RareSpark Reveals First Signings

Owner/CEO Suzanne Strickland

Suzanne Strickland and Scot Sherrod have officially launched RareSpark Media Group, Inc., offering music publishing, production, development and management services. The company’s first signings are songwriter/producer Jon McElroy, Victoria Banks, Jim Reilley, and E Marlowe.

McElroy’s cuts include Lee Brice’s “Happy Endings” and “Upper Middle Class White Trash,” Neal McCoy’s “The Shake,” and Patty Loveless’ “She Drew A Broken Heart.” Banks, the 2010 CCMA Female Artist and Songwriter of the Year, has had cuts by Sara Evans and Jessica Simpson. Singer-songwriter/producer Reilley is formerly of The New Dylans and has cuts by Vince Gill, Hal Ketchum, Jack Ingram, and Sam Bush. Rising writer E Marlowe is a past winner of the CMT/NSAI song contest.

Scot Sherrod will oversee day-to-day operations as VP/GM. “We are forging ahead in this ever-evolving industry,” he says, “continually finding new ways to help the songwriter develop, build, and manage their career—constantly striving to increase their brand, building enterprises for each individual that will financially sustain them through their art.”

Scot Sherrod

Owner/CEO Suzanne Strickland brings more than a decade as a songwriter and CCM touring artist to the venture. She also spent 10 years as director of operations for A&M Recovery Services, Inc., a mortgage field services company. “Our deals will fundamentally be the same for every songwriter as far as ownership, but we will tailor every deal from a creative perspective to meet the needs of each individual,” she says. “Being based in Nashville, the epicenter of songwriting, is important to us. However, we are passionate about coming up with new and innovative ways of marketing our songwriters in the industry and the marketplace without limiting ourselves geographically, or with regard to platform and genre.”

In recent years Sherrod has represented, produced, composed and/or performed works licensed in theatrical trailers and movies including Zombieland, Bounty Hunter, Knight and Day, Airbender, Green Lantern and Lost Boys III, as well as a national ad for Volvo. He previously spent 12 years at Major Bob Music and two years at Muy Bueno Music Group. As a producer he worked with Juno Award winner George Canyon. He also helped place “More Than A Memory” with Garth Brooks.

RareSpark is located at 508 E. Iris Dr., Nashville, TN 37204; Phone: (615) 678-5709; Email: info@raresparkmedia.com. www.raresparkmedia.com

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Sarah Skates has worked in the music business for more than a decade and is a longtime contributor to MusicRow.

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