AmericanaFest: Keeping Up With the Changes in the Music Industry

Brother Can You Spare A Dime?  Keeping Up with the Changes in the Music Industry

A Discussion Panel at AmericanaFest on Sept. 19, 2024

By MCAU Correspondent Wil Comstock

The panel:

Moderator, Judy Tint. She is a music attorney, professor at NYU Music Business Program, and a vocalist, percussionist and songwriter. She is past chair of the ABA Forum on Entertainment and Sports Industries, a board member on the Rhythm and Blues Foundation, and a speaker at industry conferences.

Justine Avilo of Q Prime manages Marty Stewart and Aiden Canfield.  She previously worked at Shopkeeper Management and supported Miranda Lambert, Ashley Monroe, and the Pistol Annies.  She has served as executive director for the Music City Music Council.

Matt Wilson is a partner at Arnall Golden Gregory where he leads the firm’s Sports and Entertainment team. He represents clients in music, theater, film and television as well as photographers, visual artists, and professional athletes.  He is also a founding partner of GT Entertainment Group and Good Times Productions.

Sophia Sofferman is an attorney at Pryor Cashman’s Media & Entertainment Group. She focuses on transactional and litigation representing publishers, record lables, musicians, songwriters, and production companies. She is a lecturer at the University of Miami School of Law.  She was a legal council for Rimas Entertainment and has hands on experience touring with Joe Walsh of the Eagles.

Take away points:

+ There are performance rights (tracked by ASCAP, BMI, SESAC) and mechanical licensing (the holder of the copyright grants another party to record, perform, or sample a portion of the song). Each recording should have both.

+ Income from CD’s and records have decreased, but videos, TV, film and commercial revenues have increased.

+ If at all possible, get a small or no advance from the publisher or record company.  They will recoup the advances from sales often with interest. Sometimes up to 35%.

+ Emerging artists can offset tour costs selling merchandise, endorsements of products, or by having a sponsor. An example, to rent a tour bus can cost $30 a month.

+ A small dedicated fan base is better than a large passive fanbase.  Sales of VIP seating, meet and greet, anything to increase the fan’s experience with you.

+ When seeking permission to record or sample a song, approach the writer or publisher the right way.  Bruce Sudano, husband of Donna Summer, tells a story of Kanye West wanting to sample a song of Donna’s. Bruce said no. Kanye recorded anyway. It was followed by a messy lawsuit. On the other hand, Beyoncé wanted to sample a song of Summer’s and had her people get in touch with Bruce. They asked if they could come to his home and play the recording for him so he could hear what Beyoncé had done. Bruce said yes. They came with their own stereo system, set it up and played the song. They were deferential and wanted to honor Donna’s work. Bruce said yes.

More than 400 Songwriters to Take Stage at Tin Pan South from March 28-April 1

            NASHVILLE - Organizers of the 25th annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival presented by Regions Bank pulled out all the stops for the Silver Anniversary, and the 100 shows and more than 400 writers have been announced and are now available at TinPanSouth.com.

            Set for March 28-April 1, 2017, writers representing virtually every genre will perform at 10 of Nashville's top music venues.

            CMA Vocal Duo of the Year winners Brothers Osborne will entertain at 3rd & Lindsley, and "Nashville" television show stars Charles Esten, Sam Palladio and Clare Bowen will appear at the Hard Rock Cafe and The Listening Room Cafe, respectively. Grammy Award-winner Keb' Mo' will bring his unique Blues style to The Country, and Rock legend Jim Peterik returns to perform at Whiskey Rhythm.

            Country hit-makers Jake Owen, Craig Campbell, Maddie & Tae, Danielle Bradbery, Mo Pitney, Kristian Bush, Love and Theft, Mickey Guyton, Luke Combs and others will hit various stages, and legends like Larry Gatlin, Lee Roy Parnell and Mac Davis will tell fascinating stories behind their biggest hits.

            After a two-year absence, BMI Pop Songwriter of the Year, producer, music publisher, author, Broadway performer and TV personality Kara DioGuardi is set to perform. Dove and Emmy Award winner Brandon Heath will delight with his story telling, and former Sixpence leader Leigh Nash returns to Tin Pan.

            To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum on April 1, 1967, the museum is offering Fast Access Pass holders free admission on Saturday, April 1. 2017. The Tin Pan South Fast Access Passes permit patrons to bypass the cover charge at the door and allow advance entrance, space permitting. Most venues offer cash admission for individual shows not already at the posted capacity, and single show tickets will be available at the door and range from $10 to $20.   

            The free Tin Pan South Festival App is now available for IOS and Android devices and features:

            * The ability to add individual events to a personal schedule.

            * News and social media feeds to stay informed of festival happenings.

            * Real-time notifications on the status of show changes.

            * Festival map and venue information.

            * Explore Music City with a list of landmark recommendations.

            Tin Pan South is set to run March 28-April 1, 2017 at 10 of Nashville's top music venues. Produced by Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), Regions Bank returns for the 10th year as the presenting partner of the Festival.

            For up-to-date lineups, tickets, venues, schedules and other festival information, download the Festival App or visit tinpansouth.com. Updates can also be found on the Tin Pan South Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram. The Tin Pan South program will be published in the March 22, 2017 issue of the "Nashville Scene."

            Organizers of the 25th Annual Tin Pan South Songwriters Festival would like to thank the following Platinum and Gold Corporate Partners: Regions Bank - Presenting Partner; Southwest Airlines - Official Airline Partner; News Channel 5 - Official Broadcast Partner; Vident Financial; Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.; ASCAP; BMI; SESAC; Ford; Jack Daniel's; ole.

            About NSAI: The Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI) celebrates its 50th year as the world's largest not-for-profit songwriters trade organization. Established in 1967, NSAI is dedicated to protecting the rights of and serving aspiring and professional songwriters in all genres of music. Its membership of more than 5,000 spans the United States and 10 foreign countries. For more information, visit nashvillesongwriters.com.

            About Regions Financial Corporation: Regions Financial Corporation (NYSE:RF), with $126 billion in assets, is a member of the S&P 500 Index and is one of the nation's largest full-service providers of consumer and commercial banking, wealth management, mortgage, and insurance products and services. Regions serves customers across the South, Midwest and Texas, and through its subsidiary, Regions Bank, operates approximately 1,500 banking offices and 1,900 ATMs. Additional information about Regions and its full line of products and services can be found at www.regions.com. 

Big Shot Records Launches 'The Business of Music' Radio Show

            WASHINGTON (December 2016) – Big Shot Records and Washington Entertainment Connection are premiering the new bi-monthly radio show "The Business of Music" at www.TBMRadioShow.com. 

          The show, which is co-hosted by veteran drummer Brian Choper and music photographer Mickie Hill, provides insights for members of the general public who are interested in bands and/or live music, reviews and where bands will be performing. For their second episode, Choper and Hill discuss how a band's first meeting can result in success or failure. 

             "When a band's in the basement (or in someone's home), they are performing and listening to each other for the first time," said Choper. "They try to see if the chemistry is there, if the music sounds good together, and if everyone's on the same level musically and plays in the same style. Until you put musicians together, you don't know what you have." 

            Other show highlights include music industry news, music career tips and insights, and reviews of Mid-Atlantic area bands and live shows. WEC is an artist management, recording, video and booking firm based in Beltsville, Maryland. Its Big Shot Records division signs, develops, records and books musical acts of all kinds. Company founder/CEO Brian Choper is an internationally known percussionist who performs with popular acts including The Brian Choper Jazz Project with Peter Cannella, Nexus Rock Band, and Kol Haruach Orchestra. 

            For more information, visit www.WashingtonEntertainmentConnection.com, www.BigShotRecords.com, or www.BrianChoper.com.

Booking Expert To Offer Course for Performing Singers, Songwriters and Musicians Starting April 27

 
         NASHVILLE -- Hit singer/songwriter/educator Nancy Moran will offer her "Ultimate Booking and Touring" online training program for five weeks starting April 27.

         Moran's popular, four-week, in-depth program is aimed at performing musicians who want to have more (and better-quality) gigs through expert booking techniques. It’s very detailed and hands-on, and she walks artists through the entire process of professionally booking gigs and tours. Students have reported career-altering results from what they learned in the program.

         "In my five-week-long, in-depth online program, I'm going to walk performing musicians through the entire process of booking gigs and planning tours," said Moran, a former member of the popular group The Bitchin' Babes. "I'm truly going to share everything I can think of to help artists book better gigs and to get them out on the road sharing their music with the world."

         The "Ultimate Booking and Touring" training process will show artists how to

         * Prepare for their first on-the-road gig.

         * Expand into new towns, new venues or even brand new music markets.

         * Land bigger, better and more lucrative gigs (to be able to quit their day jobs).

         *  Overcome the self-booking blues.

 SIGN UP BY CLICKING HERE

         Participants will receive five weeks of step-by-step guidance and in-depth instruction. Video, audio and written lessons will be delivered online and available for Mp3 download onto iPods, Mp3 players and other mobile devices. Artists can also download a host of worksheets, sample scripts, and sample contracts. They will receive personal attention during live group Q&A phone calls. Conference calls will be recorded for 24-hour access. A private group Facebook forum will provide additional insights and student interaction. Participants will have lifetime access to all educational materials.

         Tuition for the "Ultimate Touring and Booking" class is only $397. To sign up, click here.

         Moran is a working indie recording artist who performs at notable venues such as The Bluebird Cafe, house concerts such as Rouse House, and festivals such Kerrville Folk Festival. Declared "Songwriter of the Year" by the Virginia Sound Achievement awards and WXGI-FM Radio, she has released four solo albums, including her most recent "Something Old, Something New".

         The artist's CDs have garnered her public and commercial radio airplay on stations coast-to-coast and have landed her on the Gavin Americana charts alongside Delbert McClinton and Joan Baez. She also has been featured internationally on radio stations in Australia, Canada and Europe. 

         The Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch called Moran "nothing short of a [modern-day] Joni Mitchell". Dirty Linen Magazine says Nancy has "a powerful, expressive voice...stunning."

         Moran is a former member of the acclaimed all-female folk troupe, The Four Bitchin' Babes. She also is a frequent keynote speaker at music conferences and events, an NSAI-endorsed music business instructor, a SongU.com online instructor, the former assistant editor of American Songwriter Magazine and the author of several books, audio series, and live or online courses including, “The Songwriter’s Survival Kit,” “The Professional Songwriter’s Code of Conduct,” "Ultimate Booking and Touring", and “Making and Releasing Your Own CD.”

        
        

Nashville Film Festival to Screen Hundreds of Films from Around World Starting April 14

Nashville Film Festival 2016 Overview:

         It's almost time for the Nashville Film Festival, and we can't wait! This year looks to be better than ever with a wide range of outstanding films from all over the world. Add the Red Carpet, panels and parties to the mix, and you have one of the best arts events in Nashville. The festival is adding a Nashville Writers Conference this year. From April 14-23, Music City Arts Network will be providing updates at www.MusicCityArtsUpdate.com and @MusicCityArts on the various social networking sites. 

         To learn more about the festival and to buy movie tickets, visit http://www.NashvilleFilmFestival.org. You can visit the box office at the Regal Green Hills 16 starting on April 13 (Wednesday). The festival will begin on April 14 (Thursday).

         Here's the latest news from the festival office in Nashville...

         NASHVILLE -- Nashville Film Festival completes its full slate of films for the 2016 season with the additions of Kirtsen Johnson's "Cameraperson" and Ben Wheatley's "High-Rise", starring Tom Hiddleston and Jeremy Irons.

        

         Highlights of the festival: 

         271 Films

         99 Feature Films

         172 Shorts

         42 Countries

         62 Features in Competition 

         48 World/North American/U.S. Premieres

Special Presentations:

American Epic/United Kingdom, USA (Director: Bernard MacMahon)

Born in Bristol/USA (Director: Chusy)

High-Rise/United Kingdom (Director: Ben Wheatley) 

Hunt for the Wilderpeople/New Zealand (Director: Taika Waititi)

Little Men/USA (Director: Ira Sachs)

The Lobster/Greece, United Kingdom, Ireland (Director: Yorgos Lanthimos)

Louder than Bombs/Norway, France, Denmark (Director: Joachim Trier)

Love & Friendship/Ireland, Netherlands (Director: Whit Stillman)

Morris from America/USA, Germany (Director: Chad Hartigan)

Sing Street/Ireland (Director: John Carney)

Smokey & the Bandit/USA (Director: Hal Needham)

A Tale of Love and Darkness/Israel (Director: Natalie Portman)

Weiner/USA (Director: Josh Kriegman, Elyse Steinberg)

Spectrum:

April and the Extraordinary World/France (Director: Christian Desmares, Franck Ekinci)

A Blossom of Love in Gannan/China (Director: Liqiang Gao)

Cameraperson/USA (Kirsten Johnson)

Cemetery of Splendor/Thailand (Director: Apichatpong Weerasethakul)

Chevalier/Greece (Director: Athina Rachel Tsangari)

Dheepan/France (Director: Jacques Audiard)

He Hated Pigeons/Canada (Director: Ingrid Veninger)

Hearing Implant/China (Director: Junliang Fang)

Lo and Behold, Reveries in a Connected World/USA (Director: Werner Herzog)

A Noble Spirit/China (Director: Yue Miao)

Presenting Princess Shaw/Israel (Director: Ido Haar)

Promise/China (Director: Lin Sheng, Yong Li)

Sunset Song/United Kingdom, Ireland (Director: Terence Davies)

Tickled/New Zealand, USA (Director: David Farrier, Dylan Reeve)

Bridgestone Narrative Competition:

Before the Sun Explodes/USA (Director: Debra Eisenstadt)

collective:unconscious/USA (Directors: Lily Baldwin, Frances Bodomo, Daniel Patrick Carbone, Josephine Decker, Lauren Wolkstein)

Demimonde/Hungary (Director: Attila Szász)

Fireworkers/USA (Director: Christina Bennett Lind)

Five Nights in Maine/USA (Director: Maris Curran)

Free in Deed/USA (Director: Jake Mahaffy)

The Great & the Small/USA (Director: Dusty Bias)

Hunky Dory/USA (Director: Michael Curtis Johnson)

I Promise You Anarchy/Mexico (Director: Julio Hernández Cordón)

It Had to Be You/USA (Director: Sasha Gordon)

The Lure/Poland (Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska)

Magallanes/Peru, Argentina, Chile (Director: Salvador del Solar)

Neptune/USA (Director: Derek Kimball)

Song of Songs/Ukraine (Director: Eva Neymann)

The Alchemist’s Cookbook/USA (Director: Joel Potrykus)

Documentary Competition:

Accidental Courtesy: Daryl David, Race & America/USA (Director: Matt Ornstein)

The Bad Kids/USA (Directors: Keith Fulton, Lou Pepe)

The Bandit/USA (Director: Jesse Moss)

Chicken People/USA (Director: Nicole Lucas Haimes)

Holy Hell/USA (Director: Will Allen)

Hooligan Sparrow/USA (Director: Nanfu Wang)

Learning to See/USA (Director: Jake Oelman)

Mother’s Wish/Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Portugal (Director: Joonas Berghäll)

Oriented/United Kingdom, Israel (Director: Jake Witzenfeld)

SEED: The Untold Story/USA (Directors: Taggart Siegel, Jon Betz)

The Seer: A Portrait of Wendell Berry/USA (Director: Laura Dunn)

Thank You, Del: The Story of the Del Close Marathon/USA (Director: Todd Bieber)

To the Moon and Back/USA (Director: Susan Morgan Cooper)

Tony Robbins: I Am Not Your Guru/USA (Director: Joe Berlinger)

When Two Worlds Collide/Peru (Directors: Heidi Brandenburg, Mathew Orzel)

A Good American/Austria (Director: Friedrich Moser)

New Directors Competition:

The 4th/USA (Director: Andre Hyland)

Banana/Italy (Director: Andrea Jublin)

The Elk/France (Director: Etienne Labroue)

The Fits/USA (Director: Anna Rose Holmer)

Spa Night/USA (Director: Andrew Ahn)

Tamago/Japan (Director: Koji Hirano)

Transpecos/USA (Director: Greg Kwedar)

The Violators/United Kingdom (Director: Helen Walsh)

To Keep the Light/USA (Director: Erica Fae)

Music Films/Music City Competition:

Artist & Repertoire/United Kingdom (Director: Matthew Jones)

Colin Hay – Waiting for My Real Life/USA (Directors: Nate Gowtham, Aaron Faulls)

A Fat Wreck/USA (Director: Shaun Colón)

Honky Tonk Heaven/USA (Directors: Brenda Greene Mitchell, Sam Wainwright Douglas)

SHU-DE!/USA (Director: Michael Faulkner)

Sidemen: Long Road to Glory/USA (Director: Scott Rosenbaum)

A Song For You: The Austin City Limits Story/USA (Director: Keith Maitland)

Syl Johnson: Any Way the Wind Blows/USA (Director: Rob Hatch-Miller)

What Would Beethoven Do?/USA (Director: Jonathan Keijser)

Tennessee First Competition:

The Dust Storm/USA (Directors: Ryan Lacen, Anthony Baldino)

Josephine/USA (Director: Rory Feek)

Mom Jovi/USA (Director: Rachel Lambert)

The Polar Bear Club/USA (Director: Brett Price)

Soul/USA (Director: James King)

What’s the Matter with Gerald?/USA (Director: Matt Riddlehoover)

Graveyard Shift Competition:

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne/Romania (Director: Adrian Tofei)

A Beginner’s Guide To Snuff/USA (Director: Mitchell Altieri)

Curtain/USA (Director: Jaron Henrie-McCrea)

The Eyes of My Mother/USA (Director: Nicolas Pesce)

Inside Scarlett/USA (Director: Carter Mays)

The Lure/Poland (Director: Agnieszka Smoczynska)

Maskoun/Lebanon (Directors: Sharif Abdunnur, Krystle Houiess)

Baskin/Turkey, USA (Director: Can Evrenol)

Community Cinema:

24|7|365: The Evolution of Emergency Medicine/USA (Director: Dave Thomas)

Broke* – 5 Years Later/USA (Director: Will Gray)

No Greater Love/USA (Director: Justin Roberts)

No Matter Where/USA (Director: Kevin Johnson)

Peace Officer/USA (Director: Brad Barber, Scott Christopherson)

Saving Banksy/USA (Director: Colin Day)

'Fett's Mixing Mastery!' Course for Emerging Recording Engineers to Begin Jan. 28

            Nashville independent record producer, engineer and author Fett will lead a master-level course on professional mixing starting Jan. 28 (Wednesday).  "Fett's Mixing Mastery!" will show emerging recording engineers the methodology, secrets, tricks and techniques from a seasoned pro who has spent decades mixing thousands of songs... someone who can show step-by-step exactly what engineers need to do to take mixes to a higher level, providing the musical and emotional impact they deserve.

            Highlights of the course are

            * The 3 M's of mixing (the "why").

            * How to create an emotionally impactful mix.

            * The relationship between song arrangement and mixing.

            * Specific techniques for three-dimensional positioning and placement of parts in a mix.

            * Using "stock" versus third-party plug-ins.

            * How to use groups for organization and saving resources.

            * Mixing musical parts versus mixing "tracks".

            * Extensive coverage of automation.

            * Specific mixing techniques for relative levels, panning, EQ, compression and limiting, and time-based effects (reverb, delay, etc.).

            * Specific mixing techniques for drums, bass, guitars, keyboards, lead vocals, background vocals, specialty instruments, percussion and MIDI/virtual instrument tracks.

            Training will include video lessons, hands-on exercises, sample audio files, and live Q&A calls. All resources will be accessible 24/7 and available for one year.

            Fett is a 30-plus-year music industry veteran who has played a role in more than 50 albums. He served as the technology editor for Performing Songwriter magazine for seven years. He is the author of the popular resource book, "Fett's Mixing Roadmap".

            To learn more about "Fett's Mixing Mastery!" master-level course on professional mixing, visit http://www.mcssl.com/app/?af=1617165 .

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