Music News (8/7/13)

Heather Cook

Heather Cook, founder of Cook’n Up Music Publishing and Artist Management, has joined peermusic‘s Nashville team as Creative Director in Advertising Markets.

Cook has closed down her boutique publishing and artist management company, which she managed for the past three years. Cook’n Up Music Publishing and Artist Management worked with songwriters including Simone Simonton, Robin Grant, Sonia Lee, Seth Jackson and artist-writers Big Vinny, Emily Reid, Leah Turner, Jessie Smith and Savannah Jane, among others.

peermusic songwriters include Neil Thrasher, Vicky McGehee, Rachel Farley and Michael Tyler, among others.

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NSAI and CMT have launched the 2013 NSAI Song Contest Presented by CMT. Submissions of all genres are being accepted through Oct. 31, 2013.

Prizes will be awarded to one Grand Prize Winner, one CMT Listeners’ Choice Award winner, one Lyric-Only winner, 10 Runners-Up, and 10 Honorable Mentions. The Grand Prize Winner, CMT Listeners’ Choice Award Winner, and Lyric-Only winner will all receive a full year of industry access, as well as national and regional media exposure. The Grand Prize Winner will also receive one-hour mentoring sessions with both singer/songwriter Brett James and singer/songwriter/actor and executive Paul Williams. Additional prizes include meetings with professional music publishers, an A&R meeting with one major record label, performance opportunities at the 2014 Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival and at The Bluebird Cafe, a three-day trip to Nashville, a one-year NSAI membership and more. All entrants will receive a personalized judging report.

Entries can be submitted via mail to NSAI (a printable entry form can be found at nsai.cmt.com) or online at sonicbids.com/NSAICMTSongContest. Entry fees are $35 per song for current NSAI members or $45 per song for non-NSAI members. There is no limit to the number of song entries an applicant can submit.

Recent winners of the NSAI Song Contest Presented by CMT include Charlie Worsham (2006) and Andy Timmons (2011). Another recent Grand Prize winner, Bill Diluigi, won a mentoring session with Lionel Richie.

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Randy Wachtler

Warner/Chappell Production Music, Warner Music Group’s production music arm, has appointed Randy Wachtler as President & CEO. Wachtler is based in Nashville and will report to Cameron Strang, Chairman and CEO of Warner/Chappell Music. Wachtler replaces Randy Thornton, who has left the company.

Wachtler founded production music company 615 Music, which has earned more than 70 awards for excellence in music composition including two National Emmy awards. The company was acquired by Warner Music Group in 2010 and Wachtler was named EVP, North America, for Warner/Chappell Production Music, a post he left in January 2012.

Randy co-founded the Production Music Association (PMA), is a board member of AIMP-Nashville (the Association of Independent Music Publishers), and has served on the boards of Leadership Music and NATAS (National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences).

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Jeremy Ash

Capitol CMG Publishing‘s Jeremy Ash has been promoted to Director of Film/TV Music. He will transition out of his day-to-day role as Creative Director where he worked with songwriters including Ben Glover, Chris Stevens, Fred Wilhelm and Jeremy Bose, among others. Ash will work closely with the teams at Universal Music Publishing and Universal Music Enterprises as well as the Capitol CMG labels.

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(L-R): Johnny Cash, Roy Acuff, and Jack Clement in 1988. Photo: Alan Mayor

The Acuff-Rose music publishing building, home of one of Nashville’s illustrious publishing companies and located at 2510 Franklin Pike, will soon be renovated. The building was purchased by Legacy Instruction Media in late 2012, according to The Tennessean. Legacy provides video instruction, including content, curriculum development, multimedia production and distribution management.

Roy Acuff and Fred Rose founded Acuff-Rose in 1942; the publishing house counts the Roy Orbison hit “Oh Pretty Woman,” and Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart” and “I Can’t Help It If I’m Still In Love With You” among its classic hits. Acuff-Rose was also housed in buildings in the Melrose district along Nashville’s Eighth Avenue. In 1985, Gaylord Entertainment Group purchased the catalog and later sold it to Sony/ATV Music in 2002.

Legacy will occupy the building’s second floor, while offering the first floor for lease. An Acuff-Rose Memorial Wall will be created for the second-floor lobby.

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The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum will open Reba McEntire’s 10-month biographical exhibit this Friday, Aug. 9.

To celebrate opening weekend of Reba: All The Women I Am, festivities include the 2011 Country Music Hall of Famer participating in a special interview on Saturday, Aug. 10 at 2:30 p.m. in the Hall’s Ford Theatre, sharing life and career highlights. Free with museum admission or membership, McEntire’s interview requires a program pass due to limited seating. The interview will also be streamed live here.

Additionally, the weekend includes a Reba-themed Songwriter Session on Saturday (Aug. 10) at 11:30 a.m. with Liz Hengber (“For My Broken Heart,” “It’s  Your Call,” “And Still” and “Forever Love”) and Will Robinson (“I Know How He Feels” and “Somebody’s Chelsea,” written with Hengber and McEntire), as well as a Sunday (Aug. 10) GAC Backstory: Reba McEntire (2011) film screening at 2:00 p.m.

The exhibit itself is accompanied by a 104-page book published by the museum’s Country Music Foundation Press and available here.