Mike Curb Foundation Establishes Music Program At Occidental College

Mike Curb

The Mike Curb Foundation has gifted Occidental College’s new John Branca Institute for Music $500,000 to establish the Mike Curb Endowed Program in Popular Music History, which seeks to enhance the institute’s curricular offerings by providing a variety of guest speakers and career development events to students and alumni. The program will also name recognized music professionals to the Linda and Mike Curb Fellowship. In celebration of its establishment, an on-campus concert starring members of the school’s music community will be held on Oct. 18.

“We are thrilled that the Mike Curb Foundation is joining forces with the Branca Institute in its inaugural year,” says David Kasunic, John Branca Institute Director & Associate Professor of Music. “This gift rightly emphasizes the study of the history of popular music as a prerequisite to creating and understanding popular music today, and that the people who know this history best are the experienced music professionals who have been part of this history.”

ASCAP Supports Members At All Things Go Music Festival

Pictured (L–R): ASCAP’s Jason Silberman, Nicholas Carpenter (Medium Build), ASCAP’s Jody Klein and Kaitlyn Sugarman

ASCAP team members were on hand to support members during the All Things Go Music Festival in Washington, D.C. and New York City this past weekend (Sept. 28–29).

They met up with Nicholas Carpenter, also known as Medium Build, backstage at the Merriweather Post Pavilion on Sunday (Sept. 29).

Recording Academy Hosts 10th Annual Music Advocacy Day

Michael Trotter Jr., Maggie Rose, Recording Academy’s Harvey Mason Jr. and Todd Dupler, and Recording Academy Nashville Chapter members with Tennessee Representative Mark Green. Photo: Courtesy of the Recording Academy/Tibrina Hobson for Getty Images

A record 2,100 Recording Academy members gathered across the country for the organization’s 10th annual Music Advocacy Day on Tuesday (Oct. 1), a grassroots advocacy movement that aims to connect members with their congressional representatives to discuss issues affecting the music industry.

Participants included multi-Grammy winner and this year’s Music Advocacy Day Artist Ambassador Mark Ronson, double-Grammy nominee Michael Trotter Jr. of The War And Treaty and artist Maggie Rose, who met with the office of New York Representative Daniel Goldman and Tennessee Representative Mark Green to advocate for the Nurture Originals, Foster Art, and Keep Entertainment Safe (NO FAKES) Act, which creates a federal property right to protect artists and other individuals from having their image, voice or likeness misused by generative artificial intelligence (AI) to develop deepfakes and clones, as well as the Fans First Act, American Music Tourism Act, Help Independent Tracks Succeed (HITS) Act and American Music Fairness Act.

Gotee Records Signs Lydi Lynn

Pictured (L–R, back row): Tyrus Morgan, Keelin Crew, Joey Elwood, Xander Morrison and Brad Moist; (L–R, front row): TobyMac and Lydi Lynn

Gotee Records has signed pop singer-songwriter Lydi Lynn. The Portland native first shared her sound and style through lead single “Keep Breathing,” and now resides in Nashville. She is currently supporting Jervis Campbell on his “Magnolia Tour,” and plans to release her debut EP, Desert Dream, next Friday (Oct. 11).

“I’m honored to be a part of such a phenomenal team and family at Gotee,” says Lynn. “Working on my first EP has been an incredibly special process, and I can’t wait for these songs to be heard. I’m praying they can be a part of someone’s story the way they have been for mine.”

Annual Dogtober Writer’s Round Supports Hurricane Helene Relief Efforts

Pictured (L–R): Jake Rose, Grant Vogel, Jillian Cardarelli and Marcus Hummon. Photo: Nick Tavares/NPT Photography

The PEDIGREE Foundation hosted its annual Dogtober Writer’s Round at Nashville’s 3rd & Lindsey on Tuesday (Oct. 1) and raised over $15,300 to support relief efforts for animal shelters and rescues affected by Hurricane Helene.

During the event, songwriters Marcus Hummon, Jillian Cardarelli, Jake Rose and Grant Vogel took the stage to share the stories behind their tunes. Additionally, donations can still be made on the PEDIGREE Foundation’s website.

Blake Shelton has been added as the fourth and final headliner for next year’s Gulf Coast Jam, presented by Jim Beam, in Panama City Beach.

He joins Sam Hunt, Lainey Wilson and Tyler Childers, who are set to headline May 29–31, respectively. Shelton will headline on June 1.

“After a long run with The Voice, he’s back to touring and singing music and doing what he does best,” says Gulf Coast Jam Executive Producer Rendy Lovelady. “We’re excited to have him back!”

All passes for 2025 are available now. For information, click here.

Powerhouse vocalist Lee Brice will hit the road on an acoustic “You, Me and My Guitar Tour” in 2025. The unique show will take the audience on a journey with Brice throughout his life in music as he narrates the stories each instrument holds and performs acoustic versions of his chart-topping hits.

The trek includes a stop at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium on Feb. 18. Tickets go on sale on Friday (Oct. 4) at 10 a.m. local time.

“I’m so excited to be bringing this tour back in 2025. We did a run earlier this year and I had one of the best times of my life. There’s nothing like sharing my songs and stories with my fans,” Brice shares.

“You’ve made the road my home away from home and I love sharing my journey with you so, we absolutely have to do it again, y’all! Making music is all about connection and that’s why we wanted to set it up this way. It’s like looking at my whole life on-stage and reflecting on all the memories I’ve made along the way–and so many of them I’ve made with you! Let’s make some more!”

Breland performing at the inaugural U.S. “Red Bull Jukebox.” Photo: Catherine Powell/Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull celebrated its inaugural U.S. “Red Bull Jukebox” at Nashville’s Ascend Amphitheater last night (Oct. 2).

Hosted by Whiskey Jam’s Ward Guenther, the event featured four-song sets from Brothers Osborne, Shaboozey, Priscilla Block, Tucker Wetmore, Muscadine Bloodline, Breland and The Castellows that were entirely determined by fans. Additionally, each act was backed by the “Red Bull Jukebox” house band, curated by guitarist and producer Derek Wells.

The Castellows kicked off the evening with their tune “No. 7 Road,” among others. Other highlights included Breland surprising the crowd with special guests Armani White and Mickey Guyton, who accompanied him for “Cross Country,” and Nashville’s own Fisk Jubilee joining the artist for “Praise the Lord.” Muscadine Bloodline took the stage to play “Porch Swing Angel” and “Tickets To Turnpike,” and Wetmore followed with “Already Had It” and “Wine Into Whiskey.” Block then got fans on their feet with a cover of Paramore’s “Still Into You” and her own number “Off The Deep End,” and Shaboozey satisfied the crowd by performing “Highway” and his 12 week chart-topper “A Bar Song (Tipsy).”

Fans wearing their voting wristbands at the inaugural U.S. “Red Bull Jukebox.” Photo: Justen Williams/Red Bull Content Pool

Ahead of the final set, Gary Frost was announced as the “Red Bull Jukebox” songwriting competition winner and performed his original track “Reason That I Love Life.” In the months leading up to the inaugural event, songwriters from Music City and beyond submitted works that were voted on by fans across the nation. Frost was awarded an all-expense paid trip to record at Red Bull Music Studios in Los Angeles, California, and will receive one-on-one coaching sessions with a professional songwriter and BMI centered around publishing and the music business at large.

To close things out, Brothers Osborne played their bundle of tracks, with the Tennessee State University marching band appearing for “It Ain’t My Fault.”