Music News (10/09/13)

John Titta

ASCAP Chief Executive Officer John LoFrumento has appointed John Titta to Executive VP, Creative Services, effective Oct. 2. Reporting directly to LoFrumento, Titta will be responsible for overseeing the membership staff in all musical genres and will also oversee the operations of the Los Angeles, New York and Nashville membership offices.

Titta joins ASCAP after serving as CEO of MPCA Music Publishing, a company he founded in 2006. Titta spent the majority of his music career as a music publisher, but he started his life in music as a musician and music teacher.

Titta became VP, A&R of PolyGram Music Publishing in 1988. From 1993–2006, Titta served as Sr. VP/General Manager of Warner/Chappell Music in New York.

Titta also serves on the Board of Directors for The Songwriters Hall of Fame.

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The International Songwriting Competition (ISC) has extended the deadline for entering songs until Nov. 4, 2013. ISC is open to amateur and professional songwriters; entries are accepted online through the ISC platform, Sonicbids, ReverbNation, Broadjam, or through mail.

ISC gives away a total of more than $150,000 in cash and prizes (including $25,000 cash for the Grand Prize winner alone), and gives songwriters opportunities in 22 different categories, including Adult Album Alternative (AAA), Adult Contemporary (AC), Americana, Blues, Children’s Music, Comedy/Novelty, Country, Dance/Electronica, Folk/Singer-Songwriter, Gospel/Christian, Instrumental, Jazz, Latin Music, Lyrics Only, Music Video, Pop/Top 40, Performance, R&B/Hip-Hop, Rock, Teen, Unsigned Only, and World Music.

Entry information can be found at songwritingcompetition.com.

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Singer-songwriter Brian Davis has signed a publishing deal with Warner/Chappell Music Nashville and its publishing partner, Brantley Gilbert’s Write Or Die Music. Davis has written songs cut by his frequent co-writing partner, Valory Recording artist Gilbert (“Lights of My Hometown,” “One Hell Of An Amen,” “Read Me My Rights), Lee Brice (“More My Style”), and Tyler Farr (“Wish I Had A Boat”) among others.

Pictured (L-R): Rich Egan (Hard 8 Mgmt), Brian Davis, Brantley Gilbert
Back: Steve Tusman (Davis’ Mgr), Ben Vaughn (Warner/Chappell), Alicia Pruitt (Warner/Chappell), Blain Rhodes (Warner/Chappell), Arlis Albritton (Davis’ Mgr).

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Big Deal Music has signed  singer-songwriter Hannah Blaylock. Blaylock is the former lead singer of trio Eden’s Edge and is working on her forthcoming solo project.

Pictured: Jody Williams of BMI, Dale Bobo of Big Deal, Hannah Blaylock, Linda Edell Howard of Adams and Reese, Greg Gallo of Big Deal and Pete Robinson of Big Deal.

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SESAC has announced the signing of songwriter Matt Alderman for representation. Alderman, who also signed with Curb Music Publishing for exclusive representation, stopped by the PRO Nashville headquarters to commemorate the new partnerships.

Back row (L-R): SESAC’s Shannan Hatch, Curb Music Publishing’s Colt Cameron and Tiffany Goss & SESAC’s Tim Fink. Front row (L-R): Matt Alderman and Curb Music Publishing’s Drew Alexander. Photo: Peyton Hoge