Catch up on what’s happening in and around Nashville
By Preshias Harris
- Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival features hit writers and rising stars
- Mikayla Lane showcases new project, Miles From Nowhere
- David Adam Byrnes signs with Reviver Publishing
- Mechanical Licensing Collective offers Educators Toolkit
- Songwriter, producer Jim Femino passes
- The Isaacs to join Grand Ole Opry
- Midland launches Set It Straight podcast
- Music industry ‘alive and well’ in 2021
- New inductees set for Hall of Fame
- Western artists honored at Will Rogers Awards
- Gibson TV show premieres on Circle Network
- Inside Track on Music Row for August
- Scroll down to read all these stories…
Nashville Music Line Showcase at Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival
Chasity Bailey (accompanied by Heath Coleman), Andrew Hopson, Mikayla Lane and Ethan Wynn will be performing a Showcase at the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival on Friday, August 20 from 12 noon to 2:00 pm EST at the Gatlinburg Inn. The Showcase is presented by Nashville Music Line and Magic Hills Artists. Appearing for Magic Hills Artists are: Presley Aaron, Jake Bleu and Hunter Taylor.
The Gatlinburg Songwriters’ Festival takes place Aug 19 – 22, 2021 at the Gatlinburg Stages – Gatlinburg Inn, Ole Red, Ole Smoky, Park Vista and Skylift Park – and at the Pigeon Forge Stages – Listening Room and Dollywood. More info about the Gatlinburg Songwriters Festival here. Among those appearing: Lee Roy Parnell, Tony Arata, Brady Seals and many more.
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Mikayla Lane showcases new EP
Rising star Mikayla Lane will present a full band showcase to celebrate the release of her new EP, Miles From Nowhere, at 6:00 pm, CST, Wednesday September 8, at The Local in Nashville. The Local is located at 110 28th Ave N, Nashville, TN 37203.
The sixteen-year-old singer from the Tulsa, OK, area is already making her mark in country music with her dynamic vocals and songwriting chops. Mikayla’s remarkable stage presence has made her a regular performer at Ole Red, Tishomingo, OK, Blake Shelton’s popular restaurant and music venue. Mikayla initially appeared there at the tender age of 13 and has since made several memorable appearances at the Nashville Ole Red.
On Friday, August 20, Mikayla makes her Ole Red Gatlinburg debut, bringing her music to the Smoky Mountain venue. Mikayla co-wrote the four-song collection on Miles From Nowhere with friend and producer John Conrad, including her current single, “Wild Like the Wind.” More about Mikayla at her website here and on Facebook here.
- Full disclosure: I am SO proud of – and impressed by – Mikayla who is a client in my Nashville Music Line music career development program.
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David Adam Byrnes signs with Reviver Publishing
David Adam Byrnes has signed exclusive publishing deal with Reviver Publishing. Byrnes was signed by David Ross, founder of Nashville-based Reviver Entertainment Group, who has a highly respected ear for discovering the finest in songwriting talent. Byrnes has scored four straight #1 hit singles in Texas and his name popping up on influencer’s lists including Wide Open Country’s “Three Acts to Watch in 2021.”
“David Adam Byrnes has proven himself a strong songwriter with depth, creativity, and an ability to bring his music all the way to #1,” said Ross. More about Byrnes here.
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MLC offers Educators Toolkit
The Mechanical Licensing Collective (MLC) has developed an updated Educator’s Toolkit with resources designed to help music industry, songwriting, and composition instructors at colleges and universities learn more about their work to achieve The MLC’s mission. The toolkit includes: a video recording, a PowerPoint presentation with talking points, in-class activities, test questions and a resource list of videos, websites, documents/articles, and books. Educators or organizations with a group of 30 or more students may request a member of MRC’s team as a speaker.
The non-profit MLC administers blanket mechanical licenses to eligible streaming and download services (digital service providers or DSPs) in the USA. The MLC then collects the royalties due under those licenses from the DSPs and pay songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. The MLC has built a publicly accessible musical works database, as well as a portal that creators and music publishers can use to submit and maintain their musical works data. These tools will help ensure that creators and music publishers are paid properly. More about how the MLC helps songwriters and publishers here.
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Jim Femino passes
Condolences to the family of songwriter Jim Femino who passed away August 3, 2021, aged 69. Jim’s songwriting credits include “Just Got Started Loving You” for James Otto, the 2008 song that was nominated for a Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance and was named one of Billboard’s 100 Greatest All-Time Country Songs.
Jim also had cuts on Toby Keith, Ronnie Milsap, Craig Morgan, Jamie O’Neal, John Michael Montgomery, Steve Azar and many more.
Additionally, Jim was a producer, music publisher, educator, speaker, and author, having begun his music career as a recording artist for twenty-five years. He was a Board member of The Recording Academy and the CMA, and, for more than three decades, the president of Songstarters!, Inc., a music publishing and artist development company. More about Jim Femino’s career at http://jimfemino.com/about-jim/.
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The Isaacs invited to join Grand Ole Opry
The Isaacs will be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on Tuesday, September 14. The multi-GRAMMY®-nominated Dove Award-winning group – and members of the Gospel Music Hall of Fame – were surprised on the Opry stage August 11 by Opry member Ricky Skaggs with an invitation to become official Opry members. The Isaacs recently released their new album The American Face.
Isaacs members Becky, Ben, Lily, and Sonya were marking the release of their new album when Skaggs approached them on stage with framed artwork of the album and an invitation to become members of the Grand Ole Opry. “I’m crying my lashes off. I’m celebrating 50 years of singing and performing music. This is the American dream,” shared Mom Lily.
For real-time updates on The Isaacs, visit their website and follow The Isaacs on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
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Midland’s podcast separates fact from fiction
The Amazon Music original podcast Set it Straight: Myths and Legends from country trendsetters Midland will premiere August 25. Country Music is full of tall tales and legends. Fortunately, the boys from GRAMMY nominated band Midland will separate fact from fiction, every Wednesday on their new podcast as they attempt to uncover the truth behind infamous stories of country music history. The season premiere features Garth Brooks, as he joined Midland to unpack what really happened at the 1996 Fan Fair during his marathon meet-and-greet.
Midland lead vocalist Mark Wystrach said, “Set It Straight: Myths and Legends is a chance for us to dive into the fascinating folklore and fables in and around country music and gives us an excuse to hang and informally chat with some of our biggest musical and artistic heroes.” Midland will debut their newest tracks on The Last Resort Tour, kicking off October 7 in Phoenix, AZ with special guest Hailey Whitters. More about Midland at https://www.midlandofficial.com.
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Big 3 music groups generate $2.56m per hour
The music industry is alive and well – despite a worldwide pandemic – according to a report by Music Business Worldwide here. Their editors “crunched the numbers” from the second quarter 2021 financials of the three major music companies, Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group and Warner Music Group. Combined, the three groups generated $4.63 billion in the second quarter. This is an increase of $1.32 billion (+40.1%) versus the same quarter in 2020, according to MBW.
When global publishing revenues are included, UMG, SMG and WMG combined generated $5.60 billion. To look at it another way, that equates to $61.5 million per day, or $2.56 million per hour. The Music Business Worldwide projects that ‘the big three’ music companies will generate more than $20 billion in 2021.
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Country Music Hall of Fame announces new inductees
The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum has announced the names of the next inductees into the Hall of Fame. The announcement, presided over by Reba McEntire, took place August 16. The newest inductees will be: mother-and-daughter duo The Judds, singer-pianist Ray Charles, drummer Eddie Bayers and steel guitarist Pete Drake. The in-person ceremony and medallion presentations will take place on a date to be determined later. More about the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum and the new inductees at https://countrymusichalloffame.org.
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Will Rogers Awards honor western artists
The 25th Annual Academy of Western Artists Will Rogers Awards show will premiere August 18 at 7 PM on YouTube. This is the first year the show has been available for fans around the works to watch as part of social media. The awards can be seen here.
The show will be hosted by Penny Gilley of the RFD network. Joe Curtiss, former recipient of Engraver of the Year with the AWA, will host the trade and trappings portion of the show. Featured artists in the awards will be the Western Swing Authority, Swing Commanders, Clint Bradley, Dave Stamey, Melissa Bourne and Shavonne and Scott Southworth. All music winners and top nominees will be announced during the awards presentation.
The AWA recognizes entertainers in Western, Western Swing and Pure Country music categories. The organization also recognizes the authors, cowboy poets, cartoonists, radio personalities and men and women who work in the arts side of the west, including saddle makers, bootmakers and bit and spur makers. This is the only awards show that presents awards in multiple genres of music, as well as awards to artisans who are a part of the culture that the singers and songwriters write and sing about. Go here for more information on the show.
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Gibson TV premieres on Circle Network
Circle Network, the award-winning music and lifestyle network dedicated to celebrating everything country, has announced a new collaboration with Gibson TV—the iconic American instrument brand’s first-ever award-winning, worldwide online network featuring original series about music and culture from the world’s best storytellers. The new series titled “Gibson: The Scene,” will showcase historic music venues and locations across America. Hosted by Mark Agnesi, Director of Brand Experience for Gibson Brands, “Gibson: The Scene” premieres on Thursday, August 19 at 10:00 PM EST.
The series features Agnesi travelling to different hot spots across the U.S. to discover important music landmarks that help shape that city’s music scene. Additionally, viewers will get special behind-the-scenes tours of notable record stores, venues and recording studios.
The show will also include a tour of Gibson’s Nashville-based factory, Gibson USA, as well as the all-new Gibson Garage. Check out the “Gibson: The Scene” programming schedule, airing on Thursdays, from August 19 through October 21 here and at Circle All Access here.
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Inside Track on Music Row for August
The August 2021 edition of my column, Inside Track on Music Row is now posted here at Nashville Music Guide. As always, the column includes dozens of country music news items, stories, photos, videos and more. Be sure to check it out!
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Preshias Harris is a music journalist and music career development consultant with the emphasis on new and aspiring artists and songwriters.
Her book, ‘The College of Songology 101: The Singer/Songwriter’s Need to Know Reference Handbook’ is available at www.collegeofsongology.com Follow her blog at www.nashvillemusicline.com