News & Publications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 27, 2000
CMA SENDS COUNTRY MUSIC TO COLLEGE
NASHVILLE – As part of its continuing efforts to promote Country Music to the college market, CMA will host an educational panel titled “Presenting Country Music On Campus” for college and university activities professionals and student buyers during the annual convention of the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) February 16-20 at the Haynes Convention Center in Boston, MA. The panel will be held from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. February 17, and will include two of Country Music’s most exciting personalities, RCA Records recording artist Jason Sellers and Eminent Records recording artist Jon Randall.
Jason Sellers is no stranger to the world of music and will have immense knowledge and insight to offer the NACA crowd. He grew up on the road, from the age of four, traveling 200 days a year with his family’s gospel group. Jason moved to Nashville at the age of 18 and landed a job playing bass and singing in Vince Gill’s touring band. He then joined Billy Joe Royal’s band for two years followed by a five-year stint in Ricky Skaggs’ band before becoming his road manager. Jason is currently enjoying the release of his Country-soul inspired sophomore project, A MATTER OF TIME. He is also no stranger to the craft of songwriting having penned cuts by Pam Tillis, John Michael Montgomery, Lonestar, Lee Ann Womack and countless others. Jason also wrote and recorded a national radio commercial for Coca-Cola.
A Grammy-winner at 21, Jon Randall has his own experiences to offer the students at NACA. He moved to Nashville after high school, and at the tender age of 20 found himself working in the legendary Emmylou Harris’ band, The Nash Ramblers. Having moved on from record deals with RCA Records and Asylum Records, Jon is now enjoying his debut on Eminent Records, WILLIN’, where his music is following the rootsy and Americana footsteps of his idols Guy Clark and Steve Earle. Randall lives and breathes the songs he sings, and for the Dallas-born-and-raised artist, music is about life – which the NACA attendees will know something about.
CMA will also have a presence throughout the entire Convention with a booth in the Marketplace. Students will be able to come by and get first-hand knowledge from CMA representatives and take advantage of its vast resources.
Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. More than 6,800 music industry professionals and companies from 43 countries around the world are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to guide and enhance the development of Country Music and to demonstrate it as a viable medium to advertisers, consumers and media throughout the world. CMA is headquartered in Nashville with offices/representatives in London, Cologne and Sydney.
Headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, NACA has been linking students and campus activities professionals with talent agencies, self-represented artists and promotional specialties firms since 1960. As of the end of the last membership year, more than 1,200 colleges and universities across the country, and 600 talent and promotional agencies, are members of NACA.