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Hank Williams Jr and Waylon Jennings on TNN’s Nashville Now in late 1988. They sing “Mind Your Own Business” and “The Conversation”. A very cool sit down and performance. Songwriter and music business legend Merle Kilgore is also featured. Don’t you kind of miss TNN?
I recently did a 10 Questions feature with All Access and it is being featured on their site this week. I’m re-posting it here, not to be self serving, but to continue to highlight the amazing work Compassion is doing and the way we are connecting with country artists, radio, and industry partners. This is the time to impact the world.
If you have a question that I did not get asked here, then please feel free to contact me.
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NAME: Mike Severson
TITLE: Artist & Radio Relations for Country format
COMPANY: Compassion International
BORN: Cedar Rapids, Iowa
RAISED: Inola, Oklahoma
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Please outline your career so far:
1988 – 1994 Radio (KWEN and KCKI in Tulsa, OK)
1994 – 2002 MCA Nashville
2003 – 2004 All Access Music
2004 – 2005 Rounder Records
2005 – 2008 Midas Records
2008 – present Compassion International & Freelance Consulting/Promotion/Marketing
1. Last time we spoke with you was 2005 and you were working for Rounder Records. Catch us up on what has been going on in your life for the past few years.
Wow, it’s been too long since we have spoken! I went from Rounder directly to being hired by Bob Reeves as we helped launch Midas Records in early 2006. Worked some great music and artists, but the roller coaster ride ended in July 2008. From there I had a short stint at another indie label and most recently was hired by Compassion International this past December as their consultant in the Country format.
2. Tell us what Compassion International is and a little bit about the company’s history and focus.
Compassion International is a Christian child development ministry dedicated to helping children in need around the world through one-on-one sponsorships. Compassion’s programs help release children from poverty and enable them to become responsible, fulfilled adults. They offer educational opportunities, health care and health-related instruction, nutrition, life-skills training, social activity, and spiritual growth. As for the history, Compassion was founded in 1952 and now serves over 1 million children in 26 countries around the world. The organization is also involved in other critical areas of need including, but not limited to, disease prevention, fighting hunger, clean water projects, disaster relief, HIV/AIDS initiatives, and the global food crisis. You can check out more at www.compassion.com.
3. What exactly is your role with Compassion?
I am essentially artist and radio relations for the Country format. I am currently educating and forming relationships with artists and radio stations that are interested in partnering with Compassion on a world-wide basis. I will then be the Country point person for those artists and stations for strategic planning and implementation.
4. Compassion International has been pretty visible in the Christian music format for a while now, correct? What made the company decide to move into the Country format as well?
It just feels like a natural progression. The two formats share an enormous amount of listeners, target demos, and there is a foundational element of Faith in our format. Country artists, radio, listeners, and fans have huge hearts as well and there is incredible opportunity to make an impact on children around the world while letting our format shine beyond our preconceived borders and notions. The bottom line though is that I believe Country music can have a life changing impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of children around the globe.
5. You have been working this job for about six months now, what has the response been from the Country music community?
I am thrilled at the response and the interest. There are so many artists, radio stations, and industry professionals that are looking to connect with an organization who is involved with fighting extreme poverty and where they can make a direct impact on a child in need. Sometimes it is difficult to know what organization to support and identify where the money is actually going. But when they see how Compassion does not indiscriminately throw money at a problem, but through direct one-on-one sponsorships is lifting kids and families out of deep poverty, it gives them an opportunity to see that the monthly contribution from the sponsor is truly helping their specific child. It also is a plus that Compassion has a 30+ year history in the music industry and knows how to build relationships and connect the dots. That’s huge.
6. You recently had the opportunity to visit El Salvador with Valory Music Co. group Emerson Drive. Tell us about that experience.
Compassion actively takes artists and radio folks who are interested in a partnership on actual trips. Typically a 3-4 day journey to Central or South America, although Africa and India are possible for those who want to dive into at least a week-long trip. Spence Smith (Compassion artist rep) and I were excited to take the Emerson Drive guys down to Central America to get a first hand experience of what Compassion is all about and see the work they do. We visited a few of the 150 Compassion programs within the heart of the communities in El Salvador. We met the children, staff, volunteers, and the families of some of the kids. The band also had the opportunity to walk the streets and visit the homes of families in these impoverished communities who live in the midst of brutal circumstances that we in the States cannot imagine. Since I was already friends with the guys in the band, I knew they had big hearts, but seeing all of this with their own eyes really made it hit home. They can now communicate what they have experienced, what Compassion actively does to change lives, and how people can get involved.
7. How can radio stations and Country artists partner with Compassion?
There are a number of ways artists can partner through incentive programs, fan clubs, social networking, live shows, CD inserts, text campaigns, and countless other relevant ways. Radio had the opportunity to partner through special events as KKGO/Los Angeles did last September. Compassion has worked with over 350 radio stations in various campaigns and combined that experience with the passion of PD Tonya Campos to set up a full day event to help find sponsors for waiting children. Tonya took a trip to Nicaragua where she met her own sponsored child and also recorded video and audio content for the event. See some of that here. The results were so successful and powerful that they have booked another event for early 2010. Compassion provides a detailed turn-key tool kit and also is willing to offer extra revenue and compensation opportunities for participating stations. It’s a complete win for everyone involved. It’s also a very flexible model for each individual station based on their market and needs. Other opportunities could involve active web content to not only drive traffic to the site, but also generate non-traditional revenue.
8. I know you have been involved with Compassion for quite some time as a sponsor, but what made you want to take that step and work for the company? You must have had a strong belief in the company and in the people involved in Country music to make the change.
I have sponsored a child from Brazil for 6 years. During that time we have written to one another and sent photos back and forth. She draws and colors pictures for me that I can hang up in our home. When I look at her photo I know that my monthly donation is going to help her get an education, medical attention, nutrition, and social and spiritual development. Things she would never have without my help. I’ve seen so many examples of kids who came into the program with no hope of life to graduating high school and college. I investigated how Compassion operates and how consistently high it is rated with the charity watchdog groups. Plus having artists I know and respect giving their support was a factor as well. When I started talking with the people at Compassion about the potential move into Country I wanted to help out however I could. I believe in this amazing organization more than I have believed in any record I have worked. I love the music industry and this community, but I also was at a place where I desired to make an impact on lives of those in severe poverty and suffering. I’ve never seen an organization do it better than Compassion.
9. What exciting things do you have coming up with Compassion within the Country music community in the near future?
Many ideas and plans are in the works. Obviously taking artists and radio who are interested in partnering with Compassion on trips to see first hand the work Compassion does. We are taking the model that is working successfully for KKGO and calling on other stations to join in this worldwide impact of children and families. There are artists who are excited about partnering with Compassion and we are talking with them about how they want to be involved since the possibilities are endless. Compassion is excellent at the aspect of relationship and helping to design something that works for each music industry partner whether it is in our sponsorship or child development programs or cause specific like HIV/AIDS, malaria, clean water, and global food crisis initiatives.
10. If you could pick any artist in Country music involved with Compassion, who would you chose?
Obviously I would love to have any artist that has a heart for this and is interested in what Compassion is doing. Each and every artist has something special to offer through their music, personality, passion, and experience. For obvious reasons artists like Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts, and Taylor Swift come to mind. Their fan base alone could make an unimaginable impact on the lives of tens of thousands of children in deep poverty. Country radio has that same enormous potential.
Bonus Questions
1. To go from record label promotion person to working for a non-profit Christian agency must be quite a leap. What skills that you learned as a promo guy have come in handy in your new job?
It may appear to be a leap from the surface, but I’m still the same person. I came into this business because I had a passion for artists and music, not necessarily to be a label rep. That passion continues even stronger today as I combine it with a purpose to be involved in something relevant that positively impacts and transforms lives.
2. You have been on two Compassion trips now, right? Where have you been and where are you planning to go next?
I traveled to Honduras in February, El Salvador in March, and Ghana is in the works for August. Guatemala has just been confirmed for September 3-6 with Tonya Campos, Carter’s Chord, Megan Mullins, pop artist Rob Blackledge, and any other radio station or artist that is interested in exploring a partnership. Africa is being tossed around for December or January as well. We are also open to designing trips around artist’s schedules who are sincerely interested in making the journey. Any takers? It will blow you away.
Jeff Foxworthy’s Daughter Helps Save Children from the Ravages of Malaria
Laughter is a way of life for the Jeff Foxworthy family, but after a visit to Africa by his now 17-year-old daughter Jordan, the Foxworthy’s dinner table conversations became deadly serious.
During her trip to Kenya three years ago, a then 14-year-old Jordan saw first-hand the devastation caused by malaria, a preventable, curable disease that kills more African children than does HIV/AIDS. With the support of her parents, she decided to bite back against the mosquitoes that typically carry malaria.
Jordan teamed up with Colorado-based Compassion International to develop the BiteBack Campaign, an initiative that raises money and awareness for the fight against malaria. Mobilizing an army of young people, the BiteBack Campaign challenges teens to donate $10 to purchase a mosquito net that could save the life of a child at risk for contracting malaria. To date, Jordan’s efforts have raised nearly half a million dollars for the BiteBack campaign.
“We can’t sit back and wait for someone to fix this. We are the ‘someones’ who need to fix this,“ said Jordan, a high school junior in Atlanta. “I believe that giving $10 to buy a mosquito net is a tangible and affordable way for kids in the United States to help make a difference in the lives of needy kids around the world.”
Jordan is using a number of strategies to raise support for the campaign. At her urging, her Atlanta-area school has taken on BiteBack as its fundraising project. Jordan also enlisted local restaurants to host BiteBack Nights, where a portion of the evening’s sales were donated to the campaign. She is also using a Facebook group page to help get the word out. In recognition of her efforts, Jordan was invited by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives to participate as a panelist in their Compassion in Action roundtable last December.
“Jordan Foxworthy is showing us that even in these tough economic times, giving a little can have a big impact on a child living in poverty,” said Mark Hanlon, senior vice president of Compassion International.
Compassion International tackles unforeseen barriers to a child’s healthy development-including widespread health epidemics such as malaria. Compassion’s Malaria Intervention Program provides mosquito nets, malaria prevention education and access to medical treatment for children in malaria-affected areas.
Compassion International is the world’s largest Christian child development organization that permanently releases children from poverty. Founded in 1952, Compassion successfully tackles global poverty one child at a time, serving more than 1 million children in 25 of the world’s poorest countries. Recognizing that poverty is more than a lack of money, Compassion works holistically through local churches to address the individual physical, economic, educational and spiritual needs of children-enabling them to thrive, not just survive. Charity Navigator, America’s largest charity evaluator, has awarded Compassion its highest rating-four stars-for seven consecutive years.
Rascal Flatts new album “Unstoppable” sold 351,000 in its initial week. It debuts at #1 in the Billboard Top 200 and is the trio’s fifth consecutive studio album to debut in the top five. The most interesting number and the one we should be dissecting is the 58,000 copies that were sold digitally, making it the week’s #1 Digital Album. That is about 16% of total sales.
While retail and big box sales are critical today, the more important future strategy should be working on growing the 16% to catch up with the ever increasing numbers in total digital sales occurring within the industry.
Another interesting note is the rare occurrence that Country artists have debuted at #1 for two consecutive weeks (Keith Urban last week). Jason Aldean also gets kudos for first week sales of his sophomore album at #4 in the Top 200 with 109,000 units sold.
So all news is not bad news, but the ACM’s, Swift, Urban, and Flatts have certainly help prop things up.
A recent article from The Tennessean:
Sarah Sidwell, a 19-year-old freshman at Belmont University, loves listening to music but doesn’t buy it that often. Instead, she listens to top artists on Pandora, a free online radio station that she customizes to play her favorite songs.
It’s a phenomenon adding to the overall decline in music buying and even the legal and illegal downloading of tunes, according to New York-based NPD Group, a research firm. Instead of buying music, many consumers stream it online without ever opening their wallets to pay artists or record labels for their work.
With tens of millions of dollars in revenue at risk, music labels and musicians in Nashville have been scrambling to find new ways to make money at a time when sales are shrinking and digital downloads haven’t managed to fill the gap.
Adding to the challenge is the fact that more music is becoming available for free.
“Just as music piracy and the advent of digital music ended the primacy of the CD, we are beginning to see new forms of listening challenge the practice of paying for music,” said Russ Crupnick, NPD’s vice president and senior industry analyst.
Teen and young adult consumers increasingly stream their favorite artists on MySpace pages, listen to music over online radio while doing homework or preview an artist’s CD via an online music service before the album’s release date — all without paying a penny.
“The need to buy has diminished because (music) is so accessible,” said Heather McBee, vice president of digital business at Sony Music Nashville.
Web offers samples
Virtually all record companies and artists are trying to target music fans more aggressively on the Web.
For example, country music star Keith Urban is marketing his album Defying Gravity, which hits stores Tuesday, using iLike, an online service that lets users tell friends what music they like and track concert dates.
Since March 17, Urban has exclusively revealed a song off his album each day, along with a video explaining the song. Consumers can click on a link directing them to iTunes to purchase the song for 99 cents.
“We’re specialized for music,” said Ali Partovi, CEO of Seattle-based iLike, adding that his Web site is designed to drive sales. Partovi said even though his company is not yet profitable, about 60 percent to 70 percent of revenue comes from national brand advertising. He declined to provide annual revenues.
Urban has promoted past albums and tours on iLike. One benefit of using the Web site is it provides statistics for artists showing how many people streamed the album or checked out Urban’s profile, said Genevieve Jewell of Borman Entertainment, which works with Urban’s management.
ILike has a universal dashboard that pushes content out to other channels such as Facebook, Orkut or Ask.com, allowing Urban to reach more fans than the average social networking site can reach on its own, Jewell said in an e-mail.
“It’s hard to exactly pinpoint how successful this campaign will end up being, but I think the percentage of sales that end up being digital will be a good way to measure the success,” Jewell said.
The 44th annual Academy of Country Music Awards are being held in Las Vegas on Sunday night, April 5th at the MGM Grand.
I know my artist, radio, and industry friends are having a large time in Vegas and are preparing for the big night, but mostly looking forward to the after parties. This I know for sure.
As we prepare to discover the winners, here are a few ACM tidbits in advance…..
Presenters announced for the show include Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley, Billy Ray Cyrus, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Jack Ingram, Martina McBride, Matthew McConaughey, Marisa Miller, Kellie Pickler, Rascal Flatts, Darius Rucker and Blake Shelton will present at this year’s show.
Brad Paisley won in his fourth ACM Video of the Year award for “Waitin’ On A Woman.” Paisley also nabbed his third Vocal Event of the Year trophy for his guitar-dueling duet with Keith Urban, “Start A Band.” These two awards were announced recently and will be handed out at the show.
Merle Haggard, Harlan Howard, Dolly Parton, Jerry Reed, Kenny Rogers, Randy Travis, Hank Williams Jr., David Young and Beer For My Horseshave been selected to receive Academy of Country Music Special Awards this year, which are voted on by the ACM Board of Directors and are only awarded during years when the Board of Directors feels there are clear and deserving candidates.
Fan voting for both the ACM Entertainer of the Year and Top New Artist is now live at www.VoteACM.com. Visit today to cast your ballot, then watch on Sunday, April 5 on CBS to see who takes home the trophies!
Julianne Hough, Jake Owen and Zac Brown Band have been named Top New Female Vocalist, Top New Male Vocalist and Top New Vocal Duo or Group, respectively. The three winners are now considered nominees for the Top New Artist award. VOTE NOW!
The multi-talented Reba McEntire will host the live broadcast and will mark McEntire’s 11th time as host. She says the ACM Awards hold a special place in her heart. “It was my first award show that I was nominated for in 1981, the Top New Female Vocalist of the Year,” Reba recalls. “I didn’t win it-Terri Gibbs got it that year–but I was nominated! It holds lots of great memories for me.
The Compassion International trip to El Salvador was another amazing and overwhelming view into the lives of children and families being impacted and changed. Emerson Drive had the opportunity to see it all first hand and bring smiles to the faces of hundreds of kids.
The first Compassion project we visited was just outside of San Salvador in the forested communities of Reparto Santa Elana and San Martin. Upon our arrival we were greeted by all of the children who were in lines on each side of us. As we walked down the middle between them, they were singing, clapping their hands, giving us hugs, and shaking our hands. It is something evident in each Compassion project I have visited – the anticipation and joy they have in making us feel welcome. They love to have visitors and do all they can to bring smiles to our faces even though we are there for them.
The kids performed a presentation for us full of music and dancing. We then broke off into three groups for an hour or so where all of us played soccer, worked on art projects, or sang songs. I tried to get involved with all three at different times. The boys and girls were so incredible. We then served them lunch, took a group photo, and said our goodbyes. Hugs of course too.
Following the visit to the Compassion project, our travel group took a walk to one of the homes in the neighborhood. A single mom and her five children, two of which were in the project we visitied. The photos below communicate their circumstances better than I could in writing. This was a home of deep rooted poverty, but Compassion was helping provide food, education, activities, and medical care to the entire family. This in turn brings hope…..and the hope a future.
The second project visit day was in the Pacific Coast community of Puerto de La Libertad, home to approximately 40,000 residents. When the bus pulled up outside of this Compassion project we could hear the children singing and clapping inside the auditorium. They were ready for us. The Emerson Drive guys walked in and it was like they were at a sold out show as the crowd of kids exploded in cheers. They weren’t cheering because they knew anything about the band or country music. They just knew that people with Compassion were there to meet them and to visit their project. They were honoring us exactly like the other projects do and it overwhelms.
The first thing these kids did for us was set up a band on stage. Singers, guitars, drums, keyboard….the works. They then proceeded to play several songs and commence church. It was a moving display of their appreciation for us and their devotion to God. Authentic and undefiled.
Our crew then visited each classroom where the children were participating – computer, cosmotology, educational classes, music, and seemstressing. Compassion not only provides school resources and instruction, but gives the kids an opportunity to learn a trade in the event they don’t make it to college. In either case a way out of poverty and incredibly difficult circumstances. It also keeps them off very dangerous gang filled streets where the influence to join is strong.
Our visit to families in their homes followed and we saw more of the same suffering. Severely impoverished neighborhoods with families living in one or two rooms. One of the homes consisted of three families in three rooms. Multiple children in one bed with their parent(s) in another. No running water, open sewage in streams and ditches, and unreliable electricity. Also the constant fear of brutal gang activity in their communities.
In each of the home visits we asked the children if they had the letters their Compassion sponsor has written them and they knew right where the papers were. With smiles on their faces they proudly retrieve them from safe keeping and show us the letters and photos of the individual or family that sponsors them. It is a relationship they cherish and are thankful for because they know it is because of their sponsors support that they are able to attend the Compassion project. The one place they can dream about what they want to be when they grow up, to get a healthy meal, and find the support they need in critical areas of their young lives.
The emotions stay ripe and fluctuate between the harshness of poverty and the joys of hope. Not only being present to see it, but to smell, taste, touch, and hear what these children and families experience on a daily basis. And the holistic way in which Compassion International works within countries, communities, and churches to lift children out of poverty and give them the real opportunity to break the cycle and thrive. To help them attain a high school and, in some cases, a college education. Something they and their families would never have dreamed possible.
This is what we saw and the results will reverberate. There will be a story about Emerson Drive’s experience in a forthcoming issue of Country Weekly. They will also be talking about it in the weeks and months to come because these are things we are compelled to tell. I look forward to partnering with the guys from the band. They have big hearts and are great men to know, not to mention incredibly talented artists.
We will have more news soon about artists who are partnering with Compassion in various ways. Country music is full of artists and professionals who love to help local charities, but also see the big picture when it comes to a world in critical need. I continue to look forward with passion to help align those with a desire to help to having a genuine life changing impact on child.
For more photos of the trip please go to HERE.
The 9513 has a feature entitled “Your Take” which asks their readers particular questions regarding the country format. Following is a sampling of the latest queries. There are some interesting answers.
Nashville, TN- The Valory Music Co./Midas Records artists Emerson Drive are teaming up with Compassion International for a trip to El Salvador with Compassion executives on March 23-26.
“I am thrilled to have Emerson Drive join us on this trip to El Salvador and help build a significant partnership between country music and Compassion International. I know first hand what incredible guys they are and believe this trip will not only be an important experience for the band, but will help give hope and a future to children in desperate poverty around the world,” says Mike Severson, Country Format Artist & Radio Relations for Compassion International.
Emerson Drive is the first country band to ever become involved with Compassion International and they are excited about the upcoming opportunity to learn more about Compassion’s mission to release children from poverty in developing countries around the globe.
“One of the best things that we get to do as entertainers is support great charity organizations like Compassion International,” states lead singer Brad Mates. “This trip will give us a first hand look at life in third world countries and I have no doubt that it will leave a lasting impact on us individually and as a band. We’re excited about the partnership with Compassion and doing whatever we can to raise awareness about their child sponsorship program.”
While in El Salvador Emerson Drive will visit with Compassion staff on the ground as well as some of the children benefiting from the support of one-on-one sponsorships. The band has invited photographers from Country Weekly and an independent film crew to accompany them on the trip to document their journey. The footage gathered from the group’s visit will be utilized in a viral video campaign in conjunction with the song, “There’s My God,” a track that will be included on Emerson Drive’s upcoming album BELIEVE, due in stores later this year.
Emerson Drive continues to brainstorm with Compassion executives on additional opportunities to increase the number of child sponsors with hopes of involving their growing fan base and country radio. The guys in the band hope that their involvement will garner more awareness about Compassion International as well as encourage people to sponsor a child or make a donation to this worthwhile organization.
Compassion International was founded on the belief that changing the lives of children in third world countries by providing them with the basic needs and education to help them overcome poverty will empower them and ultimately change their communities and nations. According to statistics, of the world’s 6.3 billion people, nearly 30 percent are under the age of 15. In most developing countries, children comprise half of the population, yet almost 11 million children each year – about 30,000 a day – die before reaching their fifth birthday, mostly from preventable causes. Compassion strives to influence a child’s life at the earliest stages possible, and support the child’s development through young adulthood. Those interested in finding out more about Compassion or how you can help can visit www.compassion.com.
For more information about the Emerson Drive and to see video clips from their life out on the road, which will include an episode from their El Salvador trip beginning in April, log on to www.emersondrive.com or visit www.myspace.com/emersondrive.
A few noteworthy items from Country Radio Seminar:
Only one artist made me say “WHERE?!” when a friend saw him – Michael Martin Murphy. A legendary and authentic artist. How cool to see him there and shake his hand later in the day.
I didn’t catch everything, but some of the performances I saw or music I heard knocked me out. These artists should be all over the radio if they aren’t already:
- Lady Antebellum – the next superstars.
- Darius Rucker – we are fortunate to have him in the format. What emotion and delivery.
- Randy Houser – first heard his album at last year’s CRS and still knocks me out.
- Little Big Town – they have upped their game bigtime, what a performance.
- Miranda Lambert – she fills a void and can bring it.
- Jamey Johnson – maybe a little over-hyped by the bandwagon of coolness that is Nashville, but he is worthy.
- Josh Turner – what a voice and doesn’t sound like anyone else in a format where too many guys sound the same.
- Emerson Drive – an album of great songs is on the horizon and these guys are the best at what they do.
- Joey + Rory – distinct, fun, and foundational country. “Cheater” was a hit that most missed.
- Jessica Harp – the new single is okay, but if they get this right in the studio for the rest of the project, she will knock it out of the park on the radio.
- What did I miss????
The turkey and dressing label lunch is always the best. The food that is.
Putting tech panels up against typical popular industry fodder and unimaginative entertaining fluff is not helpful for growth.
There was a time when the Bridge Bar was a great hang for industry professionals and artists. An artist could literally walk from one end to the other during the course of the night and and visit with radio on a more personal level. The non-CRS crowd, or the “townies” as I hear them called, grows every year and it is less enjoyable and useful for networking and connecting. Those connected to the people, artists, or events going on during CRS should be the only ones in the room. I don’t blame the many aspiring artists and songwriters for seeing opportunity, but why are we here again?
CRS is an amazing place for small market radio to make connections and create beneficial relationships.
Next year I hope to see more “next level” tech panels.
The 40th Country Radio Seminar started off in encouraging style with Seth Godin giving an intelligent and rousing keynote. He knows his stuff when it comes to the music and radio industries and he certainly knows how to engage in discussion about the future. Mr. Godin also has a keen skill of inciting vision in those who wish to move from the broken model and into the new world. A brilliant move by the CRS agenda committee to bring him in.
I was hopeful that spirit would continue on into the panels, but unfortunately what I witnessed only took us down familiar traveled roads and led us to a big “You are here” arrow. During the three days of CRS I heard very little discussion and insight about preparing for the changes in the years to come. Part of the problem is no one really knows what is ahead, but at least we should be having conversations about the opportunities within new creative business models. Instead I sensed just a reactionary tone.
For instance, in listening to one particular panel where the guests were talking about how 85% of country retail sales come from the big boxes like Wal-Mart, Best Buy, etc. and how labels and distributors are handling the ever shrinking floor and stock space at these retailers. Yes, these giants have been critical to our past success and are obviously important to our current victories, but what about five years from now? We are still living in a Wal-Mart dominated world, but what happens if Wal-Mart continues to shrink the new music space and only increase catalog? What if Wal-Mart decides they will only carry the Top 20 or 30 selling acts? What if they ultimately conclude that selling CD’s is not part of their plan any longer because they just aren’t that profitable for the space they take up?
What I really wanted to hear was a plan that does not involve CD’s, does not include Wal-Mart or Best Buy, and embraces new technology and innovative marketing. A redefinition of our industry. The same strategic thinking that Mr. Godin touched on in his keynote. Though there were good panels, I wasn’t hearing anything remotely inspiring for the future.
Some within the music industry have made strides in getting up to speed with changes and technology, but we are still only making adjustments to what is happening to us at the moment. We are not leading the way in engaging where the consumer is going and what they will want down the road. That’s what got us in trouble to begin with.
Overall I love Country Radio Seminar. Walking around seeing old friends and making new ones. Having discussions with remarkable individuals who I can learn a great deal from. Talking with people about the partnership opportunities with Compassion International and finding them excited about the possibilities. Checking out amazing artists and songwriters. It’s a great time. I simply expected more focus and vision for the future than what I encountered.
I’m hopeful things will move in the right direction with CRS, but currently the best place to engage the new world is at the Leadership Music Digital Summit being held in Nashville at the end of March. There’s no Bridge Bar, no fans clamoring in the lobby, no free shows, no dinners at The Palm, and no labels dividing up the troops. Yes, not as much fun, but a whole lot more relevant and affordable.
I would like to be relevant in the years ahead, how about you?
Country Radio Seminar is upon us again and I always look forward to a week of seeing old friends, making new ones, and coming together as an industry. We are in times of unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Will we face them head on or only discuss how bad everything is? That’s really for you to decide. I encourage you to attend the keynote with Seth Godin if you have not planned on it yet. It will be a great way to begin the week.
As for weather, it is looking pretty good. No rain or snow in the forecast thus far except for the travel home on Saturday.
For the complete Nashville weather rundown go HERE.
By the way, there is still room for anyone involved within the country music industry who would like to attend the Compassion International event tomorrow night (3/3). We are set to have a wonderful mix of artists, managers, PR, label, and radio professionals. Contact me if you are interested in finding out more about Compassion and enjoying a nice dinner.
I have to start by saying thank you to all the folks at Compassion International. I have worked on many charity events in my 30+ year radio career but never went on such a personally life changing trip as I did when I went to Nicaragua in September 2008. This trip wore me out emotionally and yet I know Compassion International people are sent all over the world on much longer and much more emotionally draining trips than the one I went on and continue to travel on an endless journey of compassion without faltering. It is an amazing charity.
I am now the proud sponsor of two children that I met on this trip, Tatiana and Veronica. Many people ask what the country music community could gain from helping children in far away countries and it is a simple answer I always give. FAMILY. Just as the country music community and country radio and all the fans of country around the USA are so committed and caring about their families, so are families in these countries visited by Compassion International. They too care immensely for their families and their children’s well being.
I strongly believe this is an international parallel that can be bridged by just being made aware that the family makeup is one that is strictly separated only by geography. By taking these boundaries away we begin to see that a hungry child is a hungry child. Period.
I encourage everyone to see a Compassion International presentation or go on a trip to meet these children yourself. For me too, they were once faces I saw late at night on the television or an ad in magazine or some flyer I had mixed in with my daily mail. But meeting them, seeing their eyes and hearing their voices made “it” (the problems we all turn away from) very real and there is nothing more motivating on the planet than seeing something bigger than life within a few feet of you. That “something bigger than life” is POVERTY. I only hope that if anyone in my family is ever in the position many of these families are in that they receive the same help Compassion International gives.
Why shouldn’t that be the country music community offering to lend a hand? Let’s challenge ourselves individually to offer help. Meet one of these children and BOTH arms would automatically open, regardless of where they are from.
Tonya Campos is Program Director and air personality for KKGO/Los Angeles. She has a long radio history in California and the Los Angeles area.
The following videos are from Tonya’s trip with Compassion International to Nicaragua prior to the Compassion event last year on KKGO:
For more information go to www.compassion.com/country
Often videos do not add anything to the single you hear on the radio. Many times they can even ruin a vision you have already created from the lyric or the feel of the song. You want a video to enhance the music, not to detract or distract.
This is an example of enhancing. Jamie O’Neal’s “Like A Woman”:
CRB recently announced that Seth Godin will keynote Country Radio Seminar 2009. In my opinion they could not have booked a better individual to kick off the seminar. Seth is not only a marketing and idea guru, he also is very familiar with radio and the record industry. He knows how the dots are connected as well as any of us, but more importantly, knows how the dots are dis-connected better than most of us.
Seth’s blog is a must read and many other blogs, including this one, refer to it often. If you’re not familiar yet with Mr. Godin, start with Mark Ramsey’s interview on his media industry blog Hear 2.0. Mark is the President of Mercury Media Research and he talks to him about radio’s future. Then go bookmark Seth’s blog site.
I would expect Seth Godin to be enlightening and challenging to our industry at a time when we need it. I’m just glad the keynote slot was not given to another celebrity interview that does little or nothing to inspire and provoke serious thought for the future of our format.
I hope it will be a sign of good things to come from CRS 2009.
Okay, I have this Love/Hate thing with the Grammy Awards. Always have. I love how vast the genres of music are and how most years they will put it all on display – even the Jazz and Classical formats. I hate how that vastness can steal reality away from voters. I’m not necessarily talking about country music here, but rather the entire thing. I’m all for non-commercial projects getting the recognition they deserve, but I can’t help but think it is partly about political posturing – both inside the business and out.
There are so many things I disagree with after reading the long list of nominees and I haven’t the time or will to mention them all. Instead I will list some of the nominees I am most happy about and believe deserve every bit of recognition for their work and representation of their respective format:
- Brandon Heath
- Dan Tyminski
- Flight of the Conchords
- MuteMath
- Lady Antebellum
- Paramore
- Jerry Douglas
- Kings of Leon
- TobyMac
- Leona Lewis
- Alison Krauss
- Al Green
- John Mayer “Gravity”
- Daughtry
- George Strait
- The Time Jumpers
- Vince Gill for Album of the Year (all formats).
A couple other quick observations:
- How many individuals does it exactly require to record a Lil Wayne album?
- And is it me, or does it take more people to write a single song these days? Loads of tracks (mostly non-country) with 4 or 5 writers. I mean, c’mon.
- James Taylor gets a nomination for doing covers??
Back in June I posted about how much older our core demo is getting. It was based on research that I had read about and the concern was that we may be chasing the older demo off the cliff and the future with them. We’d be in a tough place wondering how we let the younger generation slip away and regret not reaching out to them early so they will stick around for life.
Well, we now have successfully saturated ourselves with younger artists, with younger skewing music, and celebrity driven culture. The music industry pendulum has swung and everyone seems to be chasing the young un’s all over town. That’s as dangerous as letting your aging demo fade away into Oldies land.
Now the debate is which is better – aiming for a fickle younger demo who could be here one moment and then gone the next or not letting the perpetual adult core of the Country format get away? Good reason and relevant arguments on both sides. The younger demo could leave us with our hat in our hand and ratings in the toilet when they decide to chase the next hip format and the older demo could squeeze us from ever capturing the next generation of listeners and record buyers.
The subject is once again a hot topic and was recently covered in an interesting article from Sean Ross. The question is back. Do we split the format up or keep it all inclusive?
On one hand I think what we need for the time being are level heads and balance. This format has always had an amazing variety of sounds, artists, and music. It hasn’t always been presented in the best way, but there is so much opportunity now to showcase how diverse and inclusive our format is. There are those that think we can still remain solidly Country and include both demos, without leaning to far one way or the other.
On the other hand…..if we can somehow make two country formats work, imagine the opportunity for new artists. It would theoretically open up the playing field to so many deserving and talented artists that aren’t getting the break they deserve. Some in radio will wonder if there are enough quality acts to wrap around Taylor Swift on a younger 18-34 Country format and I say absolutely yes! I’ve heard so many fresh new artists in Nashville that challenge anything currently on the radio including Taylor. Most have no idea the powder keg of singers and songwriters in Nashville.
Does playing to the middle of both adult and younger demos cause a dilution of our format to the lowest common denominator? Do we need to split the format up to make let it be all that it potentially can be?
I’m torn between the two, but for the first time in my career I see a solid validity for a “Hot Country” and “Mainstream Country” or whatever you wish to title them. It could solve the problem of what to do with all of the celebrity artists flooding over from American Idol, Nashville Star, and various other launching pads. It would also insure George, Alan, Reba, Vince, Martina, Tim, and countless other relevant mature artists are carrying on the country tradition and satisfying the adult demos.
The timing may be right to test the waters.
I was recently thinking about legendary Country artists that have little significance in today’s Country music world or in the pop culture at large. They certainly have respect and have been influences on culture, but they have either been shut out of today’s world or have purposefully decided not to participate. It happens.
Then there are others who still have weight and significance in what is happening today. How does that happen and who decides? Some of it is hard work on the road, a great marketing, publishing or publicity team, and a new vision of how they can fit themselves into what’s going on now. Sometimes it is random fortune too.
That leads me to The Bellamy Brothers. They currently have a big hit in the U.K., but not from a new song, but rather “Let Your Love Flow” which they originally released in 1976. It is one of the best “feel good” songs ever recorded and someone took advantage of that fact and licensed the track for a television ad in the United Kingdom. The single is rising up the UK charts 30 years after it was a hit and they have a new found fame. A whole new generation is discovering the Bellamy’s.
The ad is for a credit card company. I don’t feel good about credit card companies. I actually hate credit card companies for a multitude of reasons. They are evil. But I do like this advert.
Here’s Jamie knocking out an acoustic version of ”Like A Woman” during one of the CMA radio recording sessions.
To me the real winners of any awards show are the artists who can consistently pull off great performances or who bring something incredible to the program.
My winners this year: George Strait, Keith Urban, Miranda Lambert, Kid Rock, Lady Antebellum, Darius Rucker, Carrie Underwood, and Reba’s short solo with B&D.
The rest were okay and a couple were downright awful.
I wonder sometimes that what appears to be the best thing the country format has going on right now may simultaneously be the worst thing for its future.
I would have loved to seen artists like Alison Krauss and Union Station, Lee Ann Womack, Pat Green, Josh Turner, and Vince Gill perform. Artists who bring an authentic country roots flavor to the mix. And where the heck were the legends? Are we just too ashamed of the pioneers and influences anymore? Were they sitting in the upper level of the Somet? Yeah yeah, I know – Ratings.
I did think it was cool to see John Anderson on stage with Strait.
It seems Mary Kay knows who the core Country demo is. Can’t say that about everyone.
Overall it was a pretty decent show with loads of performances. The big award winners were almost identical to last year, so that made the presentation segments uneventful.
Here is the rundown of the 2008 Country Music Association prizes:
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Entertainer of the Year: Kenny Chesney
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Male Vocalist of the Year: Brad Paisley
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Female Vocalist of the Year: Carrie Underwood
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Song of the Year: “Stay,” Jennifer Nettles
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Album of the Year: “Troubadour,” George Strait
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Music Video of the Year: “Waitin’ on a Woman,” Brad Paisley featuring Andy Griffith
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Music Event: Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
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Vocal Group of the Year: Rascal Flatts
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New Artist of the Year: Lady Antebellum
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Single of the Year: “I Saw God Today,” George Strait
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Vocal Duo of the Year: Sugarland
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Musician of the Year: Mac McAnally
Congrats to all of them and the nominees.
As artists, radio, and fans make the yearly trek to Nashville for the Country Music Association Awards, the future of the industry is on the minds of Music Row professionals.
A CMA round table discussion took place last week and The Tennessean covered the event. Participants included: Singer-songwriter Keith Anderson; artist Rodney Atkins; CMA executive Tammy Genovese; Lyric Street Records President Randy Goodman; and Spalding Entertainment President Clarence Spalding.
A few outtakes:
People along Music Row often talk about things running in cycles. Is this downturn in album sales cyclical?
GOODMAN: No, this is a significant, fundamental change. It’s a seismic shift in the landscape. It won’t ever be the same again.
SPALDING:When we went from cassettes to CD, that was easy and great, because the quality was so much better and people bought CD copies of the cassettes they already had. But now, what are you going to? You’re moving from albums to downloaded singles on an iPod.
And that is certainly a much lower sound quality. MP3 sound is terrible when compared to a CD.
SPALDING: I don’t know that the consumer cares.
GENOVESE: They don’t want to buy a CD.
GOODMAN: My kids listen to their iPods with ear-buds. They’re not worried about sound quality.
Are there good things going on out there? Hopeful signs.
GOODMAN: Rodney, how many did you sell of your last record?
ATKINS: We’re knocking on a couple million, I think. Not at it yet, but getting close.
GOODMAN: Then that’s a good sign right there. I read a quote in The Wall Street Journalfrom a CEO who was talking about his business and said, “It’s not easy, but it’s not over.” That’s the way I feel about this. Taylor Swift and Big Machine Records are having the best year they’ve had. There was no market share for them, now there’s a huge market share. And Taylor Swift is embarking on her own tour. All of us are going to have to look at this and say, “The business isn’t what it used to be, so how do we change the way we do business?” Record companies, historically, have only participated in one revenue stream. And that’s a revenue stream that isn’t what it used to be. To me, it’s a time for innovation and reengineering. And it’s going to be painful. We will continue to contract and go through some consolidation.
GENOVESE: The fans are finding a value, though. This summer, the CMA festival attendance was up 10 percent from where we were before, with gas prices at $4 a gallon. I think our festival has gained a reputation for added value. People will spend money on music, but they do it now in a strategic way.
ANDERSON: We could say, “All right, it’s a digital era. We’re never going to see multiplatinum again.” Well, right in the middle of it, Rodney’s about to go 2 million. And here are Carrie Underwood and Taylor Swift. You’ve got to believe that it’s the song that’s going to drive people. Songs make people go buy those records and want to own them.
Does radio play drive sales the way it used to?
GOODMAN:Radio has never been a guarantee of sales. In my early days at RCA, we ran No. 1 singles up the charts on some artists who never sold in great numbers. But what’s happening now at radio makes things complicated. When we started Lyric Street Records 11 years ago, you could run a record up the charts in 15 weeks. Maybe 20. With our three Bucky Covington singles, the average time we’ve spent is about 35 weeks per single. You release three singles, you’re talking about close to two years. The singles are taking so long to develop, that you see album sales fall apart. You may have a hit first single that drives album sales, and then the second single takes so long that it falls off of Target’s chart, and Target quits buying it because it doesn’t have momentum. So when the single hits again, you’ve got to go back and re-solicit, if they allow you to do that.
SPALDING: And that takes money.
ATKINS: It takes so long now to have enough up-tempo hits so you can build a live show and go to the next level.
For the entire discussion go HERE.
Yes I know, Bethany Dillon has been around for a bit in the Christian music industry and has scored #1 songs, critical acclaim, and GMA nominations, but there are millions of people who have never heard of her outside those walls. It’s about time to break down those barriers one way or another.
Bethany released her first album on Sparrow Records in 2004 at the age of 16. She was quickly discovered as an amazingly gifted singer/songwriter. Her voice, in the opinion of the Music Advisory, is one of the finest in the CCM or any format.
If it were up to yours truly, I would expand Bethany into the Country genre as well. Her voice and instrumentational style would be a natural progression. Not only would Bethany bring her current fans with her, but she would make an instant and positive impact on countless others with relevant songs and by the way she lives her life. Her talent blows away the gifted Taylor Swift and other youthful contemporaries and she would be a welcomed addition to a format needing authentic talent as apposed to a saturated celebrity dumping ground.
So the invitation is out there for Bethany and her camp (including producer extraordinaire Ed Cash) to make the mainstream cross over. I would be the biggest advocate and fight for it, but I’m positive CCM would fight to keep her all to themselves. Rightly so.
The Music Advisory thinks you should check out Bethany’s history of musical offerings if you have yet to discover this young lady. She is creating authentic and important music with limitless potential down the road.
Web site: www.bethanydillon.com
Acoustic performance video. (Cuts abrubtly toward end)
Last week Lon Helton in Country Aircheck posed the question, “Where are the women?”, in referring to the lack of female Country music artists that are finding chart success. Besides Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood, the ladies of the Country format have found it difficult to deliver a hit song on the radio in 2008.
Lon raised the questions, “Why are fewer women having hits these days? Is it just cyclical? Is it that women simply aren’t cutting songs that are resonating with Country radio’s audience that skews 55% female? Or is there something more sinister at work?”
Having worked with Reba McEntire, Trisha Yearwood, Wynonna Judd, and Lee Ann Womack all at the time they were delivering big chart topping hits, it has caused me think of what the difference is between then and what is happening now. So I sent a reply to Lon:
“My estimation as to why females are struggling lately is because they aren’t releasing songs that strongly connect with adult woman 25+. That is our core isn’t it? Yet we have Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood, Kellie Pickler, Jessica Simpson, Kristy Lee Cook, Whitney Duncan, Carter’s Chord, Juliana Hough, Crystal Shawanda, Katie Armiger, Miranda Lambert, and others you mentioned who appeal to a younger skewing audience and who are relatively young artists themselves. I think its great we are gaining appeal with the younger demos – we must have them for our future success, but perhaps we have ignored the more adult and mature women who drive the country format. We can’t always get them via their children.
“I think back not too long ago when the females were ruling and it was exactly when more mature artists were releasing relevant songs to a grown-up audience – Trisha, Wynonna, Patty, Reba, Martina, Faith, Shania, and others who spoke to the heart of a woman. Maybe that is what’s not happening now?”
Or is it because those type of songs are out there being released, but radio is choosing not to play them?
Another part of the equation is that playing the celebrity game over pure artistry is getting our format in trouble. Just because an artist is recognizable and has had success in other media outlets - movies, reality shows, talent competitions, other formats, and variety programs - does not necessarily mean that artist is equally as good for the Country radio audience. We may see some encouraging first week product sales and general excitement, but once the novelty wears off we will be left with a format that has no sense of itself. There are exceptions (including Darius, Carrie, and Miranda), but we are overrun with artists that have no clue what the Country format is about and an audience that has difficulty relating to them at all.
The connections are not being made.
When you think about the month of March what automatically comes to your mind? Spring? “Et tu, Brute?”, Mardi Gras? National Poison Prevention Week? St. Patricks Day? How about Rissi Palmer Month?!
The 2009 Chevy and CMA Country Music Calendar is off the press and ready for your wall. This highly anticipated edition featuring Rissi can be found in the following publications:
NASCAR Illustrated (on sale November 23)
Progressive Farmer (on sale November 10/31)
Country Weekly (on sale 10/20)
People (on sale 11/7)
The combined circulation of those publications is close to 3 million readers!
The calendars will also be handed out to participating Premiere Radio CMA remote stations, at auto shows, NASCAR races and other key Chevy events throughout 2009.
Also, this year marks debut of digital interactive format of Chevy calendar that will be housed on cmt.com. It will provide additional photos and Behind-the-Scenes footage filmed at the photo shoot.
For more details on what else is happening with Rissi go to www.rissipalmer.com.
OUCH!
NASHVILLE – (October 14, 2008)
Curb Records released a third hits package on Tim McGraw last week, a CD that was put into record stores without his involvement. McGraw has been working on a new studio album for over a year and debuted three new songs on this year’s “Live Your Voice Tour.” It was his desire to have the new record out this fall but Curb wanted to release a greatest hits CD to extend McGraw’s recording contract term.
“I am saddened and disappointed that my label chose to put out another hits album instead of new music,” said Tim McGraw. “I’ve only had one studio album since my last hits package. It has to be just as confusing to the fans as it is to me. I had no involvement in the creation or presentation of this record. Sure I love the songs and I don’t want to take anything away from all the creative people who were a part of making those records. But the whole concept is an embarrassment to me as an artist. In the spirit of an election year, I would simply say to my fans ‘I’m Tim McGraw and I don’t approve their message.’”
Have you discovered an independent musical artist who you thought was out of this world that not many people know about? An artist that you feel “has it”? Any type of music.
A pure unsigned indie you think very few people have had the pleasure of hearing.
Hit me with it in the comments.
Emerson Drive has been nominated for #1 Digitally Active Duo/Group on the CMT Video Music Awards. The nominees and ultimate winner are determined by calculating the number of digital streams the act had over the last year.
The numbers: 3.8 million total streams and over 2.3 million total profile views on Myspace!
E Drive is also up for a prestigious Grammy Award for Best Country Performance By A Group or Duo with Vocals for their 1 hit “Moments”.
