Jimmy and Miley Cyrus put on disguises and give a surprise performance of “Jolene” and “Party in the U.S.A.” in the 42nd St. subway station.
2017 SOCAN Songwriting Prize Finalists Vie for $10,000
SOCAN today announced the finalists for the SOCAN Songwriting Prize, the prestigious competition that celebrates the incredible talent of emerging Canadian songwriters over the past year. The selection of 10 English and 10 French songs showcases artists from diverse genres. Once again, music fans will determine the winner, and for the first time in the 12-year history of the prize, fans will have the opportunity to vote for a single nominee – Charlotte Cardin – in both English and French categories beginning on June 15th.
The 10 English songs nominated this year:
- “Acid Test” – written by Tommy Paxton-Beesley, Thadeus Gardwood, Johnathan Mavrogiannis, Dan Voicu; performed by River Tiber; published by Raise Your Hands Music [Arts & Crafts Music].
- “Big Boy” – written by Charlotte Cardin; performed by Charlotte Cardin.
- “DVP” – written by Stefan Babcock, Nestor Chumak, Zachary Mykula, Steve Sladkowski;performed by PUP.
- “Figures” – written by Jessie Reyez, Bjoran Johan, Tobias Frelin, Blake Carter; performed by Jessie Reyez; published by BMG Rights Management.
- “Glowed Up” – written by Kevin Celestin, Brandon Anderson; performed by Kaytranada featuring Anderson .Paak; published by Watch and Learn/BMI, PULSE, Casablanca Publishing.
- “Push + Pull” – written by Thomas D’Arcy, Ian Docherty, Peter Dreimanis, Leah Goldstein, Danny Miles, Josh Warburton; performed by July Talk; published by July Talk Music Inc., GalleryAC Music.
- “Shithole” – written by Jasmyn Burke, Morgan Waters; performed by Weaves.
- “We Don’t Know ” – written by Jeremy Drury, Jonathan Hembrey, Darryl James, Brian Pickett, David Ritter, Isabel Ritchie, Joanne Setterington; performed by The Strumbellas; published by Domino Music Publishing.
- “Won’t Live Here “ – written by Ashton Simmonds, Jordan Evans, Matthew Burnett, Tommy Paxton-Beesley, Ian Culley, Alexander Ernewein; performed by Daniel Caesar; published by Kobalt Music Publishing & Raise Your Hands Music [Arts & Crafts Music].
- “Work” – written by Charlotte Day Wilson; performed by Charlotte Day Wilson; published by Raise Your Hands Music [Arts & Crafts Music].
For two weeks, from June 15-29, 2017, SOCAN invites music fans to vote for their favourite song from the nominees by visiting www.socansongwritingprize.ca or through Twitter using the hashtag #mySSPvote and identifying the performer’s name in the tweet. Fans can vote once daily through each platform for each of the English and French prize competitions.
The winning songs are scheduled to be announced the week of July 10, 2017.
Winners will receive $10,000 in cash, an Epiphone Masterbilt Century Olympic Guitar, a Yamaha PSR-S970 keyboard, and a $500 gift card from Long & McQuade.
“SOCAN supports emerging Canadian songwriters and composers every day, and the SOCAN Songwriting Prize celebrates the incredible and diverse talent of several of our best,” said Mike McCarty, chief membership & business development officer at SOCAN. “Each year, the nominees raise the bar, and this year is no different. No matter who wins, I am confident all of these potential superstars will continue to grow and flourish in the music community.”
The French and English finalists are determined by respective independent panels of 15 music-industry influencers who nominate two songs that they feel were artistically superior by emerging Canadian songwriters, within the eligibility period (see Rules for complete criteria). All of the nominated songs are then compiled, reviewed and voted on by each panel to determine the final 10 nominees in each category. SOCAN does not have a role in determining nominees or winners.
The 10 song finalists for the 2017 Prix de la chanson SOCAN, the Francophone counterpart to the SOCAN Songwriting Prize:
- “Apprendre à mentir” – written and performed by Lydia Képinski; published by Chivi Chivi.
- “Éclat” – written by John Nathaniel, Mariane Cossette Bacon, Alexe Gaudreault; performed by Alexe Gaudreault; published by John Nathaniel prod, Musicor.
- “Explosif” – written by Vincent Banville, Gregory Beaudoin, Jonathan Quirion, Jean-François Ruel, Pierre Savu-Massé, Charles-André Vincelette; performed by Dead Obies; published by Third Side Music.
- “Faufile” – written and performed by Charlotte Cardin.
- “J’aurai 100 ans” – written by Amélie Beyries, Maxime Le Flaguais; performed by Beyries avec Louis-Jean Cormier.
- “Je pense à toi” – written and performed by Bernhari; published by Editorial Avenue.
- “L’amour véritable est aux rebelles“ – written by Xavier Dufour Thériault, Jean-Philippe Godbout, Marc-André Landry, Julien Mineau, Ryan Battistuzzi, Jean-Cimon Tellier-Dubé; performed by Gazoline; published by Ambiances Ambigües / L-Abe.
- “Les ferrofluides-fleurs” – written by Klô Pelgag, Karl Gagnon; performed Klô Pelgag; published by Coop Les Faux-Monnayeurs.
- “Nord-Est” – written by Rosie Valland, Jessie Mac Cormack; performed by Rosie Valland; published by Ambiances Ambigües.
- “Rex” – written by Pierre-Luc Bégin, Éliane Préfontaine, Julia Daigle, Vincent Lévesque; performed by Paupière; published by Lisbon Lux.
For all of the latest updates, follow the SOCAN Songwriting Prize on social media at @SOCANmusic and on twitter via the #SOCANprize hashtag.
Previous winners of the SOCAN Songwriting Prize: Fast Romantics, “Julia” (2016); Dear Rouge, “I Heard I Had” (2015); Alejandra Ribera, “I Want” (2014); Mo Kenney, “Sucker” (2013); Kathleen Edwards, “A Soft Place to Land” (2012); Katie Moore, “Wake Up Like This” (2011); Brasstronaut, “Hearts Trompet” (2010); D-Sisive, “Nobody With a Notepad” (2009); The Weakerthans, “Night Windows” (2008); Abdominal, “Pedal Pusher” (2007); Propagandhi, “A Speculative Fiction” (2006).
Previous winners of the Prix de la chanson SOCAN: Laurence Nerbonne, “Rêves d’été” (2016); Antoine Corriveau, “Le Nouveau vocabulaire” (2015); Patrice Michaud, “Mécaniques générales” (2014); Keith Kouna, “Batiscan” (2013); Koriass, “St-Eustache” (2012); Galaxie, “Piste 1” (2011); Vulgaires Machines, “Parasites” (2010); Bernard Adamus, “La question à 100 piasses” (2009); Karkwa, “Oublie pas” (2008); Tricot Machine, “L’Ours” (2007); Éve Cournoyer, “Tout arrive” (2006).
Neil and Pegi Young Announce No Bridge School Concert This Year…And Maybe Forever?
Citing “personal reasons,” Neil Young is giving up hosting duties for the Bridge School concert series he co-founded with ex-wife Pegi in 1986, and the benefit show appears to be facing something of an uncertain future.
The Bridge School Benefit Concert is an annual, all acoustic, non-profit charity event held every October at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California. All proceeds directly benefited the operations of The Bridge School.
The Bridge School is a non-profit organization whose mission is to ensure that individuals with severe speech and physical impairments achieve full participation in their communities through the use of augmentative & alternative means of communication (AAC) and assistive technology (AT) applications and through the development, implementation and dissemination of innovative life-long educational strategies. The Bridge School is an internationally recognized leader in the education of children who use augmentative and alternative communication and has developed unique programs and trained highly skilled professionals in the use of state of the art assistive technology.
The first concert was held October 13, 1986 and, with the exception of 1987- the year the educational program was launched- it has become a highly anticipated Bay Area favorite.
In separate letters posting on the school website, Pegi and Neil wrote:
Dear Friends of Bridge School:
The Bridge School Benefit Concert, traditionally held at Shoreline Amphitheatre, will not be held in 2017. We want to express our sincere and profound thanks to all of you for your love and support, demonstrated by way of your attendance at 30 years of Bridge School Benefit Concerts. They have been truly memorable events and we have great appreciation for everyone who has been involved beginning, of course, with Neil Young and including all the many artists who have been so generous with their time and talent; the production people who have made it all possible; Elliot Roberts and the team at Lookout Management as well as Marsha Vlasic, who have been so instrumental in booking the shows all these years; the Bridge School staff and families and last, but certainly not least, the audience to whom the show has brought such enjoyment over these many years.
Because our mission is of such great importance to so many, we proceed onward with optimism into the future. Stay tuned for updates as we begin to shape what the next steps will be in reaching our endowment goals.
On behalf of the Bridge School family, I wish to thank you again from the bottom of my heart for your love and support as we work to bring opportunities and “participation through communication” to our student population here at home and around the world.
With peace, love, and sincere gratitude.
Pegi Young
Co-Founder and President of the Board of Directors, Bridge School
…and here’s Neil’s letter:
After thirty years of hosting the Bridge School Concerts, I would like to say thanks to everyone involved. Of course, I love the students most of all because the light in their eyes tells me we have been doing the right thing for the last thirty years. We have earned millions of dollars and the school is stable financially, able to go forward although we still need an endowment and would welcome one.
Thanks to Pegi Young for coming up with the idea and pursuing it with such great dedication, working for the kids like our child Ben, young children with disabilities who needed more than our education system offered. Our heartfelt thanks and appreciation go to the artists who have been so generous with their time and great performances. Certainly, my love and appreciation go to Executive Director Vicki Casella, who has given 100% to skillfully support and guide the school over the years. Thank you to our wonderful staff, made up of the finest educators I have ever known. I would also like to thank the Board of Directors for their dedicated efforts on behalf of our students and Bridge School mission.
My long-time friends, manager Elliot Roberts and agent Marsha Vlasic have been putting these concerts together and gathering the incredible artist line ups year after year. Thanks to you both and to Frank Gironda for all the work you’ve put into the event. I would also like to thank Tim Foster and the crews he has ably led while handling production of the concerts and making everything so easy for us. Great job Tim.
The Bridge School Concerts would never have been possible without Bill Graham and BGP, as well as Another Planet Productions. Thanks to Jerry Pompili and all the people who worked for these production organizations and made our wonderful concerts so easy for everyone.
To the Bridge School Community, the folks who attend the concerts year after year bringing their wonderful enthusiasm and love, I say thanks and lots of love to every one of you. You are the soul that kept everything happening for all these years. I know the concerts have become part of the Bay Area Landscape and we were all there together. I appreciate being part of it.
Although I will continue in fund raising efforts, for personal reasons beginning this year I will no longer be hosting The Bridge School Concert. I wish everyone the best as the school heads into the future. My heart is with each and every child we have had the honor to serve and those we will continue to serve, and your parents, siblings, and extended families. Thanks to you all for the honor of serving such a great mission. Thanks to my incredible son Ben Young for being there at my side throughout these many Bridge School years. I love you buddy. The Bridge School would not have been possible without you.
Neil Young
Metallica Funko Pop! Figures Coming This August
The members of Metallica likely see sold out shows, record-breaking sales of albums, and massive response on their videos as a sign of success. They might be changing their minds tonight, as they have just announced they’re going to be immortalized in the Funko Pop! family of figures.
According to a product listing at the band’s website, the set of four includes Funko versions of guitarist Kirk Hammett, frontman James Hetfield, bassist Robert Trujillo and drummer Lars Ulrich, all cast in 3.75″ plastic and available as a set for $43.96. There’s no street date listed, the listing promises the figures will be “coming in August.”
ITEM #13806
ITEM #13808
This $9,000 Scotch Comes with Its Own Jazz Song
Highland single malt Glenmorangie has unveiled its ‘oldest and rarest’ whisky to date – Glenmorangie Pride 1974.
Glenmorangie Pride 1974 is the distillery’s oldest whisky release so far
The 41-year-old single malt Scotch whisky was filled into ex-Bourbon and ex-oloroso Sherry butts on October 30, 1974.
Only 503 crystal decanters of Glenmorangie Pride 1974 will be released globally in June, each priced at about $9,000.
Glassware specialist Laurence Brabant was recruited to design the decanter, which is engraved with gold metallic detailing and concealed in a lacquered cherrywood veneer box with a mirrored interior. Brabant also designed the packaging for Glenmorangie Pride 1981 and Glenmorangie Pride 1978.
To celebrate the launch, Glenmorangie partnered with piano maker Steinway & Sons and pianist Aaron Diehl to compose a piece of music that ‘embodies the whisky’s rare beauty’.
Dr Bill Lumsden, director of whisky creation, distilling and whisky stocks at Glenmorangie, said: ‘Glenmorangie Pride 1974 is the oldest and deepest Glenmorangie ever to be released. Its age lends the whisky an enriched intensity, borne only of a slow, patient maturation.
‘The result is an exquisite blend of deep, rich, salty and spicy aromas – aged balsamic vinegar, salted caramel toffee and oranges, leading to tastes of baked apples, toffee, oranges and brown sugar.’
Photo Gallery: Don Henley with JD and the Straight Shot at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage
All photos taken by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Jd and the Straight Shot[/caption
Emily Haines And The Soft Skeleton Releases New Single “Fatal Gift” Ahead Of New Album
Although we live life in a linear way, Emily Haines is a woman who sees the importance of the cyclical nature of time. Now a decade on from the release of her celebrated solo album Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, Knives Don’t Have Your Back (2006) and companion EP What Is Free To A Good Home? (2007) Emily returns with a new full length, solo album Choir of the Mind for release on September 15, 2017.
Reuniting with the same record label, Last Gang Records/eOne who handled her previous solo work, the debut single Fatal Gift is available everywhere today. “Most of the songs on the album came to me out of some recent major changes in my life, and others were composed when my life felt more stable,” says Emily. “Of them all, Fatal Gift is the song that has lived with me the longest, through many incarnations. This is the right time for the definitive version to be heard. The song embodies for me the undeniable fact that no matter how high I climb, that voice, pulling me back to my essential self remains. We all pursue symbols of achievement, but utopian material promises are hollow.”
“The things you own, they own you,” is the revelatory call in Fatal Gift that begins as a beautiful, plaintive ballad of piano and voice but builds to a sonic, propulsive mantra verging on six-minute dance track. The video for Fatal Gift is available here and was directed by long time artistic collaborator Justin Broadbent who brought his considerable artistic and directorial talent to Metric’s 2012 award winning release, Synthetica. As with every element of her new record, Emily is deeply involved in the vision and execution of every single detail.
Where her two previous solo offerings largely dealt with her processing and grieving the loss of her father, the revered writer, poet and jazz lyricist Paul Haines, Emily continues to grapple with some of the harder-edged life subjects on her new LP; life, loss and being a woman in the world. But with the passage of time, and living through the career accomplishments she’s earned within her almost 20 years of being a front woman, songwriter, producer, business woman and style icon with her award-winning band Metric, Emily has an ever-evolving lens to distill her stories and life perspective, anchored by a home base within a familiar circumference of the streets of Toronto that always serve to inspire her.
Choir of the Mind was for the most part composed and inhabited in stolen moments with her piano over the past few years of intensive work with Metric. The selected songs that would become this 13 track album were recorded over a number of weeks in 2016 at Giant Studios, which is housed in those familiar blocks in the West end of Toronto where Emily and Jimmy have each lived and worked for the past two decades. The album was co-produced by Emily and her longtime band mate, spiritual advisor and musical partner Jimmy Shaw (who also mixed the album), and engineered by Kenny Luong. It sees Sparklehorse drummer, Scott Minor return to duty on “Legend of the Wild Horse,” as he also played on the original Soft Skeleton recordings.
Always focused on the songwriting and the element of performance, Emily is planning to tour Choir of the Mind with limited engagements in unique and intimate venues, driven by her singular, inspiring and artistic vision for how she wishes to present her work to her audience. These highly anticipated upcoming tour dates and more information on Choir of the Mind will be announced shortly.
Wild Women (Don’t Get The Blues) returns June 24 in Toronto
Wild Women (Don’t Get The Blues) Returns For A Special Cocktail Cabaret
Fabulous Afternoon Party of Sassy Music & Monologue Celebrating Pride & Canada 150 with the Music of Ace Canadian Women…
Our Theme: Pride & Prejudice
Saturday, June 24th, 2017
Paintbox Bistro – Regent Park (555 Dundas St. East, Toronto)
Doors open 3:30 pm
Show starts 4:30 pm w/ 2 sets
Tickets: $22/advance – Only 60 Seated Tickets Available
$25/door – Standing Room & Patio
http://wildwomenpp.eventbrite.com
Fabulous Food by Rogue Chef Greg Couillard
To celebrate the glorious trifecta of Pride, Canada 150 and summer 2017, Lorraine Segato and Colleen Allen bring their acclaimed and wildly popular cabaret series Wild Women (Don’t Get The Blues) to Toronto’s Regent Park on Saturday, June 24.
With the music of ace Canadian performers complemented by food creations courtesy rogue chef Greg Couillard, the afternoon event held at the Paintbox Bistro and presented by The Daniels Corporation promises to be one of the most memorable and flat-out fun of the year.
Launched by legendary singer/songwriter Lorraine Segato (as part of her two-year Artist in Residency stint at Regent Park) alongside Soulpepper Artist in Residence Colleen Allen, Wild Women (Don’t Get The Blues) showcases a diverse group of emerging and established performers presenting iconic songs that reflect the cabaret’s ever-changing theme.
On Saturday, June 24, Segato and Allen alongside Alana Bridgewater, Britta B, Carlie Howell, Diane Leah, Diane Flacks and Shawnee Talbot interpret the musical theme of Pride & Prejudice, using Canadian songs and original material in song, spoken word and theatrical monologue.
Audiences can expect to be electrified. Sixteen show-stopping performances over five previous cabarets have interpreted the powerful voices and stories of trailblazers like Ida Cox, Etta James, Janis Joplin, Edith Piaf, Amy Winehouse, Patsy Cline, Annie Lennox, Dixie Chicks, Bonnie Raitt and others.
Past performers, meanwhile – Shakura S’Aida, Lyne Tremblay, Iskwe, Suzie Vinnick, Roula Said, Miku Graham, Nicole Brooks and SATE (formerly Saidah Baba Talibah) – have visited resonant themes such as Secrets & Lies (how we hide ourselves from each other), Jagged Little Pill (revenge songs), What’s Love Got to Do With It, Saucy or Sassy Songs and Songs of Resilience.
Some Notes on this Year’s Performers:
Alana Bridgewater has performed on numerous stages throughout her career including Hairspray/ Spoon River and Shrek the Musical. She recently starred in Soulpepper’s Porgy & Bess.
Britta B is an emerging spoken word powerhouse who is a proud Regent Park resident. She recently appeared in The Journey and in competitive and feature performances nationwide, including the National Poetry Slam and Canadian Festival of Spoken Word.
Diane Flacks is a Canadian comedic actress, screenwriter and playwright who has written and starred in numerous television series. Diane was recently nominated for Outstanding Performance as an actor in Body Politic and as a writer for Outstanding New Play for Unholy for the Dora Mavor Moore Awards.
Carlie Howell weaves together her experience with jazz, classical, folk, pop, rock, reggae, klezmer, free-improv and world music traditions to create an eclectic and unique musical voice all her own.
Shawnee Talbot is an Indigenous singer/songwriter and female powerhouse known for her soulful voice and engaging live performance energy.
Diane Leah is a pianist, arranger and music director whose credits span 40 years in Canadian music including with her own group Broadsway with Heather Bambrick and Julie Michels. She has accompanied countless artists including Jackie Richardson, Alana Bridgewater, Mark Cassius, Susan Gilmour (Lady Sings The Tunes) and Thom Allison (CBC – Over The Rainbow) as well as serving as the MD for Louise Pitre. Diane was awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for public service in 2013 and is the Director of Music at Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto.
Colleen Allen is one of Canada’s most in-demand musicians for live concerts and recording sessions. Based in Toronto, the acclaimed and versatile multi-instrumentalist has performed all over Canada, the U.S. and Europe with world class jazz and pop artists including Molly Johnson, David Clayton-Thomas, Holly Cole, Emilie-Claire Barlow, Rik Emmett, Marc Jordan, Andrew Craig and Jackie Richardson to name a few.
Lorraine Segato’s decades-long work as a musician, songwriter, filmmaker, event producer, artistic director and social justice activist has cemented her status as one of Canada’s foremost recording artists and cultural commentators. As the co-founder and lead singer of The Parachute Club – among the most critically lauded and commercially successful groups of the 1980s – Segato enjoyed an impressive career in the music industry before turning her attention to other creative endeavours such as directing and producing large cultural events. Most recently, she curated a cultural exhibit on Queen Street West called the Rebel Zone, and was featured in the acclaimed Hot Docs/TVO film Lowdown Tracks that followed the stories of talented homeless musicians. Its recent World Premiere at Hot Docs was embraced with rave reviews and audience ovations and came in with #2 Audience Award out of 210 Hot Doc titles. In 2016, she issued her most recent CD, Invincible Decency. She recently completed a two-year Artist in Residence stint at Regent Park and a CBC radio pilot. Stay tuned for her long awaited one-woman show Get Off My Dress.
Sony/ATV Music Publishing Unveils Newly Enhanced Songwriter Royalty Portal
Sony/ATV Music Publishing has introduced a number of upgrades to its state-of-the-art royalty portal SCORE, giving its songwriters access to the most comprehensive and transparent data available about their earnings.
Developed by the world’s leading music publisher, the enhanced portal provides songwriters and their representatives with real-time access to their current royalty account, rather than waiting until the end of any statement period. Account information will be constantly updated, enabling Sony/ATV’s songwriters to see their latest earnings as soon as the company receives them.
Detailed data about current earnings is available alongside an unparalleled overview of historic earnings information that can be searched and organized by song title, income source, time period and territory.
Another new feature is SCORECARD, which uses a graphic interface to offer a simple and up-to-date, top-view summary of a writer’s royalties for both current and historic periods. Through SCORECARD clients can also drill down further to access in-depth information about their earnings in unrivalled granular detail.
In the near future Sony/ATV will release a SCORE app, which will greatly improve the experience of using the portal on a smart phone or tablet.
Sony/ATV Chairman and CEO Martin Bandier said: “As the world’s No. 1 music publisher, Sony/ATV prides itself on providing our songwriters and their teams an unsurpassed level of transparency and service with highly detailed royalty information. Additionally, within the next few months we will unveil the complementary SCORE app, further providing them with an unrivalled and groundbreaking insight into both their historic and current period royalties.”
Dale Esworthy, Sony/ATV Senior Vice President, Worldwide Administration, said: “All of the administration teams around the world are proud and pleased with this new release of SCORE not only because it provides writers unparalleled access to their information, but also because it demonstrates to our writers the level of attention we pay to them and their songs. We are honored to represent their work in every corner of the globe, and bring that information to their fingertips.”
Tom Douglas, Sony/ATV Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe nominated songwriter, said: “The new changes are amazing. The ability to see current earnings almost in real time is so helpful. The historical data provides a great snapshot as it relates to my royalties and I particularly love the ‘Song Summary’ tab. The creative relationship with a publisher is obviously critical, but maybe the most under-appreciated part of one’s relationship with the publisher is royalty and accounting.”
SCORE is the biggest and most comprehensive royalty portal in music publishing, incorporating more songs and more songwriters than any other comparable system. It is powered by Sony/ATV’s industry-leading TEMPO system and offers a state-of-the-art, global centralized database, highly accurate and transparent data from an ever-growing number of income sources worldwide, and unrivalled analysis of royalties by song title, income source, time period and territory.
The portal is overseen by an administration team which utilizes Sony/ATV’s worldwide network of local creative and administration teams, giving its clients both global reach and a personal touch. The company’s songwriters and their teams are able to obtain administrative support in their own territory directly from local administration staff, all of whom are experts in their field and have a passion for the music they represent. In addition, they are able to utilize their close relationships with the relevant societies and their colleagues around the world to accurately register songs and collect royalties.
These improvements to Sony/ATV’s royalty systems run alongside its unequaled strengths as the world’s No. 1 music publisher in areas such as A&R and synch, while managing a peerless song catalog and a roster of songwriters, including many of the greatest music talents of all time and a number of today’s global superstars. The portal upgrades are part of ongoing efforts to ensure the company’s songwriters are provided with a level of service and transparency unmatched in music publishing.
Warner Music Group Establishes New Arts Division
Warner Music Group (WMG) has announced the creation of a new Arts Music division. This new repertoire center will focus on signing, developing, and marketing artists and releases across a spectrum of genres, including classical, musical theatre, jazz, children’s music, film scores, and other fields generally outside the pop mainstream.
Well-respected industry executive Kevin Gore – whose extensive experience includes serving as President & CEO of WMG’s Rhino Entertainment/Global Catalog Division as well as President of Universal Classics US – has been appointed President of the Arts Music division. In his new post, Gore will be based in New York and report to Eliah Seton, President of ADA Worldwide, WMG’s independent distribution and services arm.
As part of the creation of the Arts Music division, WMG has entered into a joint venture with Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight Records, the multi-Grammy Award winning theatrical music company founded by Kurt Deutsch in 2000. Deutsch, who will continue to serve as President of Sh-K-Boom/Ghostlight, is based in New York and will report to Kevin Gore. Deutsch was also recently appointed Senior Vice President, Theatrical & Catalog Development for Warner/Chappell Music (WCM), the music publishing arm of WMG. In the latter capacity, he reports to WCM Chairman & CEO Jon Platt.
Warner Classics, one of the world’s leading classical music companies, will now come under the Arts Music division umbrella. Warner Classics includes its namesake label, as well as the Erato label, along with artists and repertoire that came to WMG as part of the company’s acquisition of Parlophone Records, most notably the renowned EMI Classics catalog. Under the new structure, Warner Classics & Erato President Alain Lanceron will report to Gore and continue to be based in Paris. One of the most admired executives in the classical world, Lanceron took the reins of Warner Classics & Erato in 2014. Since then, the company has earned a number of industry accolades, including being crowned 2016 Label of the Year at the prestigious Gramophone Awards in London.
Eliah Seton said: “By bringing together these diverse genres and labels under unified leadership, the Arts Music division will provide a dynamic, focused infrastructure devoted to nurturing outstanding artists and projects, encouraging creative cross-pollination, and strengthening our capacity for growth. I’m thrilled to welcome Kevin back to the WMG family. With his deep background at all three major music groups – from running WMG’s Rhino division to overseeing classical and musical theatre at Universal to working with jazz at Sony – he comes to our Arts Music division with unmatched hands-on experience and wide-ranging accomplishments. I’m very pleased to continue to work closely with my friend, the legendary Alain Lanceron, and delighted to welcome Kurt Deutsch who will be a fantastic asset as we expand our presence in the musical theatre world.”
Stu Bergen, CEO, International and Global Commercial Services for WMG, noted: “We are constantly enhancing and fine-tuning our operations to ensure best-in-class support for exceptional artists and music across all styles. Recognizing that there is tremendous untapped potential in music that falls outside the pop mainstream, the Arts Music division will leave no stone unturned in bringing a rich variety of music to the widest audience possible. Eliah, Kevin, Alain, and Kurt are extremely dedicated, innovative executives, and I’m excited to see what they have in store in the months and years ahead.”
Kevin Gore commented: “The genres encompassed in our Arts Music division all share passionate and devoted fan bases that have been largely underserved in the current marketplace. What’s particularly exciting is that since these fans have favored physical and download formats, there is an enormous promise for growth as they migrate to streaming services and curated experiences. The timeless appeal of so much of this music, combined with rapidly evolving opportunities in the live music and partnership marketing arenas, opens up a wealth of possibilities for both established and emerging artists across a vast creative spectrum. I want to thank Stu and Eliah for giving me this wonderful new opportunity, and I am very excited to be working again with the WMG teams around the world. And I’m truly looking forward to working with Alain and Kurt, both of whom I’ve known for many years and for whom I have tremendous respect.”