8 ROSTER & REPERTOIRE
once again spoke out on behalf of creators in an open letter to Apple. She
declared she would hold back her album
1989
from the service, saying
it was unfair that those who create music were being asked to work for
nothing and asked Apple to change its policy. Within 24 hours, Apple
reversed course, fittingly replying to Swift via Twitter, and agreeing to pay
out royalties. This result shows both the influence of social media and the
influence that Swift wields in the industry.
CAREER SUPPORT & OPPORTUNITIES
BMI continued its longstanding tradition of bringing the creative community
together with industry decision makers. This year we featured new talent
on stages at premier festivals including Lollapalooza, South by Southwest,
the Sundance Film Festival, Austin City Limits and the CMA Music Festival,
among others. BMI also orchestrated seminars and workshops to educate
and inspire the next generation of songwriters, while providing beneficial
career advice. Events included the annual Sundance Composer’s Lab
Workshop, informative Gamechangers Music Seminar, and the BMI
mentor program for USC’s Thornton School of Music Undergraduate
Popular Music Degree program, among many others.
BMI also facilitated several fruitful songwriting camps this year, including
the Aspen Songwriting Retreat held at the home of songwriter Denise
Rich in September of 2014. This camp resulted in the current song “Daisy”
and upcoming tracks to be recorded by Britney Spears and Ariana Grande.
Other songwriting camps during the year included the BMI and Warner/
Chappell Fontanel Winter Retreat, and the Write On! Song Camp, also in
partnership with Warner/Chappell Music, all opportunities for writers to
cultivate new collaborations, hone their skills and create new songs.
INTERNATIONAL
Although financial conditions abroad were unfavorable this year, the
unmatched popularity of the BMI repertoire generated massive
performances around the globe. Dynamic creators such as Lady Gaga,
Taylor Swift, P!nk, Will.i.am and RedOne were among the stellar BMI
songwriters who contributed some of the most popular international hits.
Other active songs on the global charts included the ubiquitous “Uptown
Funk,” “Maps,” “All of Me,” and “See You Again.”
On the big screen, exciting music by BMI composers including Brian
Tyler, John Williams, Danny Elfman, Alan Silvestri, Thomas Newman and
Steve Jablonsky drew audiences to movie theaters around the world. Hit
television shows, such as
Person of Interest, Mentalist
and
Sportscenter,
among others, featured music by BMI composers
that enriched the global viewing experience. Notably,
the body of work from BMI composers has longevity
beyond cinema or television series with repeated
performances on worldwide digital audio-visual
services, such as Netflix, HBO GO and Amazon
Instant Video, plus cable and satellite broadcasts.
BMI’s classic catalog also maintained its strong
performance, with enduring songs by Michael
Jackson, John Fogerty and Paul Simon remaining
on some of the most-performed international
playlists of the past year. Other timeless BMI jewels
such as “It’s a Small World” and “Daydream Believer”
delighted crowds far and wide.
BMI’s extraordinarily talented roster of songwriters,
composers and publishers continues to deliver the
industry’s most acclaimed and profitable music
across all genres and around the globe.
BMI LATIN SONGWRITER OF THE YEAR HORACIO PALENCIA.