New York, N.Y.- May 16, 2012- The Abe Olman Scholarships for Excellence in Songwriting, The Holly Prize and the NYU Steinhardt Songwriting Scholar Award will be awarded during the kick off of the New Music Seminar on Sunday, June 17th at Webster Hall, SHOF President/CEO Linda Moran announced today.

The scholarships will be presented directly after the previously announced Songwriters-In-The-Round event, hosted and produced by SHOF inductee and legendary songwriter Desmond Child at the New Music Seminar.

This year’s Abe Olman Scholarship recipients are Jeremy Current, Lyle Divinsky, Jody Mulgrew, Bebe Rexha and Shea Rose.

Abe Olman, for whom the scholarship program is named, was both a major figure in the music publishing community and a songwriter himself, in addition to being one of the founders of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. The Abe Olman Scholarships given out each year are made possible by his family to encourage and support the careers of young songwriters. Former recipients include a host of the brightest young songwriter/artists, including John Legend. These songwriters are those who have risen to an exemplary standard and have been chosen by ASCAP, BMI and SESAC.

The Holly Prize, an award made possible by Songmasters and administered and juried by the Songwriters Hall of Fame as a tribute to the legacy of SHOF inductee Buddy Holly, will be awarded to Emily King. The Holly Prize recognizes and supports the “all-in songwriter,” an exceptionally talented and inspired young musician/singer/songwriter whose work follows the legacy of Holly’s music.

The NYU Steinhardt Songwriting Scholar Award is presented to a music composition student whose work holds great potential for success in the field, and embodies the art, craft, individuality and qualities of communication of the best songwriting. The 2012 recipient of the award will be Andrew (AJ) Smith.

SHOF members are eligible for a 20% registration discount on the full, three-day New Music Seminar with this promotional code: NMSNYSHOF2377. To purchase tickets, visit: www.newmusicseminar.com

Attendance at Songwriters-In-The-Round and scholarship event requires registration at the New Music Seminar, or RSVP directly to Songwriters Hall of Fame: April Anderson; aanderson@songhall.org; 212.957.9230

For media RSVP or more information on New Music Seminar, please contact:
WE + PR Workman Entertainment & Public Relations; (o) 212-256-0592
Pam Lipshitz; pamelal@workmanentertainment.com

About the New Music Seminar: June 17-19, 2012, New York City:
From the co-founder and director of the original legendary New Music Seminar comes a conference for the Next Music Business.  Rapidly changing music creation, exposure and monetization opportunities coupled with music fans changing music consumption habits are transforming the old “record business” into an entirely new industry.  The New Music Seminar is the meeting place of music visionaries, upstarts, and disruptors and where the old rules are broken and new ideas will hatch into a vital new music business.  For more information on this year’s event and the speakers attending go to www.NewMusicSeminar.com

The songwriting duo received the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song during a tribute concert in the East Room, produced by SHOF Board of Director Members Phil Ramone and Karen Sherry, and featuring Stevie Wonder, Sheryl Crow, Lyle Lovett and others. Wonder sang their tunes, “Make It Easy on Yourself” and “Alfie.”

More than 55 years after their first songs hit the airwaves,” Obama said, “these guys have still got it. Above all, they stayed true to themselves, and with an unmistakable authenticity, they captured the emotions of our daily lives — the good times, the bad times, and everything in between.”

The Library of Congress, which houses the world’s largest collection of sheet music and some of the earliest sound recordings, awards its Gershwin Prize as a lifetime achievement award to honor the legacy of the songwriting team of George and Ira Gershwin. Bacharach and David truly reflected the Gershwins as a combination of composer and lyricist and have produced one of the world’s “most recognizable and richest multigenerational playlists,” said Librarian of Congress James Billington.

“This is music that has filtered through and survived not only their lifetimes, but people will go on discovering their tunes that aren’t as recognizable,” Billington said.

Past recipients of the Gershwin Prize have included Wonder, Paul Simon and Paul McCartney. This is the first time it has gone to a songwriting duo.

Many lyrics and tunes from David and Bacharach are timeless, from “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” and “I Say A Little Prayer” to “What The World Needs Now Is Love.” They produced dozens of top 10 hits that continue to resonate in pop culture. Their music was recorded by legendary singers including The Beatles, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond and their longtime partner Dionne Warwick, and their music is still being recorded by such artists as Alicia Keys and John Legend.

The private concert will be broadcast at 9pm EST, May 21st on PBS for the series “In Performance at the White House.”

All Songwriters Hall of Fame members will receive 20% off of the New Music Seminar registration with this promotional code: NMSNYSHOF2377

This will be the inaugural Songwriters-In-The-Round event, and one that should not be missed!

About the New Music Seminar: JUNE 17-19, 2012, New York City
The New Music Seminar is the meeting place of music visionaries, upstarts, and disruptors who are building a new music business. These architects of a sustainable music business include digital solutions to help artists create, expose and monetize in new and innovative ways. Companies like Pandora, Spotify, SoundExchange, Apple, YouTube, FaceBook, ReverbNation, IHeartRadio, Sirus/XM, Nimbit, TopSpin, Google, Big Champagne and many more are changing the music business in radical new ways. The music business resurrection begins at the New Music Seminar. 

New York, NY- May 1, 2012 – Woody Guthrie will be the recipient of the prestigious Pioneer Award, to be presented at the 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb announced today. 

The Pioneer Award was established in 2012 to honor the career of a historic creator of a major body of musical work that has been a major influence on generations of songwriters.

“This year, we join musicians and songwriters from around the world in celebrating Woody Guthrie’s 100th birthday,” commented SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb. “One of the great songwriters of all time, we look forward to acknowledging his brilliance with the first-ever Songwriters Hall of Fame Pioneer Award.”

Guthrie wrote more than 3,000 songs throughout his career, including American staples “This Land Is Your Land,” “This Train Is Bound For Glory,” “Pastures of Plenty” and “Pretty Boy Floyd.” First known as “the Dustbowl Balladeer,” his musical and compositional style has influenced generations of contemporary songwriters in every genre, from folk to rock.  Recognized for his monumental contributions and achievements in American culture, Guthrie was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters’ Hall of Fame in 1977, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and in 1999 he was honored with The National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences Grammy® Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2012, to commemorate what would be Guthrie’s centennial year, Woody Guthrie Publications and the Grammy® Museum are collaborating on a year-long celebration from California to the New York Island and across the pond, with concerts, exhibits, educational conferences and album releases, among other honorary celebrations.

Previously announced inductees at this year’s SHOF event include Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman.  The Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Bette Midler and the Abe Olman Publisher Award will be presented to Lance Freed. “Stand By Me” will receive the Towering Song Award with Ben E. King honored with the Towering Performance Award.  The Hal David Starlight Award will be presented to Ne-Yo.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

CONTACT:
Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
212-878-5002
fcurtis@rogersandcowan.com

Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
212-878-5007
lwilsman@rogersandcowan.com

That Dick Clark had unique stature in the music business was evident by the swift outpouring of tributes from all segments of an industry he did so much to shape for so many years.

“Dick Clark, a fellow Syracuse University graduate, was the reason so many of us got into the music business,” said music publishing mogul Martin Bandier, chairman/CEO of Sony/ATV Music Publishing. “His show American Bandstand, which lasted for decades, brought contemporary music of the time to a new level.”

Clark was a deserved Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in the Non-Performer category, and had also been singled out by the Songwriters Hall of Fame with its prestigious Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award, which honors industry veterans who are acknowledged as pioneers in their craft, whose body of work over time has been substantial, enduring and influential, and whose success and contributions over a lifetime have inspired the music community.

“He was a shy and private person and not a publicity hound,” noted the organization’s president/CEO Linda Moran. “He made stars out of artists and hits out of records and was an amazing businessman.”

Moran actually received from Clark his National Music Foundation’s Founders Club Award in the early 1990s.

“The fact that Dick Clark was presenting me with an award blew my mind,” she continued. “He was largely responsible for introducing me and my generation of baby boomers to the world of music, teen idols and dancing. Who can ever forget his $64 million question when rating a new record: Do you like the beat or the lyrics?”

Clark, Moran added, “could never understand it when I would tell him how excited everyone would get when he called--with his quite recognizable voice--or how thrilled they were to meet or see him whenever he visited my office. I admired and adored the man and he shall be truly missed, but what a great legacy the Philly DJ, who became one of the world’s most successful entertainment moguls, has left us with. He was a part of everyone’s youth, and was also a great judge of character.”

Read Jim Bessman’s full story here: http://www.examiner.com/article/dick-clark-an-appreciation

Ahmet Ertegun presenting Dick Clark with the 1988 Songwriters Hall of Fame Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award

After opening remarks from the Director of NYU’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions Robert Rowe, Songwriters Hall of Fame Education Committee Chair and Vice Chair Robbin Ahrold and Karen Sherry, and introduction by host/interviewer and NYU Songwriter-In-Residence Phil Galdston, Nile Rodgers came to the stage. With Galdston’s expert guidance, he proceeded to open up his creative life to the audience. He spoke of his beginnings with a troubled childhood, and picking up the jazz guitar at the comparably elder age of 17. He took to music like the proverbial duck to water, learning composition and music theory, and becoming a virtuoso on classical and jazz guitar.

In the early 1970s, Nile met Bernard Edwards who convinced him to trade in his jazz guitar for the same vintage 1960 Stratocaster he brought with him last night. Bernard helped enlighten Nile to the value of the pop song, expanding on his classical and jazz “roots,” and they were off and running. They formed The Big Apple Band, and then the inimitable Chic, netting a string of signature hits such as “We Are Family,” “Everybody Dance,” “I’m Coming Out” and the timeless “Le Freak.” Nile spoke of their long and incredibly productive collaboration, songwriting and producing for several artists including Diana Ross, David Bowie, Sister Sledge and Madonna.

Anyone can talk about their accomplishments, especially those that actually changed the face of popular music, but Nile was riveting. He let us have a glimpse into the genius of his thought process...how he is always composing and living his life to his own soundtrack. He casually threw out a few notes that were running around in his mind at that moment, and spoke of what he called the “Deep Hidden Meaning” that inspired his songwriting. He related defining moments that occurred when speaking with his early mentors, questioning how good a song has to be. He has lived by the answers “make it better” and “write what you know” from that moment on.

Songwriters Hall of Fame’s Robbin Ahrold and Karen Sherry summed the evening up in their prophetic opening remarks: “Since joining with NYU, our Master Sessions have featured interviews with songwriting legends including Hal David, Jimmy Webb, and Glenn Frey.

Presenting these great writers speaks to both sides of The Songwriter’s Hall of Fame mission. . .to celebrate the legends of songwriting, and to extend their legacy by helping to prepare new songwriters through better understanding of the process of their creative genius. Nile Rodgers fits that description to a T. . .a superstar writer, acclaimed producer, legendary performer and so much more. . .he is a jewel in the crown of American music. . . .and we could find no more appropriate interviewee for our program tonight.”

We won’t soon forget the inspiration and magic of that evening that belonged to Nile.

New York, NY- April 9, 2012 – Ne-Yo will be the recipient of the prestigious Hal David Starlight Award, to be presented at the 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 14 at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb announced today. 

The Hal David Starlight Award, created in 2004, was renamed in honor of SHOF Chairman Emeritus Hal David, for his longtime support of young songwriters. Award recipients are gifted young songwriters who are making a significant impact in the music industry via their original songs. Ne-Yo joins the prestigious company of Rob Thomas, Alicia Keys, John Mayer, John Legend, John Rzeznik, Jason Mraz, Taylor Swift and Drake.

Ne-Yo is the multi-platinum, three-time Grammy® Award-winning recording artist acclaimed for his incredible songwriting talent, powerhouse performances and expertise as a producer. Ne-Yo, who began his career as a songwriter, was catapulted into the spotlight with his hit “Let Me Love You,” which he wrote for R&B singer Mario, landing him a record deal with Def Jam in 2004.  His debut album In My Own Words went RIAA platinum and featured US #1 hit “So Sick,” as well as the Top 10 hit “Sexy Love.” His follow-up album Because of You, released in 2007, won Ne-Yo the Grammy® Award for Best Contemporary R&B Album.  The title track and first single off the platinum-selling album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart.

His most recent album, Libra Scale in 2010, was the follow-up to the 2008 RIAA platinum Year Of The Gentleman, his third consecutive album to enter the Soundscan chart at #1. In addition to the trio of RIAA platinum hit singles “Closer,” “Miss Independent,” and “Mad,” Year Of The Gentleman generated five Grammy® nominations in 2009 – with “Miss Independent” winning for Best R&B Song, which Ne-Yo penned, and Best Male R&B Vocal Performance. 

Now a prominent member of Motown Records, Ne-Yo has written chart-topping songs for a catalog of artists throughout his career including Usher, Rihanna, Beyonce, Mary J Blige, Jennifer Hudson, Tim McGraw and many others. In large part due to his award-winning songwriting abilities, Ne-Yo was recently named the senior vice president of A&R at Motown, where he serves as a producer and mentor to the label’s artists, as well as seeks out and signs new talent.  Ne-Yo will release his highly anticipated fifth studio album on Motown this fall.

“Ne-Yo’s beginnings as a young singer-songwriter and his subsequent rise as a chart-topping writer and producer make him the perfect choice for the prestigious Hal David Starlight Award,” commented SHOF Chairman and legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb. “We are looking forward to applauding his many accomplishments at our Annual Awards Gala.”

Previously announced inductees at this year’s SHOF event include Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman.  The Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Bette Midler and the Abe Olman Publisher Award will be presented to Lance Freed. “Stand By Me” will receive the Towering Song Award with Ben E. King honored with the Towering Performance Award.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

CONTACT:
Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
212-878-5002
fcurtis@rogersandcowan.com

Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
212-878-5007
lwilsman@rogersandcowan.com

The Towering Song Award is presented to the creators of an individual song that has influenced our culture in a unique way over many years.  Previous Towering Songs have included “Take Me Out To The Ballgame” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water.” The Towering Performance Award is given in recognition of one-of-a-kind performances by one-of-a-kind singers.  Often called “songwriter’s singers,” they have recorded outstanding and unforgettable interpretations of songs that have become iconic standards.  Past recipients include Tony Bennett for “I Left My Heart In San Francisco” and Andy Williams for “Moon River.”

“Stand By Me” was written by Ben E. King, Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, and originally recorded by King with Leiber & Stoller producing. King’s record went to #1 on the R&B Charts in 1961 and was a Top 10 hit on the U.S. pop charts twice: in 1961, and again in 1986 when used as the theme song for the movie, Stand By Me. It has over 400 recorded versions, including hits by Earl Grant, Spyder Turner, David & Jimmy Ruffin, John Lennon, Mickey Gilley, Maurice White, 4 The Cause, and Prince Royce, and was sampled on Sean Kingston’s #1 hit “Beautiful Girls,” making it the song to have charted the most times on Billboard’s Hot 100. “Stand By Me” received a Grammy® Hall of Fame Award and is also on the top of the lists of Rolling Stone’s “500 Greatest Songs of All Time,” RIAA’s “Songs of the Century,” and is in the top five of BMI’s most-performed songs of the 20th century. It is a favorite of major acts: U2 has performed it live with Bruce Springsteen; and Lady Gaga, with Sting. A 2008 music video featuring “Stand By Me” performed by street musicians from around the world has been viewed on YouTube over 40 million times. Its success launched a foundation called Playing For Change that builds music schools around the globe.

Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller
Leiber and Stoller were inducted to the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1985. They were honored for their legendary catalog that includes Elvis Presley hits “Hound Dog” and “Love Me,” The Coasters’ “Yakety Yak” and “Charlie Brown,” and a host of other career defining standards, including “Kansas City,” “On Broadway,” and Peggy Lee’s “Is That All There Is.”

Ben E. King
As a lead singer of The Drifters and as a famed solo artist, King achieved a #1 hit with “Stand By Me,” and in his long career he has earned 12 Top 10 hits and 25 Top 40 hits, from 1959 to 1986.

Lance Freed
The Abe Olman Publisher Award, named after one of the SHOF’s esteemed founders, goes to music publishers who have had a substantial number of songs that have become world-renowned and have furthered the careers and successes of many songwriters. As the son of the late famed DJ Alan Freed, music has always been a part of Lance Freed’s life; mentoring writers like Will Jennings, Emmylou Harris, Leo Sayer, Melissa Etheridge, Peter Allen, Gerry Goffin, and Bryan Adams throughout his career. Since 1980, Freed has been president of Rondor Music International and has led the core creative team for over 35 years to create an unparalleled catalog of over 80,000 songs.  Under Freed’s leadership, Rondor Music International has received numerous awards, including Song of the Year Grammys® awarded to “From A Distance,” “Tears In Heaven” and “My Heart Will Go On,” and several Academy Awards for Best Song including “Shaft,” “Arthur’s Theme” and “My Heart Will Go On.”

Previously announced inductees at this year’s SHOF event include Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman.  The prestigious Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Bette Midler.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

CONTACT:
Fran Curtis
Rogers & Cowan
212-878-5002
fcurtis@rogersandcowan.com

Lauren Wilsman
Rogers & Cowan
212-878-5007
lwilsman@rogersandcowan.com

“We are delighted to expand our scholarship program, in partnership with NYU Steinhardt,” said SHOF President/CEO Linda Moran. “The Workshop offers a unique and very rare opportunity for students to work closely with some of today’s most accomplished and respected songwriters. The Scholars program is a natural extension of our growing collaboration with NYU Steinhardt, which we began a year ago with the creation of the Songwriters Hall of Fame Master Sessions.”

The NYU Summer Songwriters Workshop will provide one-on-one sessions with faculty, detailed presentations on a wide variety of skills, tools, and strategies essential for working songwriters, interaction with renowned practitioners of the art of songwriting, and in-depth master classes with prominent members of the music community. Headed by Phil Galdston, NYU Songwriter-in-Residence and Workshop Artistic Director, workshop faculty will include Jonatha Brooke, Barry Eastmond, and Angela Hunte. 

“Jonatha, Barry, Angela, and I are thrilled to be launching this exciting and innovative program together, and deeply appreciative of the support the SHOF, ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC will be providing to our students and the Workshop,” Galdston said.

The seven Songwriters Hall of Fame Scholars will be selected by the faculty from among the students accepted to the NYU Summer Songwriters Workshop. The application deadline is April 16, 2012. Further information is available here.

“The opportunity for gifted young writers to be mentored by the most esteemed artists is a celebration of the art of songwriting,” said Ron Sadoff, associate professor of film scoring and Workshop Executive Producer. “The SHOF scholarships for this inaugural workshop highlight a wonderful progression of support and collaboration with NYU Steinhardt.”

About Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts Professions:
Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions was established in 1925. Today, 1,600 students majoring in renowned music and performing arts programs are guided by 400 faculty.  Since merging with the New York College of Music in 1968, Music and Performing Arts Professions has functioned as NYU’s “school” of music and developed into a major research and practice center in music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, music performance practices, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama).

To learn more about NYU Steinhardt and the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, visit: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music.

Contacts:
Courtney Bowe
212.998.6797
courtney.bowe@nyu.edu

April Anderson/SHOF
212.957.9230
aanderson@songhall.org

A special Songwriters-In-The-Round event will be co-sponsored by the Songwriters Hall of Fame and the New Music Seminar on Sunday, June 17th from 3:30 to 5pm at Webster Hall in New York City. Hosted and produced by SHOF inductee and legendary songwriter Desmond Child, the event will feature a stellar line-up of renowned songwriters discussing their careers and performing their songs. Stay tuned to the songhall.org website for names to be announced soon.

SAVE $200 OFF REGISTRATION FEE IF YOU SIGN UP BEFORE MARCH 25TH! 

IN ADDITION, ALL SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL 20% OFF BY USING PROMOTIONAL CODE: NMSNYSHOF2377

This will be the inaugural Songwriters-In-The-Round event, and one that should not be missed!

About the NEW MUSIC SEMINAR: JUNE 17-19, 2012, NEW YORK CITY
The New Music Seminar is the meeting place of music visionaries, upstarts, and disruptors who are building a new music business. These architects of a sustainable music business include digital solutions to help artists create, expose and monetize in new and innovative ways. Companies like Pandora, Spotify, SoundExchange, Apple, YouTube, FaceBook, ReverbNation, IHeartRadio, Sirus/XM, Nimbit, TopSpin, Google, Big Champagne and many more are changing the music business in radical new ways. The music business resurrection begins at the New Music Seminar. For more information on this year’s event and the speakers attending go to www.NewMusicSeminar.com

Free and open to the NYU community, members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) and the music community, the event will take place at 7 p.m. at NYU’s Frederick Loewe Theatre located at 35 West 4th St. at Greene St. Subway lines: A, B, C, D, E, F, M (W. 4th St.), 1 (Christopher St.), N, R (8th St.), 6 (Astor Place), 6 (Bleecker St.). Due to open seating, reservations are encouraged. To make a reservation, please call 212-998-5424.

“Throughout my career, I’ve worked with some amazing artists and have learned invaluable lessons from them all,” said Rodgers.  “I’m really looking forward to sharing the tricks of the trade with the NYU community, and especially the students.  Phil Galdston is a gifted songwriter, producer, and a dear friend, who’ll be able to get the best out of me.”

Rodgers is one of the most successful songwriters of his era, with award-winning hits such as “We Are Family,” “Le Freak,” and “Good Times.” “Le Freak” is Atlantic Records’ only triple platinum selling single. In 1977, Rodgers and his partner Bernard Edwards formed the band CHIC, which had a string of number one songs. The duo wrote for and produced the 70s iconic act Sister Sledge, whose 1978 landmark album, We Are Family, remained on the charts well into 1979. In 1980, they wrote and produced the album Diana for Diana Ross, yielding the hits “Upside Down” and “I’m Coming Out.” Samples of his work on CHIC’s “Good Times” were the cornerstone of The Sugarhill Gang’s “Rapper’s Delight” – the first multiple-platinum Hip Hop single.

Rodgers went on to write and produce groundbreaking albums for some of the greatest recording artists, including Madonna and David Bowie. His autobiography, “Le Freak” (Random House) has won rave reviews.

“Nile has been an innovative producer and songwriter for decades, breaking new musical ground and presenting his visionary style, garnering world recognition,” said SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb. “We are very excited to have the chance to gain insight into his creative achievements within this intimate setting.”

The Master Sessions, a feature of songwriting studies at NYU Steinhardt and part of the ongoing educational activities of the Hall, were launched in 2011 and have profiled the careers of such legendary songwriters as Jimmy Webb and Glenn Frey.

Rodgers continues to tour, compose, produce, and brainstorm. He is arguably the most sampled songwriter of all time, and he has enjoyed tremendous success in new media, including in video games. Recently, he has co-created two musicals, both of which are making their way to Broadway.

“We are delighted to welcome Nile Rodgers as the next guest in our Master Sessions,” said Robert Rowe, chair of the NYU Steinhardt Department of Music and Music Arts Professions. “He’s an amazing musician, brilliant songwriter, and consummate professional, his insights will be invaluable to our students.”

The Master Sessions are part lecture, part performance, and part in-depth interview, concluding with a Q&A. The Master Sessions are organized and moderated by GRAMMY-nominated songwriter Phil Galdston ("Save the Best for Last"), a member of NYU’s Artists’ Faculty for five years.  He has also just been named the first member of the School’s songwriting faculty, as well as Songwriter-in-Residence.

About The Songwriters Hall of Fame:
The Songwriters Hall of Fame celebrates songwriters, educates the public with regard to their achievements and produces a spectrum of professional programs devoted to the development of new songwriting talent through workshops, showcases and scholarships. West Cost educational activities are held at The Grammy Museum, which hosts the permanent Songwriters Hall of Fame Gallery.

About Steinhardt Music and Performing Arts Professions:
Steinhardt’s Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions was established in 1925. Today, 1,600 students majoring in renowned music and performing arts programs are guided by 400 faculty.  Since merging with the New York College of Music in 1968, Music and Performing Arts Professions has functioned as NYU’s “school” of music and developed into a major research and practice center in music technology, music business, music composition, film scoring, music performance practices, performing arts therapies, and the performing arts-in-education (music, dance, and drama).

To learn more about NYU Steinhardt and the Department of Music and Performing Arts Professions, visit: http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music.

New York, NY – March 13, 2012 – Bette Midler will be the 2012 recipient of the esteemed Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award at the 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner slated for Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, Songwriters Hall of Fame Chairman Jimmy Webb announced today.

Midler is the legendary multi-Grammy® award-winning artist who for more than forty years has captivated audiences as the “Divine Miss M” on stages around the world.  As an award winning actress, producer and comedian, Midler is still going strong as one of the most talented individuals in entertainment.

“Bette Midler captivated the world early in her long career with her stylish presentation and unmistakable voice, making each song her own, and turning them into pure gold,” commented SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb. “It will be our great pleasure to honor her at our Annual Awards Gala with the Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award.”

The Sammy Cahn Lifetime Achievement Award honors industry veterans who are acknowledged as pioneers in their craft, whose body of work over time has been substantial, enduring and influential, and whose success and contributions over a lifetime have inspired the music community.  Past awardees include Peter, Paul & Mary, Les Paul, Patti LaBelle, Dick Clark, Gloria and Emilio Estefan, Neil Diamond, Berry Gordy, Tony Bennett, Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme, Nat King Cole, Neil Sedaka and Quincy Jones.

After Midler was discovered by Ahmet M. Ertegun, founder and chairman of Atlantic Records, she recorded her debut album, The Divine Miss M in 1972, a nod to the self-anointed trademark persona audiences fell in love with during her early career performing songs like “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” and “Superstar” at the famed Continental Baths in New York City. The Divine Miss M went Platinum and hit #9 on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart earning her a Grammy® for Best New Artist in 1973.

Since her debut album, Midler has released 14 albums, headlined 19 live tours and has sold more than 30 million records worldwide winning numerous awards including a special Tony Award for contribution to Broadway with Clams on the Half Shell Revue in 1973.

In 1979, Midler made her film debut portraying rock n’ roll singer Janis Joplin in The Rose, which earned her the Golden Globe for Best Actress, an Academy Award nomination, and Grammy® for Best Pop Vocal Performance in 1981.  “The Rose” was Midler’s first Gold single with the album reaching Double Platinum.  It held the #1 position on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary Chart for five consecutive weeks and peeked at #3 on the Hot 100.

In 1988 Midler starred in Beaches, and received her third Grammy® Award for Record of the Year in 1990 for the accompanying soundtrack, which remains Midler’s all-time bestselling album reaching #2 on Billboard’s Album Chart with U.S. sales of four million copies.  It featured the hit “Wind Beneath My Wings,” which went to #1 on Billboard’s Hot 100 and achieved Platinum status.  Her follow up Some People’s Lives album in 1990, featured “From A Distance,” the single earned her a Grammy® for Song of the Year in 1991 and reached #1 on the Adult Contemporary Chart and peaked at #2 on Hot 100.

Midler garnered her second Best Actress Golden Globe and Academy Award nomination for Mark Rydell’s For The Boys in 1991.  Additional film credits include: Down and Out in Beverly Hills, Ruthless People, Big Business, Scene’s From a Mall, Hocus Pocus, The First Wives Club, The Stepford Wives, Then She Found Me, and The Women.

In addition to her work on stage and in films, Midler made her mark on television with the Emmy Award-winning CBS special Ol’ Red Hair is Back, and two HBO concerts, Live at Last and Art or Bust.  HBO’s concert film Diva Las Vegas, won an Emmy Award for her performance.  In 1992, Midler won a Golden Globe and a National Board of Review Award for her performance in the television adaptation of the musical Gypsy.

In January 2009 she concluded her critically acclaimed Vegas extravaganza The Showgirl Must Go On at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace with more than 200 performances seen by over half-million people in two years. Midler produced the Tony Award-winning musical Priscilla: Queen of the Desert on Broadway in March 2011 and recently finished filming Parental Guidance, a new comedy co-starring Billy Crystal set to be released in theaters in late 2012.

Inductees at this year’s event include Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman.

Ticket Information:
Tickets for the Songwriters Hall of Fame event begin at $1000 each, and are available through Buckley Hall Events, (212) 573-6933. Net proceeds from the event will go toward the Songwriters Hall of Fame programs.

New York, NY – February 21, 2012 – Musical geniuses Gordon Lightfoot, Bob Seger, Don Schlitz, Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones and Jim Steinman will become the newest members of the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the organization’s 43rd Annual Induction and Awards Dinner. The star-studded event is slated for Thursday, June 14th at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City. Additional special award honorees will be announced soon.

“Each of our 2012 inductees has created a unique range of extraordinary contributions, a body of work that has resonated with audiences around the world, and greatly enriched our global culture,” said SHOF Chairman Jimmy Webb. “We are looking forward to celebrating their craft and careers at our Annual Awards Gala.”

Established in 1969, the Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF) serves as a vital bridge between music’s past and future. In the Hall, musical pioneers are enshrined and celebrated, while the organization’s music community outreach grooms the next generation of troubadours.

Gordon Lightfoot:
Performing songwriter Gordon Lightfoot is credited for helping to define the folk-pop sound of the 1960s and 1970s. He is the author and voice of many timeless songs including: “Early Morning Rain,” “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” “Sundown,” “If You Could Read My Mind,” “Carefree Highway,” “The Wreck Of The Edmund Fitzgerald,” “Beautiful,” “Ribbon Of Darkness,” “Rainy Day People,” “That’s What You Get For Lovin’ Me,” “Did She Mention My Name,” “I’m Not Sayin’ That I Love You,” “Race Among The Ruins,” “Softly,” “Song For A Winter’s Night,” and “Summer Side Of Life.” Many of Lightfoot’s albums have achieved gold and multi-platinum status internationally and his songs have been recorded by some of the world’s most renowned artists including Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley, Sarah McLachlan, Barbra Streisand, Peter Paul & Mary, Harry Belafonte, Jane’s Addiction, Richie Havens, Glen Campbell, Toby Keith, Anne Murray, Nana Mouskouri and George Hamilton IV. He has received five Grammy® nominations and seventeen Juno Awards in his native Canada, and was inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, among his many other distinctions.  Lightfoot is slated to release his first record since 1994 in the spring of 2012.

Bob Seger:
Performing songwriter Bob Seger is universally acknowledged by fans and musicians as one of the defining voices of American music. Some of the classic songs he has penned include, “Against The Wind,“ “Turn The Page,” “Night Moves,” “Hollywood Nights,” “Rock And Roll Never Forgets,” “Katmandu,” “Mainstreet,” “Still The Same,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “The Fire Down Below,” “Like A Rock,” and “Beautiful Loser,” to name a few.  His songs have been recorded by artists such as Metallica, Kid Rock, Tina Turner, Bette Midler, Rod Stewart, Cher, Johnny Hallyday, Martina McBride, Waylon Jennings, Dottie West, The Pointer Sisters, Barry Manilow, Brooks & Dunn, Conway Twitty and Keb’ Mo’.  Seger and his Silver Bullet Band have sold more than 51 million records worldwide, with twelve platinum and seven multi-platinum RIAA-certified album sales awards. Seger holds the distinction for the #1 Catalog Album of the Decade (2000-2010) for his Greatest Hits, which has sold more than nine million copies in the U.S. to date, posting an unbroken 17-year streak on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums and Catalog Albums charts. In 1981 Seger won a Grammy® for his song “Against The Wind” in the Best Rock Performance by a Group or Duo category. In 2004 he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Don Schlitz:
Songwriter Don Schlitz’s first recorded song “The Gambler,” sung by Kenny Rogers, won him the 1978 Grammy® for Country Song of the Year. Randy Travis’ “Forever And Ever, Amen” earned him the same award in 1988. His songbook includes 24 #1 hits, with such country standards as: “On The Other Hand,” “I Feel Lucky,” “Houston Solution,” “One Promise Too Late,” “He Thinks He’ll Keep Her,” “40 Hour Week (For A Livin’),” “Rockin’ With The Rhythm Of The Rain,” “When You Say Nothing At All,” “Deeper Than The Holler,” “Learning To Live Again,” and “Strong Enough To Bend.” His songs have been sung by Reba McEntire, Garth Brooks, Keith Whitley, Alison Krauss, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tanya Tucker, The Judds and many others. In 2001 he wrote the songs for the Broadway show The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. This four-time ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1993 and the North Carolina Music Hall of Fame in 2010. Schlitz has won three CMA Song of the Year Awards and two ACM Song of Year Awards. Schlitz received the ASCAP Creative Achievement Award in 2007, and in 2010 was honored with the Academy of Country Music’s Poet’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Songwriting. 

Harvey Schmidt & Tom Jones:
Composer Harvey Schmidt and lyricist Tom Jones are the legendary writing team best known for shaping the American musical landscape with their 1960 hit, The Fantasticks. The show, which was awarded Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre in 1991, is the longest running musical in history.  Its best known song “Try To Remember,” has been recorded by hundreds of artists over the decades including Ed Ames, Harry Belafonte, Barbra Streisand and Placido Domingo. “Soon It’s Gonna Rain” and “They Were You” are also among the musical’s most recognized songs, for which Schmidt composed and Jones crafted the lyrics. In 1963 they wrote the Broadway show 110 in the Shade, which earned the duo a Tony Award nomination for Best Composer and Lyricist.  I DO! I DO!, their two-character Broadway musical followed in 1967, also earning them a Tony Award nomination for Best Composer and Lyricist. In 1998, the duo was inducted into the American Theatre Hall of Fame. Other awards and honors include an Obie Award, induction into the Broadway Hall of Fame, the ASCAP Richard Rodgers Award, and their “stars” added to the Off-Broadway Walk of Fame outside the Lucille Lortel Theatre in NYC.

Jim Steinman:
Jim Steinman began his writing career in theatre with Joseph Papp and the NY Shakespeare Festival in 1969 after Papp was stunned by Dream Engine, a sensational rock opera Steinman wrote and starred in at Amherst College. Steinman moved to recording in 1977 when he wrote every song on the legendary Bat Out of Hell album sung by Meat Loaf, selling 44 million copies.  In 1993 Steinman wrote and produced Bat Out of Hell II: Back Into Hell, which sold 26 million copies. Overall, Steinman’s repertoire has sold more than 190 million records. Top #1 songs include “Total Eclipse Of The Heart,” “Making Love Out Of Nothing At All,” “Paradise By The Dashboard Light,” “I’d Do Anything For Love But I Won’t Do That” and “Two Out Of Three Ain’t Bad.” His “It’s All Coming Back To Me Now” won the 1997 BMI Song Of The Year Award. The same year, he earned a Grammy® for Album Of The Year for his work as producer for Celine Dion’s Falling Into You. Moving back to theatre, Steinman wrote the music for Tanz Der Vampyr, now in its 16th year selling out in Europe. He is currently writing book, music and lyrics for the musical Bat Out Of Hell for Imminent Production and Nutcracked, a heavy metal version of The Nutcracker with lyrics set to a Tchaikovsky score. He also wrote the lyrics for the musical theater production Whistle Down the Wind, with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber, as well as music for films such as Footloose, Streets of Fire, The Shadow and Mask of Zorro.

“The newly redesigned songhall.org site is part of our ongoing campaign to amplify our outreach to songwriters across the nation, going hand in hand with our expanded initiatives and activities in Los Angeles and Nashville,” said SHOF President Linda Moran.

The renovated songhall.org is the sister site of the SHOF Virtual Museum which contains a complete listing, full bios and other resource materials related to SHOF inductees.

Renowned children’s film composers Richard and Robert Sherman have written some of the best-loved and most recognized songs in motion picture history. One of Disney’s most successful songwriting teams, the music of the Sherman Brothers can be heard in such classics as Mary Poppins, The Jungle Book, Parent Trap, The Aristocats, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Happiest Millionaire and Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, the movie musical that recently opened on Broadway. The spectacular stage production features their original Oscar winning score along with some newly written songs-and that famous flying car, of course.

With a career that spans almost 50 years, the Sherman Brothers have amassed numerous accolades, including two Academy Awards (from a total of nine nominations), two Grammy Awards, 23 gold and platinum albums, and a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. They also earned the BMI Richard Kirk Award for Outstanding Career Achievement at the performing rights organization’s 1991 Film/TV Awards.

Songs like “Chim Chim Cheree,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “I Wanna Be Like You (The Monkey Song),” “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang” and “It’s A Small World (After All)"-one the most-performed and most-translated songs on earth-are all part of a monumental body of work that continues to touch the lives of millions of children and adults, around the world.

Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2005, Robert Sherman moved to Britain in 2002 after the death of his wife Joyce. He is survived by his brother and four children: Laurie, Jeffrey, Andrea and Robert.

For more about Robert Sherman, visit his exhibit in our Virtual Museum.

Richard (left) and Robert Sherman at the Songwriters Hall of Fame 2005 Annual Awards Gala

Discount pricing is available through the end of March.

ASCAP has announced the initial lineup of panelists and programming for the 7th annual ASCAP “I Create Music” EXPO, taking place April 19-21, 2012 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, CA.

In addition to signature “I Create Music” interviews, master classes, hitmaker panels and top-notch performances, ASCAP will once again bring together a diverse group of music creators and industry professionals to participate in a broad range of panels designed to support music creators at every stage of their career. The EXPO will also provide attendees with several opportunities to get their music heard - and receive honest feedback and advice - through a variety of panels and showcases.
More information here: http://expo.ascap.com/post/2012/02/29/%60.aspx

JOINT STATEMENT:

The vibrant music of the Western Hemisphere is widely recognized as one of the great contributions of our peoples to global society. Yet our ability to continue creating and offering this magnificent music is under threat today like never before. The collective output of our songwriters, performers, musicians, publishers, technicians and producers is being stolen on a massive scale that, unless adequately addressed, could fundamentally undermine our hemispheric cultural treasure. This is not an issue of one or just a few of our countries—it affects us all.
Full statement here: http://www.bmi.com/news/entry/555579