May PBS: Janis Joplin & The Highwaymen on American Masters

The 30th anniversary season of American Masters continues this May on PBS with two new music documentaries about Janis Joplin (May 3) and country music supergroup The Highwaymen (May 27), featuring Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

American Masters -- Janis: Little Girl Blue  **Never-Before-Seen Extended Film Cut**  will be aired Tuesday, May 3, at 8 p.m. EST on PBS (check local listings).  

Observe Janis Joplin's life through intimate letters and rare footage in the first in-depth celebration of the iconic rock singer. Oscar-nominated director Amy Berg (Deliver Us From Evil, West of Memphis) presents a portrait of a complicated and driven artist. Chan Marshall (also known as Cat Power) narrates. Oscar-winner Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side, Going Clear) is one of the film's producers. The broadcast features a never-before-seen extended film cut with additional archival performance footage and new interviews with Joplin's sister Laura Joplin and musicians influenced by Janis: Alecia Moore (a.k.a. Pink), Juliette Lewis, Melissa Etheridge and Marshall, who performs "A Woman Left Lonely" from Joplin's final studio album Pearl in tribute. 2016 marks the 45th anniversary of Pearl, which was released January 11, 1971.

American Masters -- The Highwaymen: Friends Till the End

Discover the story behind the pioneering outlaw country music supergroup that featured Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson, told through vintage performances and new interviews about life on the road and in the studio.  

Submissions Now Open for the 2016 She Rocks Summer NAMM Showcase in Nashville

Women from all musical genres are encouraged to submit an entry to perform Submit your entry material here >>  Singer-songwriter Bryce Hitchcock performs during the 2015 Summer NAMM Showcase at The Listening Room Cafe in Nashville, Tenn.   The Women’s International Music Network (the WiMN) returns to Nashville for its third annual She Rocks Summer NAMM Showcase, taking place on Thursday, June 23, 2016 from 8:30 – 11:00 p.m. at The Listening Room Cafe. Submissions are now open for women in music of all genres to enter for a chance to perform. Click here to submit. “We’re excited to come back to Nashville for the third year in a row. One of my favorite aspects of our Showcases is to go through the submissions we receive. There are so many talented women out there, and I’m proud to provide them with an opportunity to perform in front of industry pros and fans,”said WiMN Founder, Laura B. Whitmore. The She Rocks Summer NAMM Showcase takes place on Thursday, June 23, 2016 from 8:30 – 11:00 p.m. during the Summer NAMM Show in Nashville, Tenn., at The Listening Room Cafe on 217 2nd Ave. S., Nashville, TN 37201, a short walk from the Music City Center, and is sponsored by 108 Rock Star Guitars. An optional $5 pre-sale or $7 door donation is requested. This showcase is open to all ages. Artists interested in performing must submit an entry by May 3, 2016. Performers will be announced by May 13, 2016. The WiMN also recently announced the official 2016 She Rocks ASCAP Expo Showcase, taking placeFriday, April 29 from 9:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m. at the Tinhorn Flats Saloon & Grill in Hollywood during the ASCAP Expo. Now in its third year, the official Showcase will feature Divinity Roxx, Anjali Ray, Maddy Vance, and Facing West. This free showcase will feature drink specials and giveaways. To fill out the submission form and for official rules and regulations, visithttp://www.thewimn.com/summer-namm-showcase/.

Feature Friday: Emii changing the narrative of women in POP industry

An extraordinary young person and important indie-pop artist is making a huge difference in the evolution of America's 'pop singer' image by using her work as a vehicle to communicate profound messages that are saving the lives of young women everywhere. 

Since Emii hit the scene with the smash hit MR ROMEO, featuring SNOOP DOG, she's continued to evolve on the music scene as a unique and important voice in the pop community. 

Emii's new hit single LEAVING YOU BEHIND (Video Here) champions survivors of domestic violence and is empowering young women to come forward all over the world. With that in her pocket, Emii is crawling up the charts and has skyrocketed to literally millions of online views and now -- we don't think there's much stopping this inspirational young person from continuing the change all of over the world...because for her, it's never stopped at just the music. 

Enjoy the interview with Emii.

Faten (FA):  What inspired you to make music?

Emii (E): It's the deepest form of communication for me... and, as we all know, often times mere words aren't enough. Even the simplest kinds of music can communicate feelings, emotions strong enough to inspire, to MOVE people, to make someone smile, forget about their problems, or remind them of how far they've come. I live for that.

FA: What do you want others to get from listening to your music?

E: I want them to feel. To be able to turn off all of the worries and anxious thoughts at least for a few moments... to connect with the messages and the emotions in the music and clear their minds of the daily-grind clutter. When you can really connect, it's akin to meditation. When you can't, then it's just noise. But the beauty of music is that there is something for everyone out there, no matter who you are or what you enjoy.

FA: What have you learned about yourself as a musician?

E: That so many people will try to put you "in a box" and attempt to mold you into what they believe you should be. Being true to yourself is ultimately what connects you to those who appreciate you for what you live for, for what you create.  It's important to never sacrifice your passion for someone else's idea of what you should be. I've had countless people tell me I shouldn't and couldn't be who I am... and I am most definitely someone who has a love for many types of music. I find myself creating depending on what inspires me, and after much trial and error I believe that filtering your artistry to appease someone who thinks they know what people want is a travesty. The fans can speak for themselves, and so should we.

FA: What are some of your future projects and plans?

E: I aim to inspire. That's all I'll say for now.

FA: Anything else you would like to add?

E: No matter where we begin our journeys, there is greatness in all of us. We just have to find it. I encourage everyone to remember that I'm just that formerly-bullied geeky girl from Ohio who could not stop following a dream. I'll never stop creating, and I hope to inspire others to do the same.

Be sure to check out Emii's work on 

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/heart-in-a-box-the-remixes-ep/id1004729901  

Soundcloud: www.soundcloud.com/emiimusic

Connect with Emii:

www.emii.net

@Emiiofficial/INSTAGRAM

@Emiimusic/TWITTER

Violin Starter Set for Kids - On Sale Now!

Perfect for beginners, this Violin Starter Set contains everything your child needs to play the violin.

What’s more, it includes a great teacher, the award-winning eMedia My Violin interactive Win/Mac CD-ROM. Available in three sizes so kids as young as 5 can learn to play!

Here's what Kole, age 11, has to say about the Violin Starter Set for Kids.

Kole has a point - what is the difference between a fiddle and a violin? Do you know?? Leave your answer in the comments!! Here's more ideas on how you can incorporate music to your lessons:

• Easy ways to add music to your lessons
• How to teach economics to elementary kids with music
• Adding musical instruments to your lessons
• 9 ways to bring music into your homeschool
• 5 ways to "teach" music to your preschooler

Check out the Violin Starter Set for Kids - now only $99! Or, if you're looking for more musical education resources, browse through hundreds of offers on Educents.

Big thanks to Kole for his wonderful review of the Violin Starter Set!!

*contains an affiliate link

Rdio: The Soundtrack to Your Summer

Summer is upon us, and streaming music service Rdio has the soundtrack to your summer with a brand new playlist of hot pop tunes!  Rdio kicks you off with this summer’s hottest anthems “Blurred Lines” and “Get Lucky” and includes a fun variety from Selena Gomez to Blake Shelton to round out what is sure to be your next party’s best mix.  What better way to celebrate everyone’s favorite season than to crank up the tracks that will definitely be on repeat all season long! 

The Soundtrack to Your Summer: 2013 Edition

1. Blurred Lines - Robin Thicke 
2. Get Lucky - Daft Punk 
3. We Can't Stop - Miley Cyrus
4. The Way - Ariana Grande 
5. Fashion Killa - A$AP Rocky 
6. Come & Get It - Selena Gomez 
7. How Many Drinks? - Miguel feat. Kendrick Lamar 
8. Tunnel Vision - Justin Timberlake 
9. Safe and Sound - Capital Cities
10. Alive - Krewella 
11. Clarity - ZEDD
12. I Love It (feat. Charli XCX) [Original Version] (feat. Charli XCX) - Icona Pop 
13. Here's To Never Growing Up - Avril Lavigne
14. Boys 'Round Here (feat. Pistol Annies & Friends) - Blake Shelton 
15. I Want Crazy (Encore) - Hunter Hayes 
16. Beat It - Sean Kingston featuring Chris Brown and Wiz Khalifa 
17. #Beautiful - Mariah Carey 
18. Crash My Party - Luke Bryan
19. Love Somebody - Maroon 5 
20. High School - Nicki Minaj
21. Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton) - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis