VERSED: The ASCAP Podcast

One of the most accomplished artists in the music industry, Herb Alpert has sold over 72 million records and co-founded A&M Records, one of the most successful independent music labels in history and home to such artists as The Carpenters, Quincy Jones, Cat Stevens and Peter Frampton.

A brand new documentary, Herb Alpert Is…, directed by John Scheinfeld, provides a passionate and inspiring look at the life and work of Alpert and the incredible impact he's had on American culture.

Trumpet in hand, Herb Alpert first rose to fame in the 1960s with his Latin-flavored group the Tijuana Brass Band and has gone on to earn 15 gold and 14 platinum records. He has won nine Grammys and received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama in 2012.

Less known is his striking work as an abstract painter and sculptor. And he was just named "Philanthropist of the Year" by the Los Angeles Business Journal for his significant support of educational programs in the arts nationwide, from the Harlem School of the Arts and UCLA to the annual ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards.

Alpert talks to us about his decades-long career, the documentary and what lessons he's learned - and still learning - on his incredible, artistic journey.

Also, award-winning jazz composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Camille Thurman co-hosts and shares some valuable tips on staying inspired, creative and focused on your craft during the pandemic.

Then music biz vet Benjamin Groff explains how to find and develop your identity as an artist.

If you want to check out the fantastic new film, Herb Alpert Is… ASCAP and the ASCAP Foundation are thrilled to bring you an exciting opportunity to support the Foundation and entertain yourself in the process. Just use our special link to rent and stream the film PLUS watch some exclusive bonus material. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the ASCAP Foundation to help nurture the music talent of tomorrow.

Are you a jazz composer under the age of 30? Submit a new, original work for The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, an honor granted annually to encourage talented jazz composers during the earliest stages of their careers. Winning composers will receive a monetary prize. The deadline is December 15, 2020.

Check out Benjamin Groff's first book, How Do I Get A Record Deal? Sign Yourself! - it's currently available for free. He also has some terrific Teachable courses on songwriting and marketing, which you can find on his website too - he's offering VERSED listeners 20% off, using code BENJAMIN20.

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Songwriter, pianist and rapper Benjamin Lerner is the great grandson of Irving Berlin - the songwriter of "God Bless America" and "White Christmas." Lerner has continued his family's musical legacy, first as an award-winning classical pianist, then as a promising rapper who collaborated with Raekwon and Mac Miller. But his hip-hop career was halted when Lerner started using hard drugs, eventually becoming a full-blown heroin addict. Now four years sober, Lerner devotes much of his time to helping others through the recovery process. He talks to VERSED about his new album Clean, a fearless narration of his journey from piano prodigy to IV drug addict to recovery advocate - all set to a unique combination of solo piano and rapped vocals. PLUS: We talk to Mollie Farrell from HeadCount, a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. At the end of the episode, we're joined by Loras Schissel of the Library of Congress, who explains why it's never too early to create an archive of your life as a music creator.

+ASCAP has partnered with HeadCount to make sure your vote, and your voice, are heard. Join the ASCAP Citizen campaign - make sure you're registered to vote today!

+Visit the ASCAP Legacy page to find out how your music can benefit your successors, long after you wrote it.

+Read more about the Irving Berlin collection at the Library of Congress.

In 2019, the blazingly talented Alejandro Aranda (aka Scarypoolparty) made the finale of American Idol, and made history by performing more original songs than any previous contestant. It was an amazing achievement for a singer-songwriter-musician who was busking the streets of LA just a year before. Aranda followed it up with a daring debut album, Exit Form, which captured the many facets of his uncompromising muse. The same week he releases the fearlessly creative new EP Doom Hologram, Aranda explains to VERSED what it's like to go your own way after gaining so much public attention. PLUS: we check in with American Idol's music supervisor Robin Kaye, and hear an excerpt from our recent ASCAP Experience session with hit songwriters Dan Wilson and Brandy Clark, doing a deep dive into the art of - what else - songwriting.

The ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, our summer series of virtual programming designed to inspire, educate and connect music creators at all stages of their careers, is available on-demand now.

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ASCAP President Paul Williams talks to the honorable Congressman Adam Schiff of California, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a great champion of music creator rights, about what Congress is doing to include music professionals in coronavirus relief efforts, the need for federal guidelines on restarting live performances at venues, what's at stake in the US Department of Justice's upcoming review of the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, and how you can join ASCAP in creating positive change for the American music community.

This conversation, which took place in July, was part of the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, our summer series of virtual programming designed to inspire, educate and connect music creators at all stages of their careers.

If you missed any of this great series, you can watch all of the programming on-demand now.

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This past February, Pulitzer Prize winner Du Yun premiered her new opera Sweet Land, an ambitious site-specific work that reflects on the way cultures swallow up, resist and intertwine with one other. Two weeks into Sweet Land's initial run, the coronavirus epidemic shut down the production - but not before it was captured on video. Listen to Du Yun talk about this fearlessly creative work, how her Chinese upbringing has impacted her career, and the unexpected gifts of the pandemic. PLUS: ASCAP's Luis Castro tells us about the big news coming out of the ASCAP Latin world this week.

Sweet Land is now available for on-demand streaming. Proceeds will help support the cast and crew.

Watch past programming and register for free to participate in the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition

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In celebration of both Black Music Month and Pride Month, we called up the eternally fabulous Honey Davenport - a drag superstar, singer-songwriter and activist who has left an indelible mark on New York's nightlife and beyond. In their decade-plus entertainment career, they've earned 18 pageant crowns, starred in off-Broadway musicals and earned a worldwide audience on RuPaul's Drag Race season 11. As a black, non-binary performer, Davenport has also been faced with discrimination throughout their career, both within and outside of the drag community. We spoke to Davenport about the role of music in drag culture, their activism in support of the Black and queer communities, and what's they're doing to stay creative and liberated during quarantine. PLUS: rapper and songwriter Gizzle tells us how she's reacting personally and professionally to the protests and the pandemic.

Just a few short months ago, ASCAP presented its 22nd Annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café at the heart of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The Café featured eight days of performances from visionary recording artists and songwriters from across the musical spectrum. At the time, we spoke with all of our performers in the green room about their craft, career, inspirations and more. We thought we'd share just a few of these conversations as a reminder that creativity was in full force before the coronavirus pandemic began, that it continues to flourish, and as has always been the case in tough times, music is the thing that will help us all get through this together. You'll hear from Cyn, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Matt Berninger of The National, Rain Phoenix, the Ruen Brothers, Ron Artis II, Barry Zito and ZZ Ward. Also, Erik Philbrook talks to ASCAP EVP of Membership John Titta about ASCAP's support for songwriters, composers and music publishers.

Singer-songwriter, artist and actress Techy Fatule has lived almost her whole life in the entertainment industry. The daughter of Dominican showman Carlos Alfredo Fatule and writer and motivational speaker Tania Baez, Techy grew up in Santo Domingo in a home filled with music and love for the arts. She studied piano, guitar and honed her skills as a vocalist with the best teachers in the Dominican Republic. She started her career as a child-star in the famous Latin American TV show Don Francisco and graduated from the prestigious Berklee School of Music. Her roles in music theatre include "Belle" in Beauty and The Beast; "Deena Jones" in Dreamgirls and "Maureen Johnson" in Rent to name a few. In addition, she has been cast as the leading actress in three movies.

A creative force to be reckoned with, Techy's debut album A Su Tiempo positioned her as the next up and coming Latin American star. After releasing her second album Capitulo 1 she is getting ready to release Capitulo 2 in October of this year. A dynamic presence on the stage, she has performed and opened concerts for such artists as Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Ednita Nazario, Kany Garcia to name just a few.

She recently sat down to talk with ASCAP's Sarah Finegold about the evolution of women in music, balancing being a musician with being a mom, her songwriting approach, her new music and what it means to be Dominican.

Also, ASCAP's Jason Reddick talks about how the music community in Atlanta is faring during the pandemic and the ASCAP Urban team's new #ASCAPRealSounds Instagram Live series. And from the archives, Latin Grammy-winning producer Linda Briceño talks about the value of working with collaborators who can educate you while you create.

Jaren Johnston is a Grammy-nominated country songwriter with hit songs for Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and more. He's also the leader of The Cadillac Three, a great American rock band from Nashville with a new album called Country Fuzz full of kick-ass songs that celebrate southern living. ASCAP's very own Evyn Mustoe (who knows Jaren better than most – she's married to the guy) sat down with him a few weeks back to discuss his dual career. Since their interview, Nashville was hit hard by a tornado and the world was hit hard by the coronavirus. We followed up with Jaren to find out how he, his fellow songwriters and Music City are holding up under the circumstances.

Erik Philbrook and Etan Rosenbloom also discuss ASCAP's new website, ascap.com/musicunitesus, a COVID-19 resource center to help music creators through this difficult time. We've assembled info on how to preserve your royalty streams and protect your health and well-being, plus resources for financial assistance. We'll keep updating it over the coming weeks, so check back often.

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Grammy-nominated, Platinum-certified singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope first gained acclaim as lead singer for the pop-punk group Hey Monday, then rose to fame as the winner of Season 3 of The Voice, before transforming into a #1-selling country artist. Throughout her long and winding career, Pope has never stopped pushing herself creatively. For this special International Women's Day episode of VERSED, ASCAP's Beth Brinker sat down with Pope in Nashville to talk about a whole range of things: from punk to country music, what she does to stay focused and balanced with her busy career and (what else?) the art, craft and joy of songwriting. PLUS: from the ASCAP archives, hit songwriter Priscilla Renea explains why staying true to your authentic creative self can be great for your career.