ole Adds Foster as Sr. Director, Creative Licensing

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Randall Foster


ole has hired Randall Foster as Sr. Director of Creative Licensing. Foster will be based in Nashville and will join ole’s Synchronization & Licensing department, where he will report to COO Lou Ragagnin.
“Foster is an excellent addition to the ole team, and we’re thrilled to have him join our already successful operation,” said Robert Ott, Chairman and CEO of ole. “With his extensive experience in digital media, digital music, DRM, music licensing, music publishing, and production, Foster is ideally suited to handle anything that may come his way in our Synchronization & Licensing department. We’re confident that he will be able to land high-quality placements for our artists and writers and ensure that they are paid fairly for the use of their work.”
Foster’s career began at MTV Latin America, where he worked in licensing and copyright clearance. He transitioned to Naxos of America in July 2005, working his way to Director of Licensing and Business Development manager. He also launched the imprint record label Naxos Wind Band Classics, working as Label Manager and overseeing A&R.

Signings & Hirings (4/28/14)

cumulus-logo-222featuredBrian Thomas has joined Cumulus Media as Corporate Program Director and as Program Director for NASH FM in New York. Thomas joins Cumulus from CBS, where was was most recently National VP of Classic Hits Programming, Program Director of Country-formatted WQYK and Classic Hits, WRBQ, and VP of Programming in Tampa.
In his new role, Thomas will focus on several formats, and he will be based in New York City.
John Dickey, Cumulus Executive Vice President & Co-Chief Operating Officer, said, “Brian Thomas is an incredible programming talent and brings a successful track record in New York to NASH FM New York. His experience and credibility will be great assets to the creative and leadership capital that Cumulus is cultivating for the benefit of our audiences and customers.”

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Mikel Knight


Triple 7 Public Relations has signed on to represent label exec and recording artist Mikel Knight. Knight’s blend of Country and Urban music has sold more than 300,000 albums, and has been featured on MTV’s Buck Wild.

Taylor Swift Among Radio Disney Winners

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Taylor Swift


Taylor Swift was among the winners at the recent Radio Disney Music Awards, which took place at Nokia Theatre L.A. Live. Swift was honored in two categories–So FANtastic-Fiercest Fans, and Musical Mash-up: Best Musical Collaboration for “Everything Has Changed,” featuring Ed Sheeran.
Other multiple award winners include Selena Gomez, Fifth Harmony, and Demi Lovato. The event featured performances from Becky G, Ariana Grande, Fifth Harmony and others.
Winners list for the 2014 RADIO DISNEY MUSIC AWARDS:
They’re The One – Best Music Group: One Direction
He’s The One – Best Male Artist: Justin Timberlake
She’s The One – Best Female Artist: Demi Lovato
The Bestest – Song Of The Year: Come & Get It – Selena Gomez
XOXO – Best Crush Song: Still Into You – Paramore
So FANtastic – Fiercest Fans: Swifties – Taylor Swift
The Buzz – Breakout Artist of the Year: Fifth Harmony
The Freshest – Best New Artist: Becky G
Musical Mashup – Best Musical Collaboration: Everything Has Changed – Taylor Swift feat. Ed Sheeran
So Happy – Best Song That Makes You Smile: Ooh La La – Britney Spears
#Cool – Radio Disney’s Most Talked About Artist: Selena Gomez
Stuck In Our Heads – Catchiest New Song: The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?) – Ylvis
That’s My Jam – Best Song To Rock Out To With Your BFF: Me & My Girls – Fifth Harmony
Soundtraxx – Favorite Song From a Movie Or TV Show: Let It Go – Idina Menzel (“Frozen”)
Move! – Best Song To Dance To: Birthday – Selena Gomez
Hit The Road – Favorite Roadtrip Song: Made In The USA – Demi Lovato
You’ve Got Swag! – Artist With The Best Style: Zendaya

Industry Photos (4/28/14)

Leadership Music recently hosted a quarterly Off the Record with special guest K. T. Oslin, who was interviewed by Leadership Music alum Robert K. Oermann. The sold-out event was a joint lunch-and-learn between Leadership Music and SOURCE.

Pictured (L-R): Oermann, Oslin, surprise guest Lynn Anderson, former RCA Label Chairman Joe Galante, LM Executive Director Debbie Linn and Stan Moress, Oslin’s long-time manager. Photo: Deb Varallo

Pictured (L-R): Oermann, Oslin, surprise guest Lynn Anderson, former RCA Label Chairman Joe Galante, LM Executive Director Debbie Linn and Stan Moress, Oslin’s long-time manager. Photo: Deb Varallo

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Alan Jackson headlined the first day of the 27th annual Merlefest. The Country star performed songs from his project The Bluegrass Album, which spent more than four months atop Billboard‘s Bluegrass Album Sales chart.
Jackson’s backing band included several top-notch bluegrass musicians, including Scott Coney (acoustic guitar), Sammy Shelor (banjo), Tim Crouch (fiddle), Tim Dishman (bass), Rob Ickes (dobro) and Ronnie Bowman and Don Rigsby (vocals) – all of whom played on The Bluegrass Album – along with Sierra Hull (mandolin).

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Alan Jackson performs at MerleFest.

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For the second year, CMT Edge and BMI co-hosted an event as part of the Nashville Film Festival. Top music supervisors from across the country were treated to acoustic performances in the round by Ashley Monroe, Amanda Shires, Marc Scibilia and Steve McMorran of Satellite at the CMT studios.

Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne, CMT.com senior editor; Penny Everhard, BMI associate director of writer/publisher relations; Marc Scibilia; Amanda Shires; Martin Clayton, CMT.com vice president; Steve McMorran (Satellite); Ashley Monroe; Jody Williams, BMI vice president of writer/publisher relations; Leslie Fram, CMT senior vice president of music strategy

Pictured (L-R): Craig Shelburne, CMT.com senior editor; Penny Everhard, BMI associate director of writer/publisher relations; Marc Scibilia; Amanda Shires; Martin Clayton, CMT.com vice president; Steve McMorran (Satellite); Ashley Monroe; Jody Williams, BMI vice president of writer/publisher relations; Leslie Fram, CMT senior vice president of music strategy.

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 Singer, songwriter and producer David Fanning stopped by Nashville’s BMI offices to celebrate his debut single, “Drink You Away.” Fanning is best-known for his work with Thompson Square and Parmalee as part of the production group New Voice.

Pictured (L-R): Rough Hollow Entertainment’s Doug Nichols, Red Bow Records artist David Fanning, BMI's David Preston, Penny Everhard and Clay Bradley, and Rough Hollow Entertainment’s Chris Alderman. Photo: Drew Maynard

Pictured (L-R): Rough Hollow Entertainment’s Doug Nichols, Red Bow Records artist David Fanning, BMI’s David Preston, Penny Everhard and Clay Bradley, and Rough Hollow Entertainment’s Chris Alderman. Photo: Drew Maynard

Billy Block Fundraiser 'Play One For Billy' Slated For May 4

play one for billy1Yep Nashville, Crush Music and I.R.S. Records Nashville have teamed to create Play One For Billy, a musical tribute and fundraiser for Billy Block, who was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer. Play One For Billy will take place Sunday, May 4 at The Listening Room (located at 217 2nd Ave. S. from 5 pm. until 8 p.m.
“Billy has been a friend of all of ours and to every up and coming artist in this community for the past 20 years,” said John Grady, President of I.R.S. Records Nashville. “I would not even try and count how many young, aspiring artists he has given a stage to perform. He has constantly found time to give back to this community, now is our chance to help a friend in need.”
Organizations already supporting the cause include BMI, SunTrust Bank, City National Bank, Mailchimp, I.R.S. Records Nashville, Crush Music, Florida Georgia Line, HoriPro Entertainment Group, Razor & Tie Music Publishing, Curb Records and more. To donate, visit yepnashville.com and click on the “Play One For Billy” banner.
If you have artists who would like to perform during Play One For Billy, or have any questions about the event, please contact YEP board members Andrew Cohen – (andrew@crushmusic.com) and Marc Rucker (marc@crushmusic.com).

Industry Ink (4/25/14)

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Chris Young previews his new stage show.


Sony Music Nashville artist Chris Young invited a small group of industry friends to a sneak peak of his new stage show and production this week (April 23) during rehearsals at Bandit Lights in LaVergne, Tenn. The new stage includes a video wall, four elevating multi-light displays, a boardwalk and other surprises. Young flawlessly performed his many hits (and future hits) for the guests, as well as, a special acoustic performance of “Text Me Texas.” Young is gearing up for his headlining dates, in addition to the upcoming Dierks Bentley 2014 Riser Tour.

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AXS is set to stream the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell through the AXS app. Fans who cannot make it to the festival to witness in-person performances from Jason Isbell, Anders Osborne, Galactic, Vampire Weekend and more can have the festival experience brought directly to them.
AXS will live-stream performances from three bands on Saturday, April 26 and Sunday, April 27, for a total of six free live mobile performances. The AXS app is available in the iTunes App Store or on Google Play.

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moc1Musicians on Call will present Sunny Side Up: A Young Professional Networking Breakfast on April 30 at Bosco’s in Nashville. The breakfast will run from 7:30 – 9:30 a.m. at the Bosco’s 21st Ave. S. location. The event aims to raise awareness and funds for Musicians On Call (MOC), a nonprofit organization that brings live and recorded music to the bedside of patients.
Tickets are $25 and available at stayclassy.org.

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WMN, Game Day Presentation Bring Music To Sports Fans

wmnWarner Music Nashville has teamed with Game Day Presentation to provide music packages for sports venues. The latest music package features a rain theme, including “Storm Warning” (Hunter Hayes), “I Hope It Rains” (Jana Kramer) and “I Love A Rainy Night” (Eddie Rabbit). Game Day Presentations offers music packages for professional and college sports venues.
Sports venues utilize music in many ways, including pre-game activities, during player introductions, during timeouts, to support promotions, post-game, during rain delays and more. Music videos and movie clips are also used to entertain fans.
A previous collaboration offered a music package featuring Cole Swindell‘s “Chillin’ It,” Brett Eldredge‘s “Don’t Ya” and Blake Shelton‘s “Boys ‘Round Here,” among other titles.
Additionally, WMN made artist artwork available to teams for inclusion in “Name That Tune” and other games used in college and professional pastimes.
“Teams across all leagues and in all sports are first and foremost in the entertainment business,” Danny Murphy. “The actual game is only part of the entertainment they deliver to fans. Music is at the forefront of the complete entertainment package, and we know many baseball games will be delayed by rain. It’s only logical that we work with teams to make sure they have the music they need to entertain their fans, music for when they are winning, losing or when it rains.”

Orbison Documentary to be Screened in Nashville and Los Angeles

image003A documentary dedicated to Roy Orbison’s album Mystery Girl will screen at Nashville’s Belcourt Theatre on May 19, followed by a screening at Los Angeles’ Grammy Museum on May 20.
Mystery Girl: Unraveled was written and produced by Orbison’s sons Wesley, Alex and Roy, Jr. The film delivers a look inside the creation of the iconic album recorded by their father, Roy, 25 years after the original release. It will feature archived footage, special appearances and on-screen commentary from stars like Tom Petty, Bono, Jeff Lynne, and more. Orbison’s sons will attend the screenings in Los Angeles and Nashville for on-stage discussions of the film.
Both screenings are open to the public. For more information, visit thebelcourt.org or grammymuseum.org

'The Music of Nashville Season 2, Vol. 2' to Release May 6

NAS_ART_ALBUM_S2V2_Cover_2014.3.21_FNL111Big Machine Records is set to release The Music of Nashville Season 2, Volume 2, which will release to all digital retailers Tuesday, May 6. While the standard version will include 11 tracks, a special deluxe version boasting 21 tracks (including four exclusive tracks) will be available exclusively at Target.
The recent airing of Nashville: On The Record boosted digital sales of previous The Music of Nashville installments, with all three previously released soundtracks climbing into the Top 15 on the iTunes Country chart. All original music is released by ABC Studios, Lionsgate and ABC Music Lounge in association with Big Machine Records.
Tracklistings:
DIGITAL STANDARD
1. He Ain’t Gonna Change/ Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere (Al Anderson, Karyn Rochelle)
2. I Ain’t Leavin’ Without Your Love/ Sam Palladio, Chaley Rose, Jonathan Jackson (Justin Davis, Sarah Zimmermann, Cary Barlowe)
3. Believing/ Charles Esten, Lennon & Maisy (Emily Shackelton, Kate York, Tami Hinesh)
4. It’s On Tonight/ Will Chase, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten (Dustin Lynch, Brett Beavers, David Lee Murphy)
5. Lately/ Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen (Sarah Siskind, Sally Barris, Ashley Monroe)
6. Joy Parade/ Lennon & Maisy (Jill Andrews, Josh Leo)
7. It All Slows Down/ Aubrey Peeples (Karyn Rochelle, Sarah Siskind)
8. Is That Who I Am/ Chris Carmack (Aaron Benward, Shaun Shankel, Steve Moakler)
9. This Time/ Connie Britton (Allison Moorer, Jeffrey Steele)
10. Black Roses/ Clare Bowen (Lucy Schwartz)
11. Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet/ Hayden Panettiere (Trent Dabbs, Caitlyn Smith)
TARGET
1. He Ain’t Gonna Change/ Connie Britton, Hayden Panettiere (Al Anderson, Karyn Rochelle)
2. I Ain’t Leavin’ Without Your Love/ Sam Palladio, Chaley Rose, Jonathan Jackson (Justin Davis, Sarah Zimmermann, Cary Barlowe)
3. Believing/ Charles Esten, Lennon & Maisy (Emily Shackelton, Kate York, Tami Hinesh)
4. Hurtin’ On Me/ Chris Carmack (Josh Osborne, Greg Bates, Shane McAnally)
5. Lately/ Sam Palladio, Clare Bowen ( Sarah Siskind, Sally Barris, Ashley Monroe)
6. Wrong For The Right Reasons/ Connie Britton (Rosi Golan, Natalie Hemby, Chris DeStefano)
7. Everything I’ll Ever Need/ Hayden Panettiere, Jonathan Jackson (Kate York, Dylan Altman)
8. Joy Parade/ Lennon & Maisy (Jill Andrews, Josh Leo)
9. Come Find Me/ Clare Bowen (Sarah Buxton, John Scott Sherill)
10. It’s On Tonight/ Will Chase, Chris Carmack, Charles Esten (Dustin Lynch, Brett Beavers, David Lee Murphy)
11. Hennessee/ Sam Palladio, Jonathan Jackson, Chaley Rose (Joel King, Ricky Young, Eli Wulfmeier, Taylor Burns, Chris Hennessee)
12. It All Slows Down/ Aubrey Peeples (Karyn Rochelle, Sarah Siskind)
13. Is That Who I Am/ Chris Carmack (Aaron Benward, Shaun Shankel, Steve Moakler)
14. This Time/ Connie Britton (Allison Moorer, Jeffrey Steele)
15. Black Roses/ Clare Bowen (Lucy Schwartz)
16. Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet/ Hayden Panettiere (Trent Dabbs, Caitlyn Smith)
17. A Life That’s Good/ Connie Britton, Charles Esten, Lennon & Maisy (Sarah Siskind)
TARGET EXCLUSIVE TRACKS
18. Carry You Home/ Chaley Rose (Troy Verges, Caitlyn Smith, Gordie Sampson)
19. Then I Was Loved By You/ Chris Carmack (Kalisa Ewing, Casey Wood)
20. Falling/ Clare Bowen (Gareth Dunlop, Kim Richey)
21. Don’t Put Dirt On My Grave Just Yet (Orchestral Version)/ Hayden Panettiere (Trent Dabbs, Caitlyn Smith)

Eric Church Turns The Tables on Ticket Scalpers

ericchurchEric Church has turned the tables on ticket scalpers for his upcoming concert at Minneapolis’ Target Center on Sept. 16. More than 14,000 tickets have been sold since Friday, and only a small number of tickets directly behind the stage remain.
However, that will change today (April 25) at 5 p.m. CDT. 902 tickets that have been identified as having been purchased by scalpers in violation of sales limits have been canceled, and will be put back into the system for sale at that time.
“A lot of acts just want to sell as many tickets as they can and they don’t care who they sell them to,” said Church.“I want my fans to be the ones who buy tickets to my shows, and I want scalpers to back off. I can’t stop ticket scalpers completely, but I can definitely make it harder for them.”
All ticket orders for Church’s “The Outsiders World Tour” will be scrutinized to combat scalping, helping Church fans to have the opportunity to attend the concert for the originally intended price.
Opening the tour on different dates throughout the first leg will be rising country music duo Brothers Osborne, critically acclaimed singer/songwriter Brandy Clark, or the hard rocking band Halestorm. For ticket dates and information, visit ericchurch.com.