WELCOME TO YOUR ADVANCED SONG CAMP SESSION SIGN UPS! BELOW YOU WILL NEED TO SIGN UP FOR THREE DIFFERENT SESSIONS:
1) PITCH TO PUBLISHER SESSION
2) SATURDAY MENTOR SESSION
3) SUNDAY SONG FEEDBACK SESSION
PITCH TO PUBLISHER SESSION
Pitch to Publisher Instructions – What you need: 1 original song on CD or MP3 on phone, and 2 copies of your lyric sheets. Our Pitch to Publisher event is an opportunity to play your song in front of a publisher in Nashville and network with your Advanced Song Camp peers. The point of the Pitch is not to get your song cut – although that would be amazing should the opportunity arise, those are the wrong expectations. The pitch is an opportunity to get your name on the radar of a Nashville publisher and spark their interest with your writing. You will have the opportunity to play one song, first verse and chorus only. The publishers will decide if the song is something they’d like to listen to again at a later time. They will either ask to “take a copy” or they will “pass”. You will be instructed on what to do if your song is taken. The publisher may or may not give feedback, please remember to maintain professionalism at all times, regardless of the outcome of the pitch. You do not need a super polished demo for the pitch, although, while it is not necessary, you will find most publishers prefer a decent/good quality demo because it is easier to pitch to artist, if they were to do so. This will also be an opportunity for you to hear the other attendee’s songs, so get those business cards ready and be listening for who you’d like to co-write with while you’re all here!
Joe Dan Cornett (Daywind Publishing)Image
REGISTER FOR THIS PITCH SESSION Joe Dan, a Nashville native, is currently Creative Manager at Daywind Music Publishing where he serves the staff writers and works within the Southern Gospel, Mainstream Country, and Worship/CCM markets. He has worked in several different facets of the music industry, which range from major market rock and country touring to the Film and TV department at BMI. He also serves as the Worship Pastor at his church. His heart is to serve others and to help guide “creatives” towards their goals and aspirations.
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REGISTER FOR THIS PITCH SESSION Will Overton is Warner Chappell's newest A&R Manager. In this role, Overton works with new and established songwriting talent. Overton previously worked at music publisher Droptine Music and, before that, at William Morris Endeavor. He graduated from the University of North Carolina and went on to earn a Master’s in Management Studies at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business.
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REGISTER FOR THIS PITCH SESSION Jake is a Senior Creative Director at BMG. He was formerly a Creative Director for Sea Gayle Music where he and the creative staff oversaw a roster of 20+ of Nashville’s songwriting elite. His roles include pitching songs, creative direction, management and development of the writers and artists. He has helped place songs with country artists such as Blake Shelton, Jake Owen, Tyler Farr, , Randy Houser, Scotty McCreery, Montgomery Gentry, among others. Sea Gayle—established in 1999—is home to some of Nashville’s most successful songwriters. Sea Gayle’s writers have written 40+ chart-topping songs and earned the company ASCAP’s Country Publisher of the Year two times. Genre I primarily work in is Country. Songs I look for: the right ones. |
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MENTOR AND SONG FEEDBACK SESSIONS
REVIEW THE PRO WRITERS BELOW AND CLICK TO SIGN UP FOR YOUR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY SESSIONS
Mentor Session - Saturday August 4th, Beginning at 1:30pm – 5:45pm, attendees will have 1, 30-minute mentor session with the mentor of their choice. Attendees will have the opportunity to play (live or on CD/MP3) up to two songs for their mentor for feedback. Attendee's can also use this time to talk to their mentor and ask any songwriting/industry related questions they may have. Please bring a copy of lyric sheets if planning to play songs.
Song Feedback Session - Sunday, August 5th 1:30pm – 3:30pm attendees will break out into small groups of 7-8 for an additonal song feedback exercise. The attendees will play an original song, provide the pre-selected mentor of their choice with TWO COPIES of their lyric sheet, and after listening to the full song the mentor will give a few minutes of feedback. If you choose the same mentor for both Saturday and Sunday and plan to play songs on Saturday, please present adifferent song for Sunday. At 3pm - 4pm the same pre-selected mentor will lead a “pro-song breakdown” exercise with this same group, dissecting a song they wrote that has been cut, from start to finish. The purpose of this sign up is to choose a mentor you would like to receive song feedback from and hear a breakdown of one of their own songs. As long as mentors are available, you can sign up for the same mentors both days, should you choose.
JENN SCHOTT
Born and raised in Pittsburg, Kansas, Jenn Schott was destined to have a career in music. It’s in her genes. Her grandfather was the concert master violinist for the CBS orchestra including the Ed Sullivan show, her father was a university professor of woodwinds, and her mother is a flutist. After graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, Jenn made the move to Nashville to pursue a career as a songwriter. Since then, her songs have been recorded by artists including Tim McGraw, The Eli Young Band, Gloriana, Jana Kramer, Lucy Hale, Francesca Battistelli, Jamie Lynn Spears, Billy Ray Cyrus, Pam Tillis, Lonestar, Kelleigh Bannen, Restless Road, and Restless Heart. Jenn co-wrote Mickey Guyton’s debut single, “Better Than You Left Me,” which was named one of Billboard’s 10 Best Country Songs of 2015. She also penned the title track of Tim McGraw’s Grammy nominated album, “Two Lanes of Freedom,” which was the namesake of McGraw’s 2013 summer tour. Jenn’s other past radio singles include Restless Heart’s “Feel My Way To You”, Katie Armiger’s “Unseen,” Billy Ray Cyrus’ “A Good Day,” and pop artist Lucy Walsh’s “1882.” In addition to her success in the U.S. country market, Jenn has also had songs released by top-selling artists in Canada and Australia. Jenn is an alumna of Leadership Music and proudly sits on board of the Nashville Songwriters Association International.
Alissa Moreno was born on a small Navajo reservation then grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico. After a music education and a year in Hawaii writing songs, she moved to Los Angeles. As an artist, she began her career performing on Sunday nights at Hotel Cafe, coming up with a crew of budding artists such as Gary Jules, Jason Mraz, Waz, Meikoand many more. She then co-wrote/co-performed the ABCsitcom Hope and Faiththeme song. Her song Next Timewas featured in full at the end of LC's San Fran episode of MTV's Laguna Beachand is featured on the Interscope Records release Laguna Beach: Summer Can Last Forever. She co-wrote the Grammy nominated hit Every Dayfor Rascal Flatts, she wrote Stringswith Big Al Andersonfeaturing Vince Gill, and Walking Blindwith The VoiceSeason 1 winner, (Team Adam) Javier Colon, and two on his previous albumWhenand That's My Little Girl. She wrote the John Oates and The Time Jumperssingle Santa Be Good To Meand the Grammy winningMorgan Heritage's second single Pineapple Wine on the Grammy nominated album Avrakedabra. She wrote the current single Beautiful Worldfor Russian superstar Alexander Kogan, The Yee-Haw Songfor Uncle Si and the Sicotics (Duck Dynasty) and a handful of singles and cuts from around the world including the South African Idol winnerElvis Bluesong Only Wanna Be With You. From her debut album, In Your Wake, her singleFar From Herewas the show ID for theLifetimeseries Army Wives. Her music is featured in television and film with numerous songs licensed to The Vineyard, The Hills, Laguna Beach, How I Met Your Mother, Guiding Light, Will and Grace, Criminal Minds, commercials such as Tide, Belk, Young and The Restless Promo, and Central Way Numbers, and many others including the films Daltry Calhoun, Undiscovered, andSlamdance hitMall Cop. She was the vocal coach to Ben Affleck for his SAG award winning role in Hollywoodland. Alissa currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, is a SAG performer, and has written with and been recorded by artists such as Colbie Cailat, Rascall Flatts, Sara Evans, Alex Da Kidd, Kina Grannis, StreetRunner, JoJo, Chuck Wicks, Mallary Hope, Kate Voegelle, Javier Colon, Nikola Bedingfield, Corey Chorus, Nila, Lil' Eddie, Fast Ball, Big Al Anderson, Vince Gill, John Oates, Nash Overstreet, Cady Groves and Vertical Horizon. She has two new Country singles slated to come out first quarter of 2018, one in Canada and one in the U.S. She doesn't want to jinx it, but keep your eyes peeled at WalMart for one of your all time favorite reality TV stars' new album!
Touring Artist , #1 Song Writer , Producer, Recording Artist, Award Winner. These are just a few of the words that describe Brian White. One of Nashville’s most sought after hit makers, White has been on every side of the microphone during his career. White’s songs have been recorded by Christian acts such as Danny Gokey, Mandisa, Kutless, Avalon, Point of Grace, Larnelle Harris, 7th Time Down, Karyn Williams, Jaci Velasquez and many more, earning him Fourteen #1 Songs and 2 Dove Awards. His successes in the Country market have landed him songs recorded by hit makers Jason Aldean , Trace Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Gary Alan, Neal McCoy, The Swon Brothers, Kix Brooks, Charley Pride, Blackhawk, to name a few as well as the Fiveweek #1 Smash, "Watching You" for Rodney Atkins which was named SESAC Country Song of the Year and Billboard Magazines "Most Played Country Song of 2007" as well as being nominated for SONG OF THE YEAR honors at the 2008 Academy of Country Music Awards. Recently “Watching You” was name the “Most Played Country Song of The Decade” and landed at # 37 in the “Top 100 Country Songs Of All Time”. Brian continues to be a writer whose songs cross the lines that so many tend to draw in todays music. A man of Faith and conviction, White currently lives in Nashville with his wife , Christian Recording artist Karyn Williams and writes and produces for SB21 Music Publishing.
James grew up on a farm in Kentucky and began coming to Nashville as a 10 year old to perform with Ernest Tubb, Roy Acuff and many others. Since moving to Nashville, he has written songs for many many diverse artists. Charlie Daniels, Crystal Gayle, Merle Haggard, Johnny Cash, Miley Cyrus, Aaron Neville, Reba McIntyre, Kenny Rogers, Alison Krause, Conway Twitty, The Oak Ridge Boys, Vince Gill, Lonestar & Wynonna just to name a few. He wrote GOODBYE TIME for Blake Shelton, GRANDPA TOLD ME SO for Kenny Chesney, UNTIL YOU GOT LOVE for Jon McLaughlin, LOVELY FOOL for Jack Savoretti, SWEET KISSES for Jessica Simpson and has had over 150 of his songs recorded by artists all over the world. He has written 7 # 1 songs and his songs have sold over 50 million copies...Recent songs recorded by Sony act Levon, rock band Bishop Gunn and Caeland Garner. He also had a huge hit as an artist himself with a number 1 video in Australia.
Singer-songwriter Jason Duke, grew up listening to The Eagles, James Taylor, John Prine, Dan Fogelberg and Jackson Browne. When his high school athletics career ended, he fell into a group of musicians that changed the course of his life forever. After graduating high school, Jason, a native of Hendersonville, TN, enrolled at Middle Tennessee State University. It took 6 years, a change of major, a bout with cancer, and a rejection from songwriting class, but he earned his B.S. in Recording Industry Management. While in his 20’s, bartending paid the bills as Jason got his feet wet in the music publishing world. His time spent as a plugger and then a creative director exposed him to catalogs being pitched around town. In 2009, Jason had a unique opportunity to volunteer for Musicians on Call 5 days a week for 3 months as his night job, Hard Rock Cafe, closed down for remodeling. It was during this time that Jason made the decision to move into songwriting. Slowly, steadily, and organically, he began to circle up with writers that he wanted to sign as a publisher. An early champion, Michael Martin, placed Jason in the ASCAP GPS program in 2012. Jason’s work ethic and positive attitude are starting to pay big dividends! He landed his first publishing deal with Dan Hodges Music in January 2015, celebrated his first #1 hit with a song called “Dibs” (Kelsea Ballerini, Ryan Griffin, Josh Kerr, Jason Duke), and is also celebrating his cut "That Could Still Be Us" on Keith Urban's new album RipCORD.
Phillip White is a Alabama native that has spent the last 20 plus years writing songs for some of the biggest artists in the business. George Strait, Luke Bryan, Chris Ledoux, Vince Gill, Darius Rucker, Reba, Blake Shelton, Rascal Flatts, and Jake Owen are some of the artists that have recorded Phillip's work.
Among these include the 2003 ACM Song of the Year "I'm Movin' On", The Theme song for Reba's self titled hit TV show "I'm A Survivor" and Blake Shelton's "Nobody But Me." Over the past couple decades he's been published by some of music row's most respected publishers including stops at Murrah Music, Disney, Universal, and Sea Gayle Music. As a performer, White has played some of the most legendary venues in the nation, including the Ryman Auditorium,The Grand Ol Opry House, The Station Inn, The Louisiana Hayride, The Bluebird Cafe, The Disney Theater, and The Florida Theater just to name a few.
SINGER. PLATINUM-SELLING SONGWRITER. MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST. PRODUCER. WORLD TRAVELER. FLOWER CHILD. ROCK & ROLL FANATIC, COUNTRY LOVER, AND POP MUSIC DIEHARD.
For the past decade, Meghan Kabir has played all the parts, helping shape the sound of the 21st century by writing songs for Kelly Clarkson, Selena Gomez, Serena Ryder, and other genre-diverse singers. With Blackberry Winter, though, she introduces her best material to date, kicking off the newest chapter of her solo career with a batch of songs that marry the hippie-friendly spirit of her '60s and '70s influences with the punch of modern pop. It's the first release in a two-part series of new EPs, spotlighting a young musician who, having already played a role in elevating the careers of other artists, is ready to unveil her own unique sound. It's a sound that honors Kabir's diverse roots: a childhood spent moving across the country, from small-town North Carolina to big-city San Francisco to the Nashville suburb of Franklin, TN; a diverse, multi-cultural upbringing, courtesy of her bohemian mother and Afghanistan-born father; a number of years spent in Los Angeles, where she worked as a Warner Bros solo artist, a background singer, and a top-shelf pop songwriter; and her eventual return to Nashville, where she recorded Blackberry Winterat Music Row’s historic MCA Records with producer Jarrad K.
Relocating to Tennessee represents a full-circle moment for Kabir. A free-spirited, eco-conscious musician who sells incense and crystals at her own merch table, Kabir has made the pilgrimage back to her musical roots, creating art in the same city where she wrote her first songs. Of course, leaving Los Angeles meant leaving behind her career as a songwriter for other artists, a sacrifice Kabir felt was necessary to chase her own muse.
"As a songwriter, I've gotten so much out of my system," she explains. "I've written music for folk singers, for country bands, for rockers, for EDM albums. These new records aren't about anyone else, though. They're about what Ihave to say."
"The cover images to the records are two profiles that face each other — a metaphor for facing yourself," she explains. "This project has been so therapeutic in just that…It’s about digging deep into the core of who I am, embracing those truths, and then being so bold as to reveal them to the world. I’ve never felt more at peace with my art. Authenticity is such a beautiful thing and I believe it shines through in all aspects of your life."
Kabir and Jarrad K first crossed paths during a songwriting retreat in France, where they bonded over a mutual love not only for pop music, but for organic sounds, as well. Working together on Blackberry Winter, they build a bridge between those two worlds. Tracks like the speeding, spunky opener, "Joyride," and Queen-esque power ballad "Kiss and Break Up" mix analog keyboards and classic rock guitars with the earthy sounds of pedal steel and banjo. The rest of Blackberry Winter strikes a similar balance, with Kabir singing about hurt and heartache in an elastic, emotional voice that's clearly seen plenty of both. Meanwhile, she steers toward a warmer sound with Indian Summer, pairing each EP's mood with the season that inspired it. Together, the two records form a complete picture: one of an articulate singer/songwriter whose able to examine life and love from all angles.
"I'm a very emotional writer," she adds. "It's hard for me to write something I’m not emotionally connected to in some way, If it moves me, chances are it'll move someone else. That's the feeling I've always chased in the creative process and has never led me astray."
Blackberry Winter and Indian Summer form Kabir's official solo debut. Both EPs are the hard-won result of years lived, miles driven, hearts broken, and lessons learned — and both are well worth the wait. "American Spirits sitting on the dash, dreamcatcher on the mirror & my Fender in the back," she sings during "Joyride," before pushing the pedal to the floor and chasing down a brighter horizon. Just try to keep up.