NEW YORK, NY (ASCAP) - ASCAP President and Chairman Marilyn Bergman today confirmed that over 1,000 songwriters, composers and music industry professionals will converge at the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO in Los Angeles later this month to participate in the first and only national conference dedicated to songwriting and composing. The three-day event is scheduled for April 20-22, 2006 at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
"The response has been tremendous," said Marilyn Bergman. "While ASCAP has long brought together our top songwriters and composers with newer members who are just starting out in our workshops, this three-day conference is an unprecedented opportunity for all music creators to gain knowledge, guidance and inspiration from some of the most celebrated songwriters, composers and producers across all musical genres."
Some of the biggest names in music have signed on for what will be the most important conference ever developed for music creators, including Alan & Marilyn Bergman, Akon, Glen Ballard, Eric Bazilian, Obie Bermúdez, Gary Burr, Kandi Burruss, Bruce Broughton, Sean Callery, Deana Carter, Desmond Child, John Debney, George Duke, Barry Eastmond, Mike Elizondo, Michael Giacchino, Goapele, Denis Hannigan, Jimmy Jam, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, John King (Dust Brothers), Lyfe, MC Lyte, Johnny Mandel, Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas (The Underdogs), Lori McKenna, Rick Nowels, Rudy Perez, Linda Perry, Tom Petty, Glen Phillips, John Powell, DJ Quik, John Rich, Jeff Rona, Patrice Rushen, Stephen Schwartz, Jill Scott, John Shanks, Jill Sobule, Timbaland, Jaci Velasquez, Jimmy Webb, Eric Whitacre, Paul Williams, and Heart's Ann & Nancy Wilson. For the complete list of panelists, go to: www.ascap.com/expo/panelists.html.
During the conference, Bergman, a three-time Academy Award-winning lyricist, will address attendees on what it means to be a music creator in the modern world. ASCAP CEO John A. LoFrumento will discuss his vision of the future and the many great opportunities available to writers and composers. The program also includes master classes, dynamic panel sessions, genre-specific workshops, song listening sessions, product displays, state-of-the-art technology demonstrations, exclusive performances, networking events, a special film screening of "AMERICAN DREAMZ," and much more.
The complete schedule is now available at www.ascap.com/expo/schedule.html. A partial listing of some of the many highlights are:
- RUNNIN' DOWN A DREAM - A CONVERSATION WITH TOM PETTY: Special guest Tom Petty ("American Girl," "Breakdown," "Runnin' Down a Dream," "I Won't Back Down") will be interviewed on 4/22, and will answer questions from the audience.
- I CREATE MUSIC... LET'S GET THIS PARTY STARTED: This super panel of songwriters and composers from a cross-section of musical genres will discuss what it means to create music as a career. Featuring Michael Giacchino ("The Incredibles," "Alias," "Lost"), Jimmy Jam ("No More Drama," "That's the Way Love Goes"), Linda Perry ("Beautiful," "Get the Party Started," "What's Up"), John Rich ("Come Cryin' To Me," "Redneck Woman") and John Shanks ("Everything to Me," "Everywhere," "Somebody Like You").
- MASTER CLASSES: Desmond Child ("Dude (Looks Like a Lady)," "Invisible," "Livin' La Vida Loca"), Jimmy Webb ("By The Time I Get to Phoenix," "Galveston," "Wichita Lineman") and Jill Scott ("Golden," "Cross My Mind") will share some incredible insights about the craft of songwriting.
- THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK: BUILT TO LAST: Oscar and Grammy award-winning songwriters Alan & Marilyn Bergman ("The Windmills of Your Mind," "You Don't Bring Me Flowers," "The Way We Were"), Grammy-winning singer/songwriter Jimmy Webb ("By The Time I Get To Phoenix," "Galveston," "Witchita Lineman") and Paul Williams ("Evergreen," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "We've Only Just Begun") will show and tell how some of their most enduring songs were created.
- WRITERS WHO PRODUCE SUCCESS: This all-star panel of writers/producers will explore the unique relationship between writers who co-write, produce and collaborate with other writers and artists to achieve chartbusting hits, and sometimes, superstar careers. Featuring Glen Ballard ("Jagged Little Pill," "Man in the Mirror"), Mike Elizondo ("In Da Club," "Let Me Blow Ya Mind"), Jimmy Jam ("No More Drama," "That's the Way Love Goes"), John King - Dust Brothers ("Hey Ladies," "Where It's At"), Timbaland ("Work It," "More Than A Woman"), and Frank Rogers ("I'm Gonna Miss Her," "Who Needs Pictures").
- THE ART OF FILM SCORING: A super panel of film composers, whose music has graced some of the biggest Hollywood blockbusters, will discuss what goes into creating a score for a major motion picture. They will show film clips of their work, with and without the score, to demonstrate how their music contributed to specific scenes. Featuring Bruce Broughton ("Silverado," "The Rescuers Down Under," "Tombstone," "Jag," "Tiny Toons"), Jon Burlingame (Journalist-Author: Variety, LA Times, New York Times, TV's Biggest Hits), John Debney ("Passion of the Christ," "Sin City," "Chicken Little") and John Powell ("The Bourne Identity," "Shrek," "Mr. and Mrs. Smith").
- HIT SONGWRITERS: KEEP 'EM COMING: They may have different musical styles, but this panel of songwriters all share one common thing - they continue to write hit after hit. Gary Burr ("Love's Been A Little Bit Hard On Me," "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely"), Harvey Mason, Jr. and Damon Thomas (The Underdogs) ("O," "How You Gonna Act Like That," "Sorry 2004"), Rick Nowels ("Am I Standing Still," "The Game of Love," "White Flag") and Rudy Perez ("Ayer," "Pero Me Acuerdo De Ti") will explore the common ground all great songs must share.
- SPECIAL WORKSHOPS: Technology will never replace inspiration, but today there are many ways it can harness and enhance the creator's muse. See and hear how award-winning composer Jeff Rona uses technology to communicate with veteran directors (Ridley Scott, Steven Soderbergh and Steven Spielberg), and how talented writer/rapper/producer DJ Quik utilizes the latest in music software and hardware to produce hit songs.
- Special live performances by ASCAP writers, representing different genres from across ASCAP's vast repertory:
- "I CREATE MUSIC" CENTER STAGE: Featuring Obie Bermudez, Lyfe, John Rich and Ann & Nancy Wilson.
- ASCAP PRESENTS... RHYTHM & SOUL CAFÉ: Featuring Joi Starr, Soul Seekers and Keri Lynn.
- ASCAP PRESENTS... NASHVILLE IN LA: Featuring Darrell Brown, Gary Burr, Deana Carter, Hillary Lindsey and Monty Powell.
- ASCAP PRESENTS... QUIET ON THE SET: Featuring Eric Bazilian, Lori McKenna, Glen Phillips, and Jill Sobule.
Sponsors/Exhibitors: Boss, Cakewalk, City National Bank, DiscMakers, Gibson Guitar, Groove House Records, Harry Fox Agency, indie911, Intel, Microsoft, MasterWriter, Mediaguide, The Music Business Registry, Inc., MusicPro Insurance, NARAS (The Recording Academy), Nimbit, Notion Music, Pump Audio, Roland, SXSW, TAXI, US Alliance, and Wildcat Indie Productions.
Partner Organizations: American Association of Independent Music (A2IM), American Composers Forum, American Music Center, Association of Independent Music Publishers (AIMP), Berklee College of Music, California Copyright Conference, The Harry Fox Agency, Inc., International Songwriting Competition (ISC), Meet the Composer, The National Association for Music Education (MENC), Music Publishers Association (MPA), NARAS: The Recording Academy, National Music Publishers' Association, Inc. (NMPA), Nashville Songwriters Association International (NSAI), The Philadelphia Songwriters Project, The Society of Composers & Lyricists, Songwriter's Guild of America (SGA), Songwriters Hall of Fame (SHOF), TAXI, and West Coast Songwriters.
Media Sponsors: AllHipHop.com, American Songwriter Magazine, Bass Player Magazine, Billboard, CMJ Magazine, EQ Magazine, Guitar Player Magazine, The Hollywood Reporter, Keyboard Magazine, Music Connection Magazine, Performing Songwriter Magazine, and Westwood One.
Travel Partners: American Airlines, Renaissance Hollywood Hotel, and ECOLIMO LLC.
For more details about the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, go to www.ascap.com/expo.
