to music education and have committed to spreading awareness and raising funds for music education. Bebe Rexha will embark on a national campaign, created by Havas, in the spring. Additional GMEC Ambassadors include Rita Ora, Kristin Chenoweth, Stephen Marley, Luis Fonsi, Caroline Jones, Lang Lang, Matt Sorum, Mindi Abair, Regina Spektor and rock band War on Drugs.

“The GRAMMY Music Education Coalition is thrilled to be celebrating universal music education participation by American elementary, middle and high school students,” said Executive Director Lee Whitmore. “Today, we join with our GMEC member and partner, the GRAMMY® Museum Foundation, to inspire a future vision for careers and the arts for young people from around the Los Angeles area.”

The GMEC is also announcing its Founders Circle, Board members, and Executive Advisory Council.

Founders Circle Members
• The Dancing Tides Foundation
• The ELMA Music Foundation
• HARMAN
• Walker Family Foundation
• Wells Fargo Foundation

Board
• Roger Brown
• Richard Foos
• Jon Harris
• Neil Portnow
• Brenda Robinson
• Rusty Rueff
• Jeff Walker
• Tarik Ward
• Cheryl Zimlich

Executive Advisory Council
• Monique Felder
• Ruby Marchand
• Philip Nicol
• Susan Nesbit
• Ami Spishock

Active and pending Coalition members:
• GRAMMY Museum Foundation
• Latin GRAMMY Cultural Foundation
• Rock and Roll Forever Foundation
• Adopt the Arts Foundation
• The 39th Experience
• Berklee City Music
• Berklee College of Music
• Bohemian Foundation
• Conagra Brands
• David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation
• The ELMA Philanthropies Services Inc.
• Entertain IMPACT
• Ghetto Youths Foundation
• GRAMMY® Museum
• Lang Lang International Music Foundation
• Little Kids Rock
• Metro Nashville Public Schools
• The Musicians Foundation
• Musicians Institute
• NAfME
• NAMM
• NAMM Foundation
• Nat King Cole Generation of Hope
• Patti and Rusty Rueff Foundation
• Quadrant Research
• Recording Academy
• School District of Philadelphia
• Shout! Factory
• Sony / ATV Music Publishing
• VH1 Save The Music Foundation
• Walker Family Foundation
• Warner Music Group

Ambassador corps:
• Bebe Rexha
• Caroline Jones
• Fitz and The Tantrums
• Kristin Chenoweth
• Lang Lang
• Luis Fonsi
• Matt Sorum (Guns n’ Roses)
• Mindi Abair
• Noelle Scaggs
• Stephen Marley
• Regina Spektor
• Rita Ora
• War on Drugs

Amanda Quinton Launches Quinton Digital

Amanda Quinton has opened artist development and digital marketing company Quinton Digital Inc. in Nashville. Kelsey Brown joins Quinton Digital as Director of Digital & Creative Strategy, having recently moved to Nashville from Los Angeles, where she was part of the digital marketing and strategy team at Dick Clark Productions.

Jordan Lipsey and Maria Abdelnour join the company as Account Managers. Lipsey is a graduate of Berklee College of Music, and worked as an Agent Assistant at United Talent Agency prior to joining Quinton Digital. Abdelnour previously held roles at Townsquare Media and Girlilla Marketing while working as a freelance writer.

Nashville-based photographer Lindsey Patkos will oversee graphic design and photography for Quinton Digital’s roster, which includes Show Dog Nashville, Marie Osmond, Matt Stell, Walker Montgomery, Miranda Lambert’s MuttNation Foundation, Stephanie Quayle, Lena Stone, Dave Fenley and more. Quinton also manages pop artist Marisa Maino and singer/songwriter Adam Wakefield.

 

Maks Gabriel Aligns With Lady Luck

Maks Gabriel has signed with Lady Luck Songs. Gabriel is a Canadian-American producer-songwriter who has written and produced hits for numerous Canadian artists including Belly, Massari, Mia Martina, Danny Fernandes and Tyler Medeiros. He also received a Juno nomination for Dance Recording of the year for his work on Mia Martina’s album Devotion.

Upon moving to Nashville he started writing and producing for major label artists. His tracks have been featured in hit TV shows including Nashville, The Mindy Project and True Blood.

 

Steel Blossoms Ink With Billy Jam Records

Duo Steel Blossoms have signed with Nashville-based bluegrass/Americana label Billy Jam Records. Members Sara Zebley and Hayley Prosser met by chance at a festival in their home state of Pennsylvania, where they were each performing with separate acts. They soon established themselves as a duo. The duo’s first album on Billy Jam Records is set for release April 26.

“I could not be more excited about having Steel Blossoms as the first act signed to this label,” Billy Jam Creative and A&R Director Jerry Salley says. “These girls have an unparalleled gift for crafting clever, insightful songs, and for making a personal connection with their fans.”

In a new report from Dr. Stacy L. Smith and the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative released Feb. 5, the gender and ethnicity of artists, producers and songwriters that made up the 700 most popular songs on the Billboard 100 year-end charts from 2012-2018 were analyzed.

The report found that of the 1,455 artists credited across the 700-song sample, male artists made up 82.9 percent of artists, while female artists represented 17.1 percent of artists surveyed in 2018 (the female percentage rose slightly from the 16.8 percentage of 2017). However, it is a drastic decline from the past few years, as female artists performed 22.7 percent of songs studied in 2012, 21.9 percent in 2013, 20.9 percent in 2014, 25.1 percent in 2015 and 28.1 percent in 2016.

Across those same 1,455 artists, 56 percent were white, while 44 percent were from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups. In 2018, the percentage of women of color on the charts was at a seven-year high, with 73 percent of female artists from underrepresented racial/ethnic groups in 2018, which is 23 percent higher than 2017 and 40 percent higher than 2012. The percentage of male artists of color on the charts 2018 increased significantly by 12 percentage points from 2012 (40 percent).

The study also looked at seven years (2013-19) of Grammy nominations in select categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist and Producer of the Year, identifying every individual who earned a nominations in those categories, including the individual members of groups. The study also found that 10.4 percent of Grammy nominees from 2013-2019 were female. 89.6 percent were male. The table notes that the percentage of females nominated in those select categories in 2019 more than doubled from 8 percent in 2018 to 16.4 percent in 2019.

Top 10 Male Songwriters Responsible For 23 Percent Of 700 Most Popular Songs

Male songwriters also outpace female songwriters in the number of song credits. Across the 700 songs studied from 2012 through 2018, Martin Sandberg (Max Martin) was the top male songwriter, with 39 credits. By contrast, Onika Maraj (Nicki Minaj) was the top female songwriter, with 18 credits; it is also worth noting that Minaj is also a top-selling artist, while Martin operates solely as a songwriter. The Top 10 male songwriters were responsible for 23 percent of the 700 most popular songs from 2012-18.

As producers, males outnumber females 47 to 1, across the 400 popular songs studied in 2012, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Across 400 songs, 871 producers, co-producers and vocal producers were credited.

21.7 percent of females are artists, 12.3 percent are songwriters and only 2.1 percent are producers, the study found.

Meanwhile, the study found that 44 percent of artists were people of color across the 700 songs studied from 2012-2018. Only four out of 871 producers in the study were women of color.

Female Songwriters, Producers Report Objectification, Having Abilities Dismissed In The Studio

As part of the study, 75 interviews were conducted with female producers and songwriters in 2018. 47 percent of those interviewed indicated they were songwriters, while 9 percent identified as producers and 44 percent held both roles. The average age of those interviewed was 33. 71 percent identified as white, while 29 percent were from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group. 17 percent of those interviewed worked outside the United States.

When asked what barriers they have faced as a songwriter or producer in music, 40 percent said they had difficulty navigating the industry, including breaking into the industry, making connections and getting into different rooms.

43 percent indicated that their skills were discounted, or taken seriously. They also felt they had to prove their competence to individuals who might work with them. 29 percent of those interviewed said they were demeaned and that others argued, embarrassed them or undermined their input. 16 percent said stereotypes about their gender was used to dismiss their abilities, while 19 percent said that females taking on leadership roles threatened men.

More than one-third (39 percent) of those interviewed stated that had been objectified, hit on, or experienced sexual innuendo while working. 25 percent also pointed to being the lone female or one of few women in environments populated by males. 28 percent reported having their contributions, knowledge or expertise dismissed, while 20 percent noted that drugs, alcohol and the sexualization of women were part of studio culture.

The “Boys Club” Continues

36 percent of those interviewed offered unprompted answers regarding a barrier that is the result of being a statistical minority in the music industry. 29 percent of interviewees stated the music industry was male-dominated, or functioned as a proverbial “boys club.” This group of interviewees also included 12 percent who stated there were few females in songwriting and productions, including few female role models. Four percent indicated that females in the industry were competitive with each other.

Solutions To Female Inclusion

The report offered opportunities to create change in the industry, including some that are already in the works. Suggestions included creating environments where females are welcome, generating opportunities for females to use their talents and skills, ensuring that role models and mentorships were available for females, and committing to consider and hire more women in creative roles.

The report also highlighted work of several organizations that aim to offer these types of opportunities, including She Is The Music, Spotify’s EQL Residency Program, For The Record Collective, and others.