The BMI Foundation is now accepting online applications for its 2019 scholarship season, open to students attending colleges and universities nationwide. Among the scholarships is the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship, which will award $5,000 for the best original song and will be judged by Kacey Musgraves.
The Foundation will administer five songwriting and composing scholarship competitions, judged by a panel of international musicians. These annual programs include the BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship, BMI Student Composer Awards, John Lennon Scholarships, peermusic Latin Scholarship and the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation administers two scholarship competitions outside the area of music creation: the newly revamped BMI Founders Internship Program for broadcasting students, and the Woody Guthrie Fellowship for scholars pursuing topics or themes related to American folk music.
“We love getting to open new creative doors for talented songwriters, composers and scholars across the country,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “So many of our award recipients have gone on to have flourishing careers, in part because of programs like these that afford them continued educational and development opportunities.”
Applications must be completed online no later than Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, and complete details can be found at bmifoundation.org/programs.
Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
The fourth annual Nashville Songwriting Scholarship will award $5,000 for the best original song in any of the following genres: Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States. Grammy-winning recording artist and BMI songwriter Kacey Musgraves endorses the competition and serves as a final judge.
BMI Founders Internship Program for Radio Broadcasting
Established in 2015, the BMI Founders Award is an annual internship program open to radio broadcasting students nationwide. The award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded Broadcast Music, Inc. in 1939. A 4-6 week paid internship with a major broadcaster is awarded based on merit and the best original essay response submitted to the competition, and recognizes a student with the potential to become an innovator in the rapidly changing field of broadcast radio.
BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship
The fifth annual BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship will award $5,000 to a rising jazz star pursuing a graduate degree in Jazz Studies, Jazz Performance, or related majors. The award was established in 2015 in honor of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement recognition program of the National Endowment for the Arts.
BMI Student Composer Awards
The 67th annual BMI Student Composer Awards will award $20,000 in prizes to young composers engaged in the study of classical music. Co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, the competition is open to all composers studying classical music who are age 27 or younger and citizens of the Western Hemisphere. Classical music luminaries such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis and Augusta Read Thomas received their earliest recognition through this program. *Please note that the application deadline for this program is Friday, February 1st, 2019.
John Lennon Scholarships
The 22nd annual John Lennon Scholarships will award three prizes totaling $20,000 to U.S. college-student songwriters (age 17 to 24) for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program honors the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of the 20th century, John Lennon, and has become one of the nation’s most esteemed accolades for emerging artists.
peermusic Latin Scholarship
Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and generously funded by peermusic, the 16th annual peermusic Latin Scholarship competition will award a $5,000 scholarship for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. Acclaimed Latin artist and BMI songwriter Gloria Trevi serves as honorary spokesperson for the competition.
Woody Guthrie Fellowship
The 14th annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship will award up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Applicants must have a research project that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product and requires a minimum of two weeks of research at the Archives. Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, the Woody Guthrie Fellowship seeks to encourage unique exploration into the life and legacy of one of the most influential folk musicians in American history, Woody Guthrie.
Elektra Music Group Reveals Remainder Of Leadership Team
/by Jessica NicholsonFollowing recent appointments to the A&R and Promotions teams, the remainder of Elektra Music Group’s leadership team includes:
Adam Abramson, Head of Sales & Streaming
Chris Brown, Head of Marketing
Tim Davideit, Head of Digital Marketing
Anne Declemente, Head of A&R Admin
Cathy Donovan, Head of Label Operations
Annie Flook, Head of Tour Marketing
Glenn Fukushima, Head of Publicity
Ana Lenuzza Ross, Head of Film, TV & Video Game Licensing
Mandee Mallone, Head of Video Production
Margo Scott, Head of Business & Legal Affairs
Suzy Yoder, Head of DSP & Video Promotion
They will report to label Co-Presidents, Mike Easterlin and Gregg Nadel.
Said Easterlin and Nadel: “We are so excited to call each and every one of these brilliant people part of the Elektra family. We’re already feeling the creative energy and collaborative spirit that will make Elektra a special place where we discover, nurture and develop game-changing artists. We’re grateful to everyone who has so generously helped us prepare for the launch of this new adventure.”
Including the leadership team, the 60-plus member Elektra Music Group staff builds out the company’s A&R, Artist Development, Business & Legal Affairs, International, Marketing, Promotion, Publicity, Sales & Streaming, and Video departments.
Recent announcements revealed two key Elektra Music Group A&R appointments: Will McDonald, Vice President, A&R and Marketing; and Shawn Cohen, Senior Director, A&R—as well as three key appointments in the promotion department: Melanie Scull, Vice President of Promotion; Myra Dehais, SVP of Promotion-West Coast/Alternative; and Jason Martin, VP of Promotion/Triple A.
Florida Georgia Line Celebrates Unprecedented 100-Week Run On ‘Billboard’ Chart
/by Lorie HollabaughReleased via Warner Bros. Records and BMLG Records to both Pop and Country radio, FGL’s Tyler Hubbard, Rexha, Josh Miller, and David Garcia penned “Meant to Be,” which has since surpassed 1 billion total streams globally and scores the superstar duo’s 15th No. 1 overall as artists.
As their triple Platinum-certified collaboration “Meant to Be” makes history, FGL has triumphed with six total Hot Country Songs chart-toppers which include “Cruise”; “Stay”; “This Is How We Roll”; “Dirt”; and “H.O.L.Y.”, since coming on the scene in 2012. Their latest single, “Simple,” the leadoff from their upcoming new album, is also on the verge of reaching the top spot at country radio.
Industry Ink: Stuart Dill, 650 AM WSM, Philip Peters
/by Jessica NicholsonStuart Dill Expands Leadership Role At Vanderbilt
Stuart Dill, Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s (VUMC) Director of the Office of Engagement, has been named Sr. VP, Medical Center Engagement with an expanded leadership role, including oversight of VUMC’s Strategic Marketing Department.
Prior to joining VUMC, Dill was a 30-year music industry veteran, serving as an artist manager on Nashville’s Music Row. During his career in the entertainment industry he managed artists including Minnie Pearl, Freddy Fender, Dwight Yoakam, Jo Dee Messina, Rodney Crowell, The Wreckers, Sister Hazel, Laura Bell Bundy, Point of Grace, Billy Ray Cyrus, and many others. He also authored the novel, Murder on Music Row, that won the Independent Book Publishers (IPPY) Award’s Gold Medal in 2012.
650 AM WSM To Host Music For Kids Event In November
Presented by Springer Mountain Farms, Music for Kids is a day-long family event packed with activities designed to make music accessible and fun for youth from all over Nashville. The event centers around providing children ages 5-16 with free, age-appropriate music lessons from local professionals and opportunities to engage, learn, and get inspired in fun new ways.
Children will choose the instrument they would most like to explore– voice, violin, guitar, bass, piano, drums, mandolin, banjo and more – when they sign up online. Registration for these free lessons are open now and must be reserved in advance via wsmonline.com. Lesson slots are expected to fill up fast, so early registrations are advised. A guardian is required to attend with the child receiving lessons.
Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor will be on hand to read from his new children’s book Lorraine.
True Artist Management’s Philip Peters Honored By Anderson University
Pictured (L-R): Philip Peters, Recipient of Anderson University’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award, and John S. Pistole, President of Anderson University. Photo: Anderson University
Philip Peters of True Artist Management, founder of Restore Haiti and a 2002 graduate of Anderson University, received the school’s Distinguished Young Alumni Award distinction late last week. The honor comes post nearly two decades in the music industry alongside his development of Restore Haiti, an organization that feeds, educates and provides medical care for over 1,000 students in the country of Haiti.
Anderson University has a history of being the roots to those in the music industry whose alumni include Bill and Gloria Gaither, Steven Curtis Chapman, Sandi Patty, Sidewalk Prophets and the 2018 Music Alum Award winner, Jon Mclaughlin.
Brett Eldredge Prepping For Holiday Season With Release Of ‘Glow’ Deluxe Edition
/by Jessica Nicholson“I love Christmas music more than just about anything in the world,” said Eldredge. “The ride Glow has taken me on has been so much fun, so now we’ve decided to make it deluxe! We’re also touring with these holiday songs in some of the most magical Christmas cities in North America. I can’t wait!”
This year, Eldredge will perform five shows showcasing his holiday tunes, including stops in Windsor, Canada, Chicago and New York, before performing two shows in Nashville.
Eldredge is currently on his headlining The Long Way Tour, featuring Devin Dawson and Abby Anderson.
GLOW DELUXE TRACK LISTING:
1. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
2. Baby, It’s Cold Outside (ft. Meghan Trainor)
3. I’ll Be Home For Christmas
4. The Christmas Song
5. Silent Night
6. Glow
7. Do You Hear What I Hear?*
8. Winter Wonderland
9. O Holy Night
10. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
11. Silver Bells*
12. It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas
13. The First Noel
14. Sleigh Ride*
15. White Christmas
16. A Holly Jolly Christmas*
17. Christmas Time Is Here*
18. The First Noel (A capella)
* New to the Deluxe edition
GLOW LIVE SHOW DATES:
*Nov. 30: Windsor, Canada @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
**Dec. 5: Chicago, IL @ Chicago Theatre
**Dec. 11: New York, NY @ Beacon Theatre
*Dec. 14: Nashville, TN @ CMA Theatre
*Dec. 15: Nashville, TN @ CMA Theatre
Average Joes Entertainment To Celebrate 10-Year Anniversary With Commemorative Album
/by Jessica NicholsonIn celebration of its 10-year anniversary, Average Joes Entertainment will release an exclusive commemorative album, Average Joes Entertainment: 10 Years. The 18-track album will release Oct. 5, 2018. The project will feature songs from the label’s stable of artists including Colt Ford, Montgomery Gentry, Bubba Sparxxx, the LACS, Sunny Ledfurd, Lenny Cooper, Moonshine Bandits, Sarah Ross, Cypress Spring and Charlie Farley.
Average Joes Entertainment CEO/President Shannon Houchins said, “Over the past 10 years, the journey has been everything Colt Ford and I have hoped for and more. We are proud of what we have accomplished. As we celebrate our first ten years, we’re excited about what the next ten years will bring. We know one thing for sure; we’ll continue to sail into unchartered waters, expand boundaries and create without limitation.”
The album begins with Colt Ford’s 2008 hit “Cold Beer,” featuring Jamey Johnson, followed by Ford’s “Dirt Road Anthem,” which Ford co-wrote with Brantley Gilbert and was recorded by Jason Aldean. Other tracks on the album include The LACS’ “Field Party” and Montgomery Gentry’s “Where I Come From” as well as Troy Gentry’s outstanding track, “Better Me,” which was featured on the duo’s February release with the label.
Average Joes Entertainment: 10 Years Track List:
1. Cold Beer – Colt Ford f/Jamey Johnson
2. Dirt Road Anthem – Colt Ford f/Brantley Gilbert
3. Kickin’ Up Mud – The Lacs
4. Mud Digger – Lenny Cooper
5. Perfect Girl – JB and the Moonshine Band
6. Nickel Sized Hail & The Damaging Winds – Sunny Ledfurd f/Colt Ford
7. Where I Come From – Montgomery Gentry
8. This Is Our Song (Remix) – Colt Ford f/Bubba Sparxxx, Danny Boone, The LACS, Demun Jones
9. Drivin’ Around Song – Colt Ford f/Jason Aldean
10. Keep It Redneck – The LACS
11. Country Folks – Bubba Sparxxx f/Colt Ford and Danny Boone
12. Field Party – The LACS f/JJ Lawhorn
13. We All Country – Moonshine Bandits f/Colt Ford, Sarah Ross, Demun Jones
14. Backwoods Boys – Charlie Farley f/Daniel Lee
15. Crank It Up – Colt Ford
16. Calm Before The Storm – Sarah Ross
17. Way Of Life – Cypress Spring f/The LACS and Danny Boone
18. Better Me – Montgomery Gentry
Jack White Books Hometown Show At Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena In November
/by Eric T. ParkerJack White. Photo: Ray Neutron
Jack White has booked Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena on Nov. 20 as a makeup show for Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival’s recent cancellation.
The outing will end his Boarding House Reach world tour, featuring support from special guests Margo Price and Joshua Hedley. The tour was named after White’s third solo effort, released in March by Third Man Records/Columbia.
A limited amount of pre-sale tickets will be available to Third Man Vault members starting Wednesday, Oct. 3 at 10 a.m. CT. Tickets go on sale at the same time that Friday at livenation.com, the Bridgestone Arena Box Office or phone, at 800-745-3000.
Prior to the hometown stop, White will be in Europe, the UK and Canada. A complete list of dates can be found at jackwhiteiii.com.
Florida Georgia Line, Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne To Perform At Scott Hamilton & Friends Benefit
/by Lorie HollabaughPerformers for this year’s event include Sheryl Crow, Brothers Osborne, Florida Georgia Line, Steve Cropper, MercyMe’s Bart Millard, Styx’s Tommy Shaw, and Chelsea Field.
Hosted by cancer survivors Hamilton and Crow and special guest host Kristi Yamaguchi, the show will simultaneously feature live music and skating from the biggest names in figure skating including 2x Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalists and Dancing with the Stars champion Meryl Davis and her partner Olympic Ice Dance Gold Medalist Charlie White, Olympic Men’s Silver Medalist Patrick Chan, Olympic Bronze Medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, Olympic Pairs Bronze Medalists Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Ashley Wagner, 2x Olympic Pairs Gold Medalist Katia Gordeeva, Olympic Ladies Bronze Medalist Kaetlyn Osmond, Olympic Team Bronze Medalist Jeremy Abbott, Ice Dance World Medalists Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and US National Gold Medalist Ryan Bradley.
The night will also include a return of the fan-favorite special performance by local skaters, who raise funds for the opportunity to perform in the show through the CARES Foundation’s Sk8 to Elimin8 Cancer peer-to-peer fundraising program.
Tickets are on sale now at the Bridgestone Arena Box Office, Ticketmaster outlets and ticketmaster.com and tickets and sponsorship packages that include an After Show Celebration at the Omni Hotel featuring dinner, live music and a silent auction can be purchased at scottcares.org/events/evening-scott-hamilton-friends.
Proceeds from the concert benefit the Scott Hamilton CARES Foundation, which is dedicated to changing the future of cancer by funding advanced, innovative research that treats the cancer while sparing the patient.
BMI Foundation Announces Opening Of 2019 Scholarship Season
/by Lorie HollabaughThe Foundation will administer five songwriting and composing scholarship competitions, judged by a panel of international musicians. These annual programs include the BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship, BMI Student Composer Awards, John Lennon Scholarships, peermusic Latin Scholarship and the Nashville Songwriting Scholarship. In addition, the Foundation administers two scholarship competitions outside the area of music creation: the newly revamped BMI Founders Internship Program for broadcasting students, and the Woody Guthrie Fellowship for scholars pursuing topics or themes related to American folk music.
“We love getting to open new creative doors for talented songwriters, composers and scholars across the country,” said BMI Foundation President Deirdre Chadwick. “So many of our award recipients have gone on to have flourishing careers, in part because of programs like these that afford them continued educational and development opportunities.”
Applications must be completed online no later than Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2019, and complete details can be found at bmifoundation.org/
Nashville Songwriting Scholarship
The fourth annual Nashville Songwriting Scholarship will award $5,000 for the best original song in any of the following genres: Americana, blues, bluegrass, contemporary Christian, country, folk, and roots. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States. Grammy-winning recording artist and BMI songwriter Kacey Musgraves endorses the competition and serves as a final judge.
BMI Founders Internship Program for Radio Broadcasting
Established in 2015, the BMI Founders Award is an annual internship program open to radio broadcasting students nationwide. The award commemorates the group of radio industry leaders who founded Broadcast Music, Inc. in 1939. A 4-6 week paid internship with a major broadcaster is awarded based on merit and the best original essay response submitted to the competition, and recognizes a student with the potential to become an innovator in the rapidly changing field of broadcast radio.
BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship
The fifth annual BMI Future Jazz Master Scholarship will award $5,000 to a rising jazz star pursuing a graduate degree in Jazz Studies, Jazz Performance, or related majors. The award was established in 2015 in honor of the NEA Jazz Masters Fellowship, a lifetime achievement recognition program of the National Endowment for the Arts.
BMI Student Composer Awards
The 67th annual BMI Student Composer Awards will award $20,000 in prizes to young composers engaged in the study of classical music. Co-sponsored by BMI and the BMI Foundation, the competition is open to all composers studying classical music who are age 27 or younger and citizens of the Western Hemisphere. Classical music luminaries such as John Adams, Aaron Jay Kernis and Augusta Read Thomas received their earliest recognition through this program. *Please note that the application deadline for this program is Friday, February 1st, 2019.
John Lennon Scholarships
The 22nd annual John Lennon Scholarships will award three prizes totaling $20,000 to U.S. college-student songwriters (age 17 to 24) for the best original songs submitted to the competition. Established in 1997 by Yoko Ono in conjunction with the BMI Foundation, this scholarship program honors the memory of one of the preeminent songwriters of the 20th century, John Lennon, and has become one of the nation’s most esteemed accolades for emerging artists.
peermusic Latin Scholarship
Established by music publisher Ralph Peer II and generously funded by peermusic, the 16th annual peermusic Latin Scholarship competition will award a $5,000 scholarship for the best original song or instrumental composition in any Latin genre. The contest is open to students between the ages of 17 and 24, who are enrolled in any college or university located in the United States and Puerto Rico. Acclaimed Latin artist and BMI songwriter Gloria Trevi serves as honorary spokesperson for the competition.
Woody Guthrie Fellowship
The 14th annual Woody Guthrie Fellowship will award up to $5,000 for scholarly research at the extensive Woody Guthrie Archives, a paper-based research repository located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Applicants must have a research project that leads to the creation of an original scholarly publication or product and requires a minimum of two weeks of research at the Archives. Established in 2005 in cooperation with the Woody Guthrie Center, the Woody Guthrie Fellowship seeks to encourage unique exploration into the life and legacy of one of the most influential folk musicians in American history, Woody Guthrie.
PR Changes: Music Business Association, The Recording Academy, CMT, Kore PR
/by Jessica NicholsonThe Press House Adds Music Business Association To Client Roster
The Press House, a full-service PR and branding firm with offices in New York, Nashville, and Los Angeles, has added the Music Business Association to its client roster.
The Music Business Association is a not-for-profit membership organization that advances, promotes and invests in the future of the music business by providing a trusted forum where ideas and cooperation flourish. Through events, education and engagement, the association brings together the full breadth of the industry for unparalleled access to networking, resources and thought leadership.
The association’s annual conference, Music Biz 2019, is set to take place Sunday, May 5 through Wednesday, May 8 at the new JW Marriott Nashville.
The Recording Academy Adds Sunshine Sachs As PR Partner
CMT’s Amanda Murphy Exits
Ashton Shepherd Joins Kore PR
Ashton Shepherd
Ashton Shepherd, known for her singles “Look It Up,” “Sounds So Good,” and “Takin’ Off This Pain,” has joined the artist roster at Kore PR.
“Ashton is a phenomenal artist whose authenticity is irrefutable,” exclaims Kore Public Relations owner Dawn DeJongh. “We are proud to join her in writing the next chapter of her artistry.”
Garth Offers Up In-Depth Look At Life On The Road With ‘The Anthology Part III’
/by Lorie HollabaughThe five-CD anthology contains 52 live recordings, including the new live album, TRIPLE LIVE, which is the soundtrack of the record-breaking, number one tour in North American history, The Garth Brooks World Tour with Trisha Yearwood. The collection also includes over 100 behind-the-scenes and performance photos, and over a dozen augmented reality experiences that can be experienced through downloading the Garth Live app and holding it over the book cover and various photos inside the anthology to watch Garth’s LIVE story come to life.
Through interviews with the band and crew, fans get an insider’s look at Garth’s early days as a bar bouncer and playing with only a few people watching at Willie’s Saloon in Stillwater, OK, to being an opening act for Reba, The Judds and Kenny Rogers and finally headlining his own tours throughout the ’90s and becoming an international star.
The collection, the third part of Garth’s massive five-part anthology, will be on sale November 20.