Industry Ink (8-30-13)

Warner/Chappell Music has signed a worldwide co-publishing agreement with singer/songwriter Jason Matthews. Matthews has penned songs for artists such as Luke Bryan, Billy Currington, Chris Young, Jake Owen, and Blake Shelton. In 2006, he earned a No. 1 song with Currington’s “Must Be Doin’ Somethin’ Right.” He was also named MusicRow magazine’s Breakthrough Writer of the Year in 2006.

Pictured (Front row): Jason Matthews. Pictured (Back row): Steve Markland (W/C), Blain Rhodes (W/C), Ben Vaughn (W/C), Phil May (W/C).

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Randy Stark

On Ramp Records has hired industry veteran Randy Stark as Managing Director, where he will be responsible for managing and coordinating label operations, as well as providing radio promotion services. Stark has served as VP, Marketing and Promotion for Warner Music Canada, has directed the artist management company Stark Ravings (including artists Jason Blaine and Clayton Bellamy), and has worked as President at the Canadian Country Music Association. Stark is a past director of the Country Music Association in Nashville. He is also currently Director at the Country Music Association of Ontario.

“Adding Randy to the On Ramp family signifies our continued commitment to growing our label operations,” commented  On Ramp Records President and owner Louis O’Reilly. “His broad industry experience and success at radio will strengthen our position as a leading label services company.”

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Mysti Meese

Country Radio Seminar has announced the creation of a new Marketing Coordinator position, to expand the service and support the Brand Marketing and Strategic Partnerships department. Recent Belmont University graduate Mysti Meese will fill the coordinator role beginning Sept. 9. Beginning Sept. 9, Meese can be reached at mysti@countryradioseminar.com or at 615-327-4487.

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This fall, Belmont University will take part in Creative Connection, allowing four juniors a unique internship program designed to connect students with industry companies and help them establish familiarity and relationships in different facets of the industry. Those facets include publishing, administration, artist management and business management. The students will work with Creative Nation, Words and Music, Crush Management and The Kella Stephensen Company, respectively.

Students Markus Hwang, Jen Duke, Eric LaFontsee and Elle Hussey have been selected to participate in the program, and will intern with each company for three weeks, before rotating to the next. Each semester will feature a brief training camp at Creative Nation to launch the program and will sum up the semester with a group meeting at Creative Nation.

Pictured: First row: Marc Rucker (Crush Management), Kelsey Granda (Creative Nation), Eric LaFontsee.
Second row: Markus Hwang, Jen Duke, Jill Curry (Kella Stephenson Company), Beth Laird (Creative Nation), Elle Hussey. Back row: Andrew Cohen (Crush Management), Brandi Surface (Words and Music), Tricia Proctor (Words and Music) and Julie Stuckey (Creative Nation).