Music News 3/17/11

Jeremy Spillman (L) has signed Jared Crump (R) to his new company.

Hit songwriter Jeremy Spillman has launched his own publishing and production outfit, Brave Music Company. With cuts by Josh Turner, Lee Ann Womack, Trace Adkins, and Brantley Gilbert, Spillman is celebrating his most successful single yet, Eric Church’s “Hell On The Heart.”

Now Spillman has signed Jared Crump to Brave Music. The new artist/songwriter moved to Nashville two years ago from Texas, and recently celebrated his first cut. Spillman is also working with and producing rising artist Carly Pearce. Contact him at info@bravemusiccompany.com.

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Brittany Spyksma

Brittany Spyksma has returned to her post as Creative Manager at Dan Hodges Music following a year-plus hiatus, during which Anthony Corder held the job.

In turn, Corder has left DHM to become office manager/creative head at Anchor Down Entertainment.

Spyksma can be reached at brittany@danhodgesmusic.com.
Corder can be reached at anthony@anchordownent.com.

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Cassandra Tormes

Cotton Valley Records (CVR) has hired Cassandra Tormes as Creative Director where she will be responsible for developing and exploiting the Cotton Valley Worldwide Publishing catalogue. In addition to working with songs and songwriters, she will assist CVR’s management and label divisions to raise the company’s profile.

Producers J. Gary Smith and John Smith founded Cotton Valley Music, LLC, in 2010. It is comprised of CVR, CVR Management and Cotton Valley Worldwide Publishing. The roster includes Mark Cooke, rock band Goodbye June, and Steve Holy.

Longtime music publishing exec. Tormes was most recently Creative Director at Cherry Heart Music.

She can be reached at Cassandra@cvrmusic.com or 615-730-9845. The company is located at 713 18th Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37203.

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Songwriters, media, music industry, fans and more packed the Tin Pan South Preview Party at The Rutledge in Nashville last week to hear some wonderful music and learn more about this year’s Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival presented by Regions Bank. Nashville Mayor Karl Dean kicked things off before Marshall Chapman, Marty Dodson, Sandra McCracken and Steve Wariner—all of whom will be performing at the Festival—each performed a song.

“Nashville is literally off the charts in terms of being a creative city in North America, and it’s all owed to songwriters, musicians…it’s awe-inspiring, and it is what makes our city so unique and so special,” said Mayor Dean.

The 19th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival will host over 350 songwriters performing over 80 shows at nine Nashville venues from March 29 – April 2. Each year, Tin Pan South donates proceeds from one show to a specific charity, and this year the Eating Disorders Coalition of Tennessee will be the beneficiary of the early show starring Dave Berg, Sarah Buxton, Jedd Hughes and Eric Paslay at the Hard Rock Cafe on March 29 at 6:00 p.m.

The festival schedule with a complete list of venues, addresses, performers and ticket prices is available at TinPanSouth.com.

(L-R) back: Lee Blank, Regions Bank Private Banking Exec.; Jim Schmitz, Regions Bank Middle TN Pres.; Lisa Harless, Regions Bank Sr. VP Ent. and Sports Division; and Erika Wollam Nichols, Tin Pan South Festival Co-Director. Front: Steve Bogard, songwriter and Pres. NSAI; songwriters Marty Dodson, Sandra McCracken, Marshall Chapman and Steve Wariner. Photo: Bev Moser