Anthony Marinelli

BMI Conducting Workshop Celebrates Ten Years of Honing Talent

2007-07-27T13:26:01-05:00

BMI’s Conducting Workshop recently celebrated 10 years of teaching composers the art of conducting musical scores. BMI Classic Contribution Award-winner, conductor and composer Lucas Richman once again led the program. Conducting for the Film Composer is a two-week course taught by Richman and designed for eight BMI composers who seek to refine their conducting skills. The class is taught at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, CA and is free to the accepted participants.

Conductor Lucas Richman (l) and composer Tim Wynn.

This year’s students are an exemplary group of working film and television composers: Kathryn Bostic (Sundance Fellow, Beyond the Ring, Contradictions of the Heart); Kris Carter (Justice League, Teen Titans); Eric Colvin (NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience, Bark!); Claude Foisy (The 4400, White Noise); Corey Jackson (Left in Darkness, Starting Over); Dave Reynolds (Cruel Intentions 3, Tides of War); Craig Richey (Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing); Tim Wynn (Reflections of Venice, Chasing the Light). The class is coordinated by BMI’s Senior Director of Film/TV Relations, Ray Yee, and BMI’s Film/TV Relations staff.

The whole group pauses for a photo: (l-r, front): BMI's Ray Yee, composer Kathryn Bostic, conductor Lucas Richman and composer Kris Carter; (back) composer Corey Jackson, BMI's Linda Livingston, composers Tim Wynn and Eric Colvin, BMI’s Doreen Ringer Ross, composers Craig Richey, and Dave Reynolds, contractor David Low, composer Claude Foisy, BMI's Anne Cecere and Philip Shrut.

BMI recently recognized accomplished conductor and composer Lucas Richman with the 2007 Classic Contribution Award for 10 years of service leading BMI’s celebrated Conductor’s Workshop. A BMI composer, Richman has led the workshop since its inception. Presently Music Director and Conductor for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Richman is a leading expert in conducting and composing, having fashioned an outstanding career as a conductor with numerous symphonies and orchestras in the U.S. as well as collaborator with numerous film composers as their conductor for such films as the Academy Award-nominated As Good As It Gets, Face/Off, Seven, Breakdown, Anastasia and The Village.

Past participants in the highly touted lab, include composers Cliff Martinez, Stewart Copeland, Camara Kambon, Danny Pelfrey, Richard Gibbs, Bill Brown, Bennett Salvay, Rolfe Kent, Julie and Steve Bernstein, Anthony Marinelli, Alex Wurman, Gary Kuo, Tyler Bates, Nate Barr, James Venable, Mervyn Warren, Chris Lennertz and Laura Karpman.

Photos: Anna Maria DiSanto

BMI Conducting Workshop Begins 10th Year

2007-05-28T00:43:00-05:00

Celebrating ten years of teaching composers the art of conducting musical scores, the BMI Conducting Workshop will kick off in Los Angeles on June 5 with recent BMI Classic Contribution award-winner, conductor and composer Lucas Richman once again leading the program. “Conducting for the Film Composer” is a two-week course taught by Richman, designed for eight BMI composers who wish to refine their conducting skills. The class is taught at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, CA and is free to the accepted participants.

This year’s students are an exemplary group of working film and television composers: Kathryn Bostic (Sundance Fellow, Beyond the Ring, Contradictions of the Heart); Kris Carter (Justice League, Teen Titans); Eric Colvin (NASCAR 3D: The IMAX Experience, Bark!); Claude Foisy (The 4400, White Noise); Corey Jackson (Left in Darkness, Starting Over); Dave Reynolds (Cruel Intentions 3, Tides of War); Craig Richey (Friends with Money, Lovely & Amazing); Tim Wynn (Reflections of Venice, Chasing the Light). The class is coordinated by BMI Senior Director of Film/Television Relations Ray Yee and BMI’s Film/TV Relations staff.

Highly specialized, coursework will include developing conducting technique, working with live players ranging from piano duet to full chamber orchestra; conducting free-form as well as to click-track, both with and without picture. The musical repertoire for the workshop will range from classical selections to music from commercial films. Each session will be videotaped and critiqued.

Workshop alumni include composers Cliff Martinez, Stewart Copeland, Rolfe Kent, Camara Kambon, Richard Gibbs, Bennett Salvay, Julie and Steve Bernstein, Anthony Marinelli, Alex Wurman, Jeff Beal, Mervyn Warren, Joseph Vitarelli, Tyler Bates, Gary Kuo and Laura Karpman.

A limited number of class auditors will be welcomed on an advanced approval basis. Requests for auditors should be sent to Yee at ryee@bmi.com.

Anthony Marinelli

2007-02-05T20:36:00-05:00

Hollywood-based composer Anthony Marinelli prefers not to pigeonhole music. “You have to come up with a filing system for a lot of things in life,” he avows. “My mind doesn’t do that — I don’t care if it’s roots-driven or classical music. It’s all just sound and emotion.”

With a growing résumé of film credits, including 15 Minutes, Timecode, God Said Ha! and Two Days in the Valley, Marinelli adds to his credits Mayor of the Sunset Strip, the tale of Hollywood icon Rodney Bingenheimer and the darker side of fame. “I played what I thought was Rodney. In the midst of this profound exuberance, fame, beautiful Hollywood and happy people with success and money, there was a lot of struggle.”

Marinelli composed for a chilling chapter in celebrity with his latest project, Chapter 27, which chronicles the last three days in the life of John Lennon and his assassin, Mark David Chapman. Originally, the composer and some musician friends planned to improvise a psychedelic score, but the project now features Marinelli’s classical score with a 60-piece orchestra. “They play against picture, almost like Tchaikovsky in The Nutcracker,” he explains.

With television credits and an extensive list of award-winning commercials, Marinelli recently contributed production to singer/songwriter Shawn Amos’s Thank You Shirl-ee May, and molded Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass classics into modern remixes. This past summer he composed a tone poem, “In the Family,” featuring narration by writer/actress Julia Sweeny. Commissioned by the L.A. Philharmonic, the 22-minute piece was performed for two nights with a 90-piece orchestra at the Hollywood Bowl.

Beyond styles, Anthony Marinelli seems to gravitate to projects with heart and history. “We study and absorb, and it evolves from there. Hopefully we can make the music more original; but ultimately we just bring who we are.”

BMI Celebrates ‘Comedy Night’ at the Hollywood Bowl

2006-09-13T05:00:01-05:00

BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross was on hand for a special performance by BMI composer/conductor Lucas Richman and the Los Angeles Philharmonic, held Aug. 25 and 26 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The concert, entitled "Comedy Night," combined the best of music and the best of humor with the masters of side-splitting comedy: the Smothers Brothers and Saturday Night Live alum Julia Sweeny. The night also featured a new musical work by BMI film composer Anthony Marinelli.

Shown after the performance are (l-r): BMI's Linda Livingston, composer Anthony Marinelli, actress/writer/comedienne Julia Sweeny, conductor Lucas Richman, and BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross and Ray Yee. Photo by Lee Salem

BMI Conducting Workshop Completes Ninth Year

2006-08-08T18:00:00-05:00

The BMI Conducting Workshop recently completed its ninth year at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, Calif. "Conducting for the Film Composer" is a two-week course taught by conductor/composer Lucas Richman and coordinated by BMI's Ray Yee, Senior Director of Film/Television Relations.

Front Row (L-R): Composer Andreas Kapsalis, contractor David Low, pianist Alan Steinberger, workshop instructor Lucas Richman, BMI's Ray Yee, concert master Endre Granat, BMI's Anne Cecere, and composers Walterio Pesqueira, Joseph Julian Gonzalez and James Venable. Back Row (L-R): Editor Chris Ledesma, cellist Victor Lawrence, composers George Shaw and Mervyn Warren, violinist Mark Robertson, and composers Stephen Ridley, Joseph Vitarelli and Phil Shrut. Photo by Annamaria DiSanto

Designed for composers who wish to refine their conducting skills, the free annual workshop is limited to eight BMI-affiliated professional film and television composers. This year's students included Joseph Julian Gonzalez (Resurrection Blvd., Price of Glory), James Venable (Powerpuff Girls, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks 2), Joseph Vitarelli (Revelations, Last Seduction), Andreas Kapsalas (Black Gold, Sundance Composer Lab fellow), Mervyn Warren (Honey, The Wedding Planner, A Walk to Remember), Walterio Pesquira (Mujeres Insumisas, La Usurpadora, Plaza Sesamo [Sesame Street]), Stephen Ridley (The Sharktank Redemption) and George Shaw (Purity, Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt).

A highly touted lab, past participants include composers Cliff Martinez, Stewart Copeland, Camara Kambon, Danny Pelfrey, Richard Gibbs, Bill Brown, Bennett Salvay, Rolfe Kent, Julie and Steve Bernstein, Mark De Gli Antoni, Anthony Marinelli, Alex Wurman, Pete Scaturro, Mick Muhlfriedal, Dominic Messenger, Gary Kuo and Laura Karpman.

Ninth Annual BMI Conducting Workshop Kicks Off in L.A.

2006-07-27T18:00:00-05:00

Marking its ninth year, the BMI Conducting Workshop kicked off in Los Angeles on July 20 with conductor and composer Lucas Richman once again at the helm. "Conducting for the Film Composer" is a two-week course taught by Richman and coordinated by Ray Yee, BMI's Senior Director of Film/Television Relations. The class is taught at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, Calif.

The Workshop is designed for BMI composers who wish to refine their conducting skills. The annual workshop is free and is limited to eight participants who are BMI-affiliated professional film and television composers. This year's students are composers Joseph Julian Gonzalez (Resurrection Blvd., Price of Glory), James Venable (Powerpuff Girls, Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Clerks 2), Joseph Vitarelli (Revelations, Last Seduction), Andreas Kapsalas (Black Gold, Sundance Composer Lab fellow), Mervyn Warren (Honey, The Wedding Planner, A Walk to Remember), Walterio Pesquira (Mujeres Insumisas, La Usurpadora, Plaza Sesamo [Sesame Street]), Stephen Ridley (The Sharktank Redemption) and George Shaw (Purity, Kidnapping of Ingrid Betancourt).

The course will focus on developing conducting technique and participants will be working with live players ranging from piano duet to a full chamber orchestra. Curriculum will include conducting free form as well as to click track, both with and without picture. The musical repertoire for the workshop will range from classical selections to music from commercial films. Each session will be videotaped and critiqued.

"The conductor's workshop is an incredible experience for composers partially because of the brilliance that Lucas brings with him as a teacher, performer and creator," said BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President, Film/TV Relations. "The participants get the opportunity to work with some of the top musicians in the world while they're conducting, and the actual hands-on experience is one that cannot be duplicated in such a condensed period of time. We've heard time and time again how instrumental this workshop has been in adding skill sets to composers' repertoires."

Richman is an accomplished conductor and composer of music ranging from classical concert music and opera to musical theatre and film. He is presently Music Director and Conductor for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He served as the Pittsburgh Symphony's Assistant Conductor from 1998-2002, during which time he was also a Cover Conductor for the New York Philharmonic. From 1988 to 1991 he was the Assistant Conductor for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra.

Mr. Richman has appeared as guest conductor with numerous orchestras throughout the United States, including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony and New Haven Symphony; in Canada with the National Arts Centre Orchestra; and in Germany with the SWR Radio Orchestra of Kaiserslautern. As a composer, Richman has had his music performed by over 100 orchestras across the United States in the last five years alone. The Pittsburgh Symphony most recently premiered his one-act musical, A Christmas Wish, with the participation of the Mendelssohn Choir, the Children's Festival Chorus and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet.

In recent years, he collaborated with numerous film composers as their conductor, recording scores for such films as the Academy Award-nominated As Good As It Gets, Face/Off, Seven, Breakdown, Anastasia and The Village. He received a Master of Music in orchestral conducting from the University of Southern California, where he was a student of Daniel Lewis. He studied privately with Fritz Zweig and Victor Yampolsky, and worked with Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson Thomas at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. He was also selected as a conducting fellow in master classes with Pierre Boulez, André Previn, Herbert Blomstedt and Kurt Sanderling.

A limited amount of class auditors will be welcomed on an advanced approval basis. Requests for auditors should be sent to Yee at RYee@bmi.com.

BMI to Host Film Music Panel, Showcase at Sundance 2006

2006-01-05T17:00:01-05:00

BMI will once again present its annual film music panel and artist showcase during the Sundance Film Festival, being held January 19-28 in Park City, Utah. Check out bmi.com/sundance for more information on BMI events at Sundance as well as onsite coverage of the 2006 Festival.

The 6th annual Composer/Director Roundtable, entitled "Music & Film: The Creative Process," will be held on Wednesday, January 25 from 11am to 1pm at the Sundance House at the Kimball Art Center (638 Park Avenue). The panel is open to festival badge and ticket holders. Tickets are available at sundance.org and at Festival ticket offices.

This year's roundtable will be moderated by BMI's Vice President of Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer Ross, and will feature composers Aaron Zigman (Alpha Dog), David Kitay (The Darwin Awards), Stewart Copeland (composer/screenwriter/director Everyone Stares: The Police Inside Out, Rumblefish), Peter Golub (composer/director Wordplay, Sundance Composers Lab), Mychael Danna (Little Miss Sunshine, Capote), Craig Richey (Friends With Money), David Julyan (The Descent), Anthony Marinelli (Dreamland) and Terence Blanchard (Mo' Better Blues, The 25th Hour, Sundance Composers Lab Advisor), and directors Nick Cassavetes (Alpha Dog), Finn Taylor (director/screenwriter The Darwin Awards), Patrick Creadon (Wordplay), Neil Marshall (director/screenwriter The Descent), Jason Matzner (Dreamland) and Haskell Wexler (director/cinematographer Who Needs Sleep?).

The panel will focus on the role music (both score and source) plays in film, the composer/director relationship, the growing role of documentaries and the art of scoring for that medium, as well as budgets and creative expansion of the form.

The 4th annual BMI Songwriters Snowball will take place later that evening from 6pm to 8:30pm. This acoustic, singer/songwriter showcase, also being held at the Sundance House, is an official 2006 Sundance Film Festival event and is open to festival badge holders, press passes and invited guests only; tickets will not be sold.


Michael Penn	Van Hunt

As part of BMI's goal to focus attention on the role of music in film, this year's Songwriters Snowball will feature four unique artists whose voices and vision complement that of the filmmakers showcased at the Festival. Performers include Southern California singer/songwriter Cary Brothers (Garden State soundtrack) at 6pm, Bedroom Classics/Nettwerk Music Group recording artist Josh Rouse at 6:30pm, Grammy nominee and Capitol Records artist Van Hunt at 7pm, and Mimeograph recording artist Michael Penn at 7:30pm.


Josh Rouse	Cary Brothers

As a 15-year supporter of the Festival's film music program, BMI also plays an active role in the Sundance Composers Lab held each summer at the Sundance Institute.

The Sundance Film Festival is the premier showcase for U.S. and international independent film. Held each January in and around Park City, Utah, the Festival is a core program of Sundance Institute, a nonprofit cultural organization founded by Robert Redford in 1981. Presenting 120 dramatic and documentary feature-length films in seven distinct categories, and 80 short films each year, the Sundance Film Festival has introduced American audiences to some of the most innovative films of the past two decades, including American Splendor, Clerks, Hustle and Flow, Maria Full of Grace, Napoleon Dynamite, sex, lies and videotape, Smoke Signals and Super Size Me. Beyond the streets of Park City, sundance.org shares the Festival experience with a global audience through the streaming of short films, filmmaker interviews, current news and box office information.

8th Annual BMI Conducting Workshop Kicks Off Aug. 5 in LA

2005-07-28T18:00:00-05:00

Lucas Richman
Photo: Pittsburgh Symphony

The BMI Conducting Workshop will kick off its eighth year on August 5 at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, Ca. "Conducting for the Film Composer" is a two-week course taught by conductor/composer Lucas Richman and coordinated by BMI's Ray Yee, Director of Film/Television Relations.

Designed for composers who wish to refine their conducting skills, the Workshop is free and limited to eight BMI-affiliated professional film and television composers. This year's students include Bill Brown (CSI: NY, Trapped), Stephen Cavit (Blue Vinyl, Chuck & Buck), Mark De Gli Antoni (Cherish, member of Soul Coughing), Camara Kambon (Diary of a Mad Black Woman, Biker Boyz, theme for Girlfriends), Brian Langsbard (Johnny Skidmarks, City Confidential), Mick Muhlfriedel (Animalicious, Adventures of ARK), Eric Speier (Complete Savages, Mission Hill, Mullets) and Christopher Tin (Jacob's Gift, Babysitting).

A highly touted lab, past participants include composers Cliff Martinez, Stewart Copeland, Danny Pelfrey, Richard Gibbs, Bennett Salvay, Rolfe Kent, Julie and Steve Bernstein, Anthony Marinelli, Alex Wurman, Pete Scaturro, Dominic Messenger, Gary Kuo and Laura Karpman.

"The conductor's workshop is an incredible experience for composers partially because of the brilliance that Lucas brings with him as a teacher, performer and creator," said BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President of Film/TV Relations. "The participants get the opportunity to work with some of the top musicians in the world while they're conducting, and the actual hands-on experience is one that cannot be duplicated in such a condensed period of time. We've heard time and time again how instrumental this workshop has been in adding skill sets to composer's repertoire."

Mr. Richman has appeared as guest conductor with numerous orchestras throughout the United States including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony and New Haven Symphony; in Canada with the National Arts Centre Orchestra; and in Germany with the SWR Radio Orchestra of Kaiserslautern. As a composer, Richman has had his music performed by over 100 orchestras across the United States in the last five years alone. The Pittsburgh Symphony most recently premiered his one-act musical, A Christmas Wish, with the participation of the Mendelssohn Choir, the Children's Festival Chorus and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet.

In 2002-2003 Richman made his conducting debuts with the New York Philharmonic and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Knoxville, and Wheeling. He has received numerous awards including the Geraldine C. & Emory M. Ford Award Guest Conductor, Catherine Filene Shouse Foundation Conduct and the Dramalogue Award for his musical direction of the revival of Leonard Bernstein's Candide, directed by Gordon Davidson at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre.

A limited number of class auditors will be welcomed on an advanced approval basis. Email Ray Yee to request approval.

Composers Refine Skills at 7th Annual BMI Conducting Workshop

2004-07-06T18:00:00-05:00

The BMI Conducting Workshop will kick off its seventh year on July 8. "Conducting for the Film Composer" is a two-week course taught by conductor and composer Lucas Richman and is coordinated by BMI's Director of Film/TV Relations Ray Yee. The class will be taught at the American Federation of Musicians Local 47 in Hollywood, Calif.

The Workshop is designed for BMI composers who wish to refine their conducting skills. The annual workshop is free and is limited to eight participants who are BMI-affiliated professional film and television composers. This year's students are composers Dominic Messinger (multiple Daytime Emmy winner for "All My Children," "Days of Our Lives," "As the World Turns"), Jennie Muskett ("The Prince and Me," "B Monkey"), Scooter Pietsch ("Extreme Makeover," "All American Girl," "Meet My Folks"), Penka Kouneva (Sundance Composers Lab Fellow, "The Picture of Dorian Gray," "Shadows"), Ronit Kirchman (Sundance Composers Lab Fellow), Chris Anderson-Bazzoli (Sundance Composers Lab Fellow, "Revolution OS," "Shooting Creek") and Charles Sydnor ("Malcolm in the Middle").

"The conductor's workshop is an incredible experience for composers partially because of the brilliance that Lucas brings with him as a teacher, performer and creator," said BMI's Doreen Ringer Ross, Vice President of Film/TV Relations in Los Angeles. "The participants get the opportunity to work with some of the top musicians in the world while they're conducting, and the actual hands-on experience is one that cannot be duplicated in such a condensed period of time. We've heard time and time again how instrumental this workshop has been in adding skill sets to the composer's repertoire."

Lucas Richman is an accomplished conductor and composer of music ranging from classical concert music and opera to musical theatre and film. He is presently Music Director and Conductor for the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra. He served as the Pittsburgh Symphony's Assistant Conductor from 1998-2002, during which time he was also a Cover Conductor for the New York Philharmonic. From 1988 to 1991 he was the Assistant Conductor for the Pacific Symphony Orchestra. Richman has appeared as guest conductor with numerous orchestras throughout the United States including the Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Antonio Symphony and New Haven Symphony; in Canada with the National Arts Centre Orchestra and in Germany with the SWR Radio Orchestra of Kaiserslautern. As a composer, he has had his music performed by over 100 orchestras across the United States in the last five years alone. The Pittsburgh Symphony most recently premiered his one-act musical, A Christmas Wish, with the participation of the Mendelssohn Choir, the Children's Festival Chorus and the Pittsburgh Youth Ballet.

In 2002-2003, Richman made his conducting debuts with the New York Philharmonic and the symphony orchestras of Baltimore, Knoxville, and Wheeling. He has received numerous awards including the Geraldine C. & Emory M. Ford Award Guest Conductor, Catherine Filene Shouse Foundation Conduct and the Dramalogue Award for his musical direction of the revival of Leonard Bernstein's Candide, directed by Gordon Davidson at Los Angeles' Ahmanson Theatre. In recent years, he collaborated with numerous film composers as conductor, recording scores for such films as the Academy Award-nominated As Good As It Gets, Face/Off, Seven, Breakdown, Anastasia and The Village. He received a Master of Music degree in orchestral conducting from the University of Southern California, where he was a student of Daniel Lewis. He studied privately with Fritz Zweig and Victor Yampolsky, and worked with Leonard Bernstein and Michael Tilson Thomas at the Los Angeles Philharmonic Institute. He was also selected as a conducting fellow in master classes with Pierre Boulez, Andr� Previn, Herbert Blomstedt and Kurt Sanderling.

BMI’s SXSW Schedule Announced

2004-02-19T17:00:00-05:00

BMI has announced the final line-up of showcases and events it will present at the 2004 SXSW Music, Film and Interactive Conferences being held March 12-21 in Austin, Texas. An original sponsor of the 18 year-old Music conference, BMI will kick off several days of activities on Sunday, March 14 at the Film Conference with a "Music For Film" panel and work its way through eight showcases, two additional panels and much more.

Click here for a complete schedule of BMI events at SXSW.

The "Music For Film" panel will be moderated by BMI Vice President of Film/TV Relations, Doreen Ringer Ross. Panelists include composer Anthony Marinelli ("Mayor of The Sunset Strip," "The Man From Elysian Fields"); director George Hickenlooper ("Mayor of The Sunset Strip," "The Man From Elysian Fields"); Warner Brothers Pictures Vice President of Business Affairs, Music, Dan Butler; film producer Rana Joy Glickman; music supervisor Frankie Pine; Commotion Records/music supervisor Tracy McKnight; and Windswept Music Publishing's John Anderson.

On Tuesday, March 16, BMI will host an invitation-only industry dinner featuring live performances by Universal South recording artist Holly Williams and Austin-based trio The Greencards. Tuesday also marks the start of the BMI/KEYE stage at Highland Lakes Bar at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Singer/songwriters from The Greencards to the South Austin Jug Band to honky tonk legend Dale Watson will perform for arriving passengers on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 2 pm to 6pm.

The "Rojo, Caliente y Verde: Generacion Alternativa" showcase, presented by BMI, Garcia Communications, LATV and The Agency Group, will be held on Wednesday, March 17 at Exodus (302-304 E. 6th Street). The show will feature a diverse array of Latin music including alternative rock band Los Abandoned (Los Angeles, CA), alternative rock group Vaquero (Monterrey, Mexico), hip-hop artists Cartel de Santa (Monterrey, Mexico), pop/rock artist Zo� (MX), alternative rock/electronica duo Plastilina Mosh (Monterrey, Mexico) and rock/hip-hop group Ozomatli (Los Angeles, CA).

That same night, BMI Vice President of Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, Paul Corbin and BMI Director, Writer/Publisher Relations, Nashville, Mark Mason, will once again present the Song and Songwriter of the Year awards at the Austin Music Awards at the Austin Music Hall.

Thursday, March 18 will feature the keynote address by noted BMI songwriter/artist Little Richard, as well as the BMI-sponsored songwriter's panel. The "Songwriters Way With Words" panel will be moderated by BMI's Corbin and will feature songwriters Robyn Hitchcock, Charlotte Martin and Ron Sexsmith from 2:35pm to 4pm at the Convention Center.

Thursday night's "BMI Presents..." showcase at the Austin Music Hall once again boasts a stellar lineup, with blues legends the Holmes Brothers, Austin's Jack Ingram, Cake, Little Richard and his ten-piece band, Charlie Robison, and Blues Traveler.

On Friday, March 19, BMI will host another "BMI Presents..." showcase at the Hard Rock Caf� (222 East 6th Street), kicking off with a pre-showcase party at 7pm featuring a special performance by urban/rock Capitol recording artist Van Hunt. Other performers include Luna Halo (Nashville, TN), Atlantic recording artist Kill Hannah (Chicago, IL), Jump, American Minor, V2 recording artist Charlie Mars and the UK's Razorlight.

BMI will also have a booth at the SXSW Music Festival trade show. Click here for complete coverage of BMI events at SXSW.