APA Nashville has signed singer/songwriter Maggie Rose. Rose’s Cut To Impress CD was produced by James Stroud and Blake Chancey, and her new single, “Looking Back Now,” from RPM Entertainment will be released on Jan. 21.
“Maggie is an amazing young woman with a wealth of talent,” Sr. VP of APA Steve Hauser said. “Her songwriting is top-drawer and her live show is remarkable. We are thrilled to have her join our APA family.”

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BMI recently invited Austin-based singer-songwriter Brennen Leigh to the Nashville office to perform a set for Nashville’s industry tastemakers. Leigh has written songs for Country artists Lee Ann Womack, Sunny Sweeney and the Carper Family.

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Vince Gill and steel guitarist Paul Franklin performed the Buck Owens classic “Together Again” Thursday (Jan. 9) on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The song is from their album Bakersfield: Deluxe Edition, which will be available exclusively at Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® locations and crackerbarrel.com beginning Jan. 27. The performance, as well as Gill’s interview with Leno, can be viewed online.

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Kellie Pickler will join forces with Nashville Ballet to perform at the organization’s annual fundraising event, Ballet Ball 2014. On Saturday, March 8, Pickler will sing two songs from her recently released project, The Woman I Am, providing a live soundtrack to original dance performances by Nashville Ballet company dancers, choreographed by Artistic Director and CEO Paul Vasterling.
Tickets for the main Ball are by invitation only; however, arts patrons can purchase tickets to the Ballet Ball’s Late Party, which features cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a seat at the performance. Late Party tickets are $125 per person and will be available beginning Wednesday, Jan. 15. Tickets can be purchased at bblateparty.com
“I am so honored Nashville Ballet chose me to perform as part of their Ballet Ball this year,” Pickler said. “My passion is music, but last year I discovered how much I love to dance, so to have Nashville Ballet dance to two of my songs is really exciting for me. I cannot wait to see how they choreograph their dances for the Ball.”

The CMA Songwriters Series returns for its 10th season, with the first shows of 2014 being held at the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on Jan. 22 and 23.
The Sundance ASCAP Music Café’s CMA Songwriters Spotlight will feature special guests Brandy Clark, Brett James, Chris Stapleton, and Lee Ann Womack. Two feature performances will be presented, with both shows including Clark, James, Stapleton and Womack. Shows on Jan. 22 and 23 begin at 4 p.m. MT at the Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe.
“We are honored that the CMA Songwriters Spotlight will be a highlight of the Sundance ASCAP Music Café, an official part of the Sundance Film Festival calendar,” CMA Chief Executive Officer Sarah Trahern said. “Nashville’s songwriters are among the most talented storytellers in the world and with the Sundance Film Festival being the world’s premier stage for storytellers, I cannot think of a more appropriate setting to launch the tenth year of this series.”
The CMA Songwriter Series has held more than 75 shows in 13 cities, including Austin, Belfast, Chicago, Dublin, London, Los Angeles, New York, Paris, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. CMA Triple Play Award winner, CMA Board member, and Songwriters Hall of Fame member Bob DiPiero has championed and hosted the series since its launch in 2005 at Joe’s Pub in New York City.
“CMA Songwriters Series has become the premier event to showcase the Nashville songwriting community,” DiPiero said. “We have reached a tipping point, in that fans are starting to understand the role of the songwriter in the success of their favorite artists. We are grateful to all of the artists that have performed on the series through the past 10 years, but it is the songwriter, the ‘invisible star,’ the storytellers and song makers that the CMA Songwriters Series celebrates. We have become musical ambassadors, spreading the hillbilly Gospel.”
On Feb. 11 and 12, the CMA Songwriters Series will return to Joe’s Pub in New York City. Additional shows in 2014 will tentatively include Austin, Chicago, Nashville, and New York with talent and show dates to be announced at a later time.

Beginning this month, SoundExchange will provide monthly royalties to artists, labels and rights owners signed up to receive electronic payments. Previously, SoundExchange sent royalty payments quarterly to its registrants.
“While SoundExchange was already a market-leader with quarterly distributions, moving to monthly payments takes our service to the next level,” SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe said. “By making performance royalties available sooner, we are making it easier for recording artists and record labels to focus on creating the music we all enjoy.”
Initially, monthly royalty payments will be sent to those signed up to receive electronic payments, and have royalties due of at least $250. Artists and labels that do not meet this minimum threshold will continue to be paid on a regular, quarterly schedule under the organization’s existing guidelines. After the initial roll out period, SoundExchange will re-evaluate eligibility qualifications for its monthly payment program.
SoundExchange administers the statutory license for more than 2,000 digital music services that rely on it for the use of sound recordings.

SESAC’s Gregory Riggle, VP of Industry Relations & Business Communications, has exited the company. Riggle’s new venture, Storycult, will launch in early 2014.
Storycult is a creative content developer linking creative industries directly to media and brands. Innovative rights management and licensing partnerships will allow both creator and client to monetize proprietary content.
For more information, visit storycult.com.

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Catch This Music has opened Studio B, an intimate, state-of-the-art room designed to promote creativity. The inviting space has an isolation booth for vocal and instrumental overdubs, guitar-vocal demos, audio-book recordings, PSAs, and mixing.
CTM is located at 1008 17th Ave. S. For booking call 615-340-9000 or email info@catchthismusic.com.

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Singer, musician and songwriter Gordon Mote has signed an exclusive booking agreement with Jeff Roberts and Associates, and JRA Fine Arts, divisions of Jeff Roberts Corporation.
The JRA division includes Casting Crowns, Matthew West, the Newsboys and others in the CCM field. Within the Fine Arts division, which focuses on performing arts venues and symphonies, the company represents Sandi Patty, Jason Crabb, Salvador, Jaci Velasquez, Nicole C. Mullen, B.J. Thomas, among others.
“I am so grateful for the opportunity to work with the incredible team at JRA Fine Arts,” Mote said. “Their vision is contagious and encouraging. My manager, Bob Rodgers, and I look forward to a long and fruitful partnership.”

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BMG Chrysalis has signed singer-songwriter Naia Kete. Kete is managed by Kimberly Knoller (The Knoller Group) and is booked by Dan Weiner (Paradigm Talent Agency). She divides her time between Nashville and Los Angeles and has collaborated with Linda Perry, Colbie Caillat, The Futuristics, Jason Reeves, Mikal Blue, Boots Oostead, Stephony Smith, Shelly Fairchild, Marshall Altman, Ben West, Trent Dabbs, and Liz Rose. Kete recently released her debut EP, Fire Breather.

Steve Richardson has been appointed CEO/President of the newly formed Streamsound Music Group. Richardson will oversee the Nashville-based entertainment group and its affiliated companies Streamsound Records and Red Vinyl Music. Streamsound Music Group principals are producer Byron Gallimore, Jim Wilkes and Tim McHugh. Richardson has already assumed the role and can be reached at srichardson@streamsound.com or 615-377-0495.
“I truly believe we have an incredibly talented team,” said Richardson. “Our producer needs no introduction, our promotion staff is second to none, and our support staff serves to no end. We are very excited about the future.”
Streamsound Music Group and the affiliated companies are located at 320 Southgate Court, Brentwood, TN 37027. The 11,500-square-foot facility includes songwriting rooms, staff offices, planned studio space, a performance hall for live events, and more. The office can be reached at 615-377-0495. Artists on the roster include Austin Webb, Dakota Bradley and Jaida Dreyer.
Red Vinyl Music is an independent music publishing company established in late 2010. The company represents songwriters Mark Irwin, Chris Janson, Dave & Julia Carlson of The Carlsons, Ben Daniel and Ed Hill, as well as Streamsound Records artists Bradley, Webb and Dreyer.