Wammies 1999 Photos

By Ron Holtz

Hilary Rosen, RIAA	Chuck Brown
WAMA VP Charles Stephenson, Jr	Erika Bardot Honeypole
Marianna Previti J Street Jumpers
Pat McGee	Rachel Cross and Jaqui MacMillan
SEV
Eric Brace, Washington Post	Davey Yarborough, Duke Ellington School

General News

SFX Buys Into Merchandise Biz

SFX is getting into the merchandise business. The concert promoterâs SFX Interactive division has purchased a minority stake in the merchandise fulfillment operation of musictoday.com, an e-commerce company headed by Dave Matthews Band manager Coran Capshaw. The remainder of musictoday is held by private investors, including members of the Dave Matthews Band. SFX Interactive and musictoday will run the fulfillment operation as a joint venture called Clikpakship.com. Musictoday, which began business in 1993 as the merchandise outlet for the Dave Matthews Band, now provides such services for some 45 acts, including Santana, Cheap Trick, Insane Clown Posse, and Medeski, Martin & Wood. The company sells directly to consumers and to wholesalers. The musictoday name will be retained, serving as a comprehensive tour-date database with some e-commerce operations. Clikpakship will operate from musictodayâs 100,000-square-foot facility in Charlottesville, Va. Capshaw says the joint ventureâs project will be to establish Web stores for SFX touring acts, to be integrated into SFX.com.

Mailbox

Dear Mike Schreibman,

I would like to take the time to thank you for all the years of service to WAMA you and countless others have put in to make this organiztion what it is today. After receiving the award for 1999 New Artist in February 2000, my music career has taken a step up - quite literally. Venues have booked me sound unheard! That is a new one for me!

Fellow musicians, DJs, and presenters up and down the eastern seaboard not only heard about the Wammies but took the time to drop me a note about it. This tells me that WAMA carries reputation far beyond ãWammie country.ä This reputation built with the extraordinary talent that we have in our town, has been held up with the pillars of an organization, an organization like WAMA. I know I speak on behalf of many - thank you.

Best, Mary Sue Twohy

Hey all you musician friends,

It seems that when Iâm out playing gigs this time of year, the subject of taxes comes up every now and then (jeez, it used to be sex and drugs and rock and roll). I am surprised at how many self-employed musicians are unaware that they can establish a SEP-IRA for their music income, and contribute approximately 13% of their net earnings into a tax-deferred retirement account. This is independent of, and in addition to, any Traditional IRA, Roth IRA, or employer-sponsored 401K that they may already hold. SEP = ãSimplified Employee Pension,ä and it is applicable for both small businesses with a few employees, and self-employed persons, either full or part-time, who report their self-employment income on a 1040 Schedule C.

I set up a SEP-IRA for my music income a couple of years ago, and I intend to make a contribution again this year. I must admit that I ãseek professional help" each year for my taxes, and my accountant advises me on how much I can legally contribute to the SEP-IRA. The amount contributed comes off as a deduction or adjustment somewhere on the 1040...Iâm not sure where, though...thatâs the benefit of seeking professional help at tax time...the bliss of ignorance.

This is just something that I wanted to mention, because it seems like such a good deal, and Iâm surprised at how many full-time and part-time musicians donât take advantage of it. If you would like to soften the annual tax bite on your hard-earned music income, and would rather sock some of it away to earn interest for the long haul, it canât be beat. Most banks or mutual fund companies offer the option to open a SEP-IRA account with any of their various funds. Not to put in any plugs, but I found that the info from Vanguard funds was more thorough and comprehensible than some of the others. I have no idea if the IRS instructions are comprehensible or not, and again, thatâs because I seek professional help.

Well, thatâs my two cents worth, and thatâs probably about what itâs worth. If youâd like to discuss it, please feel free to give me a holler, but remember, Iâm a bass player, not an accountant.

Good gigs to all! Moe Nelson

Grammy Award Winning Album
Recorded At Omega Recording Studios

Omega Recording Studios, one of Washington, DCâs premier studio for over 30 years, is celebrating their contribution to Gospel music legend Shirley Caesarâs ãChristmas With Shirley Caesarä. The CD took home a 2000 Grammy for ãBest Traditional Gospel Album" at the recent Grammy Awards held by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences.

Engineered by Dave Cannon and assistant engineer Archie Moore, Pastor Caesar tracked all her vocals in Studio A over a period of six consecutive days. Gospel musicâs top producer, Stephen Ford, recorded all the bass guitar, string, horn and percussion tracks at Omega also. Omega Recording Studios, which is located in Rockville, MD, already received a 1999 Dove Award for this same project. The Dove Award, for ãBest Taditional Gospel Album", was presented by the Gospel Music Association and is the Christian music industry equivalent of a Grammy.

• David A. Alberdingâs song The Waiting Room was a Runners-Up and Kathy Norwine & Tom Polmanâs song Insect Safari was a Finalist in the 1999 John Lennon Songwriting Contest. All Runners-Up received a CD Player. All Finalists received $1,000 in cash. Each winner also receives a declaration from the JLSC indicating where their song finished in the 1999 Contest. You can hear the songs at www.soundsbig.com/radio/ and select the JLSC channel from the drop menu.
• Two of Norman EvanÎs videos, Passage and Seventh Wonder, were selected for air play on USGIGTV. You can link from his website: http://www.diswho.com to view the videos.
• Pete Papageorge appeared in NBCâs made-for-TV movie, ãHomicide: Life Everlasting.ä He played a campaign worker on the podium with Yaphet Kotto, who plays the mayoral candidate. Coming up this Spring, Pete plays a recovering drug addict in the HBO miniseries, ãThe Corner.ä
• Hal Singer is playing with Katy Benko. They just opened for Kenny Rogers at the Patriot Center. Check out www.katysings.com.
• Jeff and Adrienne Essex are the proud parents of a 7lb. 13 oz. baby boy...Jacob Forrest. Jacob is currently on the ãDrool is Coolä tour, and Mom and Dad are doing well. Jeff is a member of Albright Green.
• Cathy Horner was guest on the Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. WoodSongs is a syndicated, live audience show of acoustic, grassroots artists. The show is now airing on 180 stations around the world.
• Chris Keup will be appearing at the New York club, Fez, as part of an ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) industry showcase. Chris and three other acts will perform for label executives and publishers.
• John Scooter Scudieri signed a sponsorship deal Seagull guitars.
• Julie Sanderson is now working with a band. The players include on drums: Ekendra Das, on bass: Wade Matthews, on guitar: Buck Brown, on electric and acoustic guitar, and vocals: Julie Sanderson.
• As of this month, the band Euphoria is changing their name to Cherrysmash after the softdrink from our childhood. A variety of reasons led to this change, mostly notably a desire to stand apart from the dozens of other bands across the country who are also using the name Euphoria.
• Gadget White Band was asked to record a track for a Paul McCartney & Wingâs Compilation Tribute CD expected for release in May. Artistâs expected to contribute are Ben Foldâs Five, The Foofighterâs, The Pretenderâs and XTC. The band recently performed at The MCI Center and State College with Bad Company. Their web site is www.gadgetwhite.com.
• Kym Fields, Jeanette Phillips, and Cris Chillura are doing shows under the name of October Skies. This is an acoustic based project with, ãmesmerizing harmonies that glide on top of acoustic and classical guitar.ä The group is currently looking for management. Contact Kym at 703-443-6613 or e-mail to Kimfields@webtv.net.
• The Kennedys and The Nields hit the road for the first time together, both in the full band format.
• Stuart Whitford has been selected as a New Folk Finalist for the Kerrville 2000 Folk Festival in Kerrville, Texas. Stuart is also pleased to announce a website at www.stuartwhitford.com, containing song samples, a show schedule, and information about Stuart and his band, Vertical Land. For information about the CD and upcoming performances, contact Stuart by e-mail at stuwhitf@fls.infi.net or at P.O. Box 566, Fredericksburg, VA 22404.
• Jazz drummer Hal Howland is departing the Washington area to make his home in the Florida Keys. Ney Mello was awarded First Prize for Best National DVD Multimedia Internet Soundtrack for his composition Sharon Trilogy.
• Herndon, VA Teen country sensation Katy Benko has signed with the William Morris Agency.

Final Curtain

The jazz world has lost another great one. Tee Carson, a beloved jazz pianist, died Saturday at his home in Austin, Texas at the age of 71. Since 1977, Tee was a major figure in the San Francisco bay area jazz scene. He had been in poor health since his move to Texas. His death was attributed to complications arising from lung cancer. Prior to that move, he had become a popular jazz programmer on KCSM. Donald T. Carson was born and raised in Washington D.C. where he first performed professionally at a club opening featuring Ethel Waters in 1945.

Drummer Ace Smith died March 9, 2000, at 53 . According to his friend Kevin Jones, ãAce was cantankerous and funny, impatient and impetuous, steady as a rock, he played in a lot of bands.ä He left town a few years ago to travel around the country.