Music News (8/13/14)
The Nikki Mitchell Foundation (NMF) is currently accepting entries for the 2014 Full Moon Full Life Songwriting contest through November 29. Amateur songwriters and co-writers are eligible to enter for an entry fee of $20 per song submitted. Proceeds will benefit NMF for Pancreatic Cancer research. A portion will also go to The Pen Fund, created in honor of Hall of Fame songwriter Hank Cochran.
The winning song will be recorded by one or more Country artists who participated in the 2014 Full Moon Full Life concert series, which included Jamey Johnson, Jessi Colter, Shooter Jennings, Jerrod Niemann, Chris Stapleton, Lukas Nelson, and others. The song will also be released on iTunes and performed live at the upcoming 2015 Full Moon Full Life concert benefit. Winners will be announced in early 2015.
To enter and for a complete list of details visit contest.nikkimitchellfoundation.org
• • •
Songwriter Marcus Hummon has signed with CTM Writers INK, the publishing division of Catch This Music. The signing was celebrated with a party on Aug. 6 at Nashville’s Thistle Stop Cafe.
Hummon is known for penning the songs “Bless The Broken Road” (Rascal Flatts), “Cowboy Take Me Away” and “Ready to Run” (both for the Dixie Chicks), “Born To Fly” (Sara Evans), and more. He has earned five No. 1 awards from BMI. Hummon released a critically acclaimed Country project for Columbia Records in 1995, titled All In Good Time. In 1998, Hummon and Stuart Adamson released the duo album Supernatural. He recently released The Passion on CTM Records.
• • •
Sea Gayle Music has signed songwriter Phillip White to a publishing agreement. White, a Nashville native, earned ACM song of the Year honors for Rascal Flatts‘ “I’m Movin’ On,” and has also had songs recorded by Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, George Strait, Reba and others.
• • •
Singer-songwriter Alyssa Bonagura is the latest songwriter signed to Jeffrey Steele‘s 3 Ring Circus Music.The daughter of artists Michael Bonagura and Kathie Baillie (Baillie and the The Boys), Bonagura first recorded for a duet with Kenny Rogers at age 10, and was on tour by age 13, opening a 50+ city tour for Marty Stuart. She attended Paul McCartney’s Liverpool Institute for the Performing Arts in the U.K. In 2012, her song “I Make My Own Sunshine” was placed in a Lowe’s commercial. She has also recorded and performed with artists including Vince Gill, Matt Maher, Jo Dee Messina, and Steele.
• • •
Rebekah Alperin has been appointed Sr. VP, Marketing and Communications for Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG). In this new role, Alperin will manage the company’s worldwide corporate marketing, internal, and external communications, social media and digital marketing strategies. She will be based in the company’s headquarters in Santa Monica, Calif., and will report to Evan Lamberg, president of UMPG North America, as well as to Will Tanous, executive vice president and head of global communications of Universal Music Group.
Alperin joins UMPG and UMG’s communications team from Kobalt Music Group, where she worked for nearly 10 years, most recently in the role of Sr. VP of Communications and Marketing.
• • •
Mason Hunter has been named Executive Director, Strategic Partnerships/Business Development at BMI. In this role, he will identify new partners that align with BMI’s business needs, create new revenue streams to benefit the organization’s affiliates, and maximize existing partnerships. Hunter will be based in BMI’s Nashville office, and will report to Jody Williams, VP, Writer/Publisher Relations.
A 14-year veteran of BMI, Hunter was most recently Executive Director, Chain & Specialty Market Sales. During his work at BMI, he has held several titles, including Sr. Director in both Media and General Licensing, where he worked with key accounts and trade associations in media and hospitality industries. Hunter is a Certified Public Accountant, and began his career in audit services at Deloitte, before joining BMI’s Audit and Finance Department.
• • •
SESAC has named David Shawl as Associate Director, Business Development Center (BDC). Shawl will work with the BDC’s director in overseeing daily operations of the BDC, as well as handling numerous licensing projects.
A Nashville native, Shawl attended Austin Peay State University.
• • •
Downtown Music Publishing has signed ASCAP songwriter Andy Albert to an exclusive publishing deal. Albert is a member of the ASCAP Guidance from Publishers for Songwriters (GPS) Project class of 2014. The Atlanta native was previously part of the duo Bonaventure, with Dan Smyers of Dan +Shay.
• • •
ASCAP‘s 10th annual “I Create Music” Expo will be held April 30-May 2, 2015, at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. The three-day event will feature creative and business-focused panels, workshops, keynotes, one-on-one sessions, networking events, performances, and more. The ASCAP Expo is open to the public, and registration is scheduled to begin Oct. 30.
This year’s ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO featured Shane McAnally, Amy Grant, Akon, Dr. Luke, Desmond Child, Julie Frost, and more.
• • •
Category: Music News