We receive often an informative newsletter from Jason Blume, BMI hit songwriter, Head of Faculty for the Australian Songwriters Conference and worldwide best selling author. Jason invites you to join him among a stellar line up of music industry pros:
THE TEXAS SONGWRITERS CRUISE SONG CONTEST
… you can WIN a Caribbean cruise with Tom Luteran (EMI Music Publishing), Tim Hunze (GM, Stage Three Music Publishing), Jay Levine (L.A. based songwriter/producer/manager and A&R consultant), Rob Hatch (songwriter w/cuts by Jamey Johnson, Gretchen Wilson, George Jones …), Jason Blume (50,000,000 album sales/top author & songwriting instructor) … and other top music industry pros. Check out the Texas Songwriter Cruise @www.txsongwriterscruise.com – and be sure to visit the “contest” page. It’s open ONLY to songwriters who have not earned over $5,000 in songwriter royalties during the past calendar year. If you don’t win–combine a dream vacation with awesome songwriting educational and networking opportunities—and sail with us anyway.
Join us for a great time – This event is a combination Caribbean Cruise and Songwriting Conference that brings aspiring songwriters together with some of the biggest publishers, hit songwriters, and music industry pro’s in the business. In this, our 5th year of putting on this event, we will be sailing from Galveston Texas with ports of call in Cozumel Mexico and Progresso Yucatan.
Jason Blume
Hit Songwriter, Best Selling Author
Jason is one of those rare individuals to ever achieve the distinction of having songs on the Country, Pop, and R&B charts- all at the same time. His songs are on albums that have sold more than 50 million copies and have been recorded by artists including Britney Spears, Jesse McCartney, the Backstreet Boys, John Berry, Steve Azar, Collin Raye, the Oak Ridge Boys, and superstars from Japan to Scandinavia. He is one of the world’s most respected and inspiring songwriting teachers and is fresh from teaching an acclaimed masterclass at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (founded by Sir Paul McCartney—and located in Sir Paul’s former high school). Jason is the author of three critically acclaimed songwriting books (all published by Billboard) and his songs have also been featured on “Scrubs,” “Friday Night Lights,” MTV’s “Taking the Stage,” Disney’s “First Kid” and “Kim Possible,” as well as “Barbie on Swan Lake,” the “Miss America Pageant,” “The Guiding Light,” “Dangerous Minds,” “Fame,” “Entertainment Tonight,” and more.
Shannan Neese
Writer / Publisher Relations, SESAC, Nashville
Shannan serves in Writer/Publisher Relations at SESAC, Nashville, where she assists songwriters and publishers in the administration of their musical works and signs new affiliates to the performing rights organization
Tim Hunze
GM, Stage Three Music Publishing
Hunze attended the University of Tennessee in 1986 where he studied both music and marketing. After two years, he became more interested in the music business industry, so he transferred to Middle Tennessee State University and enrolled in the Recording Industry Management program. After graduating, he joined Hamstein (now Stage Three Music Publishing) as A&R/Production Assistant in February 1993. Tim was then promoted to Director of Creative Services and now is General Manager of the Nashville office. In his time with the catalog, Hunze has worked with writers such as Tom Shapiro, Tony Martin, Reese Wilson, Lee Miller, Monty Criswell. Currently Stage Three Music works with Brett James, BMI?s 2009 writer of the Year Bobby Pinson, Jeff Middleton of the Dirt Drifters, Melissa Peirce, Jon Mabe, Fred Wilhelm.
Tom Luteran
EMI Music Publishing
Tom grew up in a small town in Northwest New Jersey; a country music hotbed. He decided to change careers to combine his love of music and his selling skills. He moved to Nashville without knowing anyone and six months later he was a temp in the RCA finance department. Three months after that he was hired as Creative Director at Music Genesis Music Publishing. There he worked with five staff writers including the lead singer of the platinum band Lonestar, Richie McDonald. His next stop was Zomba Music Publishing for five and half years. The world?s largest independent music company had just signed a new 14 year old singer from Louisiana named Britney Spears.There he worked with Gary Baker, Mutt Lange, George Teren, Jason Blume, Kerry Kurt Phillips and more. Zomba was on the top five Billboard Country singles publisher list back to back years during his tenure. After a short stint at Acuff-Rose, he has spent the last 7 years at EMI Music Publishing. He works with Jamey Johnson, Tom Shapiro, Kelley Lovelace, Shane Minor Dallas Davidson and others. Over his career he has been part of 175major label cuts including: It?s 5 O?Clock, Somewhere, HonkyTonk Ba DonkaDonk, Real Good Man, I?m Already There, Girls Lie Too, Ladies Love Country Boys, Don?t Forget To Remember Me, I Just Call You Mine. Tom has a Bachelor of Science degree from Seton Hall University. He is married and has daughters Erin and Molly and a newborn son Trent.
Jay Levine
Songwriter/Producer
Jay Levine is a successful songwriter producer/manager and music executive who has written and produced for multi platinum selling artists. Jay is responsible for discovering, developing, writing and producing the platinum selling artist Fefe Dobson (Island Def Jam), as well as acts such as The Philosopher Kings (2 X Platinum), Prozzak (6 X Platinum), Susan Cagle (Gold / Oprah Appearance) Levine has consulted for Lyor Cohen (Chairman of Warner), Craig Kallm (Chairman of Atlantic Records), Will Botwin (Chairman of Columbia Records) and Steve Greenberg (President of Columbia Records and founder of S-Curve Records).
Rob Hatch
Songwriter
Rob Hatch is a North Florida born writer, who has had the majority of his success, keeping it country. He has been writing professionally for 7 years, recently for the legendary, Keith Stegall and presently for Magic Mustang/Dan Hodges Ent. He has had cuts with artists such as Gretchen Wilson, Jake Owens, Terri Clark, George Jones, and Rhett Akins as well as having several songs cut by the Grammy nominated, Jamey Johnson. Rob also penned ?The Last Cowboy Song? on Jamey?s multi-nominated and currently Gold album That Lonesome Song.
Contact Jeni Anders @ (512) 585-3007 and review all the information on their website www.txsongwriterscruise.com
Jason’s newlsetter also had this bit of news…..
IMPORTANT NEW ROYALTY INFORMATION
The Copyright Royalty Board has determined that the 9.1 cent mechanical royalty rate for both physical and digital singles and albums will remain in effect for five years. It has set the mastertone (ringtone) rate at 24 cents.
A mechanical royalty rate of 10.5% of revenues, less composition performance royalties, has been established for interactive streaming (such as Napster) and limited downloads (such as Rhapsody to Go).
The physical and digital album rates and the mastertone rates are retroactive back to Jan. 1 of 2009, while the settlement goes back seven years. The 10.5% rate applies to this year and an 8.5% rate applies for the preceding six years.
This decision has been hailed as a positive development for all songwriters and music publishers.
Have a great day!
your Cosmo crew.
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