VERSED: The ASCAP Podcast (ASCAP)

In our debut episode we talk with Paul Williams, the Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe-winning, Hall of Fame songwriter and President of ASCAP. Paul talks about unexpected opportunities and shares the inspiring story of Phantom of the Paradise, a commercial film flop that evolved into one of the most influential works of his career, and amazingly netted him an Album of the Year Grammy with Daft Punk 40 years later.

PLUS: From the ASCAP archives, Captain Marvel and Fortnite composer Pinar Toprak talks!

We talk to one of the most celebrated songwriters in music, Diane Warren, about Diane Warren: The Cave Sessions Vol. 1, her fantastic new cross-genre album of original songs recorded with some of the world’s best artists, including Ty Dolla $ign, Maren Morris, John Legend, Luis Fonsi, Jon Batiste, Pentatonix, G-Eazy, Carlos Santana, Rita Ora, Celine Dion, Darius Rucker and many others. She also talks about her Academy Award nominated work writing for film and what it’s like hearing The Beatles sing your song. PLUS: We get some sound advice from master composer-producer of instrumental hip-hop, RJD2, about making beats - without rhymes.

Watch video for “Seaside” featuring Diane Warren, Rita Ora, Sofía Reyes and REIK

Watch video for “She’s Fire” featuring Diane Warren, G-Eazy and Santana

Here is Diane Warren’s official website

Check out this course! RJD2: From Samples to Songs on SoundFly

ASCAP Members get a discount on a Soundfly subscription. Just go to Member Access to activate it.

RSVP for The ASCAP Experience

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Counting nearly 3 billion music streams to his name, Steve Aoki is a true visionary. A two-time Grammy-nominated music producer, artist, fashion designer, entrepreneur, philanthropist, NFT futurist and Dim Mak Records founder, he has been described by Billboard as “one of the most in-demand entertainers in the world.” He holds the Guinness World Record for the “Most Traveled Musician in a Single Calendar Year” and has performed at nearly every top music festival around the world, including Coachella, Ultra Music festival, Lollapalooza, Fuji Rock Festival, Tomorrowland, Electric Daisy Carnival, among others.

As a globally successful solo artist, Steve has transcended multiple genres of music and collaborated with an impressive array of artists, from BTS, Maluma, Snoop Dogg and Linkin Park to blink-182, Machine Gun Kelly, 2 Chainz and Daddy Yankee.

In addition to his musical achievements, Steve dedicates himself wholeheartedly to every project, including the Grammy-nominated Netflix documentary I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead, his memoir Blue: The Color of Noise and his influential record label Dim Mak, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2021, and is best known as a launching pad for the careers of prominent acts like Bloc Party, The Chainsmokers, Bloody Beetroots, The Kills, Zedd and Diplo. 

Steve talks to ASCAP Associate Director Pop/Rock Membership Brian Reyes about how his Japanese heritage has impacted his craft and career. As May is also Mental Health Awareness Month, he shares some of his most effective wellness practices and how he takes care of his mind, body and spirit to be his creative best.

Check out all things Steve Aoki

Register for the ASCAP Experience - June 21 in LA

A great film is a feast for the eyes and the ears. At this year's Sundance Film Festival, ASCAP members' music amplified the impact of dozens of official festival selections. In this special episode of VERSED (Part 1 of 2), we talk to Nainita Desai, Bear McCreary, Alex Somers and Jay Wadley - four ASCAP film composers whose music graced some of the winning films at this year’s Sundance Film Festival. PLUS: our very own Amanda Shoffner, ASCAP Director of Film & TV/Visual Media Membership, schools us with some #SoundAdvice about cue sheets - what they are, how to use them, and why they can be a composer's best friend.

ASCAP President Paul Williams talks to the honorable Congressman Adam Schiff of California, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a great champion of music creator rights, about what Congress is doing to include music professionals in coronavirus relief efforts, the need for federal guidelines on restarting live performances at venues, what’s at stake in the US Department of Justice’s upcoming review of the ASCAP and BMI consent decrees, and how you can join ASCAP in creating positive change for the American music community.

This conversation, which took place in July, was part of the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, our summer series of virtual programming designed to inspire, educate and connect music creators at all stages of their careers.

If you missed any of this great series, you can watch all of the programming on-demand now.

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We talk with Tony Award winners and Oscar and Grammy nominees Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, best known for their Broadway hits, Ragtime and Once On This Island, about their new song “How Can I Tell You?” that was written for the powerful new documentary, NASRIN, and performed by Angelique Kidjo. They also dig deep into their storied career collaborating on projects for the stage and screen and all the magic moments they've shared along the way. Then Allison Russell, founding member of the acclaimed groups Our Native Daughters and Birds of Chicago, shares the origin of her upcoming debut solo album, which tells the harrowing story of her abusive childhood in a deeply moving, unforgettable song cycle that is ultimately life-affirming. Charlie Sextro, senior programmer for the Sundance Film Festival, also joins us to talk about music-focused films premiering at this year’s fest.

Watch the music video for Angelique Kidjo’s performance of “How Can I Tell You?”

Watch Allison Russell and other performances at the 2021 Sundance ASCAP Music Cafe.

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Nicholas Britell is the Academy Award-nominated composer whose music has graced such films as If Beale Street Could Talk and Best Picture Oscar winners Moonlight and 12 Years a Slave as well as Vice, The Big Short and others. He just won an Emmy for his theme to HBO’s critically-acclaimed series Succession and his music can be heard in the new Netflix film The King. He opens up about his educational and professional development, working with some of today’s most provocative film directors such as Barry Jenkins, Adam McKay and Steve McQueen, and what success means - and sounds like - to him. Also, ASCAP SVP of Membership Nicole George-Middleton discusses ASCAP’s support for women in music and offers “Sound Advice” on the importance of working out songwriting splits early in the creative process with your co-writers.

One of the most accomplished artists in the music industry, Herb Alpert has sold over 72 million records and co-founded A&M Records, one of the most successful independent music labels in history and home to such artists as The Carpenters, Quincy Jones, Cat Stevens and Peter Frampton. 

A brand new documentary, Herb Alpert Is…, directed by John Scheinfeld, provides a passionate and inspiring look at the life and work of Alpert and the incredible impact he’s had on American culture.  

Trumpet in hand, Herb Alpert first rose to fame in the 1960s with his Latin-flavored group the Tijuana Brass Band and has gone on to earn 15 gold and 14 platinum records. He has won nine Grammys and received the National Medal of Arts from President Obama in 2012. 

Less known is his striking work as an abstract painter and sculptor. And he was just named “Philanthropist of the Year” by the Los Angeles Business Journal for his significant support of educational programs in the arts nationwide, from the Harlem School of the Arts and UCLA to the annual ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards.

Alpert talks to us about his decades-long career, the documentary and what lessons he’s learned - and still learning -  on his incredible, artistic journey. 

Also, award-winning jazz composer, vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Camille Thurman co-hosts and shares some valuable tips on staying inspired, creative and focused on your craft during the pandemic.

Then music biz vet Benjamin Groff explains how to find and develop your identity as an artist.

If you want to check out the fantastic new film, Herb Alpert Is… ASCAP and the ASCAP Foundation are thrilled to bring you an exciting opportunity to support the Foundation and entertain yourself in the process. Just use our special link to rent and stream the film PLUS watch some exclusive bonus material. 50% of the proceeds will be donated to the ASCAP Foundation to help nurture the music talent of tomorrow.

Are you a jazz composer under the age of 30? Submit a new, original work for The ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Awards, an honor granted annually to encourage talented jazz composers during the earliest stages of their careers. Winning composers will receive a monetary prize. The deadline is December 15, 2020.

Check out Benjamin Groff’s first book, How Do I Get A Record Deal? Sign Yourself! - it’s currently available for free. He also has some terrific Teachable courses on songwriting and marketing, which you can find on his website too - he’s offering VERSED listeners 20% off, using code BENJAMIN20.

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Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Aoife O’Donovan got her start as lead singer with the celebrated roots music group Crooked Still. She also founded the Grammy-winning folk trio, I’m With Her, alongside Sara Watkins and Sarah Jarosz, and has released three critically-acclaimed solo albums, including  2022’s Age of Apathy, which garnered a Grammy nomination for Best Folk Album.

She has performed, recorded and collaborated with an extraordinary number of musical artists, from the Boston Pops Orchestra and the National Symphony Orchestra to folk, jazz and bluegrass luminaries such as Chris Thile, Edgar Myer, the Kronos Quartet and Yo Yo Ma, among many others.

O’Donovan’s latest album, All My Friends, is an ambitious, expansive and orchestral venture, with songs inspired by the life and mission of Carrie Chapman Catt, a leader of the suffragist movement who fought for and won the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

At its heart, the album is a collection of folk songs that tell a powerful story. But Aoife’s collaborative spirit brought in an array of incredible musicians that give the music an epic scope. Guests include The Knights, an orchestral collective conducted by O’Donovan’s husband Eric Jacobsen; the Westerlies, a brass quartet; and the San Francisco Girls Chorus, made up of young women from the ages of 12 to 18. 

Other guests include folk music all-stars such as Noam Pikelny, Anaïs Mitchell and Sierra Hull.

The result is an extraordinary work that is provocative and passionate. And in a very heated election year, it addressed big themes in the most personal way, as the greatest folk music always does. As a result, Aofie’s vision garnered her Grammy nominations for Best Folk Album and Best American Roots Song for the title track.

In this episode Aoife shares what inspired the creation of the album and the joy of making music with her ever-widening circle of friends. She also treats us to two special performances: the traditional German carol, “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming” and “All My Friends.”

Visit Aoife on the web

Watch Aoife perform "All My Friends" with the National Symphony Orchestra

Listen to All My Friends

Get your ticket for the 2025 ASCAP Experience

The ASCAP Lab is ASCAP’s innovation initiative, where the organization experiments to create the ASCAP of the next 100 years. Its mission is to explore advanced technologies, new business approaches and creative collaborations with the intent to foster and expand new ways to serve and support ASCAP members - all part of our commitment to being “creator first, future forward.”

One way it is achieving this goal is with the ASCAP Lab Challenge. Launched in 2020, this annual innovation accelerator program, operated in partnership with the NYC Media Lab led by the NYU Tandon School of Engineering, provides selected startups and university teams with mentorship and small grants to develop and expand upon their emerging technologies during a 12-week program. The ASCAP Lab works closely with each selected team to optimize their strategies and product offerings for the music creator community.

The 2024 program, dubbed the AI and the Business of Music Challenge, brought together ASCAP’s senior strategy, operations, and legal experts; key ASCAP writer, composer, and publisher members; and five of the most promising music tech entrepreneurs and early-stage startups in an effort to shape how AI tools can benefit music creators.

In this episode you’ll meet the 5 teams - CRESQA, Music Tomorrow, RoEx, SoundSafe.ai and Wavelets AI, and ASCAP composer member Gregg Lehrman (trailers for Avatar, Inglourious Basterds) who is also a startup founder (Output) and participated in the Challenge as a mentor to learn more about their experience and their unique contributions.

Access the full show notes for this episode.

Timestamps

00:00 – Intro

01:55 – Gregg Lehrman (ASCAP composer and Output founder)

11:43 – CRESQA’s Maria Brachmańska and Karol Musur

23:30 – Music Tomorrow’s Julie Knibbe and Pierre Niboyet 

33:49 – RoEx’s Dave Ronan and Aggela Mourgela

44:25 – SoundSafe.ai’s Don Dada and Johnny Stevenson

54:05 – Wavelets AI’s Dave Thurlow

1:01:30 - Outro

Explore the ASCAP Lab and other on-demand content about ASCAP and AI

Learn more about the NYC Media Lab

We talk to virtuoso violinist, composer, performer and producer Tim Fain about his adventurous and boundary-pushing career that spans film, the concert stage and virtual reality, and his collaborations with everyone from Philip Glass to The National. Then we talk to participants from the ASCAP Lab’s 2021 Immersive Music Studio Challenge, our partnership with the NYC Media Lab, that offers grants to startups and university teams to develop and expand upon prototype technologies that demonstrate new ways artists can create music, connect with fans and reimagine how we interact with music and sound.

Watch Tim Fain’s Resonance: A Jump VR Video

Listen to Tim Fain Plays Philip Glass: Partita for Solo Violin

Watch Algorithm Nation: Four Tech Tools Pointing to Music’s Future

Watch the ASCAP Experience - the ultimate music creator community and event series.

Check out The ASCAP Lab 

RSVP for The ASCAP Experience

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In addition to being a legendary songwriter, Paul Williams is uniquely qualified to speak about how essential health and wellness is to one’s music career. Sober for nearly 30 years, Paul is passionate about recovery and works tirelessly to destigmatize alcoholism and addiction. His work in recovery was chronicled in the acclaimed documentary, Paul Williams Still Alive. He is a certified Drug Rehabilitation Counselor. And he co-wrote a best-selling book with Tracey Jackson called Gratitude and Trust: Six Affirmations That Will Change Your Life. As ASCAP launches a new member wellness program, ASCAP TuneUp, designed to help nurture the mind, body and spirit of today’s music creator, Paul shares how recovery and attention to wellness has helped him thrive, and how others can find a healthy balance in their own lives.

As part of ASCAP’s Black History Month celebration, we talk to Amythyst Kiah - the provocative and powerful East Tennessee singer-songwriter and member of the acclaimed Americana supergroup, Our Native Daughters. Last week, Kiah released a new solo recording of her Grammy-nominated song “Black Myself” - and Our Native Daughters has a brand new documentary out on the Smithsonian Channel, called Reclaiming Our History. We also talk to Wayne Barrow, film producer, manager, entrepreneur, and co-founder, along with Mark Pitts, of ByStorm Entertainment about his experience working with the late, great Notorious BIG and the new documentary Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell, dropping on Netflix on March 1st. Then we’ll revisit our recent ASCAP Experience panel which brought together gospel stars Jason Nelson, Erica Campbell of Mary Mary, and Tye Tribbett to discuss how the gospel community has responded to the social and spiritual challenges we face today. 

Check out more in-depth coverage of ASCAP’s Black History Month celebration.

Listen to the official lyric video for Amythyst Kiah’s “Black Myself”

Watch the trailer for Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell

Listen to our conversation with Our Native Daughters' Allison Russell

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It’s Primetime Emmy Awards season, and in this episode we talk to two great nominees. Michael Abels joins us for a discussion about composing music for the acclaimed HBO docuseries Allen v. Farrow, for which he has received two nominations. He also shares his experience working with filmmaker Jordan Peele on Get Out, Us and a project in the works, and explains the mission of his advocacy group, the Composers Diversity Collective. PLUS: We take a dive into the exciting world of music directors with Billie Eilish’s MD, Aron Forbes. He’s nominated for two Emmys for his work on the Apple TV+ doc Billie Eilish: The World’s a Little Blurry.

Learn more about the Composers Diversity Collective

Watch performance of Michael Abels’ “Sikiliza Kwa Wahenga” (from Get Out) at the 2018 ASCAP Screen Awards 

RSVP for The ASCAP Experience

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2023 Songwriter of the Year Grammy nominee Amy Allen is one of the most in-demand songwriters in pop music. Her credits include songs written for Selena Gomez, Halsey, King Princess, Charli XCX, Harry Styles, Lizzo, Alexander23 and many more. 

She has landed a coveted spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 List and was featured as one of Variety’s “Hitmakers of the Month.” In 2021, Amy was honored at the Ivor Novello Awards, along with Tyler Johnson, Kid Harpoon and Harry Styles, for their GRAMMY-nominated song “Adore You.”

On this episode Amy talks about her roots in Maine, what it means to be among the first five Songwriter of the Year nominees in the inaugural Grammy category, the creative lessons learned writing with some of today’s top artists and her desire to share more of her own music as a solo artist with the world, which she plans to do in the new year.

Listen to a playlist of Amy’s songs here.

Visit Amy here.

Follow Amy here.

In response to the recent wave of racism and violence against the Asian American & Pacific Islander communities, this special episode of VERSED is devoted to lifting up our many AAPI songwriters and composers. We invited a diverse group of ASCAP members to give voice to their Asian heritage, and how it has impacted them as music creators and people. You’ll hear from Jihye Lee, Kazi, Amritha Vaz, Nick Lee, Alex Ritchie, Brian Warfield, Trace, Wendy Wang and Will Yip. Our own Brian Reyes also joins to discuss his own experience and shares what ASCAP is doing to #StopAsianHate.

+Find resources to help #StopAsianHate at ASCAP's Fight for Change page

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And as the weather warms up and music festival season starts, so many artists will hit the road to do what they do best - share their music, live-in-person, with the world, and bring joy to millions of people. But the challenges of being a touring artist can take a terrible toll on creators’ mental and physical health. In a 2022 paper in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, Dr. Chayim Newman and Zack Borer - revealed some sobering statistics from a 239-question survey of more than eleven hundred touring professionals. They discovered that people working in the music industry have rates of depression, anxiety and suicide risk five to 10 times higher than the normal population. That’s an astonishing statistic, but probably not surprising to many of our members who spend much of the year on the road facing many challenges.

Newman and Borer recently launched Amber Health, a company that offers a broad suite of mental health services to help treat the root causes of this mental health crisis and to provide solutions for the music industry. To date, with science-based research under their belt, they’ve worked with such organizations as the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, the Country Music Association, Live Nation as well as top artists in the industry.

In an illuminating conversation, Newman and Borer share insights into the unique challenges artists face as working music professionals and some of the ways we can take care of ourselves and each other.

Check out the ASCAP Wellness Program

Learn more about Amber Health

Read how the industry is confronting music’s mental health crisis

Register for the ASCAP Experience - June 21, 2023 in LA

Grammy-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Dom Flemons, formerly of the Carolina Chocolate Drops, is also a historian with a passion for the history of black musicians in America. His acclaimed album, Black Cowboys, pays tribute to the music, culture and complex history of the golden era of the Wild West. It received a GRAMMY nomination for “Best Folk Album,” and just last year Flemons won an ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for the liner notes he wrote. The recording is now part of the African American Legacy Recordings series, co-produced with the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. Flemons was in New York City recently where he sat down with ASCAP’s Erik Philbrook and talked about his own musical journey and the experiences of the black music creators who helped pioneer the American west both physically and musically. He also performed a few songs from his acclaimed album. Also, from the ASCAP Archives, we have a clip from our 2018 ASCAP EXPO panel called “The Paths of Rhythm: From Producer to Composer.” The panel featured producer-composers Adrian Younge, and Ali Shaheed Muhammad - an original member of A Tribe Called Quest. The two of them collaborated on the music for the Netflix series Luke Cage. They also have a group called The Midnight Hour, who wrote the bumpin’ theme music for this very podcast! Joining them on the panel was Morgan Rhodes, a music supervisor who’s worked on projects like Selma, Queen Sugar and Dear White People.

VERSED: THE ASCAP PODCAST illuminates the heart, soul and power of music with the songwriters and composers whose work makes us feel, sing, dance and want to change the world. Regularly featuring the greatest music creators from a diversity of genres who share the unvarnished truth about their creative life – the struggles, hard work, breakthroughs and paths to success – as well as the wisdom they've earned along the way - VERSED offers insight into the hearts and minds of music professionals like never before. Industry execs also discuss the important issues that affect the livelihoods of all music creators. If music is your life, and you want a creator-centric viewpoint that only ASCAP can offer, then VERSED is required - yet fascinating - listening.

Singer, songwriter, superstar Lainey Wilson left Baskin, Louisiana and moved to Nashville in a camper trailer 12 years ago. She spent her early years building her career, song by song, show by show, before breaking through with her #1 hit “Things a Man Oughta Know” in 2021. 

Since then, Lainey’s been on a wildly successful ride. Her second #1 song, “Never Say Never” with Cole Swindell in 2022 was followed by the #1 hits “Heart Like a Truck” and her collaboration with HARDY, “Wait in the Truck.” 

Her critically-acclaimed 2023 album, Bell Bottom Country, overflowing with amped up, guitar-driven, rockstar energy, continues to gain new fans all over the globe and crank out more modern classics like “Watermelon Sunshine,” “Smell Like Smoke” and “Hold My Halo.” She has been headlining and selling out shows all across the map, while also gracing festival stages at Lollapalooza, Stagecoach and at arenas with the likes of Luke Combs and other leading country stars.

She just made history by nabbing nine 2023 CMA Award nominations, including Entertainer of the Year, Single of the Year, Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. She is the only artist to top the nominations list in her first two appearances on the final ballot. This on the heels of winning big at the 2023 Academy of Country Music Awards, receiving, among others, top honors for Album of the Year and Female Vocalist of the Year. She also received Billboard’s Women in Music “Rulebreaker” Award this year and is the most nominated woman at the People’s Choice Country Awards as well.

Full of heart, soul, grit and gratitude, Lainey shares what has inspired and challenged her, advice for fellow music creators and how she feels about this hard-won moment in her career.

Also, Jordan Smith Reynolds, the winner of our Green Theme Song Contest, powered by Studio Green @ ASCAP, joins to chat and share a special in-studio performance of his winning work.

Check out Lainey’s website.

Watch the video for Lainey’s multiple CMA-nominated song “Heart Like a Truck”

Learn more about Studio Green @ ASCAP

The Newport Folk Festival is back with a passion. In this episode we talk to the talented Yasmin Williams, a virtuoso composer and musician who has been praised by the New York Times as “one of the country’s most imaginative young solo guitarists,” and who is set to make her Newport debut this year. She will join fellow ASCAP members performing, including Beck, Grace Potter, Bonny Light Horseman, Kevin Morby, Vagabon and many others. Williams shares her feelings about joining the Newport tradition, her journey to mastering the guitar, pushing herself to learn new instruments and experimental approach to recording her gorgeous, acclaimed new album, Urban Driftwood. We also check in with Jay Sweet, Executive Producer of the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals, about why Newport has endured as two of the oldest and most meaningful music festivals, why supporting music education is more important than ever and the joy he feels in evolving the legacy of an organization whose mission makes an impact far beyond the stage.

Watch Newport Festivals Foundation’s “Sessions” 

Watch Yasmin Williams’ “Urban Driftwood” video featuring Amadou Kouyate 

RSVP for The ASCAP Experience

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Songwriter, pianist and rapper Benjamin Lerner is the great grandson of Irving Berlin - the songwriter of “God Bless America” and “White Christmas.” Lerner has continued his family’s musical legacy, first as an award-winning classical pianist, then as a promising rapper who collaborated with Raekwon and Mac Miller. But his hip-hop career was halted when Lerner started using hard drugs, eventually becoming a full-blown heroin addict. Now four years sober, Lerner devotes much of his time to helping others through the recovery process. He talks to VERSED about his new album Clean, a fearless narration of his journey from piano prodigy to IV drug addict to recovery advocate - all set to a unique combination of solo piano and rapped vocals. PLUS: We talk to Mollie Farrell from HeadCount, a non-partisan organization that uses the power of music to register voters and promote participation in democracy. At the end of the episode, we’re joined by Loras Schissel of the Library of Congress, who explains why it’s never too early to create an archive of your life as a music creator.  

+ASCAP has partnered with HeadCount to make sure your vote, and your voice, are heard. Join the ASCAP Citizen campaign - make sure you're registered to vote today!

+Visit the ASCAP Legacy page to find out how your music can benefit your successors, long after you wrote it.

+Read more about the Irving Berlin collection at the Library of Congress.

For the past decade, megahit songwriter Justin Tranter has penned hit after beloved hit for massive acts like Chappell Roan, Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons, Fall Out Boy,  Justin Bieber, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Janelle Monáe – the list goes on and on. Justin’s keen ear for catchy hooks, resonant lyrics and an endless supply of infectious melodies has secured their near constant presence on the top of the charts for the past 10 years – and their ambitions only grow stronger with every smash, most recently Chappell Roan’s undeniable anthem “Good Luck, Babe!” nominated for “Song of the Year” at the 2025 Grammy Awards. 

To celebrate their joining the ASCAP family, Justin recently joined us at NightBird Recording Studio for a behind the song look at some of the most beloved hits from this dynamic songwriting talent, outspoken activist and community advocate. We also picked their brain about their songwriting process, the issues facing songwriters today and why they joined ASCAP. 

Music. Truth. Community.

Get your tickets to the 2025 ASCAP Experience

Anaïs Mitchell is a contemporary folk singer-songwriter with an ever-growing font of solo and collaborative projects. Her best-known triumph: Hadestown, an avant-garde "folk opera" that underwent a 12-year transformation into a Tony-winning, widely acclaimed Broadway musical. On January 24, just days before Mitchell finds out if she can add a Grammy to her mantle, Mitchell releases her first album with Bonny Light Horseman - a group of indie-folk heroes reinterpreting timeless traditional songs. ASCAP’s Sarah Finegold spoke with Anaïs at ASCAP HQ about living in the world of Hadestown, songwriting craft, tattoos and more. Then Bryan Calhoun, author of Music Business Toolbox, shares some valuable advice for music creators for 2020.

Singer-songwriter, artist and actress Techy Fatule has lived almost her whole life in the entertainment industry. The daughter of Dominican showman Carlos Alfredo Fatule and writer and motivational speaker Tania Baez, Techy grew up in Santo Domingo in a home filled with music and love for the arts. She studied piano, guitar and honed her skills as a vocalist with the best teachers in the Dominican Republic. She started her career as a child-star in the famous Latin American TV show Don Francisco and graduated from the prestigious Berklee School of Music. Her roles in music theatre include "Belle" in Beauty and The Beast; "Deena Jones" in Dreamgirls and "Maureen Johnson" in Rent to name a few. In addition, she has been cast as the leading actress in three movies. 

A creative force to be reckoned with, Techy’s debut album A Su Tiempo positioned her as the next up and coming Latin American star. After releasing her second album Capitulo 1 she is getting ready to release Capitulo 2 in October of this year. A dynamic presence on the stage, she has  performed and opened concerts for such artists as Juan Luis Guerra, Juanes, Ednita Nazario, Kany Garcia to name just a few.

She recently sat down to talk with ASCAP’s Sarah Finegold about the evolution of women in music, balancing being a musician with being a mom, her songwriting approach, her new music and what it means to be Dominican. 

Also, ASCAP’s Jason Reddick talks about how the music community in Atlanta is faring during the pandemic and the ASCAP Urban team’s new #ASCAPRealSounds Instagram Live series. And from the archives, Latin Grammy-winning producer Linda Briceño talks about the value of working with collaborators who can educate you while you create.

Born and bred in Kentucky, Carly Pearce was destined for a life in Country music. After her debut single “Every Little Thing” reached #1 and put her in the rare company of only three women in the last decade to have accomplished that feat, Pearce is now in the vanguard of top women in country music. We spoke with her on the eve of the 2019 ASCAP Country Awards in Nashville, where she celebrated the success of her single "Hide the Wine" onstage, alongside collaborators Ashley Gorley and Hillary Lindsey. Pearce talked to ASCAP’s Beth Brinker about her long journey to “overnight” singer-songwriter success, her career challenges and triumphs, how she stays mentally and physically fit and her highly anticipated new album coming out this Valentine's Day. Beth also offers “Sound Advice” on how and why you should join ASCAP as both a writer and a publisher.

At the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, ASCAP members' music amplified the impact of dozens of official festival selections. In this bonus episode of VERSED, we talk to another talented group of this year’s Sundance composers: Anne Nikitin (Lost Girls, directed by Academy Award nominee Liz Garbus), Dan Romer (Wendy, directed by Benh Zeitlin), Amanda Jones (Baldwin Beauty, directed by Thembi Banks), Alex Weston (Wander Darkly, directed by Tara Miele) as well as Ryan Miller of Guster who has scored several Sundance favorite films over the years (Safety Not Guaranteed, The Fundamentals of Caring). They share their experiences working with directors on their films and how Sundance has benefited their careers. 

In celebration of AAPI Heritage Month, we share highlights of two conversations from recent ASCAP Experience sessions featuring a diverse group of voices from ASCAP’s AAPI community. You'll hear a provocative discussion with playwright, librettist and lyricist David Henry Hwang and composer and conceptual artist Huang Ruo about art, identity and the power of music to help us fight racism and understand each other better. Then international superstar Amber Liu of K-pop royalty f(x), and Justin Park, a rising singer-songwriter recently endorsed by BTS’s Jungkook, talk about how their identities have shaped their lives and music careers, and the joys and challenges of growing up in the AAPI community.

Watch "Chinese as Apple Pie" from David Henry Hwang and Huang Ruo’s opera THE RIFT

Watch "The Perfect Woman" from David Henry Hwang and Huang Ruo’s opera  M. BUTTERFLY

Watch “Easier” by Amber Liu (featuring Jackson Wang)

Watch “Shady” by Justin Park

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You can also check out past VERSED episodes here

In celebration of Pride Month, we talk to Rufus Wainwright about his livestreamed concert on June 10th, Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios, where he re-creates and celebrates Judy Garland’s classic 1961 Carnegie Hall concert, and shares his thoughts on what it was like to be one of the first openly gay artists when he first emerged on the music scene in the ‘90s. He also talks about family, fatherhood and what the world needs now. We also talk to acclaimed Maine-based singer-songwriter-producer Lady Lamb about how discovering her identity early in life allowed her the freedom of expression to forge her own unique musical path. All this and some valuable advice from our recent ASCAP Experience session on how important video is to releasing new music today.

Check out Rufus Does Judy at Capitol Studios on June 10th.

Watch Lady Lamb's film "I Feel a Stillness Growing."

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Just a few short months ago, ASCAP presented its 22nd Annual Sundance ASCAP Music Café at the heart of the Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah. The Café featured eight days of performances from visionary recording artists and songwriters from across the musical spectrum. At the time, we spoke with all of our performers in the green room about their craft, career, inspirations and more. We thought we’d share just a few of these conversations as a reminder that creativity was in full force before the coronavirus pandemic began, that it continues to flourish, and as has always been the case in tough times, music is the thing that will help us all get through this together. You'll hear from Cyn, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Matt Berninger of The National, Rain Phoenix, the Ruen Brothers, Ron Artis II, Barry Zito and ZZ Ward. Also, Erik Philbrook talks to ASCAP EVP of Membership John Titta about ASCAP's support for songwriters, composers and music publishers.

In celebration of Earth Day, we talk to Guster frontman and guitarist Adam Gardner, whose nonprofit environmental organization, Reverb, partners with fellow music makers like Billie Eilish, P!nk, Maroon 5, Dead & Company, Bonnie Raitt, Sleater-Kinney, Jack Johnson and more, as well as festivals and venues, to green their concert events while engaging fans to help tackle today’s most pressing environmental issues and create real, measurable change for people and the planet. Adam shares some of the actions music creators and music lovers alike can take to reduce their footprint. He also highlights the positive impact that Reverb’s recent campaign, Music Climate Revolution, has made within the last year, and how more sectors of the music industry are supporting their mission.

Learn more about Reverb

Join the Music Climate Revolution

See Guster live 

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In celebration of Women’s History Month, we talk to one of today’s most exciting singer-songwriters, mxmtoon, who is set to release a new 12-song album, rising, that is “a triumph of pop-and-disco confessionalism,” while prepping a major North American tour. She opens up about the meaning behind her uplifting new song (and our podcast’s new theme song), “Mona Lisa,” how moving to New York City has affected her creativity, the storytelling benefits of playing video games, the women who have inspired her and how she needs to create to feel fulfilled. PLUS we catch up with Grammy Award-winning engineer Ann Mincieli, longtime collaborator with Alicia Keys and a co-founder of the pivotal music industry organization, She is the Music.

Watch the official video for mxmtoon’s "Mona Lisa"

Visit Women Create Music: ASCAP Celebrate Women's History Month

Learn more about She is the Music

Check out Ann Mincieli’s Jungle City Studios

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Jaren Johnston is a Grammy-nominated country songwriter with hit songs for Keith Urban, Tim McGraw and more. He’s also the leader of The Cadillac Three, a great American rock band from Nashville with a new album called Country Fuzz full of kick-ass songs that celebrate southern living. ASCAP’s very own Evyn Mustoe (who knows Jaren better than most – she’s married to the guy) sat down with him a few weeks back to discuss his dual career. Since their interview, Nashville was hit hard by a tornado and the world was hit hard by the coronavirus. We followed up with Jaren to find out how he, his fellow songwriters and Music City are holding up under the circumstances.

Erik Philbrook and Etan Rosenbloom also discuss ASCAP’s new website, ascap.com/musicunitesus, a COVID-19 resource center to help music creators through this difficult time. We’ve assembled info on how to preserve your royalty streams and protect your health and well-being, plus resources for financial assistance. We’ll keep updating it over the coming weeks, so check back often.

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In 2019, the blazingly talented Alejandro Aranda (aka Scarypoolparty) made the finale of American Idol, and made history by performing more original songs than any previous contestant. It was an amazing achievement for a singer-songwriter-musician who was busking the streets of LA just a year before. Aranda followed it up with a daring debut album, Exit Form, which captured the many facets of his uncompromising muse. The same week he releases the fearlessly creative new EP Doom Hologram, Aranda explains to VERSED what it's like to go your own way after gaining so much public attention. PLUS: we check in with American Idol's music supervisor Robin Kaye, and hear an excerpt from our recent ASCAP Experience session with hit songwriters Dan Wilson and Brandy Clark, doing a deep dive into the art of - what else - songwriting.

The ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, our summer series of virtual programming designed to inspire, educate and connect music creators at all stages of their careers, is available on-demand now.

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As part of our Earth Day celebration in partnership with Studio Green @ ASCAP, we talk to James Valentine, founding member, songwriter and lead guitarist for one of the biggest bands on the planet - three-time Grammy Award winners Maroon 5. James’s work with the band has led to more than 135 million albums sold and created a steady stream of hit singles, including “She Will Be Loved,” “This Love,” “Payphone,” “Moves Like Jagger,” “Maps,” “Sugar” and more. James also serves as an advisory board member for REVERB, the non-profit environmental advocacy organization made up of music creators and music lovers who are working to create a better future for people and the planet through actions on the road, at concerts and beyond.

James discusses how he and Maroon 5 have worked with REVERB on tour since 2005 and how REVERB artist expeditions to the rainforests of Guatemala and Peru has helped him raise awareness about the harmful effects of deforestation on people and the environment.

We also talk to independent music entrepreneur, author and Relix magazine publisher Peter Shapiro and how he has made sustainability a core part of his career, from creating and owning music venues like Brooklyn Bowl to producing over 10,000 shows, including concerts such as 2015’s Fare Thee Well: Celebrating 50 Years of the Grateful Dead and 2010’s Earth Day 40th Anniversary climate rally and concert featuring The Roots on the National Mall.

Find out the latest on Maroon 5

Welcome to Studio Green @ ASCAP

Check out REVERB, leaders of the green music movement

Watch excerpts from Instruments of Change

This episode is about all that jazz. Esperanza Spalding is a five-time Grammy Award-winning bassist, singer, songwriter and composer. Recently, she has expanded her gifts to include work with fellow creators, teachers and practitioners in various fields to explore the therapeutic potential of music. Her last two albums, 2018’s 12 Little Spells and 2021’s Songwrights Apothecary Lab, reflect this new direction in her evolution as an artist. 

She wrote an opera with Wayne Shorter, which premiered in fall 2021, and is presently working with Harvard University to co-create and learn with students there. We talked to her as she prepared to grace the legendary Newport Jazz Festival Fort Stage. Also, we talk to Michael R. Dudley, a trumpet player,  educator and recipient of the ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award. Michael was selected to perform at this year’s Newport Jazz Festival as part of the Newport Festival Foundation’s enduring partnership with the ASCAP Foundation to promote emerging jazz talent.

Visit Esperanza’s website

Check out Michael R. Dudley’s website

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Following her debut as a composer for Broadway’s The Notebook, singer, songwriter and producer Ingrid Michaelson released For the Dreamers, a masterful collection of orchestral pop songs and treasured classics that feels like a golden-hued, heartwarming musical hug for our anxious times. She talked to VERSED about the joy of making the album, following your artistic muse, facing your creative fears and building a trusted team. Then, pianist, composer and bandleader Joe Block, hailed by Jazz at Lincoln Center as one of “jazz’s most promising young composers” and a recent winner of an ASCAP Foundation Herb Alpert Young Jazz Composer Award, talks to us about working with Wynton Marsalis and other jazz giants and what it takes to reach your full musical potential.

Listen to For the Dreamers

See Ingrid perform "Backyard" on the Today show

Watch Ingrid perform R.E.M.'s "Nightswimming" at the Sundance ASCAP Music Café

Visit Ingrid's website

Visit Joe Block's website

Make sure you are ready to vote at Headcount.org/ascap

In celebration of both Black Music Month and Pride Month, we called up the eternally fabulous Honey Davenport - a drag superstar, singer-songwriter and activist who has left an indelible mark on New York’s nightlife and beyond. In their decade-plus entertainment career, they’ve earned 18 pageant crowns, starred in off-Broadway musicals and earned a worldwide audience on RuPaul’s Drag Race season 11. As a black, non-binary performer, Davenport has also been faced with discrimination throughout their career, both within and outside of the drag community. We spoke to Davenport about the role of music in drag culture, their activism in support of the Black and queer communities, and what’s they're doing to stay creative and liberated during quarantine. PLUS: rapper and songwriter Gizzle tells us how she's reacting personally and professionally to the protests and the pandemic.

Grammy-nominated, Platinum-certified singer-songwriter Cassadee Pope first gained acclaim as lead singer for the pop-punk group Hey Monday, then rose to fame as the winner of Season 3 of The Voice, before transforming into a #1-selling country artist. Throughout her long and winding career, Pope has never stopped pushing herself creatively. For this special International Women's Day episode of VERSED, ASCAP’s Beth Brinker sat down with Pope in Nashville to talk about a whole range of things: from punk to country music, what she does to stay focused and balanced with her busy career and (what else?) the art, craft and joy of songwriting. PLUS: from the ASCAP archives, hit songwriter Priscilla Renea explains why staying true to your authentic creative self can be great for your career. 

Singer-songwriter extraordinaire, actor, designer and superstar Lenny Kravitz has been crafting his unique fusion of rock, funk, reggae and soul for more than three decades, creating such massive hits as “It Ain’t Over ‘til It’s Over,” “Again,” “Let Love Rule,” “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Fly Away” and “American Woman.” He’s a Grammy winner and has won numerous awards, including American Music Awards, MTV Video Music Awards, Radio Music Awards, Brit Awards and has old over 40 million albums worldwide - all done with his distinctive flair, passion and drive.

As an actor, Lenny has appeared in numerous films, including Precious and the Hunger Games series, among others. Recently he took his work in film to a whole new level by pouring his heart and soul into writing a powerful song, “Road to Freedom,”  for the inspiring Netflix film Rustin. 

Directed by George C. Wolfe, scored by Branford Marsalis, and starring Colman Domingo, Chris Rock, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald, Rustin tells the story of Bayard Rustin, the architect of 1963’s March on Washington, who, along with Martin Luther King Jr. inspired a movement and blazed a path forward toward a better world.

Lenny recently talked to VERSED to share how he wrote “Road to Freedom,” how Martin Luther King, Jr.’s march continues today and his plans for hitting the road himself this year in support of his new album due for release in March.

Listen to “Road to Freedom” and other Kravitz classics

Watch Lenny perform “Road to Freedom” on Jimmy Kimmel Live

Visit Lenny’s website

Over his 15-year career, writer-producer Henry “Cirkut” Walter has quietly emerged as one of the most trusted collaborators in music. He’s worked with a veritable Mt. Olympus of today’s biggest artists, from Britney Spears, Nicki Minaj and Rihanna to Maroon 5, Sam Smith and The Weeknd. You can hear Cirkut’s production skills on many of the most iconic pop songs and albums of the past decade, including Katy Perry’s “Roar” and “Dark Horse,” MiIey Cyrus’s “Wrecking Ball,” and The Weeknd’s multi-platinum Starboy album, which earned him a Grammy in 2018. 

While Cirkut’s enjoyed plenty of success throughout his career, the past year has been one of his biggest yet. He co-wrote and produced “Seven,” the irresistible solo single from BTS’s Jungkook that set a record for the most opening-day streams for a male artist in Spotify’s history, and made Jungkook the first K-pop act to reach #1 on Spotify. His Sam Smith/Kim Petras co-write “Unholy” became a culture-shaking, Grammy-winning phenomenon. And when the Ariana Grande remix of The Weeknd’s “Die for You” dropped in 2023, it gave Cirkut a third #1 in less than year – nearly six years after the original version stormed the charts. 

Here Cirkut narrates his entire creative journey. He takes us from his humble beginnings in an uninsulated studio in Toronto, on to his early days in LA and into the writer room with some of the biggest musical stars in the world. You’ll hear the stories behind some of his biggest hits, and find out what he’s excited about for the future. 

Follow @cirkut on Instagram

Listen to the Cirkut Songbook on Apple Music

Hear the massive Written by Cirkut Playlist on Spotify

Devon Gilfillian grew up in Philadelphia on a steady diet of hip-hop, rock, blues and soul music. While soaking up the sounds of his musician father’s favorite music, Gilfillian also developed an appreciation for the beats and vibe of modern rap. He combined it all into his own music and after releasing an electrifying EP in 2016, he got signed to Capitol Records and hit the road performing with the likes of Anderson East, Keith Urban, Gladys Knight, Mavis Staples, Brothers Osborne and more. Now he’s on a roll. Earlier this year he released his debut album, the Grammy-nominated Black Hole Rainbow; he followed it up with a track-by-track cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 classic What’s Going On, which helped raise funds for the voting advocacy organization Equity Alliance. ASCAP's Beth Brinker talked with Gilfillian just before he received The ASCAP Foundation Leon Brettler Award about getting creative in quarantine, appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, finding new purpose in his music and more. PLUS: The ASCAP Foundation's Executive Director Colleen McDonough reveals why the charity's mission is more crucial than ever right now. Then, we get some Sound Advice from Whitney Phillips and Gian Stone, co-writers of the Ariana Grande/Justin Bieber smash "Stuck with U."

+Register for free to watch The ASCAP Foundation Honors 2020 event, December 8 at 6pm EST

+Watch Whitney Phillips & Gian Stone's entire Anatomy of a Song: "Stuck with U" panel from The ASCAP Experience: Home Edition

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This past February, Pulitzer Prize winner Du Yun premiered her new opera Sweet Land, an ambitious site-specific work that reflects on the way cultures swallow up, resist and intertwine with one other. Two weeks into Sweet Land's initial run, the coronavirus epidemic shut down the production - but not before it was captured on video. Listen to Du Yun talk about this fearlessly creative work, how her Chinese upbringing has impacted her career, and the unexpected gifts of the pandemic. PLUS: ASCAP's Luis Castro tells us about the big news coming out of the ASCAP Latin world this week.    

Sweet Land is now available for on-demand streaming. Proceeds will help support the cast and crew. 

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