Hank Cochran In Memoriam: Hank Cochran NSAI is saddened by the passing of Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Hank Cochran, who died Thursday, July 15.  He was 74.  A native of Isola, Miss., Cochran is known for writing classics such as “I Fall To Pieces,” "Make The World Go Away," "The Chair" and “Don't You Ever Get Tired Of Hurtin' Me.”  He was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1974.  Details on a public memorial service will be forthcoming.  The family asks that in lieu of flowers, memorial donations be made to the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation.  For more on Hank Cochran, click the headline above.  Hank's bio on his website is available at hankcochran.com.

Tommy Borsheid Shedding Some Light On Digital Distribution Guest Speaker Tommy Borsheid gave two talks to NSAI members recently, addressing pro writers in the afternoon and doing a webcast for general members that night. Borsheid, who is also a touring artist, works for The Orchard, a digital distribution and business strategy service for major labels serving more than 660 digital and mobile stores. The Orchard, headquartered in New York and London, with operations in 25 markets around the world, opened a Nashville office in April. Borsheid said 99% of digital music delivery is still through theft, but legitimate sales can be increased by smart marketing. The company offers special promotions and incentives tailored for different digital stores, including bonus tracks, in-store interviews and performances, contests and social networking initiatives. They also service music to film and TV for their clients. The Orchard works only with major labels and clients at this time, but may offer indy services in the future. Click on the headline above for more on the company.

Sharon Vaughn, Anders Hansson and Agnes Carlsson celebrate their Song of the Year win Congratulations: Vaughn, Carlsson, Hansson Win Sweden's Song Of The Year Belated congratulations to Sharon Vaughn, Anders Hansson and Agnes Carlsson -- their song, "Release Me, recorded by Agnes, earned the Swedish Publisher's Award for Song of the Year this past November.  "Release Me" has been a hit in 40 countries -- named one of the Top 10 songs in the U.K. for 2010, #1 on Billboard's U.S. Hot Dance Club Chart and is currently breaking in U.S. mainstream Pop radio.  Sharon, a 2010 nominee for the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, has been living and working in Stockholm, Sweden, the past few years.  In the last two years, Sharon has had more than 100 cuts on artists around the world, including two #1s in Japan.

Save The Date: Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner Oct. 17 Be sure to save this date on your calendar: The 40th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Dinner & Induction Ceremony Presented By AT&T will be held Sunday, Oct. 17, at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel.  Sponsored by the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame Foundation, the event will feature special performances of inductees’ songs, as well as the Nashville Songwriters Association International's annual awards for "The 10 Songs I Wish I’d Written," as selected by the organization's Pro Songwriters Division.  Reservations will go on sale in late August and will be available by contacting event director Mark Ford at hoftix@nashvillesongwriters.com or 615-256-3354.  Look for more information to come your way in the weeks ahead.

Richard Leigh performs at NSAI Photo Op: Richard Leigh Performs At NSAI Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame member Richard Leigh dropped by NSAI recently to say hello and share some favorite tunes.  For more on Richard, click on the headline above.

Want To Perform At Musicians Corner In Centennial Park? A new Nashville destination, dubbed Musicians Corner, will showcase and celebrate the Music City’s ties that bind.  Ensconced in the West End Avenue corner of Centennial Park, Musicians Corner provides the ideal epicenter for a multi-cultural musical hive.  The location will be inaugurated with a series of free Saturday afternoon lawn parties, starting July 10 and continuing every Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. through October 16.  A pastiche of musical performances featuring locally based favorites, original voices, and surprise guests will be augmented by lifestyle, food, and artisan vendors to create a community gathering space in Nashville’s Centennial Park.  For the official news release on Musicians Corner, click the headline above.  To visit the Musicians Corner website, click here.  To apply for a performance spot, click here.

Pat & Pete Luboff Pros Pay It Forward: Pete & Pat Luboff Recently Pro Members Pete & Pat Luboff made a decision to support NSAI long-term.  Read their heartfelt letter below to hear how they are contributing to our efforts for songwriters. “We are finally re-doing our wills. Our kids were little the last time we wrote our wills, now they’re are all grown up! Basically, we’re leaving everything we have to our children, but when the question of any other specific bequests came up, the first thing that came to our minds was NSAI. NSAI is one of two entities we singled out. We may not be able to afford lifetime memberships now, but we’re joining for eternity when we go! We hope you will encourage other writers to include NSAI in their wills. As Pete’s sister so wisely says, 'There are no pockets in shrouds.' Thank you so much for everything you do." Love, Pete & Pat Luboff

Protect Your Original Music With MyWerx.com MyWerx is a secure online tool that enables songwriters to store creative work and connect it with co-writers and business partners.  When a song is uploaded, a tamper-proof, date-stamped version is stored. You can then notify your co-writers with an email from the platform, inviting them to validate the information on the work and claim it from their own MyWerx account.  You can upload and protect the complete sound file or just the preliminary lyrics.  This process eliminates later disputes and helps you organize your catalog.  MyWerx can be used from your computer or through the new MyWerx iPhone app which allows you to record and upload new songs straight from your phone.  Within the next year, MyWerx will expand to connect creators with business representatives, such as publishers, PROs, etc.  This will drastically reduce the cost of monetizing music, by eliminating redundancy and updating changing information in real time, so you can be free to do what you do best- write songs.  Registering and using MyWerx is free, with premium service accounts available.  Protect your work today at mywerx.com.  For more on MyWerx, click the headline above for a quick video.

Sponsor Spotlight: Bill Lynch, Manager of Raymond James & Associates NSAI greatly appreciates its many sponsors, who help make possible the work we do on behalf of songwriters.  This time, we shine the spotlight on: NSAI SILVER LEVEL CORPORATE SPONSOR -- Bill Lynch, Manager of Raymond James & Associates Bill Lynch is the Branch Manager of the Nashville Raymond James & Associates office as well as Senior Vice President of Investments. He and his eldest son assist their clients in managing more than $150 million of assets to help those clients reach their financial goals. Bill has been involved with NSAI for over 15 years when he was initially a member of the NSAI Business Advisory Board and also a member of the initial committee for Tin Pan South. Click the headline above for more information.

Photo Op: Buck Wilkin Donates Kristofferson Award Buck Wilkin, one of NSAI's Founding Members, dropped by NSAI recently to donate an NSAI Songwriter of the Year Trophy presented to Kris Kristofferson in the early '70s.  Buck's mother, Marijohn Wilkin (NSAI Founding Member and member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame) was Kris' publisher at the time and accepted on his behalf.  Kris told her to keep the award in appreciation for her involvement in his career.  Thanks, Buck, for this valuable memento of NSAI's history! Pictured (l-r) are NSAI's Jennifer Purdon Turnbow, Susan Myers, Mark Ford, Bart Herbison, Buck Wilkin, NSAI's Sheree Spoltore, Debi Cochran and Erin Burr.

Sheree Spoltore Stellar Staff: Sheree Spoltore Congratulations to our Stellar Staff member, National Membership Director Sheree Spoltore!  We’d like to give you a closer look at the one of the people who keeps NSAI running day to day.  Click on the headline to find out more about how she went from NSAI Member to Membership Director, singing at President Clinton’s Inauguration, her vast love of family and what she’s learned from top men in the industry as well as the top one in her life – husband Lou – in our Q & A.

Enjoy Bluebird On The Mountain's 2010 Season Four stellar shows remain in the Bluebird on the Mountain concert series at Vanderbilt's Dyer Observatory.  These concerts under the stars feature some of the best songwriters in Nashville and beyond.  Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com.  Admission is $95 for a carload of up to eight people.  Feel free to bring blankets, lawn chairs, food and drink.  Make yourself comfortable in the observatory's lawn in front of the stage.  Relax and enjoy a fabulous evening of sunset, music, and stars. Saturday, August 21 at 8:00 p.m. Marshall Chapman, Gary Nicholson, special guest TBA Gates open at 6:00 p.m.  $95 per car.  Reservations required. Saturday, Sept. 18 at 8:00 p.m. Tom Douglas, Natalie Hemby, Lori McKenna Gates open at 6:00 p.m.  $95 per car.  Reservations required. Saturday, Oct. 2 at 7:00 p.m. Steve Seskin, Chuck Jones, special guest TBA Gates open at 5:30 p.m.  $95 per car.  Reservations required. Dyer Observatory is located at 1000 Oman Drive, off Granny White Pike between Old Hickory Blvd. and Otter Creek Road, near Radnor Lake. Directions are available at www.dyer.vanderbilt.edu/.

Have You Signed Up For Affordable Copyright Infringement Insurance Yet? Frost Specialty is offering a first-of-its-kind Group Copyright Infringement Insurance Policy.  This exclusive and unique policy is only available to NSAI Pro members and will save you hassle and money in the event of a lawsuit.  For more information, check out the following articles or contact NSAI Executive Director Bart Herbison (barton@nashvillesongwriters.com) to discuss.  Click the headline above for more on Frost Specialty.      The Tennessean: http://members.nashvillesongwriters.com/photos/File348.pdf Music Row magazine: http://www.musicrow.com/2009/07/nsaifrost-specialty-offering-group-infringement-insurance/ Insurance Journal: http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2009/07/16/102268.htm

photo courtesy of Steve Jones Photography Rock Some Sweet Swag From NSAI NSAI merch is now available online! Whether you’re looking for the perfect gift for someone else – or yourself – these items are sure to look amazing, AND you’ll be supporting the organization that supports your songwriting.  The NSAI line includes military caps, trucker hats, hoodies, jerseys and t-shirts. So what are you waiting for . . .  click on the headline above to start shopping now.  [We also send out a special thank you to our models -- great job, guys!]

Social Sites Unite! Don’t miss out on the excitement at NSAI!  Become a Fan on Facebook (facebook.com/NSAIofficial), a Friend on MySpace (myspace.com/NSAIofficial) and a Follower on Twitter (twitter.com/NSAIofficial) for updates on events, special visitors, what’s going on in the music industry and more!

Have A Change? Update Online Reminder: we’ve made some recent updates to better serve you.  Now you can change your e-mail, phone number, website, etc. online.  Here’s how . . .  go to www.nashvillesongwriters.com and login.  In the top left-hand corner (under Welcome!), click on My Personal Profile (it’s the third link over), then alter your information (and don’t forget to click Save Changes).

Make NSAI One Of Your Safe Senders Reminder: with many anti-SPAM filters becoming more sensitive, please make sure to add NSAI to your list of "safe senders" so that you don't miss out on any important e-mails.  Since we send these out to big groups of members at once, we don't want your computer to keep you from seeing what we're sending!