PROs: Why Writers Need Them

Performance Rights Organizations.  You may have heard of these companies before, but if you haven't, they are businesses in the music publishing stream of the music industry.  Performing Rights Organizations (PROs) have contracts with all sorts of businesses to collect money on behalf of their members.  Businesses they collect from include radio stations, restaurants, music venues, and even universities.  After collecting this money, they pay out their members, writer and publishing companies alike.  You may think that signed writers and established music publishers are the only ones who can benefit from these PROs, but fortunately, you are wrong.

All song writers should join one of these PROs, especially if they are playing their music around town. These venues are required by law to pay for the music being performed.  If you're performing your music in any (reputable) venue, you should be getting paid for it. There are currently three U.S. companies that collect for music performances: 

What They Have in Common: 

All three companies have great member services.  They each have their own login portal for members to register their songs.  (Yes, you must manually register your song on their site so they know to look out for it and pay you for the performance.)  All three PRO's actively search out music venues and other businesses to make sure that they have proper licenses and are paying for performances.

What Makes Them Different: 

ASCAP

Largest PRO
Views their writers and publishers as Members, meaning you may attend meetings and conferences throughout the year
Extremely active in the Songwriter Equity Act

BMI

No fees to join
Allows writer/artist to upload Set List directly to site to ensure payment for performance


SESAC

Exclusivity - to become a member of SESAC, you must be invited by a current member
Less writers, more payout.  Each PRO pays out of their own pie, so the less people to eat the pie, the larger the slice. 


No matter your choice, each of these companies looks out for their members.  They ensure that writers can be paid for the performance of their work. This way, writers and artists can make a living off what they do best, creating. So, songwriter, which PRO will you be joining? 

Campbell Station

Since coming together as a group, Campbell Ross, Elaina Conner, and Seth Ferguson have created a sound with flawless harmonies, relatable lyrics, and cultivated instrumentals. Previously, the three artists had recorded at Launch Pad Productions, so we were delighted to hear that they'd decided to combine their talents and become the perfect rock/country trio.  After recording some new songs, Campbell and Elaina sat down with us for an interview and insight to their newly formed group. 

1. How did you three meet?
E: I’ve known Seth since I was in 5^th grade! We went to the same school and church, then stayed friends. We actually ended up becoming roommates my senior year of college!  Campbell and I went to the same high school for two years but she was a grade above me so I didn’t really know her. Her cousin Taylor and I became best friends in high school, and one summer they roomed together in Nashville while interning. We went out a few times. A few years later we both ended up working at Sony/ATV and that’s when we started to get really close. Last year for my birthday, Taylor and Seth met me at Alegria, a Mexican restaurant in Green Hills (now closed, oh memories…), and Campbell stopped by before she went on a date. That’s when she and Seth met. I’m pretty sure her date took her on a plane ride… Anyways, afterwards, we all went over to Campbell’s apartment (conveniently located across the street from Alegria) and started playing songs! It was SO MUCH FUN. I’d been kind of shy about singing before and it felt awesome like puzzle pieces coming together.


2.. What inspired the name "Campbell Station?"

C: Campbell is my middle name and Elaina's maiden name, so it is a name that means a lot to both of us and has been in our family for generations. We played around with different words we thought sounded cool with "Campbell", and we concluded that we really liked the way "Station" melded with it. 

 3. What inspires you to write music?

C: Past relationships is a big inspiration; Hopefully I'll start writing more positive songs about relationships since I just started dating someone; I also have been known to write songs about other people's experiences - for example, I wrote a song about my friend whose fiánce broke the wedding off FIVE days before the wedding, which I aptly titled, "What's Wrong with You, Man?"

E: Feelings and emotions inspire me, also the desire to sing! I like coming up with melodies that make me feel when I sing them. I love harmonizing of course, and adding little background vocals and flourishes that add something extra to a song.

4. Who are some of your favorite performers? 

C: Amy Grant is flawless; Ed Sheeran is RIDICULOUSLY talented; Demi Lovato can sing her ass off! 

E: Adele, Katy Perry, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Moon Taxi,Paramore...

There are of course SO many bands and artists that I love, but I love hearing a band/artist who can really perform live. Some people don’t sound as good live as they do on their albums. I love a concert experience that makes you feel like you just experienced something amazing/moving by being there! Also I really want to see more of my favorite bands live so I can add them to this list!


5. Who would you like to open for? 

C: Miranda Lambert!!! 

E: If we’re dreaming big and I don’t have to stay in a countryish genre, I’d say Adele, Katy Perry, Foo Fighters, Justin Timberlake, Imogen Heap, etc. Imagine the guest vocals that could happen during those concerts! Adele, please let me sing with you. Justin, please join us for some three part harmonies. But that’s just me wanting to sing with people.


6. Describe your writing process for me.

E:  Seth’s on guitar playing something awesome, Campbell is excellent at lyrics and melody, I help fine-tune lyrics and melody and contribute whenever I can. I’m still working on being a better writer! We all come up with stuff on our own too and send voice memos to each other.

 
7. Do you have a specific audience in mind when you write your music?

C: Not at all. I want anyone and everyone to be able to relate to the feelings that our music emits and to enjoy listening to our voices and music.

 
 
8. What can people expect from your live performance?

C: With the risk of seeming overly confident, we are killer live! I've never met anyone who can harmonize as creatively and beautifully as Elaina; Neither have I met anyone as musically diverse and talented as Seth. I'm very lucky to have them on my team! 



9. Where are you playing next?

E:  I’m super excited to announce that we’re playing the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga this summer, because I went to that growing up.

 
10. Do you have a website/social media? Where can we follow you?

Check out our website: www.CampbellStationMusic.com
Follow us on:  Facebook / Instagram 


-

Who We Are, What We Do - Part 2

Hey Nashville,

Want to know who does what here at Launch Pad? Check out our promotional videos below!! 

Daniel Drake

CEO / Engineering / Producing 

Daniel Eltzroth

Photography / Videography

Ambroise "Frenchy" Catherine

Graphic Design

Rachel Drake

Operations Management / Copyright Consultant

Julia Grimoldi 

Artist Services

Andrew Thomas

Artist Development

For questions regarding pricing, please visit our website or call us at 615-878-2796. Let us launch you to your full potential! 

Sincerely,

Launch Pad Production

Cara Being Blue

Hey Nashville,

Lately, we've been feeling a little blue, but not the sad kind of blue....the 12 bar walking bassline kind of blues. We've been working with a band named Cara Being Blue and are so proud of what they've recorded in the studio.  They've got some new tracks coming out along with the launch of their new website we helped them create! Want to know more about our new favorite blues band? We thought so...

After 30+ years of fine-tuning, Cara's smooth and edgy vocals entertain and energize. A native Bostonian, she's hustling the Blues scene in Nashville, and recently put together the band Cara Being Blue, featuring Cara accompanied by some of the greatest local musicians in the city of Nashville. Vivacious, honest, and true, her personality arrives ten minutes before she does! Buckle your seat belts.

Where did you grow up? Hopkinton, Mass. (where the Boston Marathon begins.)

What is your first musical memory? My grandmother tells me I plunked out the Blue Danube on a toy piano when I was two - my own first memory is giving my first concert to my stuffed animals when I was four.

What was your first song about? Written in middle school, wanting love to return. "Baby, oh baby, come to me/I love ya dahlin'/Baby, oh baby." I only remember the chorus. It was pretty bad. Haha!

Where did you perform your first concert? The stuffed animal concert was really a dress rehearsal for the real thing with my kindergarten class at Center School.

What first inspired you to write music? I wrote poetry and short stories in middle and high school. I figured I'd be a great songwriter too. Took about 20 more years for THAT to happen!

Does anyone else in your family play music?  Did they inspire you? My immediate family is largely non-musical - although my dad plays the bongos and my mother played piano when she was young. I still have never heard her play! They raised me on crooners from the 40s and 50s though, so yes, in a way they did kick things off for me. My birthmother Michelle is who I get my pipes from though. A lifetime memory was made when I met her several years ago and we sang Time After Time as a duet together at her favorite karaoke bar.

What was the first instrument you learned to play? Aside from messing around on toy pianos and my mother's real Steinway, I learned the recorder in grade school.

What instruments do you play? None well, I'm afraid, but I can plunk out a few simple things on piano and guitar. I failed music theory in college. Only class I've ever failed too. I have one and a half strumming patterns on guitar. Yay!

Who are some of your favorite performers? I am inspired greatly by Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, Etta James, Koko Taylor, Irma Thomas, Whitney Houston, Karen Carpenter, Rumer, Johnny Mathis, Muddy Waters, etc. Locally I adore Markey Blue, Eight O' Five Jive and the Brian James Band

What is your musical background? I sang in all the school, college, church choirs and choruses, performing as a soloist, background singer, and worship leader. I participated in many musical theatre shows and won both the National School Choral Award and Best Thespian Award my senior year of high school. I co-founded an a cappella group in high school called the SoundAffects and participated in gospel choir at the University of New Hampshire. I joined my first Blues band in 2003 in Boston called Otis Street Rhythm & Blues and upon arrival in Nashville joined two good friends in their band, The Red Wine Effect prior to forming Cara Being Blue. 

Where/what did you first record in a studio? I recorded a demo with Otis Street Rhythm and Blues at the Boston Art Institute in Cambridge as an even trade for their engineering students to learn how to record Blues music as a project.

What themes do you find yourself writing about the most? Love, of course.

Describe your writing process for me. Usually begins with talking to people. I love to write on my porch by candlelight and a glass of wine with a friend. Sometimes I will come up with a very simple tune and send it to a co-writer to develop it.

Do you have a specific audience in mind when you write your music? I write for me, the "older single gal."

How would you describe your live performance? Full throttle. Fasten your seat belts. We try to bring the fun to crowds who are looking for a little entertainment escape. 

What emotions are you trying to make listeners feel when they heard your music? I don't necessarily intend to make people feel things, unless the song is for/about a specific person. Those are usually when I want them to pay attention and hear how I feel for them. Generally I like to make people laugh if I can. I prefer live performance to studio as there is a great catharsis between performer and audience. I get back what I give out. It's really very special to me and why I do it in the first place and continue to do it.

What’s the greatest compliment you have received about your music? There have been so many genuinely lovely things said to me over the years by listeners. I really do cherish them. One that stands out to me is when I sang for a friend's memorial and an older gentleman hugged me tightly and thanked me saying, "You make everyone feel beautiful when you sing." That made me tear up, for sure, and I will never forget him.

To hear more of Cara Being Blue's music and keep up with their shows:

Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Until Next Time,

Launch Pad Production

www.launchpadproduction.com 

Cami Ross

Hey Nashville,

Want to meet your new favorite country singer? Cami Ross has been recording some new songs with us and we could not be more proud to introduce her to you today! She is playing at Puckett's Grocery and Restaurant on Sunday, April 12 at 7 PM.  We're so excited to watch this country girl sing, and we thought you'd might want to meet her before you drive downtown to see her!

  

A native of Tennessee, Cami Ross has been singing since she was a little girl, and honed her skills in church and in singing contests around the state.  Following a detour to Texas to get her Music Marketing degree from Baylor University, Cami returned to Nashville and made her living singing at Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge and other country music venues on Broadway.  She recently won the Nissan Talent Contest sponsored by NBC’s The Voice, in which more than 10,000 people voted.  She continues to write and record her own songs and perform almost weekly around hot spots in Nashville giving a fresh interpretation to old and new favorites.  Whether singing a Patsy Cline classic, a contemporary hit or one of her own original songs, Cami’s strong, pitch-perfect alto voice and her distinctive style epitomize the joy and pure entertainment of the Nashville country-music experience.  

"Clean" (Taylor Swift Cover)

YouTube

·  Where did you grow up?  Signal Mountain, TN right outside of Chattanooga – it’s a small precious town with one stoplight.

·  What is your first musical memory? Oh wow…I’ve been singing since I could talk. My parents tell this story about me singing the ABC’s at a restaurant in front of everyone when I was 2 years old. So my passion for music has come naturally for me pretty much since I was born.

·  What was your first song about? My first song was called “Leave Some Boys for the Rest of Us”. It was about my friend Sofi, who stole all the boys!! 

·  Where did you perform your first concert?  I don’t exactly remember my very first concert, but I can tell you that I used to play all around the greater Chattanooga area, anywhere I could. One time I played in front of a WalMart to an audience of 3, including my parents.

·  What first inspired you to write music?  I started writing music in middle school, to let out my frustrations and insecurities.

·  Does anyone else in your family play music?  Did they inspire you?  I remember when I was young, my uncles played a little guitar and sang just for fun when they were in college Other than that, the whole family is pretty confused about where I got my singing abilities. It’s random, but I’m super grateful for it!

·  Who are some of your favorite performers?  I like an array – Ed Sheeran is fabulous live. The Punch Brothers are unstoppable. And if you remember Hanson, they’re still one of my favorite bands.

·  What is your musical background?  I’ve been singing and writing songs since I was about 13. I have been performing since I probably 10, if not earlier. I participated in the musicals in high school, and performed a little bit in college. However, after I graduated is when I really started to dive into my music professionally. It’s been a whirlwind ever since (but a good one)!

·  What themes do you find yourself writing about the most?  Lost love and heartbreak seem to be recurring themes in my songs, since that’s what I’m most familiar with. I really enjoy doing fun ones too, where I can show a little attitude and release my inner Miranda.

·  Describe your writing process for me.  It looks different for each co-write. A lot of times I’ll come in and bounce ideas off of the other person, and we just pick one and go with it. Sometimes we start from scratch too.

·  Do you have a specific audience in mind when you write your music?  I would ideally love for everybody to enjoy my music!! I try to write songs that are very relatable, no matter who they are.

·  How would you describe your live performance?  I definitely get down onstage – my mom says I’m a ham! I like to dance and just have fun!

·  What emotions are you trying to make listeners feel when they heard your music?  I want my audience to feel what I’m feeling – if it’s a fun song, I want them to be able to turn the music up and roll their windows down. If it’s a ballad, I want them to hear the emotion in my voice and feel it with me.

·  What’s the greatest compliment you’ve received about your music?  The other day someone told me I’m a good songwriter – that meant so much to me, because my songs are so close to my heart, and I’m so glad that others can enjoy that along with me. 

We've been recording with Cami Ross this past month and can't wait to release her new songs! Let us know what you think about her in the comment section below! 

For more information about upcoming shows and Cami Ross's new music:

Twitter / Facebook / Instagram / Website

Until Next Time,

Launch Pad Production 

www.launchpadproduction.com

Jacob Reynolds

Hey Nashville,

We have a new artist to introduce you to, Jacob Reynolds. This soulful pop singer / songwriter is currently recording his album "Victim Of A Small Town" with us, and we thought you'd like to meet him!  But first, hear his story: 

Jacob Reynolds story begins at the end of a dirt road in the deep south, on the Tennessee Alabama border. Early on, he was a one of those kids that just couldn’t put down his instrument. Although growing up that instrument was actually a baseball. Jacob was a standout All-State baseball player who skipped fully paid college scholarships to enter the Major League Baseball Draft. Immediately after graduating from Giles County High School, Jacob was drafted by The Cleveland Indians and, in a whirlwind, he was a professional getting paid spending his days playing baseball. It was during this extra free time, while all his friends were at work or off to college, that Jacob decided to borrow the guitar of a childhood friend who wouldn’t be needing it since he had recently joined the military.

During the offseason and while recovering from injury, Jacob would practice for hours a day refining his guitar playing skills. Eventually he began spending his days making up songs that were in the form of narrating every mundane daily activity. It was while discovering his love of the guitar that Jacob also began to notice the range in his unique voice. His voice has drawn comparisons to some legendary singers. Familiar names such as Stevie Wonder and Vince Gill among others.

His baseball career was disrupted due to multiple unavoidable injuries. Eventually he came to the realization that his career as a baseball player was over and it was now time to begin searching for a new passion to pour his heart into. After taking just one year of college courses at the University of Tennessee, Jacob decided college wasn’t for him. Instead he would take a chance and chase his dreams of getting paid to sing in Music City, Nashville Tennessee. Since 2005, Jacob has become increasingly immersed in the music culture of Nashville. He has spent the last decade traveling the country as the lead singer for successful bands such as Goodchild, Jacob and the Bear, and most recently, The Jacob Reynolds Band.

Now officially a solo act, Jacob Reynolds is showcasing a unique sound that blends his early influences of R&B and hip hop through his older brother’s musical preferences, with his exposure to poverty through his deep south upbringing. Idolizing southern rock gods The Allman Brothers Band, Jacob has created a sound that is best described as southern soul music. It has jazz, rock, folk, as well as popular music influences. Jacob will soon be releasing his first solo album “Victim of a Small Town”, a collection of 10 original songs. Demo versions of each song can be found on his official Youtube page.

Last week, we sat down with him during a recording session and picked his brain a bit to give you some insight to him as an artist and his creative process. 

Where did you grow up?  Ardmore, TN

What is your first musical memory?  Pretending to play piano to Vince Gill's "When I Call Your Name" when I was 4. 

What was your first song about?  Love

Where did you perform your first concert?  Tin Roof

What first inspired you to write music?  In 1998, my good friend Andy Abernathy loaned me his guitar when he joined the army, and I haven't looked back. 

Does anyone else in your family play music? Did they inspire you?  My brother plays guitar, and my dad is a good singer. They've inspired me everyday. 

What was the first instrument you learned to play? Guitar

What instruments do you play? Guitar, piano, bass

Who are some of your favorite performers?  John Mayer,Gavin DeGraw,James Brown,Brian McKnight, Jason Isbell, Maroon 5 to mention a few. 

What is your musical background?  Started playing out in 2006. I picked up cover gigs to supplement income. 

Where/what did you first record in a studio?  A rock album with a band called Goodchild. 

What themes do you find yourself writing about the most?  Love

Describe your writing process for me.  I rely on feeling. I hear a melody or a guitar lick or a certain sound and it sparks an idea, at least that's my process now. 

Do you have a specific audience in mind when you write your music?  Everyone. 

How would you describe your live performance?  Intimate,raw,entertaining, positive

What emotions are you trying to make listeners feel when they heard your music?Happiness. 

What’s the greatest compliment you have received about your music?  The greatest compliment I get is when people tell me they love my music.

We're so excited that Jacob Reynolds has been recording with us in the past few weeks and can't wait to share his music with you! To keep up with him, follow him on Twitter, like him on Facebook, or follow him on Instagram.  For some of his previously recorded music check out his artist website as well. 

Until Next Time,

Launch Pad Production

www.launchpadproduction.com 

Daniel Drake - Audio Engineer/Producer

Hey World,

Today we're introducing you to our sound engineer/producer, Daniel Drake. He's the Captain Kirk of the studio you toured last week! 

1. What are you currently listening to on your iPod/Spotify list?

Ben Rector, James Morrison, and One Republic were the last three. I am a fan of any music that has a soulful sound.

2.  What is the single best concert you've been to?

The best concert I have ever been to was a TobyMac concert. It was actually at a big festival but that is what made it so awesome. It was the musical icing on the cake of an epic music weekend, and he brought down the house.

3. What is your favorite part of (your specific role in this company)?

It is all about the music. Music is a part of human nature. Being able to work in music and help people craft something so personal to them is like nothing else. I get to take the expression of their heart and soul and turn it in to something to share with the world. There is nothing better than that.

4. What got you in to (your specific role in this company)?

Like most people, I loved music growing up. I had a gift for things of a more technical nature, and once I realized I could combined those to things for a career, I was sold.

5. Who would you like to emulate in your role? / Who is your favorite at what you do?

At the moment Ryan Tedder is a huge influence. He is the lead singer for the band One Republic but has worked on records of everyone from Adele to Beyonce. He brings a soulfulness to his producing, and I really love his drum sounds he gets on tracks.

6. Where are you from?

That’s a tough question because it can have so many meanings. If I travel outside of Nashville and someone asks me that I say Nashville. If I am in Nashville, I say the Seattle area, but I also grew up overseas. It really just depends on the time and place and what the person is really trying to find out.

7. Where did you graduate college? Do you have a degree in (your specific role in this company)?

I graduated from Middle Tennessee State University. (In my opinion the best college for recording industry study of any kind) with a degree in Audio Production.

8. The great debate - Dogs? or Cats? 

Dogs. I am allergic to cats.

9. If you could be any super hero, who would you want to be and why? 

I would be The Flash. He is the fastest man alive. I would never have to pay for gas again. Imagine all the places you could go for the weekend? You would never “run” out of things to do.

Hope you enjoyed getting to know Daniel. Check out our website for prices on recording! 

Launch Pad Production

www.launchpadproduction.com