The 12th annual Touring Career Workshop (TCW) is set for Nov. 14 at the Soundcheck Annex in Nashville.

TCW was created in 2011 by Chris Lisle, owner of concert event design, production and management firm CLLD, and industry professional Erik Parker as a way to provide access to experts and professional resources for the touring industry. The program serves as a large gathering of touring professionals, as well as those interested in careers in the industry.

Among the breakout sessions for this year’s balance-themed event are Touring Career Paths, Setting up Your Business, Making the Money Last, Personal Life Balance, Event Safety Alliance, Vendor Employment Panel and Health Insurance Options. There will also be a networking session with top vendors from the touring industry.

“We’re excited to return to the Soundcheck Annex for the 12th annual Touring Career Workshop. The focus on work/life balance is especially important this year,” says Lisle. “In addition to breakout sessions on the topic, we will also offer several sessions dedicated to educating those not currently working in live entertainment but who are considering one of the many career paths available to them.”

Registration for the free event is now open. For more information, click here.

In addition to the annual free TCW event, a year-round All Access Program offers four counseling sessions with one of several pre-approved therapists and life coaches for all artists, musicians, crews, staffs and their spouses, at no cost. This year, the All Access Program expanded services to Lollapalooza and Bonnaroo, where all artists, bands, crews and staff members had access to a free session with a licensed on-site therapist. Everything is handled confidentially, and the names of participants are only known by their therapist.

Album Art: Courtesy of Big Loud Records/Songs & Daughters. Photo: Luke Rogers

Lauren Watkins will release Introducing: The Heartbreak, the second installment of her debut project, on Nov. 17, and unveil two of the new tracks on Oct. 20.

Produced by Joey Moi, Introducing: The Heartbreak is made up of six originals co-written by Watkins alongside hitmakers Jessie Jo Dillon, Ashley Monroe, The Warren Brothers, Nicolle Galyon, Rodney Clawson, David Garcia and more. It serves as a continuation of her April-released debut, Introducing: Lauren Watkins. Joined by fellow singer-songwriters Carter Faith and Jake Worthington on the collection, the Nashville songstress’ talent and collaborative capabilities as both a writer and an artist shine.

“Introducing: The Heartbreak is basically the next step in introducing myself and my music to the world,” says Watkins. “First, I released Introducing: Lauren Watkins, which was just saying, ‘Here’s me, here’s where I came from, what I’m influenced by.’ This is the next step, going even deeper into who I am, what I’ve gone through, how I think about things. It’s truly introducing the heartbreak I’ve experienced, which will eventually roll out into something much bigger.

“For now,” she teases, “it’s these six songs that tell the top-to-bottom story of a love, and it’s the perfect introduction to what comes next. I hope you love it like I do.”

Additionally, Watkins will bring her residency, “The Heartbreak Supper Club,” to Nashville’s Springwater Supper Club & Lounge on Oct. 17, Oct. 31 and Nov. 14. She will also hit the road this fall and winter to support Austin Snell‘s “Muddy Water Rockstar Tour” and Conner Smith‘s “Creek Will Rise Tour” before an exciting year of touring in 2024, where she’ll debut at Stagecoach and support Morgan Wallen on several “One Night At A Time 2024 Tour” stadium dates.

Introducing: The Heartbreak Track Listing:
1. “Fine County Line” (Lauren Watkins, Rodney Clawson, Nicolle Galyon)
2. “Jealous of Jane” (Lauren Watkins, Caroline Watkins, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
3. “Fly On The Wall (feat. Jake Worthington)” (Lauren Watkins, Andy Sheridan, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)
4. “Stuck In My Ways” (Lauren Watkins, Will Bundy, David Garcia, Emily Landis)
5. “Cowboys on Music Row (feat. Carter Faith)” (Lauren Watkins, Jessie Jo Dillon, Carter Faith, Lauren Hungate, Ashley Monroe, Caroline Watkins)
6. “The Table” (Lauren Watkins, Nicolle Galyon, Brad Warren, Brett Warren)

Will Jennings

All Clear Music and Fuji Music Group has acquired 100% interest of the publishing rights and writer’s share of songwriter Will Jennings’ catalog.

Jennings has penned timelessly beloved songs for an eclectic range of artists such as Steve Winwood, Whitney Houston, Roy Orbison, B.B. King, Celine Dion and Tim McGraw, among others. His iconic hits include “Back in the High Life Again,” “While You See a Chance,” “Please Remember Me,” “Where Are You Christmas,” “Somewhere in the Night,” “Higher Love,” “Up Where We Belong,” “Tears In Heaven,” “Can’t We Go On Together,” “People Alone” and “Street Life.”

Jennings’ biggest hit remains the 1997’s Titanic theme “My Heart Will Go On.” The song, written by Jennings and composer James Horner and sung by Celine Dion, earned numerous Oscars, Grammys and Golden Globes, and became the most-played radio hit in history according to the Songwriter Hall of Fame.

Jennings was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the Songwriters Hall of Fame in New York and The Texas Songwriters Hall of Fame in Austin.

Born in Kilgore Texas, and relocated to Tyler, Texas as a child, Jennings primarily loved the iconic blues songs influenced by B.B. King. He recognized that he couldn’t make a living writing three-chord songs about the blues, so he studied poetry and earned degrees that landed him a job as an Associate Professor of English and French literature at the University of Wisconsin. Jennings’ love of music overwhelmed his desire to teach, and he eventually decided to move to Nashville to write songs. That move caught the attention of music publisher Lance Freed.

“We signed Will Jennings to a publishing agreement with Almo/Irving Music publishing around 1974,” shares Freed, President of All Clear Music. “His work as a lyricist initially landed him several opportunities to write contemporary pop songs, and he began a collaboration with Richard Kerr (‘Mandy’). He moved on and wrote songs with notables like Joe Sample, Steve Winwood, B.B. King, James Horner, Jimmy Buffet, Roy Orbison, and Rodney Crowell.”

“Will’s catalog is so diverse and rich, it’s a publisher’s dream,” adds Darrell Franklin, SR VP of Sheltered Music, All Clear Music’s Nashville Division. “He excelled in whatever direction his musical muse led him. Whether it was pop, rock, R&B, country, the blues or music for film, he wrote songs that we have all come to know by heart. He was never bound by any specific genre.”

Ichi Asatsuma, Chairman of Fuji Music Group, adds, “We are very honored to represent one of the world’s finest songwriters with Lance Freed’s All Clear Music, and we will give his music the very best promotion and all the respect it richly deserves.”

Avery Anna. Photo: Ford Fairchild.

Avery Anna taps into her realest emotions when writing, spinning lyric ideas from her journal entries that date back through her childhood.

The singer-songwriter grew up playing sports in Arizona. In order to process the emotions that come with growing up, she turned to journaling, and then to music.

“Whenever something would happen in my life, I would just write about it. I didn’t even know, really, what I was doing,” Anna tells MusicRow. “The first time I ever started journaling, I was eight. When I got baptized at my church, my aunt got me a journal with a bunch of pictures of me on it. She said to write down how I felt so I didn’t forget about it. Ever since then, I’ve always just written it down.

“I would cram in music in any of the free time I had, like late at night and then early in the mornings,” she shares. “I was just doing sports while growing up. Then, when COVID hit, I was able to have the space to really create.”

Anna spent the pandemic season honing her skills, and sharing her songs and more with a growing audience on social media. Her videos of singing covers in her mother’s bathroom garnered lots of industry attention, and caught the eye of Parmalee‘s Matt Thomas.

“All of the stars have really aligned. I’m just so grateful to be here. I don’t even know how this happened to me. It was just so random—they plucked me out of Arizona and now I’m here,” Anna remembers. One of her early tracks to take off online was “Narcissist,” a deeply personal musing that Anna says hit the hardest.

“The whole journaling thing inspires all of my songs,” says Anna. “I could live without releasing them, really. I just wrote [songs] to get it off my chest. In releasing them, I feel like it’s created a space for people to share their stories, which is the goal for songwriting for artists.”

The RIAA Gold-certified “Narcissist,” written with Andy Sheridan, Ben Williams and David Fanning, gained even more traction when Kelly Clarkson covered it on her famed Kelly-oke segment on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

In June 2022, Anna signed with Warner Music Nashville. She released her debut EP, Mood Swings, later that year.

“Self Love,” a ballad co-written with Fanning, Andrew Goldstein, Ava Suppelsa and Zarni de Vette, marked Anna’s first release of 2023. “It’s [about] just being the people pleaser and giving and giving and giving—and then knowing that you need to love yourself and give yourself the time of day,” Anna explains.

Her latest single, “Worst In Me,” released Aug. 4. Co-written with Suppelsa and Danielle Blakey, features Anna diving deep into her emotions in real time. “I feel like I wasn’t really ready to let this person go in my real life. I didn’t want to write about it because that would mean that I had to move on.”

For Anna, the shift to becoming a touring musician was an adjustment, but has also brought a lot of joy. Being on stage keeps her motivated to interact with fans who are eager to hear her and share in her story.

“I was scared that I would hate it because [artists] have to tour, but I love it so much. Music has been such a safe place for me for my whole life. On the other hand, it’s really cool to create a space for other people to be who they are and feel how they feel.”

Online, Anna has racked up over 1.5 million followers and 35 million likes across platforms. She is releasing as many singles as she can for her fans, and is preparing for the release of her album.