ASCAP “She Is The Music” Song Camp Kicks Off With Party In Nashville

Veteran Music Producer Ron Fair, ASCAP President and Chairman of the Board Paul Williams, Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mary J. Blige, ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews, Executive Vice President of Membership John Titta and Senior Vice President of Membership Nicole George-Middleton

ASCAP, The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, kicked off the highly anticipated “She Is The Music” song camp with a party at hit producer and music executive Ron Fair’s Faircraft Studio in Nashville.

Celebrating their sisterhood within the music industry, camp participants in attendance included the Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated Mary J. Blige, superstar engineer Maria Elisa Ayerbe, writers Stacey Barthe (“Cheers (Drink to That),” Rihanna) and Ingrid Burley (“Love Drought,” Beyonce), Alyssa Bonagura of Sony Music Nashville duo The Sisterhood, Femke Weidema, whose “My Song” was featured on ABC’s hit show “Nashville,” singer, songwriter and pianist Anna Graceman, ASCAP Foundation Sammy Cahn prize winner/ UMPG writer Caylee Hammack, Big Loud Records songwriter-artist Jillian Jacqueline, Audra Mae (“Little Red Wagon,” Miranda Lambert), PJ (Wiz Khalifa, Usher, Chris Brown, Charlie Puth, Fantasia), Priscilla Renea (“Timber,” Pitbull, “California King,” Rihanna), multi-instrumentalist and singer/songwriter Ali Stone, Emily Weisband (Grammy-winning “Thy Will,” Hillary Scott), production duo The Wildcardz and more.

ASCAP Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth Matthews welcomed all of the “She Is The Music” participants and remarked upon the ASCAP creative community, the organization’s ongoing support for ASCAP female writers and its desire to bring the camp together. Also in attendance were Ron Fair and ASCAP executives Paul Williams, John Titta, Lauren Iossa and Nicole George-Middleton. The intimate gathering was a perfect opportunity for all of the participants to meet and mingle.

She Is The Music is an industry-wide initiative to increase opportunities for and empower female music creators. It is committed to progressing inclusivity and equality for women in music, with the goal of transforming the landscape of the business. She Is The Music was created in response to a music industry report from the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, with data revealing huge inequalities for female musicians. The effort was cofounded by esteemed industry figures including global superstar Alicia Keys, Universal Music Publishing Group Chairman and CEO Jody Gerson, Grammy Award-winning engineer Ann Mincieli and WME partner and head of East Coast Music Samantha Kirby.

The camp officially began yesterday and will continue through Friday, October 19th.