Gail McDaniel Raises $6,009 for Nashville Schools

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (February 2012) – With a little help from her friends, artist/instructor Gail McDaniel has raised $6,009 for arts education and the PENCIL FOUNDATION in Middle Tennessee.

The Franklin watercolorist will present approximately $4,000 in award grants to art teachers of Williamson and Davidson county public schools during an awards reception at her Franklin, Tenn., studio at 4:30 a.m. on Feb. 22 (Wednesday). Approximately $2,000 will be donated to the PENCIL Foundation’s LP PENCIL Box, a store that provides free educational supplies to area schools.

The funds were raised during a year-long campaign that ended with the 12th annual "January Chase-Away-The-Blahs Party" on Jan. 21. The live auction and lunch drew bidders from across Middle Tennessee. The Saucy Sisters (Barbara Nowak and Beverly Pittman) served as co-chairs of the event.

"Since 2001, we have raised more than $87,000 – the support has been overwhelming," said McDaniel.

"Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Award" grants will be issued through the PENCIL Foundation and FirstBank Cool Springs. The funds were raised through individual, business and foundation donations and the "Blahs Party". More than 100 items were donated for the live auction, including a private musical performance by multi-platinum songwriter Kenny Durham; admission for two to The Juggs' NashTrash Tour; handmade knitted items; artisan-made fine jewelry; a large collection of coffee table art books; and an appearance by Santa Claus.

Fundraising for the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Award" will continue on March 23 when The Saucy Sisters host a wine tasting at O Gallery at Marathon Village in Nashville.

For more information about the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Award" grants or to make a donation, call (615) 599-5115, send an e-mail to gail@gailmcdanielart.com, or visit http://www.gailmcdanielart.com.

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Photo Cutlines:

FRANKLIN, Tenn. (February 2012) – Artist/instructor Gail McDaniel (third from left) welcomes (from left) FirstBank Cool Springs Vice President/Financial Center Manager II Lana Preston and Beverly Pittman and Barbara Nowak of The Saucy Sisters to the 12th annual "Chase-Away-The-Blahs Party". The live auction, which occurred at Gail McDaniel's Franklin studio on Jan. 21, raised $6,009 for the purchase of student art supplies. The Franklin watercolorist will present award grants to art teachers from Williamson and Davidson county public schools during an awards reception at her studio on Feb. 22. A portion of the donations will be given to the PENCIL Foundation’s LP PENCIL Box, a store that provides free educational supplies to area schools. The artist has helped raise $87,131 for arts education since 2001. For more information about the "Students and Friends of Gail McDaniel Award" grants or to make a donation, call (615) 599-5115, send an e-mail to gail@gailmcdanielart.com, or visit http://www.gailmcdanielart.com. (Photo by Chuck Whiting)

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Cool Pepper Disc Releases Never-Before-Heard Recordings by The Impressions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (January 2012) -- Cool Pepper Disc, a Nashville record label owned by hit songwriter/producer/publisher Jerry Michael, will mark Black History Month by releasing five never-before-heard recordings by R&B/soul recording legends The Impressions.

Cool Pepper's latest recordings will be available for digital download beginning Feb. 1 through http://www.CoolPepperDisc.com and other online retailers. The project features the Mayfield-penned song, "Never Too Much Love", as well as soulful renditions of "Caught In The Middle", "I Found You", "Can't Wait Till Tomorrow", and "I Can Make It Go Away". Michael produced the recordings in the mid-'80s at his Suite 900 recording studio in the former United Artists Tower on Music Row. He re-mastered them just in time for Black History Month.

"The Impressions' popularity took a meteoric rise during the Civil Rights Movement, using their songs to preach a perpetually consistent message of equality for all," said Michael, who garnered success as a tunesmith and publisher with the hit "Play the Game Tonight" (Kansas) and other cuts by acts such as Pure Prairie League, Aretha Franklin, The Oak Ridge Boys and Shirley Ceasar. "With Black History Month upon us, I felt it was time to make these wonderful treasures available for the first time. They've been in the music vault for more than 25 years."

Cool Pepper 's "Never Too Much Love" will be the first single from the "Refreshing The Soul" EP. Orchard Music Group is handling worldwide digital distribution. The EP follows the 2011 release of "The Impressions' 50th Anniversary Salute to Curtis Mayfield", a CD featuring 17 Mayfield-penned hits, including "Keep on Pushin'", "Amen", "People Get Ready", "It's All Right", "Woman's Got Soul", and "Talking About My Baby". The label has also released a rare extended recording of the 1960s smash "Gypsy Woman". All selections are downloadable at http://www.CoolPepperDisc.com.

"Black History Month is the time of year when we honor, reflect on, and ultimately remember our African-American heroes and all they have valiantly stood for throughout the years," Michael added. "From Montgomery to Chicago, known activists to anonymous citizens, the push for racial equality has been a long and arduous journey, featuring some of the most distinctive and essential humanitarians of our time. Of these indispensable leaders, there is perhaps no group, artist, or band that did more for the movement than Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions."

At age 16, Mayfield quit school, leaving to form a five-piece group called The Roosters. Later, the name would change to The Impressions. The lead singer was Jerry Butler, fellow member of Mayfield’s grandmother’s congregation. In 1958, a year after Mayfield left school, The Impressions scored a national hit with “For Your Precious Love” – one of the songs heralding the emergence of "Chicago Soul of the Sixties". Butler (and his lead voice) went solo after “For Your Precious Love”, leaving most of the responsibilities for The Impressions to Mayfield.

Mayfield was now in charge of a group that had morphed from five to three pieces, a vocal rarity in the R&B/soul field at that time. But he turned it to his advantage, taking over as lead singer and putting together arrangements and harmonies for three voices that worked to set the group apart. As a result, The Impressions became a powerhouse group of the "Soulful Sixties", with a consistent string of chart hits. The group even managed to take a stand against the arrival of The Beatles as chart dominators. When the British Invasion started in 1964, The Impressions racked up no less than five Top 20 hits that year, all crafted and tailored by Mayfield. The legendary songwriter/performer died in 1999 after racking up numerous hits with The Impressions and as a solo artist.

Michael has achieved success as a recording artist for Capitol and Mercury/Smash Records; a music publisher; a songwriter; a record producer; and a studio owner. He also has served as the owner of a booking agency and concert promotion company. His songs have been featured on gold, platinum and/or multi-platinum albums by top recording acts in pop, rock, R&B, country, adult contemporary and gospel, including Aretha Franklin, The Four Tops, Kansas, Pure Prarie League, Paul Overstreet, The Oak Ridge Boys, Rita Coolidge, Dobie Gray, Exile and Shirley Ceasar, among others. As a former member of the popular 10-piece soul band The Entertainers, he performed on concert stages in Las Vegas, Lake Tahoe and top venue circuits across the nation. For many years, he owned a state-of-the-art recording studio called Suite 900 on Nashville's Music Row. His Cool Pepper Disc record label spotlights artists in various musical formats.

For more information about the new Cool Pepper Disc recordings, visit http://www.CoolPepperDisc.com or send an e-mail message to michael.ent@comcast.net.

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'Publicize Your Dream!'

By Chuck Whiting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and get some publicity? If so, then I'm ready and eager to help you.

Did you know that reporters and editors throw away approximately 90 percent of the press releases they receive? That's why it's crucial to find the perfect hook, use the inverted pyramid structure, and write in Associated Press style. The easier you make it for the media pros, the better chance you'll have to see your "big story" in print or online.  Some stories remain in the Internet search engines for years.

I will be leading my in-depth, four-week " Publicizing Your Dream" class on Tuesdays from March 2-23, 2010 in Brentwood, Tenn. Each session will run from 7-9:30 p.m., with additional time for follow-up questions and critiques. Artists, entrepreneurs and organizational leaders will learn all aspects of publicity, including the tools reporters and editors use; developing a news hook; writing and editing a press release; and distributing the release to the news media. I plan to walk attendees through the process step by step with feedback and professional critiques.  My goal is to have everyone holding a pitch-ready press release in their hands when the class ends.

One of my Virginia students wrote me this moving letter...

"I wanted to send you my first press release (newspaper story) of my career... thanks to you.  You may recognize it as my homework from your workshop.  Initially, I hadn't planned on using it, but the piece came in handy at the last minute.  A customer came to the show specifically to buy the print.  She bought it plus the original!  Her sale totaled $500, just from this press release.  Thank you so much for taking your time and coming all this way to give this wonderful workshop.  I now understand how valuable a press release can be.  And, thank you for extending yourself so freely to others." -- Visual Artist in Independence, Va.

Here's a brief bio sketch. I'm a former newspaper reporter who has served the arts, entertainment, hospitality and tourism industries for more than 25 years. I coordinated PR for the Opryland Hotel before founding my own company, Whiting Publicity & Promotions, in 1993. I also teach communication courses as an adjunct professor for Middle Tennessee State University and Volunteer State Community College. I am the co-author and co-songwriter of the children's book, "The Littlest Star: a musical story"; editor of the arts newsletter Music City Arts Update; and founder/emcee of the monthly songwriters show, "Tunesmithing on Music Row".

My "Publicizing Your Dream" class will be hosted by Just Say Yes International at the Heart House in Brentwood, Tenn. Advance registration is required.  For more information or to register, call (615) 242-9857 or send me an e-mail message at  Arts@WhitingPublicity.com.

PR Step #1: Build A Good Self-Image

By Chuck Whiting

NASHVILLE -- If you could do anything in the world you wanted to do, what would that be? 

 

I used to ask that question during lunchtime strolls on downtown Birmingham's tree-lined avenues and/or standing in front of the massive Albert Bierstadt painting of Yosemite at the Birmingham Museum of Art.  Despite having a great job at Alabama Power Co., I wanted "more" of what was true to my creative self.  For me, the answer became artistically clear. I wanted to combine my talents to land a successful career doing what I loved: journalism and songwriting.  To accomplish that, I would have to quit a good-paying job, pursue a second bachelor's degree (in music), and move to one of the nation's three entertainment capitals.  After years of dreaming and a lot of hard work, I found myself working in Nashville as the PR representative for the Opryland Hotel.  Now, 17 years later, I'm working as a successful publicist, educator, author and musical composer.  My dream remains very much alive.

 

In the coming weeks, I will be sharing what I think are the 10 most important PR steps every entrepreneur or artist should do to accomplish his or her dream.  These career/life suggestions come from my "Publicizing Your Dream" lecture series.  I realize that every walk in life is different.  Still, I hope that some of my experiences and insights will prove helpful to you.

 

#1 -- Build a Good Self-Image:

 

*  Believe in Yourself and DO WHAT YOU LOVE.   It's very hard to accomplish your dream if you can't see it happening or you're not willing to take a risk.  A positive, determined attitude is an essential ingredient to success.  The story is that in his pre-stardom days, Jim Carrey would stand on a Hollywood hilltop yelling, "I'm a big star!". Hit songwriter Jason Bloom resorted to eating cat food during his "hungry" days.  Angela Grett overcame her difficult experiences as the child of a bipolar parent to become an acclaimed author.  They are all doing what they love -- and dogged determined doing it.

 

*  Care about others.  What you do for others will return to you 100 fold (or more).

 

*  Look good.  When we take care of ourselves, others notice. 

 

*  Watch what you say.  We're tempted to tell people where to go when they criticize us.  However, my experience has shown me that it's best to pause and think something through before reacting.  Sometimes the best response is to smile and say nothing.  Try not to burn bridges.

 

*  Be honest.  Do what you say you will, and don't over-exaggerate your credentials.  If you performed on a George Strait record, don't later write that one of your songs went platinum.

 

*  Have a spiritual life.  Know who gave you your talents, and be thankful for what you have.

 

Obviously, there's a lot more I could write about building a good self-image.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this step, including an example of something you've learned.  Like you, I'm always in learning mode.  Please share it here or at one of my upcoming "Publicizing Your Dream" classes or workshops.  In the meantime, much success to you.  Please check back soon for PR step #2.

 

 

 

(* NOTE:  To learn more, please join me in Nashville this spring for my four-week PR class, "Publicizing Your Dream: The Nuts and Bolts of Writing, Editing & News Media Exposure".)

 

Copyright 2010 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED (Printed and distributed by permission only)

Chuck Whiting is president and founder of Whiting Publicity & Promotions, a Nashville-based PR firm that specializes in publicity for the arts, entertainment and hospitality industries.  He also is the co-author and co-songwriter of The Littlest Star: a musical story, an internationally distributed holiday picture book and music CD.  His company recently published Debbie Watts' latest book, Wordabulous!.  Chuck teaches media writing at Middle Tennessee State University.  You may contact him at (615) 242-9857 or Arts@WhitingPublicity.com .

 

Coming in 2010: "The 10 PR Tasks Every Entrepreneur or Artist Should Do

During my career, I've had the opportunity to work with a host of artists and arts-related organizations and businesses.  Over the past few years, I've developed several seminars to help emerging professionals land local, regional and national news media exposure. One of my talks/seminars centers on "The 10 Most Important PR Tasks Every Entrepreneur Should Do".  Please check back the first week of January for the first PR step.  I'll be posting a new step each week.

Happy Holidays!

What Makes News?

During my career as a PR professional, I've worked extensively in the arts, entertainment and hospitality industries.  Following are some examples of projects that have resulted in good news coverage.  I hope this will help you come up with some great, newsworthy projects of your own.

 

*  The monthly "Tunesmithing On Music Row" event spotlighting songwriters lands coverage in most of the local calendars (in Nashville)... including The Tennessean, MetroMix and The Scene.  Just about every "public event" is eligible for coverage in the calendars.  Remember that deadlines can be up to 21 days in advance for newspapers.

 

*  A big Beatles-style benefit for W.O. Smith School in 2009 received extensive coverage in local, regional and national media.  The "news hook" was that some of the top stars in the business (Wynonna, Phil Keaggy, Jonny Lang), along with The WannaBeatles, would be performing their favorite Beatles songs for a great cause.  You can't beat that for news value.

 

*  A book signing/talk by National Vocabulary Coach of the Year Debbie Watts at Borders Books and Music drew coverage in the calendars, as well stories on local, regional and national levels.  As a result, books orders for "Wordabulous!" are coming in from Oregon to Massachusetts.

 

*  Landing a story can pay big dividends in credibility and exposure.  A story on the front page of The Nashville Business Journal announcing the launch of new drug-dispensing technologies in the long-term care industry is still reverberating in the google search engines -- more than a year later!  

 

To successfully land news coverage, it's important to do what the media pros do. Find a strong news hook and write a well-written press release (story) in Associated Press style.  Give the media what they need, and always thank them for the coverage you receive, regardless of play.  

 

Now put on your reporter's cap, and get to work!

 

(*Note: To learn more, please consider attending the next "Publicizing Your Dream" class or seminar in your area.)

 Copyright 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 Chuck Whiting is president and founder of Whiting Publicity & Promotions, a Nashville-based PR firm that specializes in publicity for businesses, organizations and professionals of all kinds.  He also is the co-author and co-songwriter of The Littlest Star: a musical story, an internationally distributed holiday picture book and music CD.  He teaches media writing at Middle Tennessee State University.  You may contact Chuck at (615) 242-9857 or Arts@WhitingPublicity.com .

 

 

 

Writing and Editing Tips

By Chuck Whiting

            Did you know that news reporters, editors and producers throw away roughly 90 percent of the press releases they receive?  That's a startling statistic for entrepreneurs who are competing for much-needed media exposure.  In this fast-paced technological age, media professionals are rushing to meet the next deadline. They don't have time to study press releases that are riddled with run-on sentences, poor punctuation, misspellings and grammatical errors.   

            Landing news coverage often hinges on "meeting the media professional's needs".  Based on what I've been receiving in my e-mailbox lately, even some of the leading PR firms are getting it wrong.

            Following are a few press release writing and editing tips.  By using them, you will improve your odds of landing a big story.

            *  Before you even start to write a press release, be sure that you have a strong "news" hook.  "If it ain't news, don't send it!"

            *  Follow the rules in the Associated Press Stylebook -- the resource guide that every professional print journalist uses. 

            *  Write in the inverted pyramid structure, presenting your information from "most important to least important."  Media professionals are in a hurry, and they may need to cut your story....

(* NOTE:  To learn more, please join me in Nashville this spring for my four-week PR class, "Publicizing Your Dream: The Nuts and Bolts of Writing, Editing & News Media Exposure".)

 Copyright 2009 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

 Chuck Whiting is president and founder of Whiting Publicity & Promotions, a Nashville-based PR firm that specializes in publicity for businesses, organizations and professionals of all kinds.  He also is the co-author and co-songwriter of The Littlest Star: a musical story, an internationally distributed holiday picture book and music CD.  He teaches media writing at Middle Tennessee State University.  You may contact Chuck at (615) 242-9857 or Arts@WhitingPublicity.com .