Music Experts to Share Experiences at Integrated Studios in a Segregated South Panel

Musicians, songwriters and anyone who has an interest should plan to sit in on a prestigious panel of experts in the field who are willing to share their vast experiences.

Moderator Brian Mansfield, who is the Nashville correspondent for USA Today, will head the panel on “Integrated Studios in a Segregated South” at 2 p.m. today at the Florence-Lauderdale Public Library.

He will be joined by panelists, music producer Rick Hall, soul artist Jimmy Hughes, drummer Roger Hawkins and bass player David Hood.

Then, on Friday, same place and time, moderator Randy Wachtler, of 615 Music, will lead the discussion focusing on how to get your music in film and television.

Wachtler’s Nashville company specializes in broadcast themes and promos for ABC, NBC, CBS and HGTV.

The panel will feature Frank Radice, who is senior vice president of advertising and promotion for the NBC Agency in New York. He has promoted programs that include “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with Conan O’Brian” and many NBC Entertainment specials and syndicated programs.

Also on the panel are Lonnie Sill, who has produced music for popular films, TV shows and soundtracks including for 20th Century Fox and Columbia Pictures, and Craig Sharmat, who has written songs for the primetime dramas “CSI: Miami” and “Without a Trace.”

The panel discussions conclude at 3:30 p.m. Friday at the library, this time with moderator Lynn Gann, of Full Circle Music, leading the panel in discussing “The Business of Music: How to get a Song Cut.”

“We’ll have an open discussion and welcome comments from the audience,” said Gann, whose company is a subsidiary of Anderson Merchandisers. “We’ll relate crazy stories … near misses and roadblocks we’ve had to overcome and the various ways you can get a song cut.”

Gann said Nashville is the last great music city for songwriters.

“L.A. and New York are about getting into an act, more into signing artists and producers,” Gann said. “We’re interested in signing songwriters. We sign probably 75 to 80 percent pure songwriters.”

Gann’s panel guests will include Kirk Boyer, Disney A&R, Rodney Hall, of FAME Publishing, and Jeff Tweel, of Rick Hall Music.