On Thursday (June 28), the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously voted to approve the Music Modernization Act, comprehensive legislation, including the CLASSICS Act, that updates music licensing laws for the modern streaming era.

The bill was amended to include increased oversight and ensure greater transparency in the operation of the Mechanical Licensing Collective. Additionally, amendments were accepted to promote communication between the Department of Justice and Congress regarding any future changes to the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, as well as to educate copyright owners and songwriters as to the unclaimed royalties process that will be carried out by the new collective.

The Senate vote follows the unanimous approval by the House of Representatives of similar legislation, and paves the way for the legislation to be considered by the full Senate for passage. If passed by the full Senate, the House of Representatives will need to accept the Senate version before sending to the President for signature.

NMPA President & CEO David Israelite praised the vote saying, “Today’s vote is a huge step towards the Music Modernization Act becoming law. We are pleased that the MMA as approved by the Committee builds upon the fundamental compromise between music creators and digital services that will greatly benefit songwriters. With the many important stakeholders involved, it is no small feat for the MMA to have made it this far, and once the MMA is signed into law, songwriters will see more of the money they deserve from streaming services who currently operate off of laws from 1909 and consent decrees from 1941. We thank Chairman Grassley, Ranking Member Feinstein, Senator Hatch, Senator Whitehouse, Senator Alexander, and all of the Senators who have supported MMA for their leadership in helping those behind the music and their steadfast commitment to updating laws that are egregiously behind the times. We look forward to seeing the full Senate pass the MMA.”

“We are grateful that the Senate Judiciary Committee has taken the next vital step to advance the Music Modernization Act,” said the RIAA’s President Mitch Glazier. “Music speaks to all parties, all people, in all places. And when a community comes together as we have done, with no segment getting everything they want but recognizing injustice and working toward a common goal, anything is possible. We welcome the momentum surrounding this bill and thank Senators Grassley, Feinstein, Hatch, Coons, Kennedy and all of the cosponsors, for leading the charge in the Senate to right a long-standing wrong with the CLASSICS Act. We look forward to Senate passage of the entire MMA, and this crucial bill finally becoming law.”

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival has announced the fourth annual PlayAtPilgrimage Contest, open to Franklin, Tennessee and Nashville musicians for the chance to be on the same bill as Jack White, Chris Stapleton, Lionel Richie, Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Brandi Carlile, Hozier and more. The grand prize winner will perform at the 2018 Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival and receive a $5,000 cash prize by Jesse W Couch Foundation and the Pilgrimage Foundation to continue to foster the winner’s career.

Pilgrimage will also select 25 runner ups who will win the opportunity to perform at Pilgrimage’s Music on Main & Beyond event on Friday, Sept. 21 to kick off the festival weekend! The Music on Main & Beyond is in partnership with Downtown Franklin Association and Visit Franklin.

“The #PlayAtPilgrimage contest has been a great way to tap into local talent in both Franklin and Nashville,” says co-producer and partner Kevin Griffin. “This year will be even better as we are choosing 25 runner ups for the first time to be part of a kick off event the Friday night before Pilgrimage. Not only will festival goers get to experience downtown Franklin, but they will be able to experience countless local talent.”

Pilgrimage Music & Cultural Festival will be held Sept. 22-23 to The Park at Harlinsdale in Franklin, Tennessee, for two days of music, art and culture.

The Peach Pickers (Ben Hayslip, Dallas Davidson, and Rhett Akins) on the Peach Carpet before the start of “Georgia On My Mind” Tuesday at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

Georgia music was on full display Tuesday night (June 26) during the “Gretsch Presents the Fifth Annual Georgia On My Mind” benefit concert hosted by the Peach Pickers – Rhett Akins, Dallas Davidson, and Ben Hayslip– and emceed by SiriusXM’s Storme Warren at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville.

The popular Peach Carpet kicked off the evening with a who’s who of Georgia-born talent and executives including the honorable Governor of Georgia Nathan Deal and Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal. Performers included Pat Alger, Tony Arata, John Berry, Kristian Bush of Sugarland, Travis Denning, Randy Houser, Chris Janson, Jamey Johnson, Charles Kelley of Lady Antebellum, Trea Landon, Dustin Lynch and Michael Ray.

Chris Janson

One of the many highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Georgia Music Foundation Flamekeeper Award to Alger and Arata. In a second presentation, Governor Deal, who won the Flamekeeper Award in 2017, presented the a special posthumous Flamekeeper Award to the late country artist and Georgia native Daryle Singletary, who was 46 when he passed away Feb. 12 at his home in Lebanon, Tennessee. His wife, Holly Singletary and their twin, seven-year-old sons Mercer and Jonah accepted on his behalf. The award is presented to a Georgian who tirelessly preserves and promotes Georgia’s musical roots and traditions.

Title sponsors for the evening, Fred and Dinah Gretsch presented a check for $50,000 to the Georgia Music Foundation, to advance grants to cultural and music education programs in the state. The Foundation, which was established in 1994, has distributed more than $300,000 in funding to deserving music education, preservation, and outreach programs in the past four years from “Georgia On My Mind” proceeds.

Pat Alger, Tony Arata

Charles Kelley and Dallas Davidson

Roland, a manufacturer and distributor of electronic musical instruments, opens its newest Artist Relations Center today (June 27) in Nashville, located at Love Shack Studios at 909 18th Ave. S. A grand opening event begins at 7 p.m.

The center offers support, A/V services for social media content creation, and more as part of an enhanced artist relations strategy.

Julian Raymond, Senior Vice President of A&R and Staff Producer at Big Machine/John Varvatos Records, was instrumental in working out the details for the facility.

“I am honored to be associated with Roland and their state-of-the-art products and technology,” Raymond says. “Having the new A/R center here in Nashville will really connect our great musical culture with the iconic Roland brand.”

The Nashville facility joins other recently-opened Artist Relations Centers in Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto, Canada; Berlin, Germany; and Tokyo, Japan.