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THE JOHNNY MERCER FOUNDATION SONGWRITERS PROGRAM The 2013 program will take place June 23-29, 2013 and will be led by three professional master teachers: Craig Carnelia (Tony Award-nominated songwriter), Jon Lind (Senior Vice President of A&R, Hollywood Records), and Lari White (three-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter/producer). The weeklong intensive includes: MASTER CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS Through the generosity of the Johnny Mercer Foundation, there is no fee for this workshop for the writers and writing teams selected, on-campus housing is provided and a stipend is offered to cover a portion of travel expenses.
CHECK OUT OUR BEHIND-THE-SCENES VIDEO TO LEARN MORE
MEET OUR 2013 MASTER TEACHERS
Throughout his career as an artists and repertoire (A&R) executive, Lind stuck to his core musical credo: Match the right song to the right artist, and you can'™t go wrong. During his 12-year tenure at Hollywood Records, Lind oversaw A&R on hit records by some of the label's most popular performers, including Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, the Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato. As a songwriter, he wrote for Madonna, Earth Wind & Fire, Cher, Ramsey Lewis, BBMak, Vanessa Williams, Cheap Trick, Aaron Neville and countless others. Lind's first break as a songwriter came with "Sun Goddess," performed as a duet featuring jazz great Ramsey Lewis and Earth Wind & Fire. It led to a string of soul-infused songs recorded by Deniece Williams, the Emotions and Earth, Wind & Fire, most notably "Boogie Wonderland," a Top 10 smash hit he co-wrote with Allee Willis. Lind co-wrote two signature #1 pop hits -- Madonna's "Crazy for You" and Vanessa Williams' Song of the Year Grammy nominee "Save the Best for Last." He co-wrote Uneasy Street with The Who's Pete Townshend, a song that was included on the 1996 compilation album, The Best of Pete Townshend. In 1998, Bob Cavallo, Lind's mentor and former manager who was head of the Disney Music group, signed Lind on as a staff songwriter and A&R consultant. In 2000, Lind joined Hollywood Records A&R staff and, in 2006, became its head of A&R.
Lari White Lari White's remarkable range as a singer/songwriter has earned her three Grammys (The Apostle Film Soundtrack and Amazing Grace: A Country Tribute to Gospel), RIAA Gold status (Wishes/RCA Records), and Billboard Chart hits. Her songwriting credits include Tammy Wynette, Toby Keith, Lonestar and numerous film and TV soundtracks. She has starred on Broadway (Ring Of Fire), and received rave reviews for her performances at Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and the Kennedy Center. She's performed with Marvin Hamlisch, Michael Feinstein, the NY, Boston and Atlanta Pops and the Nashville Symphony, and starred in her solo cabaret shows at the legendary Algonquin Oak Room in NYC. Equally at home on the technical side of the recording industry, Lari made music history producing Toby Keith's platinum album White Trash with Money, becoming the first female producer of a male superstar. She has also produced Mac Davis, Billy Dean, and is currently working on a new Danielle Peck album. Lari turned heads around the world with her role opposite Tom Hanks in the blockbuster movie Cast Away (as the "Angel at the Crossroads" in the final scene). Most recently she hit the silver screen in "Country Strong," with Gwynneth Paltrow and Tim McGraw. Lari is now writing and producing in her Nashville recording studio, The Holler, with a variety of artists. Questions?  
Leonard Cohen once said, "Being a songwriter is like being a nun. You're |
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Craig Carnelia is known primarily for his work as a songwriter in the theatre, having had four shows produced on Broadway. Working with composer Marvin Hamlisch, he wrote the lyrics for Sweet Smell of Success, with book by John Guare, and Imaginary Friends with Nora Ephron. Hamlisch and Carnelia received Drama Desk and Tony Award nominations for their score for Sweet Smell of Success, and Carnelia received a Drama Desk nomination for his lyrics in Imaginary Friends. 
Jon Lind
