Industry Updates 
INNER CITY SCHOOL KIDS IN ST LOUIS
INNER CITY SCHOOL KIDS IN ST LOUIS
| INNER CITY SCHOOL KIDS IN ST LOUIS |
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| Written by Robert ID4644 |
| Thursday, 04 November 2010 08:33 |
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ASCAP (the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and America SCORES are pleased to announce that Grammy-nominated songwriter Odie Blackmon has enrolled in ASCAP Songwriter Residency @ America SCORES, a national songwriting mentorship program that gives ASCAP songwriters and composers a platform to give back to their local communities by engaging and inspiring inner city school kids through songwriting and recording. As part of the program, ASCAP selects its talented members, ranging from rising stars to Grammy Award-winning artists, to collaborate with SCORES kids over three two-hour sessions: co-writing a song during the first two sessions and recording it in a professional studio during the third session. ASCAP's songwriters have been very enthusiastic about the opportunity to work with the SCORES kids and support their local communities, and the Songwriter Residency has been a very effective addition to America SCORES'' year-round, nationally acclaimed programming agenda of engaging and inspiring kids in underserved neighborhoods. The ASCAP Foundation, a public charity dedicated to supporting music education and talent development programs, funds the program. Blackmon will lead songwriting classes with kids at Garfield Elementary (6506 Wright Way, St. Louis, MO 63121) on November 8 and 9, 2010. Blackmon and the students will then go to Shock City Studios (2200 Gravois Avenue, St. Louis, MO 63104) on November 10, 2010 to record the song. The finished song will be included on a special compilation CD that ASCAP produces, which is distributed to each of the schools involved, as well as to music industry decision makers. Commenting on the program, Blackmon said: "I''m very thankful to get this chance to share my passion for music with the kids in St. Louis. I hope to plant seeds there that will grow long after I am gone." In a city where everyone seems to be a songwriter, where the streets are lined with record companies and live music can be heard on every corner, it can be all too easy for an aspiring musician to get lost in the crowd. Standing out in a place like Nashville, TN is difficult for even the most talented artist. Nashville-based, Grammy-nominated songwriter Odie Blackmon, however, defied the odds. After writing number one hits for the likes of George Strait (“She’ll Leave You With A Smile”), Lee Ann Womack (“I May Hate Myself In The Morning”) and Gary Allan (“Nothing On But The Radio”), Blackmon has become one of Nashville’s top hitmakers. In addition to writing number one hits for country music’s most popular performers, Blackmon has been honored with three ASCAP song awards, a Nashville Songwriter Association International award, and was named #1 Hot Country Songwriter by Billboard Magazine in 2005. He was also profiled in the New York Times and was nominated for a Grammy. Blackmon, who lives in Nashville, is the author of the first songwriting instructional DVD “The Craft of Writing Hit Songs” and Lecturer of Music at Vanderbilt University. This year's program also features critically-acclaimed band The Great Unknown (EP: The New Skin) in five cities; Latin Grammy Award-winning songwriter Claudia Brant (Luis Fonsi, Carlos Santana) and Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer Toby Gad (Beyoncé, Fergie) in Los Angeles, CA; R&B singer/songwriter and So So Def/Island Music recording artist Dondria (debut album: Dondria vs Phatfffat) in Dallas, TX; Grammy-nominated songwriter/producer Chris Henderson (R. Kelly, Jamie Foxx) in Atlanta, GA; and songwriter/producer The Legendary Traxster (Ludacris, Twista) in Chicago, IL. To listen to the songs created during last year's program, view photos and more, please visit: http://www.ascap.com/playback/2010/07/ACTION/American_Scores.aspx About America SCORES America SCORES is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to use soccer and poetry to inspire among urban youth a lasting dedication to health, literacy, and community service. America SCORES operates soccer teams in urban public schools in economically disadvantaged neighborhoods across the country. Teamwork developed on the field is translated to the classroom and the community. The program operates five days per week after-school and has recently been recognized by Charity Navigator as one of the most administratively efficient nonprofits in the country. For more information, visit www.AmericaSCORES.org. About The ASCAP Foundation Founded in 1975, The ASCAP Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to supporting American music creators and encouraging their development through music education and talent development programs. Included in these are songwriting workshops, grants, scholarships, awards, recognition and community outreach programs, and public service projects for senior composers and lyricists. The ASCAP Foundation is supported by contributions from ASCAP members and from music lovers throughout the United States. www.ascapfoundation.org About ASCAP Established in 1914, ASCAP is the first and leading U.S. Performing Rights Organization (PRO) representing the world's largest repertory totaling over 8.5 million copyrighted musical works of every style and genre from more than 390,000 songwriter, composer and music publisher members. ASCAP has representation arrangements with similar foreign organizations so that the ASCAP repertory is represented in nearly every country around the world where copyright law exists. ASCAP protects the rights of its members and foreign affiliates by licensing the public performances of their copyrighted works and distributing royalties based upon surveyed performances. ASCAP is the only American PRO owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com |
