The Country Music Association aims to help guide new and developing artists, via the newly-announced CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship, a year-long program that will connect selected artists with professionals across various facets of the music industry.
The program, which will begin accepting applications on June 1, will also offer educational support and opportunities for artists to participate in CMA-related events including CMA Fest, C2C: Country to Country Festival in London, and the CMA Songwriters Series. The CMA has also established a scholarship fund to cover expenses related to the CMA KixStart program.
The idea for the KixStart program came in 2017 from two of the country music industry’s top managers, Marion Kraft (Miranda Lambert) and Mary Hilliard Harrington (Dierks Bentley). Kraft is also the CMA Board’s Artist Relations Committee Chair, while Harrington is Vice Chair of the committee.
The CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship is named after former Chairman of the CMA Board and long-serving board member, Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn. An artist advocate, Brooks drove the creation of the CMA Board of Directors’ Artist Relations Committee in 2006.
“Last year when Mary Hilliard and Marion suggested we do something to better aid those artists that could use a little extra help, or a ‘kick start’ to help them over that tipping point, we all knew it was a good idea,” said Brooks. “I suppose calling it KixStart was a little tip of the hat to me for getting this committee going in the beginning. I’m honored, but I’m not taking any credit for this one!”
Eligible applicants should have recorded music and possess performance experience, but should not have released more than one full-length album. Additionally, they should not have already charted a Top 40 song on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, or on the Country Aircheck chart. Eligible applicants should have a working relationship with at least two CMA-member companies (including publishing, management, booking agency, public relations, or label).
“CMA and our entire community have always shown a great commitment to developing and nurturing new artists,” said Karen Fairchild, CMA and CMA Foundation board member and Little Big Town member. “When I look back to the beginning of my own music career, I know for certain a program like this would have helped accelerate my start and given me a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the business side of the industry.”
“CMA has been such a champion of my music and provided me a ton of opportunities to connect with my fans,” said Luke Combs, CMA Awards New Artist of the Year nominee in 2017. “Just three years ago, I played the stage at Walk of Fame Park at CMA Fest for the very first time and this year I get to fulfill every new artist’s dream of going across the river to play Nissan Stadium. Having CMA give me such a massive platform to play in front of a stadium full of passionate music fans is an honor. This new program will be an incredible launching pad for other artists’ dreams to come true.”
CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship submissions will be accepted starting Friday, June 1 at CMAworld.com/KixStart, where artists can review application and eligibility requirements. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, June 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
CMA Reveals KixStart Artist Scholarship Program
/by Jessica NicholsonThe program, which will begin accepting applications on June 1, will also offer educational support and opportunities for artists to participate in CMA-related events including CMA Fest, C2C: Country to Country Festival in London, and the CMA Songwriters Series. The CMA has also established a scholarship fund to cover expenses related to the CMA KixStart program.
The idea for the KixStart program came in 2017 from two of the country music industry’s top managers, Marion Kraft (Miranda Lambert) and Mary Hilliard Harrington (Dierks Bentley). Kraft is also the CMA Board’s Artist Relations Committee Chair, while Harrington is Vice Chair of the committee.
The CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship is named after former Chairman of the CMA Board and long-serving board member, Kix Brooks of Brooks & Dunn. An artist advocate, Brooks drove the creation of the CMA Board of Directors’ Artist Relations Committee in 2006.
“Last year when Mary Hilliard and Marion suggested we do something to better aid those artists that could use a little extra help, or a ‘kick start’ to help them over that tipping point, we all knew it was a good idea,” said Brooks. “I suppose calling it KixStart was a little tip of the hat to me for getting this committee going in the beginning. I’m honored, but I’m not taking any credit for this one!”
Eligible applicants should have recorded music and possess performance experience, but should not have released more than one full-length album. Additionally, they should not have already charted a Top 40 song on Billboard‘s Country Airplay chart, or on the Country Aircheck chart. Eligible applicants should have a working relationship with at least two CMA-member companies (including publishing, management, booking agency, public relations, or label).
“CMA and our entire community have always shown a great commitment to developing and nurturing new artists,” said Karen Fairchild, CMA and CMA Foundation board member and Little Big Town member. “When I look back to the beginning of my own music career, I know for certain a program like this would have helped accelerate my start and given me a wealth of knowledge and understanding of the business side of the industry.”
“CMA has been such a champion of my music and provided me a ton of opportunities to connect with my fans,” said Luke Combs, CMA Awards New Artist of the Year nominee in 2017. “Just three years ago, I played the stage at Walk of Fame Park at CMA Fest for the very first time and this year I get to fulfill every new artist’s dream of going across the river to play Nissan Stadium. Having CMA give me such a massive platform to play in front of a stadium full of passionate music fans is an honor. This new program will be an incredible launching pad for other artists’ dreams to come true.”
CMA KixStart Artist Scholarship submissions will be accepted starting Friday, June 1 at CMAworld.com/KixStart, where artists can review application and eligibility requirements. The deadline for submissions is Saturday, June 30 at 11:59 p.m. CT.
Music Networking Space H.O.M.E. Opens In East Nashville, Announces Staff
/by Lorie HollabaughPictured (L-R): Logan Crowell, Trina Lloyd-Weidner, Anthony Falcone
A 24/7 collaborative music space, H.O.M.E. (Helping Our Music Evolve), has opened in Nashville and announced some staff additions. The member-benefit 501(c)6 non-profit organization located in Center 615 in East Nashville offers music businesses, producers, engineers, artists/bands, musicians, and songwriters a professional co-working environment. HOME HQ also features a cutting-edge production facility capable of live streaming and housing multiple rooms suitable for recording, writing, rehearsal, and/or events.
Artist, songwriter and entrepreneur Logan Crowell created and built the new co-working community, which is also committed to providing educational and networking opportunities for the music community through weekly workshops, mentoring sessions, and social events. Crowell, along with developer Corey Sery, built an online networking portal which makes it easier for members to discover and collaborate with each other, with music business professionals, and with new fans.
“I couldn’t be more excited to open H.O.M.E. and spearhead Nashville’s first and only 24/7 collaborative music space,” says founder Crowell. “Our mission is built on providing a supportive community for artist development and music production in an affordable yet technologically advanced facility.”
In August 2017, Crowell joined forces with HOME Technical Advisor, Anthony Falcone, to build the facility and design the systems it uses. Falcone recently moved to Nashville from Los Angeles where he earned accolades as a producer and mixing engineer. In addition to being spearheaded by Crowell and Falcone, HOME has recently welcomed Trina Lloyd-Weidner to the team as VP of Operations.
Lloyd-Weidner comes to HOME from the Nashville Songwriters Association International where she served as the Director of Regional Chapters, managing over 130 songwriting chapters worldwide, and overseeing the daily duties of the membership team. Prior to that, she worked with BMI and Cromwell Radio Group.
“Trina’s track record of success, along with her insight and familiarity with what we do, will help HOME continue to grow within the music business community and find new ways to engage our members,” said Crowell. “She is a strong relationship builder, has valuable experience in music organizations, event management, and has a clear passion for what HOME stands for.”
RareSpark Media Group Adds Jason Afable To Roster
/by Jessica NicholsonTop Row (L-R): RareSpark CEO Suzanne Strickland, Vice President / General Manager Scot Sherrod, and Creative Director Carly Strickland. Bottom Row: Jason Afable
RareSpark Media Group, Inc. has signed a worldwide publishing agreement with songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Jason Afable. Since moving to Nashville from the Los Angeles area in 2013, Afable has quickly established himself as a versatile talent in the Nashville creative community. He has landed cuts with a number of independent artists and also produced rising country artist Kalie Shorr’s 2016 single, “Fight Like A Girl,” which was tapped as a “Highway Find” by Sirius XM’s The Highway and named one of the “Top 10 Country Songs of 2016” by Taste of Country.
“Not only is Jason one of the good ones as a human being, but he’s also incredibly talented as a writer and producer,” says RareSpark CEO Suzanne Strickland. “We couldn’t be more excited to have him in the RareSpark family.”
Adds RareSpark Vice President / General Manager Scot Sherrod, “Jason is a quadruple-threat – he’s a great writer, producer, multi-instrumentalist, and awesome vocalist. He has such amazing, positive energy and has his finger not only on the pulse of what’s happening now, but what’s about to happen. We’re so honored that he believes in us and are thrilled to have him on our team.”
“I couldn’t be happier to be joining forces with RareSpark for my first publishing deal,” says Afable. “It’s a small team that’s focused and motivated, and it feels like the perfect fit for me at the start of my career. I feel like I’m on the same wavelength with Scot, Suzanne, and everyone on the team, and I look forward to doing big things together!”
Chris Janson, Maddie Poppe To Appear On Bobby Bones Live From Ryman Broadcast
/by Lorie HollabaughThere will be a special pop-up shop onsite where fans will be able to pre-order Bones’ new book, FAIL UNTIL YOU DON’T: FIGHT. GRIND. REPEAT via Parnassus Books as well as other exclusive items. The live broadcast begins at 7 a.m. Friday, June 8, with doors opening at 6 a.m. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis.
Fans will also have a chance to catch Bones in cities across the country in support of the upcoming new book, set to hit shelves June 19. Launching June 15 in Charleston, South Carolina, Bones will visit Washington D.C.; Boston; Tampa, Florida; Ft. Pierce, Florida; Austin, Texas and Wichita, Kansas, for special pre-order, signing and live-stream events, including a stop at the iHeart Theater in New York, NY, and starting this Friday, (June 1) fans can sign up to attend the event at BobbyBones.com/NYC.
SOURCE Hall of Fame 2018 Inductees Honored at May Luncheon
/by Lorie HollabaughFront Row (L-R): Tammy Genovese, JoAnn Berry and Holly Gleason. Back Row: (L-R): Barbara Baker, Cathy Gurley, Anita Hogin and Ronna Rubin. Photo: Ed Rode
SOURCE held its monthly luncheon at ASCAP on May 24 celebrating seven women who will be inducted into the SOURCE Hall Of Fame on Sept. 25 at the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium. The 2018 inductees are Barbara Baker, JoAnn Berry, Tammy Genovese, Holly Gleason, Cathy Gurley, Anita Hogin, and Ronna Rubin.
The 2018 inductees met members and shared stories in a filled-to-capacity room during the luncheon, and the panel of inductees was moderated by longtime SOURCE and Leadership Music member Judi Turner.
This year marks the 16th anniversary of the SOURCE Hall of Fame Awards. SOURCE Hall of Fame inductees are nominated and inducted based upon peer recommendations, biographies, accomplishments, reputation, the number of years each individual has worked within the entertainment industry, and level of community involvement.
Founded in 1991 by Shelia Shipley Biddy, Judy Harris and Pat Rolfe, SOURCE is the longest-running organization for females in the music industry in Nashville, and is dedicated to fostering relationships and opportunities for its members through continuous education, networking, and community service initiatives.
In Pictures: Round Hill Music, Deluge Music, Jerrod Niemann
/by Jessica NicholsonRound Hill Music Hosts Nashville Film Festival Luncheon
Pictured (Front row, L-R): PJ Pacifico (Signals in Smoke), Valerie Broussard (Signals in Smoke), Katie Pruitt (Artist), Lee Ann Womack (Artist), Anastasia Brown (Format Entertainment). Back Row (L-R) Rick Clark (AMC), Tami Lester (Zync powered by Round Hill Music), Penny Gattis (Round Hill Music), Katie Jelen (Warner/Chappell Music), Alex Hackford (Sony Computer Entertainment America), Sanne Hagelsten (Zync powered by Round Hill Music), Chase Casanova (Mark Woollen & Associates), Marisa Baldi (Zync powered by Round Hill Music), Winslow Bright (Search Party Music)
Round Hill Music and Zync powered by Round Hill Music hosted their annual Nashville Film Festival luncheon featuring Katie Pruitt, Signals in Smoke, and Lee Ann Womack. In December, Round Hill Music announced their partnership with the boutique powerhouse licensing company Zync. The event showcased new songs as well as unique covers from Round Hill’s newly acquired Carlin catalog.
Deluge Music Showcases Emily West and the Whiskey Wolves
Deluge Music showcased Emily West & The Whiskey Wolves recently at the Cotton Mill.
Jerrod Niemann Performs For National Memorial Day Parade
Jerrod Niemann performing “I Got This.”
Curb Records artist Jerrod Niemann delivered a two-song performance during Monday’s (May 28) National Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C, the largest Memorial Day event in the United States.
Niemann performed his current single, “I Got This,” along with “Old Glory,” a patriotic anthem written before the longtime military supporter embarked on the 76th Annual USO Holiday Tour last December.
Weekly Register: Jason Aldean, FGL Retain Chart Leads
/by Jessica NicholsonThe top country album debut this week was from former American Idol winner Trent Harmon, whose debut BMLG project You Got ‘Em All, debuted at No. 34 with 3.9K.
On the digital country songs rankings, Florida Georgia Line and Bebe Rexha‘s “Meant To Be,” moved 23K this week, for 1.083 million in sales to date.
Kane Brown‘s “Heaven” is at No. 2, with 21K. Jason Aldean takes the third spot with “You Make It Easy” making 14K in sales. Kenny Chesney‘s latest single “Get Along” is at No. 4 with 13K, followed by the debut from Spensha Baker, “Old Soul,” at No. 5 with 13K.
Midland Plans Cannery Ballroom Show In Nashville
/by Jessica NicholsonACM Award-winning trio Midland is set to headline NASH FM 103.3’s NASH Country Kick Off Party on Tuesday, June 5 at Cannery Ballroom. Tickets are $35, and proceeds will benefit Musicians On Call’s mission to deliver live and recorded music to the bedsides of patients in healthcare facilities.
Midland recently released a video for latest single “Burn Out” which was inspired by the vintage style of Urban Cowboy and filmed at Billy Bob’s honky tonk in Fort Worth, Texas. They are currently on a nationwide summer tour and then will join Thomas Rhett’s Life Changes Tour in September.
U2 Records At Third Man Records Nashville
/by Lorie HollabaughU2 capped off their Saturday night show in Music City at Bridgestone Arena with a little more stripped-down gig on Sunday at Third Man Records. The band alerted fans to the special session 15 minutes before setting up to play, and proceeded to make the first-ever direct-to-acetate live recording of “Love Is Bigger Than Anything In Its Way” and “Red Flag Day” at the label, broadcasting video of their acoustic performance live from their Facebook page for fans.
The recording was made in the main storefront space, using the direct-to-acetate equipment usually reserved for Blue Room performances for the first time outside of that room.
Third Man previously released a 12-inch single of “The Blackout,” a song from U2’s 2017 LP Songs of Experience, for Record Store Day Black Friday.
Rhythm House Signs Steven Lee Olsen, Brandon Day
/by Jessica NicholsonPictured (L-R): Brandon Day, Steven Lee Olsen and Stevie Frasure
Rhythm House has announced the addition of several new members. The Roc Nation joint venture welcomes Steven Lee Olsen and Brandon Day to the roster, and has promoted Stevie Frasure to VP of Creative.
Olsen, known for penning the hits “Blue Ain’t Your Color” and “More Girls Like You,” joins Rhythm House’s writing roster in partnership with Warner/Chappell Music Nashville. As an artist, Olsen is managed by Chris Parr at Maverick and is currently working on his first EP.
“Steven is an incredible artist and writer. We are thrilled to have him part of our team, ” says Roc Nation’s Executive Vice President of Business Affairs Tamara Conniff.
Day, a 23-year-old writer and producer, joins Rhythm House with an exclusive songwriting agreement. With a background in rock and pop, the North Carolina native has production and writer credits ranging from The Plain White T’s to Big & Rich.
“Brandon was the perfect fit for our multi-genre minded family and we are excited to help take his brand to the next level,” says Rhythm House’s Jesse Frasure.
Stevie Frasure has been promoted to VP of Creative at Rhythm House. The Georgia native has held previous music industry positions at EMI, ole and Patrick Joseph Music where she helped land many major label cuts and guided songwriting careers.
“We love Stevie’s energy and are thrilled to have her continue to help develop our Nashville roster,” says Roc Nation CEO Jay Brown.
Rhythm House was formed in 2016 as a partnership between Roc Nation and Jesse Frasure, with help from Warner/Chappell’s administration. Rhythm House represents Roc Nation’s first partnership in Nashville’s publishing community.