Nashville’s War Memorial Auditorium, which celebrates its 88^th birthday this month, has been outfitted with a state-of-the-art sound system by Brantley. The new upgrades were designed to accentuate the venue’s natural acoustics and provide an optimum listening experience for concert-goers.
“War Memorial Auditorium was built at a time when there were not a lot of amplification devices available, so the walls and hard surfaces were designed acoustically and architecturally to carry the sound naturally,” said Brent Hyams, chief operating officer for War Memorial Auditorium. “With the new technology, we can augment the natural acoustics, amplify the sound and make sure that every corner of the room–from the balcony to the floor seats–provides an incredible concert experience.”
The venue’s sound system upgrade includes permanent rigging points to fly the sound system, a line array speaker system that provides directional sound, stage drapery to eliminate sound reflection, and absorption panels all around the venue and on the ceiling. Additional upgrades will roll out over the next few months.
The War Memorial Auditorium was originally built to honor the 3400 Tennesseans who died in World War I and has been the performance home for the Nashville Symphony and the Grand Ole Opry. Performers like Ray Charles, KISS, David Bowie, and the Eagles have all crossed its stage at one point or another over the past eight decades, and Dolly Parton and Kenny Rogers recently filmed the video for their new song, “You Can’t Make Old Friends,” at the concert hall. It was host to the Music City Eats Festival’s Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Petty Fest tribute concert last weekend, and the upcoming feature film The Identical, which stars Ashley Judd and Ray Liotta, also shot scenes at the legendary venue.

Sony Music Nashville‘s Gary Overton has been dubbed an Honorary Professor by Middle Tennessee State University‘s Department of Recording Industry. He was surprised with the presentation Sept. 17, after his talk with 250 MTSU students as the debut speaker in the department’s new Chair’s Speakers Series. Overton graduated from the college in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Recording Industry Management, and was recently inducted into the school’s Mass Communication Wall of Fame.
“Gary Overton is one of the most successful graduates in the 40-year history of the Department of Recording Industry,” said Beverly Keel, the department’s chair. “He has been so generous with his time, guidance and advice that we were eager to bestow this rare honor on Gary. The students are still buzzing with excitement about his talk here and were inspired by his words of wisdom and encouragement. He is a wonderful ambassador for MTSU and country music.”
Currently the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of Sony Music Nashville, Overton previously spent 15 years as Executive VP & General Manager of EMI Music Publishing’s Nashville division, where he was responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations. During his tenure there, the company earned Publisher of the Year honors from ASCAP, BMI, and/or SESAC 12 times. Prior to that, Overton managed Alan Jackson and also served as head of A&R for BNA Entertainment and VP of Warner/Chappell Music.

In promotion of his debut album Redneck Crazy, Tyler Farr has launched a limited web series called Redneck Ranch. The series debuts today, September 23, and will include four episodes, chronicling Farr and his team. Future episodes will air on 9/25, 9/27 and 9/30. Beginning today, fans can check out an exclusive behind the scenes look at Farr’s newest endeavor on NRACountry.com.
Fans can visit Country Outfitter to hear an exclusive full album stream of Tyler Farr’s new album, a full week before it is available everywhere on 9/30, as well as an exclusive interview with the artist.
In addition to receiving 5 million views on VEVO, Farr’s hit single “Redneck Crazy” continues to climb the charts and receive praise from numerous media outlets, including The New York Times. Last week, Farr threw a packed album release party in Nashville, showcasing his talent as an artist and a performer.
Farr is currently performing on select tour dates with Lee Brice and will open for Florida Georgia Line’s headlining tour, beginning in October. His debut album is currently available for preorder.
Click here to check out the first episode of Farr’s Redneck Ranch.

• Nielsen has reached an agreement with the Federal Trade Commission obtaining clearance to go forward with its proposed acquisition of Arbitron which is expected to close on Sept. 30. The FTC issued a Decision and Order Sept. 20 announcing the agreement and its terms.
In a press statement, Nielsen addressed the transaction: “Nielsen’s agreement with the FTC is intended to preserve the competitive landscape in place before our announced intent to acquire Arbitron. It does not affect the strategic rationale of the acquisition or the anticipated benefits to Nielsen from the transaction. No Nielsen assets are affected by the FTC’s order. The FTC’s order effectively enables the continuation of a cross-platform project measuring TV, radio, PC, mobile, and tablet engagement which was announced by Arbitron in concert with ESPN and comScore, Inc. in September 2012. In the event that an FTC-approved third-party elects to agree to licensing terms and other requirements, Nielsen would make available for license Arbitron PPM and related data as well as software and technology currently being used in the ESPN project for the sole purpose of cross-platform measurement or up to eight years.”
• Labels are allowed to pursue Vimeo for copyright infringement, a federal judge in New York ruled last Thursday. Capitol Records and other major labels brought the legal action against the Barry Diller IAC-owned video website back in December 2009, alleging that the company copied and distributed recordings by artists like the Beatles, Beyonce’ and the Beach Boys. The company is one of the top 130 most-trafficked sites. Labels argued in the dispute that Vimeo had not taken sufficient actions to remedy infringements as they were discovered. Vimeo claimed it was free of liability, citing the safe harbor provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. But U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams denied that defense with respect to 55 of 199 videos in question where employees had some interaction.