NEW YORK, NY--(Marketwired - Feb 26, 2015) - ASCAP, the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, the world leader in performing rights and advocacy for music creators, today announced the initial lineup for the 2015 ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, to be held April 30 through May 2 at the Loews Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles. Now in its 10th year, the ASCAP EXPO gives new music creators access to a world-class gathering of music talent for three days of panels and discussions dedicated to the craft and business of songwriting, composing and producing.
This year's lineup includes current hitmakers like Savan Kotecha (Ariana Grande, Jessie J, One Direction, Maroon 5), Greg Kurstin (Kelly Clarkson, Ellie Goulding), Jesse Shatkin (Sia, Pink), Darrell Brown (LeAnn Rimes, Keith Urban), Da Internz (Nicki Minaj, John Legend, Rihanna), Ashley Gorley (Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley), Sevyn Streeter (Alicia Keys, Ariana Grande, Chris Brown) and Kirby Lauryen (Rihanna, Kanye West, Paul McCartney); indie favorites Andrew Bird, Ingrid Michaelson and Nick Thorburn (Islands, Serial); and iconic artist/songwriters Bill Withers, Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon) and Lou Gramm (Foreigner).
"The ASCAP 'I Create Music' EXPO has become one of our signature events and for good reason," said ASCAP President Paul Williams. "The chance to meet and learn from others who share the enthusiasm for our craft is immensely valuable, especially when you're in the early stages of your career. This is something ASCAP excels at, and with EXPO we're gratified that we can provide the opportunity for music creators of all levels and genres to come together for this incredibly rewarding experience."
Williams will address the conference during ASCAP's General Annual Membership Meeting on opening day and will participate in a Saturday, May 2nd panel on current legislative issues for songwriters with songwriter/artist Aloe Blacc, ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews, and co-sponsors of the Songwriter Equity Act, Congressmen Doug Collins (R-GA) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY). Other significant speakers and keynotes will be announced in the coming weeks.
In addition to keynote interviews, master classes and top-notch performances, the ASCAP EXPO provides panels designed to educate and support music creators at every stage of their career. There are also several opportunities for attendees to get their music heard -- and receive honest feedback and advice. For more information, visit http://www.ascap.com/expo.
ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO programming will include:
Keynotes and Conversations
- Special Keynote Interview to be announced!
- Current Legislative Issues for Songwriters with ASCAP President Paul Williams, ASCAP CEO Beth Matthews, Congressman Doug Collins, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Songwriter/Artist Aloe Blacc
Master Sessions
- Master Session with Richard Bellis: Creativity on a Deadline
- Master Session with Claudia Brant
- Master Session with Douglas Cuomo
- Master Session with Da Internz: An Interactive Performance Demo
- Master Session with Savan Kotecha: The Economics and Anatomy of a Hit Songwriter
- Master Session with Ingrid Michaelson
- Master Session with Mike Reid
Creative Panels
- Today's Hit Songwriters with Kevin Kadish, Greg Kurstin, Jesse Shatkin, and more
- Live Multi-Genre Song Feedback Workshop Series with Darrell Brown
- Rocking into Pop Music with John Feldmann, Chris Lorde-Alge, Deryck Whibley (Sum 41) and more
Diverse Topics
- Women Behind the Music with Goapele, Erica Grayson, Sevyn Streeter and more
- Music Supervision
- The Gospel Truth with Maurette Brown Clark, LaShawn Daniels, Janice Gaines, William McDowell, Jonathan McReynolds
- Music Creation and Your Rights with Desmond Child
- On the Come Up: Mama We Made It
- Managing Your Online Presence (Presented by Squarespace)
- How Brands Engage with Music and Artists (Presented by Billboard)
Business Discussions
- Nuts & Bolts of the Music Business with Donald Passman, Esq.
- The Visual Streams: Making Money With Your Music on YouTube and Beyond (Presented by AdRev & Killer Tracks)
- Show Me The Money: Creating your DIY Monetization Strategy (Presented by CD Baby)
Performances
- The Writers Jam with Andrew Bird, Aloe Blacc, Ashley Gorley and more
- "I Create Music" Center Stage with Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Lou Gramm (Foreigner), Hanson and Mike Reid
- ASCAP EXPO iStandard Producer and Rapper Showcase
- ASCAP EXPO Attendee Showcase (Presented by Eventbrite)
ASCAP offers dozens of educational events for songwriters every year, including song camps and film and musical theatre scoring workshops. In 2014, ASCAP song camps were the birthplace for the Miranda Lambert ft. Carrie Underwood single "Something Bad," by Chris DeStefano, Brett James and Priscilla Renea, which hit #1 on the country charts; Jacob Latimore's single "Heartbreak Heard Round the World," written by Johntá Austin, Shea Taylor and Martin Johnson; and five songs recorded by La Original Banda El Limón, written at the ASCAP Song Camp in Mazatlán, Mexico. ASCAP Nashville's innovative GPS (Guidance from Publishers for Songwriters) Project resulted in publishing deals for three 2014 participants.
About ASCAP
The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) is a professional membership organization of songwriters, composers and music publishers of every kind of music. ASCAP's mission is to license and promote the music of its members and foreign affiliates, obtain fair compensation for the public performance of their works and to distribute the royalties that it collects based upon those performances. ASCAP members write the world's best-loved music and ASCAP has pioneered the efficient licensing of that music to hundreds of thousands of enterprises who use it to add value to their business -- from bars, restaurants and retail, to radio, TV and cable, to Internet, mobile services and more. The ASCAP license offers an efficient solution for businesses to legally perform ASCAP music while respecting the right of songwriters and composers to be paid fairly. With 525,000 members representing more than 10 million copyrighted works, ASCAP is the worldwide leader in performance royalties, service and advocacy for songwriters and composers, and the only American performing rights organization (PRO) owned and governed by its writer and publisher members. www.ascap.com