The Americana Music Association will team with SESAC, Thirty Tigers and Discovery Den to showcase several artists during the upcoming SXSW. The showcases will take place Wednesday, March 12, and Friday, March 14.
On March 12 at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Austin, Texas, Parker Milsap, Haden Triplets, Wanda Jackson, Willie Watson, John Fullbright and Bobby Rush will be featured. The performance begins at 8 p.m.
On March 14, Mowgli’s, Boy & Bear, Felice Brothers, Wood Brothers, Jackson, Sons of Feathers, Hurray For The Riff Raff, Rodney Crowell, Lucinda Williams, and Shakey Graves will perform. The event begins at 2 p.m. and runs through 1 a.m. The March 14 showcase will take place at The Gatsby.
For more information, visit americanamusic.org.

Lukas Nelson and P.O.T.R.

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Taylor Swift

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Jo Dee Messina. Photo: Krista Lee Photography

Leadership Music will begin accepting applications from established entertainment industry leaders for the Class of 2015 beginning March 1. Applications will be accepted throughout the month of March.
The eight-month, Nashville-based, learning program begins in September and is designed to expose participants to every phase of the music industry and to be the link connecting people with the issues. Participants are required to attend an orientation, all-day sessions once a month on Fridays, plus two-day opening and closing retreats during the program. One-time tuition for the program is $1,000.
Application forms, program dates, policies and FAQ’s are available online March 1st at leadershipmusic.org/apply/.
According to Debbie Schwartz Linn, executive director of the 25-year-old organization, “The Class of 2014 began with 43 members who were chosen from among several hundred applicants. Our goal is to select a passionate, balanced and diversified class, who are, individually and collectively, the best and brightest leaders in their field and represent all segments of the music industry. Each year, the selection committee has the challenge of selecting from so many more qualified applicants than we have available slots to fill. I guess you would say that’s a good problem to have, but it is often frustrating for those who have applied multiple times. We strongly encourage applicants to keep applying if not selected. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and well worth the effort.”
Applications must be submitted via the on-line process no later than March 31, 2014.

CMT has added six artists on the verge of breaking out to its 2014 Listen Up campaign, selecting acts from across major and indie labels, as well as unsigned artists. Cole Swindell, Dan + Shay, David Nail, Jerrod Niemann, Sundy Best and Thomas Rhett will be highlighted across CMT platforms throughout the year in a multi-platform initiative. Viewers will get an inside look at the personal lives and careers of these artists through live performances, new photos, social chats and interviews that showcase why fans should “listen up.” Additional Listen Up artists will be named later this year.
Danielle Bradbery kicked off the 2014 class officially last week, debuting five new performances exclusively at listenup.cmt.com, and on the just-launched CMT Artists App for iPhone. The five-song set includes her hit single, “The Heart of Dixie,” as well as “Talk About Love,” “Never Like This,” “My Day” and “Wild Boy,” from her Big Machine Records debut album.
“The idea behind Listen Up is to introduce fans to artists on the rise or artists who are about to take the next big step in their career. It is music discovery at its core,” said Leslie Fram, SVP of Music Strategy, CMT. “We’re excited to get behind this diverse mix of incredibly talented artists, and Listen Up is just the first of many opportunities to highlight them across CMT.”
CMT launched Listen Up in 2011 as a way to showcase emerging artists online. Since then, the franchise has expanded to take advantage of the network’s broad reach across television, radio and on its social networks. More than 22 artists have been featured, including recent alums Hunter Hayes, Kacey Musgraves, Brett Eldredge, Cassadee Pope, Brantley Gilbert, Lauren Alaina, Charlie Worsham, Jana Kramer, Dustin Lynch, Casey James and Jon Pardi, among others.