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 The CMA Foundation is donating $50,000 to benefit summer music education programs for 170 low-income students at the W.O. Smith Nashville Community Music School. The donation is part of CMA’s Keep the Music Playing initiative, which supports music education on behalf of the hundreds of artists who perform during CMA Music Festival for free.
To date, CMA and The CMA Foundation have provided more than $6.1 million to support this important initiative, purchasing more than 4,000 instruments for 80 Metro Nashville Public Schools and providing the tools and incentives to help keep students engaged in school. The figure also includes a $1 million endowment gift to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s “Words & Music” program, which assists language arts and music teachers with classroom instruction in the basics of songwriting.
“This is a wonderful opportunity for us to bridge the school year by making music education available for these low-income children during the summer,” said Kitty Moon Emery, Chair of The CMA Foundation Board of Directors. “Supporting music education is an investment in the future of our city. Statistics demonstrate that students involved in arts programs have higher graduation rates and the benefits of music education translate to their other core curriculum.”
“W.O. Smith Music School is grateful to the Country Music Association and The CMA Foundation for their support of our summer music camps.” said Jonah Rabinowitz, Executive Director of the W.O. Smith School. “The CMA is making an incredible difference in the lives of our low-income students. This investment in children’s futures will bear fruit in our community for generations to come.”
The CMA Keep the Music Playing Camps at the W.O. Smith Music School offer an enrichment activity in a positive musical and social environment that many students could not otherwise afford. Four sessions for summer campers are offered including CMA Resident Camp; CMA Camp BackBeat; and two, week-long day camps for children ages 8 to 11.
In total, 170 children receive expert music training in a fun and rewarding atmosphere for an average cost of $300 per child.
“The camps are a natural extension of our school year program and demand a strong commitment from students toward their musical education and development of native and learned skills,” said Rabinowitz. “For many campers, more advancement in musical competency will be achieved during the concentrated week of learning than in the entire previous school year when attention and time is divided and at a premium.”
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Making changes up until the last note was played, Kenny Chesney closed out his final Nashville rehearsal for the ‘Brother’s of the Sun’ Tour, with Chesney and Tim McGraw. Kicking off in Tampa, Florida on June 2, Chesney shares the stage with longtime friend Tim McGraw. “We hadn’t even finished last year’s tour when we started working on this year, and what we visualized nine months ago is a reality today,” Chesney enthused.
In front of a small crowd of friends and members of the music industry, Chesney used every moment of the working rehearsal to put final touches on his show, tweaking everything from the timing of video clips and color saturation to sound mix and instrumentation. Chesney also chatted informally with the crowd, sharing stories behind the songs and past tours.
With dazzling, state of the art video, lighting and sound, the ‘Brothers of the Sun’ Tour, with Chesney and McGraw, is set to be an astonishing audio/visual display. But the focus of the show is the music. Whether it’s showcasing new music from his forthcoming ‘Welcome To The Fishbowl’ (6.19), or going deep into his catalog of hits, the show glides with a bend towards uptempo songs balanced by the occasional ballad, plus a few surprises.
“It’s the fans that make this all happen and we’re ready to let this show loose on you,” said Chesney. “We’re rehearsed and our bags are packed, so get your tailgating ready and we’ll see you in the parking lots and in the stadiums all summer long.”
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 The Band Perry visited one of the most historic venues in racing, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last Saturday to make a special announcement about this summer’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at the Brickyard sponsored by Crown Royal. Crown Royal will name the race, to be held at IMS on July 29th, after an everyday American hero through a program called “Your Hero’s Name Here.”
The five finalists who were announced by The Band Perry and could have the famous race named after them, are: Dale Beatty, veteran and cofounder of the nonprofit organization Purple Heart Homes from Statesville, N.C.; Lindsey Marquez, ICU nurse from Sun Prairie, Wis.; Curtiss Shaver, Fire Lieutenant and EMT from Troy, Ala.; John Thomas, Deputy Sheriff from Sarasota, Fla.; and Brandon Veatch, veteran and Purple Heart recipient from Bloomfield, Ind. In addition to having their name on all race signage, TV broadcasts and apparel, the winner will experience a true VIP experience – from waving the green flag to start the race to delivering the trophy in Victory Lane.
Beginning today, adult consumers can log on to the Crown Royal Facebook page (Facebook.com/CrownRoyal) and click the “Crown Your Hero” tab to vote for the hero they think is most deserving of naming rights to the race. Voting runs through June 28th and the grand prize winner will be announced in early July.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Georgia native Jason Aldean played a two-night stand of sold out shows at Atlanta, GA’s Aaron’s Amphitheatre at Lakewood last Fri. and Sat. Aldean kicked off the summer leg of the record-breaking 2012 MY KINDA PARTY TOUR on Thurs. night in Birmingham, AL and will continue on to the nation’s biggest amphitheatres this summer.
“I’ve never felt the kind of energy that the fans from the ATL brought this weekend,” said Aldean. “I didn’t think it could get any wilder, and then when Luda came out, the place came totally unglued. We’ve gotten to perform together several times, but man, he’s the Mayor of Atlanta, so this one was beyond cool.”
Aldean is currently celebrating his fifth consecutive No. one song with “Fly Over States” from CMA’s “Album of the Year” MY KINDA PARTY. For a full list of tour dates, visit www.jasonaldean.com.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Martina McBride always looks great and in shape and she attributes that to living in moderation and not over-indulging too much. But on those days when she does give herself permission to dive into one of her guilty pleasures she says, “I have a craving more for salty than sweet. Like if I was just really gonna [indulge], I think that if you get a bag of Lay’s original potato chips and a whole huge bowl of that Hidden Valley Ranch dip that you make with the sour cream, it’s pretty much heaven on earth. So I let myself do that a couple times a year.” For now Martina probably isn’t indulging too much since she needs to be in top shape to meet the demands of her theatre tour, which is selling out in cities across the country. Martina performed this weekend at the Indianapolis 500.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Big Machine Records announced yesterday the signing of country music superstar Tim McGraw to a worldwide recording deal. The powerhouse label and McGraw will release new music which will be distributed globally by Universal Music Group. With over 40 million albums sold and 32 No. 1 singles over the course of his remarkable career, this new era of McGraw’s career will be driven by a dream team of the most successful and dynamic thinkers in the music industry.
“Many people know that I came to Nashville 23 years ago on a Greyhound bus with nothing but a guitar,” said McGraw. “And 23 years to the day, on May 9, I went back to the bus station and officially signed this deal. It was a significant way for me to mark this new beginning. Scott Borchetta has developed a powerhouse at Big Machine, and I’m happy to be a part of what he has built and to call Big Machine Records my new label home. Excited doesn’t even begin to describe how I’m feeling about working on a new album for this next chapter in my career. Here’s to the next 20 years!”
“I’ve always felt a kinship to Tim as my dad (Mike) originally signed Tim to Curb Records. We have wanted to work together for years and I can’t believe this day has finally come. His level of artistry, vision, passion and energy comes along only so many times in any given era and I can tell you with the utmost confidence that there are many, many important chapters left to write,” said Scott Borchetta, President and CEO of the Big Machine Label Group.
“I’m so pleased to add the great superstar Tim McGraw to our incredible Nashville family of distributed labels. Tim’s accomplishments reach around the world and we intend to exert the full compliment of global support to Tim’s new releases on Big Machine Records,” said Universal Chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge.
McGraw will further strengthen Big Machine Label Group’s star-studded roster of talent which includes international superstar Taylor Swift, multiplatinum vocal group Rascal Flatts, award winning female vocalists Reba and Martina McBride, and many of country music’s most promising rising stars.
With 7.8 million spins at radio, McGraw was deemed “Artist of the Decade” (2000-2010) by Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems. He has won three GRAMMY® Awards, 14 Academy of Country Music Awards, 11 Country Music Association Awards, 10 American Music Awards, three People’s Choice Awards and numerous other honors. This June, McGraw will kick off what is anticipated to be the biggest stadium tour in country music history. The Brothers of the Sun Tour will reunite McGraw with longtime friend Kenny Chesney for the first time in 10 years. The tour begins on June 2 in Tampa and will hit the nation’s biggest stadiums through August.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Sunday night, Alan Jackson made good on his promise to perform a benefit concert to help Louisa County recover from August’s earthquake.
Alan came to Mineral Sunday with a check that will help rebuild Louisa County High School. He also teamed up with companies that are helping to restock the area food bank.
Jackson stepped on to a makeshift concert stage to sing in front 6,000 fans packed into the parking lot between Louisa County’s high school and middle school. The crowds lined up to sing along with the performer whose show helped raise more than $150,000 for the Louisa Education Foundation.
Louisa County High School student Olivia Sword said, “We’re really excited that he’s here because a lot of things don’t happen in this town, because were such a small town.”
It is a small town that’s suffered and struggled to get back to normal after August’s earthquake damaged homes and closed two schools.
Sword said, “Seniors have started their year three times already from different schools. From the high school, then the middle school, and then the pods – so it’s been tough.”
Smithfield and the United Food and Commercial Workers Union will deliver 30,000 pounds of protein to the Feedmore Food Bank – to replenish the food distributed in the aftermath of the quake.
Dennis Pittman of Smithfield said, “To just see his commitment to coming here – it just made us want to be a part of it.”
It was a star-studded night to help a community rebuild. Jackson told the crowd, “Just sort of shows you what type of people are in America – take care of things like this when they need to. So we’re glad that we got to come here to Mineral, Virginia.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded $19 million to rebuild the Louisa County High School. Sunday’s concert will provide even more funds as Mineral continues to press forward after this national disaster.
 The Mavericks’ new single, Born to Be Blue, will officially be released to radio next week and the guys are excited to bring their unique sound back to country radio. You know we never were very good at fitting in, says Robert Reynolds. With the Mavs it‘s really something all together unique and different. We never fit so why try now? We will be noted for our difference. We‘re not different for difference sake, we‘re different because we always were and it‘s just what comes out of us. One reason Robert is so glad The Mavericks are coming back with new music is because he says, ―The thing that I feel was at risk in recent years was maybe, losing our little place in the history of modern country and modern American music. I didn‘t want to lose that … for a moment the Mavs were always touted as having brought something special and it seems like the memory of that had dimmed a little bit. This is a chance to correct that, I think, and remind people that we came with passion, I hope we‘ll leave with passion and not just drift apart. Born to Be Blue is the first release off of The Mavericks‘ new album, which will be out later this year.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Craig Morgan announced today that he is set to host his 6th annual Charity Weekend August 11 and 12 in his hometown of Dickson, Tenn. Proceeds from the two-day event, which includes a Celebrity Motocross Ride, Concert and Sporting Clay Shoot, will benefit Billy’s Place, an organization benefitting foster children in Dickson County and throughout Middle Tennessee.
The family-friendly event will kick-off Saturday, August 11 in Dickson, Tenn. The morning will start with a motocross exhibition followed by a group trail ride and lunch. Previous motocross celebrity participants have included Kevin Windham, Cowboy Kenny Bartram, Fred Andrews and Barry Hawk. Later that night, Craig and several of his country music friends will take to the stage for an intimate acoustic concert at Dickson Middle School. A live and silent auction will also take place where attendees can bid on everything from autographed memorabilia to the chance to give the singer a high-and-tight haircut on stage during the event.
Last year’s new addition, the hugely popular Sporting Clay Shoot, will return again the morning of August 12 from Nashville Gun Club. Teams of shooters will face off and display their finest shooting skills as they attempt to dethrone Morgan, who was celebrity co-captain of this year’s winning team at the NRA Country/ACM Sporting Clay Shoot.
All three events are open to the public. Individual event and bundled tickets will go on sale in June. Celebrity participants for all three events will be announced at a later date.
Craig Morgan Charity Weekend
Celebrity Dirtbike Ride
Date: August 11, 2012
Location: 1286 Bell Hollow Rd Vanleer, TN
Registration Opens: 8:00 AM
Ride and Exhibition Start Time: 10:00 AM
Celebrity Concert
Date: August 11, 2012
Location: Dickson Middle School 401 East College St Dickson, TN
Doors Open: 6:00 PM
Concert Start Time: 7:00 PM
Celebrity Sporting Clay Shoot
Date: August 12, 2012
Location: Nashville Gun Club 1100 County Hospital Rd Nashville, TN
Time: TBD
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
 Rascal Flatts is a pretty fashionable group and they each have that one item in their client that they couldn’t live without. For Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney, it’s shoes. Jay says his favorite item in his closet is his Chuck Taylors. Joe Don says he can’t live without his boots. But Gary’s must-have item is a little more obvious and possibly in need of a good wash. “I’d have to say pants,” says Gary. “I mean you can‟t go anywhere without pants.” Jay agrees, “You can’t go anywhere without pants, that‟s a good point.” Jay wonders if Gary has a favorite pair of pants and he jokes, “Just the ones that fit.” But then he does admit he has one pair of jeans that he always wears when he rides his motorcycle and he reveals, “I don’t think they’ve ever been washed.” We hope he’s kidding, but Gary says with a laugh, “They just sit on the bike and then I jump in ‘em.” Rascal Flatts just released their brand new single, “Come Wake Me Up,” and they‟re preparing to launch their Changed Tour on June 15th in Hartford, CT.
Contact: jerry@nashville.com
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