Nashville Leaders Applaud CMT For High School Initiative

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Nashville leaders put the spotlight on CMT recently in a ribbon cutting for the newly named CMT Academy of Digital Design and Communications at McGavock High School. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, school board representative Anna Shepherd, and Director of Schools Dr. Jesse Register joined Principal Robbin Wall in recognizing CMT’s commitment to McGavock High School at a ceremony in the school’s broadcast journalism studio.

CMT’s Senior Vice President of Strategy and Operations, Suzanne Norman, was on-hand for the ribbon cutting, as well as Lucia Folk, Senior Director of Public Affairs and Sarah Gaffney, Manager of Public Affairs, who have spearheaded this initiative. Many CMT employees remained at McGavock as part of Viacommunity Day, a company-wide day of giving by all Viacom entities. CMT has made a significant investment of time, talent and in-kind donations to the Academy including providing tours and job shadowing opportunities for Academy students.

(L-R) (back row): Gaffney, Wall, Register and Dean. (front row): Shepherd, Norman and Folk

MTSU Adds Distinguished Alumni, Faculty To Wall of Fame

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Middle Tennessee State University is adding three alumni and a pair of Friends of the College to the Wall of Fame at the College of Mass Communications.

Dean Roy Moore announced today (4/20) that alumni Carrie Dierks, Luke Laird, and Mikki Rose will be honored with plaques and photos on the northwest interior wall of the Bragg Mass Communication Building. Also being recognized are Friends of the College Dale and Lucinda Cockrell of the University’s Center for Popular Music.

The Wall started in 2000 as a way to honor successful graduates and inspire current students. Honorees are chosen by faculty members.

Dierks graduated from MTSU’s School of Journalism and has worked in sports publishing, marketing, and media design. She is now VP of B2B Operations for True North Custom Media.

Laird finished MTSU’s Recording Industry curriculum and is one of Nashville’s hottest songwriters, penning hits for Carrie Underwood (“Last Name,” “So Small”), Blake Shelton (“Hillbilly Bone”), Sara Evans (“A Little Bit Stronger”), Eric Church (“Drink In My Hand”) and more.

Rose earned dual degrees in mass comm. and computer science, and worked in technical animation on films including Alvin & the Chipmunks, and the Academy Award-winning The Golden Compass before joining Sony Pictures Imageworks to work on Alice in Wonderland and more.

The Cockrells have loved and shared music for decades via Dale’s doctorate in musicology and Lucinda’s degree in historic preservation. In additional to directing MTSU’s Center for Popular Music, the pair founded, own and operate Pa’s Fiddle Recordings, an educational project built around the music from Little House on the Prairie.

39th Annual MCTI Serves Up Charitable Spirit This Weekend

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The 39th Annual Music City Tennis Invitational officially gets underway Saturday (4/21) and Sunday (4/22) at Brownlee O. Currey Jr. Tennis Center at Vanderbilt University and is open to players of all skill levels.

Jake Owen has been named as the celebrity spokesperson for the event, which benefits the Center for Child Development at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt. Last year’s MCTI raised over $73,000 for the Center for Child Development. See Owen’s PSA about MCTI below.

The tournament will kick off the weekend with an invitation-only cocktail reception tonight (4/20) at BMI.

Miranda Lambert Announces 5th Annual Cause for the Paws

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Miranda Lambert will headline the 5th Annual Cause for the Paws concert benefitting her own MuttNation Foundation with special guests Wade Bowen and The Josh Abbott Band on Friday, June 22 at Ford Park in Beaumont, TX.

Since Lambert formed MuttNation, the foundation has helped raise over $700,000 to aid organizations, institutions and entities who contribute to the better care of animals across the country.

The goal of the organization is to increase pet adoption and encourage pet guardianship responsibility, and train shelter dogs for purposes of therapy programs to assist wounded military personnel and dogs-in-prisons programs. Additionally, the organization seeks to fund programs to rehabilitate sick and unsocialized animals, fund spay/neuter programs and reduce euthanasia of healthy animals in hopes of eliminating it.

“We are so excited about the next chapter in our lives at MuttNation Foundation in aiding and assisting animals in need,” said Lambert’s manager, Marion Kraft. “Aside from music, this is Miranda’s biggest passion in life. Every penny of profit from the benefit goes into the fund that helps us accomplish our mission, to end animal suffering and homelessness.”

Tickets for the concert will be available starting Fri., April 27 at 10 am at the Ford Park Box Office, online at www.ticketmaster.com or by phone (800)-745-3000. Additional donations can be made here.

Nashville Artists Celebrate Record Store Day

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Record Store Day, the annual celebration of music and independent retailers, takes places tomorrow (4/21) all over the U.S. and abroad. Many artists are creating special promotional items (particularly vinyl exclusives) and making appearances for the event, including some of Nashville’s own.

The ladies of the Pistol Annies—Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and Angaleena Presley–are commemorating the occasion with the vinyl release of the trio’s lauded album Hell On Heels. Additionally, fans can listen to the album through a widget here with a vinyl crackle applied to it. By sharing the widget, fans will be registered for a chance to win an autographed copy of Hell On Heels and a Sony USB Stereo turntable with which to play it.

Dierks Bentley will be all the way across the continent in Seattle, where he will give a special in-store acoustic performance at Easy Street Records’ Queen Anne location at 1 pm PT.

Nashville’s The Black Keys are offering a deluxe vinyl version of their highly acclaimed 2011 album El Camino, mastered at Bernie Grundman Mastering and pressed at Pallas for sonic highs. The package also includes a bonus CD, a limited edition poster, and a two song 45 rpm 7” single with live versions of “Sister” and “Money Maker.” Additioanlly, Dr. John’s brand new Locked Down, produced and recorded by the Keys’ Dan Auerbach here in Nashville, will be available as a vinyl album.

Singer/songwriter Caitlin Rose is offering a limited edition 7” with covers of the Arctic Monkeys’ “Piledriver Waltz.” Check out the video for “Piledriver Waltz” here.

Local favorite JEFF the Brotherhood is releasing Upstairs at United Vol. 3, a 12” vinyl EP with three songs including a cover of Hawkwind’s “Master of the Universe.” The disc was pressed at 45rpm by United Record Pressing in Nashville.

Additionally, both Rose and JEFF will be performing at Grimey’s New and Preloved Music tomorrow, along with sets by Langhorne Slim, Lovedrug, Pujol, Kansas Bible Company and more yet to be announced. Downstairs in performance venue The Basement, guests can check out screenings of the Bobby Bare Jr. documentary Don’t Follow Me (I’m Lost) at 1 pm, Andrew Bird: Fever Year at 2:45 pm, and the indie record store documentary Brick & Mortar & Love at 4:30 pm.

Crabb Takes Top Honor at 43rd Annual GMA Awards

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Natalie Grant and Jason Crabb

The 43rd Annual Gospel Music Association Dove Awards were held yesterday evening (4/19) at Atlanta’s Fox Theater. The event will be broadcast on television Tues., April 24 at 8 pm ET on GMC.

Jason Crabb took the evening’s highest honor with his Artist of the Year win, in addition to winning Male Vocalist. Natalie Grant took home her fifth Female Vocalist win, and NEEDTOBREATHE earned three honors, including Group of the Year.

Comedian Chonda Pierce and actor David Mann from Tyler Perry’s sitcom Meet the Browns co-hosted the show, which featured performances from Grant, Ruben Studdard, Mandisa, Yolanda Adams, and a special tribute to Whitney Houston with Karen Peck performing Dottie Rambo’s “I Go To The Rock.”

Full List of Winners:

Song of the Year – Blessings; Laura Story; Laura Story; New Spring Publishing (ASCAP), Gleaning Publishing (ASCAP)

Male Vocalist of the Year – Jason Crabb

Female Vocalist of the Year – Natalie Grant

Group of the Year – NEEDTOBREATHE

Artist of the Year – Jason Crabb

New Artist of the Year – Jamie-Grace

Producer of the Year – Ed Cash

Rap/Hip Hop Recorded Song of the Year – Hallelujah; Rehab Deluxe Edition; Lecrae; LeCrae Moore, Charles Cornelius, Joseph Prielozny, Nelson Chu; Reach Records

Rock Recorded Song of the Year – Dark Horses; Vice Verses; Switchfoot; Jonathan Foreman, Tim Foreman; Credential Recordings/lowercasepeople/Atlantic

Rock/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year – Slumber; The Reckoning; NEEDTOBREATHE; Bear Rinehart, Bo Rinehart; Atlantic Records

Pop/Contemporary Recorded Song of the Year – Blessings; Blessings; Laura Story; Laura Story; Fair Trade Services, LLC

Inspirational Recorded Song of the Year – Hope Of The Broken World; Hope Of The Broken World; Selah; Carl Cartee, Jennie Riddle; Curb

Southern Gospel Recorded Song of the Year – Celebrate Me Home; Blue Skies Coming; Perrys; Joel Lindsey, Wayne Haun; Daywind

Bluegrass Recorded Song of the Year – Mama’s Teaching Angels How to Sing; Naturally; The Isaacs; Dottie Rambo; Gaither Music Group

Country Recorded Song of the Year – Good Things Are Happening; Reach Out; Karen Peck & New River; Wayne Haun, Sonya Isaacs; Daywind

Urban Recorded Song of the Year – Sweeter; The Love Album; Kim Burrell; Kathy Burrell, Shanachie Records

Traditional Gospel Recorded Song of the Year – Hold On; Change The Atmosphere; Christ Tabernacle Choir; Wayne Haun, Steve Carey, Matthew Garinger; Vine

Contemporary Gospel Recorded Song of the Year – I Smile; Hello Fear; Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, James Harris, Terry Lewis, Fred Tackett; Verity

Worship Song of the Year – Your Great Name; Michael Neale, Krissy Nordhoff; Integrity’s Praise! Music (BMI), Two Nords Music (ASCAP)

Rap/Hip Hop Album of the Year – Rehab: The Overdose; Lecrae; Lecrae, Torrance Esmond,Kadence, Tony

Rock Album of the Year – Vice Verses; Switchfoot; Neal Avron; EMI CMG

Rock/Contemporary Album of the Year – The Reckoning; NEEDTOBREATHE; Rick Beato, Greg Wells, NEEDTOBREATHE; Atlantic Records

Pop/Contemporary Album of the Year – Blessings; Laura Story; Nathan Nockels; Fair Trade Services, LLC

Inspirational Album of the Year – Hope Of The Broken World; Selah; Jason Kyle, Todd Smith, Allan Hall, Bernie Herms; Curb Records

Southern Gospel Album of the Year – Reach Out; Karen Peck & New River; Wayne Haun; Daywind

Bluegrass Album of the Year – Grassroots Rambos; Rambo McGuire; Dony McGuire; Rambo McGuire Records

Country Album of the Year – Dreamin’ Wide Awake; Doug Anderson; Wayne Haun; StowTown

Urban Album of the Year – Church on the Moon; Deitrick Haddon; Fred Jenkins Deitrick Haddon, Cordell Walton, Blaze, AJ Encore, Ebony Eugene Suber, David Haddon, Calvin Frazier, Fred Jerkins III, wowJones; Verity Gospel Music Group

Traditional Gospel Album of the Year – Promises; Richard Smallwood; Steven Ford, Richard Smallwood, Donald Lawrence, Daniel Weatherspoon; Verity Gospel Music Group

Contemporary Gospel Album of the Year – Hello Fear; Kirk Franklin; Kirk Franklin, Shaun Martin; Verity Gospel Music Group

Instrumental Album of the Year – Unfailing Love: 20 Worship Songs of Comfort and Peace; Stan Whitmire; Stan Whitmire; Green Hill Productions

Childrens Music Album of the Year – Groovy; Denver and the Mile High Orchestra; Jamie Statema, Denver Bierman and Darren Rust; Go Fish Kids Records

Spanish Language Album of the Year – Top 25 Cantos de Alabanza 2012; Various; Phil Sillas; Maranatha! Music

Special Event Album of the Year – The Story; Matthew West, Leigh Nash from Sixpence None the Richer, Mark Hall & Megan Garret from Casting Crowns, Brandon Heath, Bart Millard from Mercy Me, Michael Tait From Newsboys, Blanca Callahan from Group 1 Crew, Lecrae, Chris Tomlin, Peter Furler, Mandisa, Todd Smith from Selah, Michael W Smith, Jeremy Camp, Dan Haseltine from Jars of Clay, Matt Hammit from Sanctus Real, Steven Curtis Chapman, Natalie Grant, Mac Powell from Third Day, Nichole Nordeman, Amy Grant, Francesca Battistelli, Darlene Zschech; Bernie Herms, Brown Bannister; EMI, Provident, Word

Christmas Album of the Year – Oh For Joy; David Crowder*Band; David Crowder*Band; SixSteps/ Sparrow Records

Praise and Worship Album of the Year – And If Our God is For Us…; Chris Tomlin; Ed Cash, Dan Muckala; EMI CMG

Musical of the Year – Down From His Glory; Mike Speck;Lillenas Publishing Company

Youth/Childrens Musical of the Year – God of This City; Susie Williams, David Ebensberger & Luke Gambill; Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing

Choral Collection of the Year – Everlasting Praise 3; Mike Speck, Stan Whitmire;Lillenas Publishing Company

Recorded Music Packaging of the Year – Christmas In Diverse City; TobyMac; Jan Cook; Eddy Boer for Boerhaus; Lee Stephen, Ryan Lampa, Nick West; EMI CMG

Short Form Music Video of the Year – You Are More; Tenth Avenue North; Wes Edwards; Drew Langer; Ruckus Films; Reunion Records

Long Form Music Video of the Year – Fear Not Tomorrow; The Collingsworth Family; Curt Casassa; Jim Hammond; P&KC Music; P&KC Music

Music Community to Convene For Kevin Sharp Benefit

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For over 22 years, recording artist and motivational speaker Kevin Sharp has given much of his time to the Make A Wish Foundation, the American Cancer Society and the Jason’s Dreams for Kids Foundation and more. But after a leg infection in 2011 left him with an artificial hip, a titanium femur and an artificial knee, Sharp inherited large hospital bills since many of his medical treatments were not covered under insurance.

To offset Sharp’s medical expenses, An Evening with the Stars Benefit will be held Wednesday, April 25 at the Texas Troubadour Theater in Nashville, TN. All money raised at the event will go directly toward Sharp’s hospital bills.

Over 38 songwriters and performers scheduled to appear, including Bryan White, Larry Stewart, John Berry, Blackhawk, Marty Raybon, Jeannie Seely, Leona Williams, Michelle Cupit, Ben Gregg, Lainey Wilson, Jan Howard, Jerry Foster, Jim McBride, Dallas Frazier and Sharp himself.

There will also be a Silent Auction with over 120 items from artists like Toby Keith, Max Weinberg, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Alan Jackson, George Jones, Gene Watson, Martina McBride, George Strait and more. Plus, free gifts will be given at the door to the first 100 people to arrive.

Tickets are $15.00 in advance and $20.00 at the door. They can be purchased at www.kevinsharp.com/believe.

CountryBreakout No. 1 Song

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Kudos to the Big Machine Records promotion team and all its agents on earning a second week at No. 1 on MusicRow’s CountryBreakout Chart with Rascal Flatts’ “Banjo.” Doesn’t it kind of make you want to get out of the office and into the great outdoors? If you’re stuck behind a desk right now, then maybe watching the song’s video will hold you over until it’s quittin’ time. Check it out:

YouTube video

Slideshow: Hats Across The Row

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The Hats Across the Row Parade and Party was held April 17 in Nashville. Participants had fun despite the uncooperative weather, and celebrated at Major Bob Music after the parade down Music Row. The event honors Music Row legend Minnie Pearl, recognizes the connection between Music Row and The Minnie Pearl Cancer Foundation (MPCF) and the impact cancer has had on the lives of so many along the Row.

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Chesney & McGraw Unleash “Feel Like a Rock Star” Video

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Kenny Chesney and Tim McGraw’s superstar duet “Feel Like A Rockstar” is currently racing up the the charts and the song’s video, already available online, will premiere on television later today (4/20).

Access Hollywood gets first dibs on showing the full clip, beginning at 6:30 pm CT. GAC will show the video on its Top 20 Countdown tonight at 7 pm CT with an introduction by guest co-host Carrie Underwood. Additional broadcast outlets will begin running the video Mon., April 23.

Shaun Silva directed the video, which finds Chesney and McGraw performing in a massive aircraft hangar. The collaboration between Chesney and McGraw is a taste of the excitement fans will experience this summer for the superstar’s ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour. Chesney says the tour, which has sold more than 750,000 tickets already, is going to be “one big spring break party all summer long.”

For tour dates, click here.

The video is already up on the official Kenny Chesney VEVO page. Check it out below:

YouTube video