Shontelle Layne

Hello Everyone! I hope you guys are having a great and relaxing Sunday get all of the much need rest for the work week ahead. Today I am shining a light on one of the singer/songwriters I spotlighted in my previous post name Shontelle Layne. Best known to the world as simply Shontelle. Shontelle was born on October 4, 1985 in Saint James Barbados. She was discovered right along side another Barbadian music artist that you might have heard of the goes by the name Rihanna in 2007.  In 2008 she release her first album called Shontelligence. It produced a semi-moderate hit called T-Shirt that reach number thirty-six on the Billboard Hot 100 music charts. The third single off of her debut album called Battle Cry was used as part of President Barack Obama’s Yes We Can: Voice of Grassroots Movement compilation CD that was released in 2008. Shontelle also as had the opportunity to be the opening act on Beyoncé’s I Am…Tour. In 2010 she was credited for a majority of the songwriting on Rihanna’s 2010 album Loud. Since her debut on 2007 Shontelle has been recognized for both contributions as a music artist and songwriter. Shontelle has won 11 Barbados Music Awards and in 2011 she won Award of Excellence from the Copyright Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (COSCAP) Foundation, Inc. in April 2011. Shontelle is a great example of someone in the music industry who has the best of both worlds as both a singer and a songwriter. Her ability to both sing and to write the songs that she sings makes her a true asset to the music industry. So take some time to take a listen to what Shontelle has to offer and tell me what you think. Remember you can follow me on Twitter @StarsOnTheRise or like my page on Facebook just look for the logo!

                                                    http://www.shontellemusic.com/

The Benefit Of Being A Songwriter & A Music Artist

Hello to all of my loyal Stars On The Rise follower I hope you are all having a blast this weekend. I am once again breaking away from the normal blog post to bring you a special blog post that some of you might find helpful if you are looking on becoming a music artist. Today's post focuses on the importance of not just being another talented singer but also being able to write your own songs as well as songs for other music artist to become both successful and profitable in the music industry.

In the music industry today you cannot be just another pretty face that can sing you have to be able to sing and write your own songs in most cases to make any real money in the music industry. There is a famous phrase that “without a songwriter there is no song”. Songwriting is a very important talent and skill to have for anyone serious about becoming a music artist of today.

There are many well-known music artist that have become known for not only being great music artist but for their talented songwriting skills as well. That list includes Ne-Yo, Shontelle and most recognized Mariah Carey. We all love and admire her for that incredible vocal range but she is also recognized for her songwriting credits on her many number 1 hit songs

The ability to tell a story and put it to music and connect with an audience is a gift. But if you have the passion, drive and know how to speak from the heart. Any music artist can become a great songwriter. Songwriting is another great way for a music artist to get attention in the music industry and become profitable as well. I hope you guys have found this post interesting and has given any aspiring music artist some food for thought. As always you can follow me on Twitter @StarsOnTheRise and like my page on Facebook just look for the logo!

Throwback Thursday!

Happy Thursday! Which means that it is time to pick another "Throwback" video pick. So in honor of tomorrow being Valentine's Day I have pick an artist and video that I feel is perfect for this occasion and I think you might agree. It is none other than Mr. Brian McKnight with his song "Anytime. So I hope this get you guys Valentine's Day off on the right foot. Enjoy! Remember you can follow me on Twitter @StarsOnTheRise and like my page on Facebook just look for the logo!

Austin Brown

Hello Everybody! I hope you guys are having a wonderful week! You guys know what time it is. I will give you three guesses and the first two don't count. It is time for us to pick another "Artist of the Week"! This weeks pick is a young male artist who has a lot to prove because he is part of a famous family the is considered music royalty. As a matter of fact his uncle is considered "The King of Pop"! His name is Austin Brown and I am pretty sure that by now you have guessed that he is part of the Jackson family and his uncle is none other than the late Micheal Jackson. Austin Brown was born in Tarzana, California on November 22, 1985.He is the youngest of Micheal Jackson's older Rebbie Jackson Brown three children. Early in his career, Brown was a ghostwriter for other artists, working under producers including Tim and Bob, The Underdogs, Corey Rooney, Q-Tip, Pharrell and Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins. In February 2012 Brown released his video "Menage A Trois" on Vevo, Music Choice, Centric, 106 & Park and MTV U. Outside of the U.S. "Menage A Trois" has plays on Italy, Japan, Netherlands, and UK Radio. In the UK Austin reached number 1 for 3 weeks on UK's Bang Radio 103.6 FM. What I love about Austin Brown is how his style and tone reminds a lot of Micheal Jackson which just proves that talent run through that family. But some how he make you stop and take notice that he is doing it his way and on his terms. So take a listen and tell me what you think. Remember you can follow me on Twitter @StarsOnTheRise or like my page on Facebook just look for the logo!

                                                               http://austinbrown.com/
                                             https://www.facebook.com/TheRealAustinBrown

In The Spotlight

Happy Saturday! I really should not have to ask how everyone's weekend is going because I think that most of you are getting ready for Super Bowl Sunday! So in honor of this years halftime performer Bruno Mars this week's special Saturday edition of "In The Spotlight" is a young singer that goes by the name of Jordon singing a cover of one of Bruno Mars hit song "Grenade". So take a listen to Jordon's take on this song and tell me what you think. Remember you can follow me on Twitter @StarsOnTheRise or like my page on Facebook just look for the logo!

Key Legal Tips & Knowledge For A Entertainment Entrepreneur

Hello to all of my loyal Stars On The Rise followers I hope you all are doing well. I am bring another special blog post that will help my any of my loyal followers who might want to start their own entertainment business such as a record label or artist management company. I recently researched and viewed three videos from entertainment lawyers on the topics of Intellectual Property, Fair Use and Copyright Law. I feel that all three of these topics need close attention to anyone who wants their entertainment venture to succeed. So sit back and take notes they might become very helpful when starting your own entertainment business venture.

Intellectual Property: Patents, Trademarks, and Copyright

In this first video attorney Peter Davis discusses some of the important steps need to start a business venture. He also focuses on intellectual property what it is and how valuable it is to successful business. He focuses on ways to protect your intellectual property with tool such as having confidentially agreement with your staff. Mr. Davis also offers great tips on the importance team building within a company and how to do so successfully.

Bring Your Own Doc : BYOD - What is Fair Use in a Documentary Film? with Entertainment Lawyer, Michael C. Donaldson

In this video attorney Michael C. Donaldson discusses the complicated world of fair use and how to avoid any legal issues that might come up when getting the rights to use someone else’s work to use in your project. He breaks down and explains the many ways of getting permission under fair use for a project. He teaches and explains the importance to detail need when getting permission to use someone’s work to ensure that you all of the rights need to use a piece of work before using it because some case you may need to gain multiple rights before a another persons work can be used.

A Seminar in Copyright Law with Entertainment Lawyer Greg Eveline

In this video attorney Greg Eveline discusses copyright law and how can effort your business.  The importance of copyrighting your work and respecting the copyright of someone else’s work. He also explains the different verse and options of copyright. Another focus of this video is copyright infringement how it works and your rights if this happen to you and your business.

All three of these videos offer great tips and information that will help any one wanting to start their own entertainment venture great tools to get them started on the right foot. What I took from these videos was the importance of legally protecting your work and respecting the rights of another person’s work you may want to use. To have a successful business you have to follow and respect the proper legal channels and procedure to have success and again respect in your specific business industry. I hope you found this special blog post eye opening and feel free to check these videos out on your own to see what you take from them. Remember you can follow me on Twitter @StarsOnTheRise and like my page on Facebook just look for the logo!