Kris Bowers News

The Music Center named 113 of Southern California's most talented high school students as semifinalists in The Music Center's 32nd annual Spotlight (Spotlight) program, a free nationally acclaimed scholarship and arts training program for teens. Since its launch in 1988, Spotlight has transformed the lives of 49,000 students across Southern California by being more than just a competition. An important part of The Music Center's fundamental support for arts education, the arts training program provides students the opportunity to develop their performance abilities, learn about careers in arts management and receive valuable college preparedness and workforce readiness skills to pursue their dreams in the performing arts. This year, nearly 1,400 teens representing more than 260 schools, 198 cities and eight counties auditioned for the prestigious program.

The GRAMMY AWARDS Premiere Ceremony took place at Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles on Sunday, January 26, from 12:30-3:30 p.m. PT. Preceding the 62nd Annual GRAMMY AWARDS telecast, the Premiere Ceremony was hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Imogen Heap and featured a number of performances by current GRAMMY nominees. Performers included classical violinist Nicola Benedetti, jazz legend Chick Corea, folk music supergroup I'm With Her, West African sensation Angélique Kidjo and Best New Artist nominee Yola.

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, acclaimed Grammy-winning bassist, composer and bandleader Ben Williams today shared his powerful rendition of the civil rights classic 'We Shall Overcome” via Billboard. With Frank Ocean-esque R&B production and a world class band, the track is a unifying call of the moment that grounds us in history, present, and a continuously hopeful future. It follows first soulful single “If You Hear Me” from his upcoming album I AM A MAN, out February 7, 2020 on Rainbow Blonde Records, a record label co-owned by singer, songwriter and kindred spirit José James. The title is a reference to picket signs held during Memphis' historic 1968 African American sanitation workers' strike and is Williams' most poignant, sociopolitical statement yet. 

The Society of Composers & Lyricists has announced the nominations for the inaugural SCL Awards. Among those nominated are Kristen Anderson-Lopez, Robert Lopez for a?oeInto The Unknowna?? from Frozen 2; Joshuah Brian Campbell and Cynthia Erivo for a?oeStand Upa?? from Harriet; and Justin Paul, Benj Pasek and Alan Menken for a?oeSpeechlessa?? from Aladdin.

The 2019 Hollywood Music in Media Awards were held just last week at The Avalon, in Hollywood, honoring some of the industry's finest talent, including Broadway veteran and Harriet star, Cynthia Erivo.

Back with his beguiling mix of jazz, R&B, pop and soul, singer-songwriter and producer José James today announces a brand new future soul album, No Beginning No End 2. Coming out March 6 on his own label Rainbow Blonde Records, he's just shared smooth first single “I Need Your Love,” featuring GRAMMY nominees Ledisi & Christian Scott aTunde Adjuah. Also featuring Laura Mvula, Aloe Blacc, Lizz Wright, Erik Truffaz, Hindi Zahra, Taali and more, this new album is a sequel to James' revered No Beginning No End. He'll be celebrating the release with a freshly announced international tour, including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Washington, DC and his hometown of Minneapolis, MN.

Recording Academy® President/CEO Deborah Dugan alongside Academy Chair of the Board of Trustees and renowned record producer Harvey Mason Jr., as well as GRAMMY Awards® host Alicia Keys and past two-time GRAMMY® nominee Bebe Rexha, today revealed nominees for the 62nd GRAMMY Awards in select categories. This year's nominees reflect a melting pot of artistic innovation that defined the year in music, showcasing the unparalleled craftsmanship of established artists and the industry-shifting impact of rising music creators. Leading nominees Lizzo (8), Billie Eilish (6) and Lil Nas X (6) not only topped the charts but ignited a cultural conversation around their genre-bending hits. As the only peer-selected music award, the GRAMMY Awards are voted on by the Recoding Academy's membership body of music makers, who represent all genres and creative disciplines, including recording artists, songwriters, producers, mixers and engineers.

Freestyle Digital Media, the digital film distribution division of Byron Allen's global media company Entertainment Studios, is proud to announce that the documentary BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE will be released on all home entertainment platforms in the U.S., as well as on iTunes worldwide, on October 15th, 2019. BETHANY HAMILTON: UNSTOPPABLE was released in theaters nationwide by Entertainment Studios Motion Pictures, the theatrical distribution division of Entertainment Studios, on July 12th, 2019 and had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2018. 

 Broadcast Music, Inc. (BMI) celebrated the 22nd annualConducting Workshop for Visual Media Composers with a final scoring session at Nathan Barr's Bandrika Studios in Tarzana, California on August 24. The workshop provided eight rising composers the chance to hone their conducting skills under the direction of award-winning conductor and composer Lucas Richman. Over a two-week period, the selected composers participated in several training sessions focusing on proper beat patterns, tempo changes and cueing, as well as one-on-one conducting experience with Richman. At the finale, the selected composers conducted film cues by Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams, to picture, with a 32-piece orchestra.

BMI (Broadcast Music, Inc.) announced today the selected participants for its 22nd annual Conducting Workshop for Visual Media Composers, led by BMI Classic Contribution Award winner, conductor and composer Lucas Richman. Beginning August 13, the elite group will spend two weeks sharpening their conducting skills to music selections by BMI film composing legends such as Jerry Goldsmith and John Williams. The workshop will be held at BMI's Los Angeles office and Blake Neely's Cow on the Wall Studio in North Hollywood culminating with the participants leading a 32-piece orchestra live to picture at Nathan Barr's Bandrika studio in Tarzana on August 24.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is extending invitations to join the organization to 842 artists and executives who have distinguished themselves by their contributions to theatrical motion pictures. The 2019 class is 50% women, 29% people of color, and represents 59 countries. Those who accept the invitations will be the only additions to the Academy's membership in 2019.

The Music Center named 110 of Southern California's most talented high school students as semifinalists inThe Music Center's 31st annual Spotlight (Spotlight) program, a free nationally-acclaimed scholarship and arts training program for teens.  Spotlight has transformed the lives of more than 47,000 students across Southern California since its launch in 1988.

The Kennedy Center will present comedian, writer, and producer Amanda Seales in a three-night, multifaceted residency exploring the intersection of comedy, Hip Hop, and jazz.  In this first of its kind residency, Seales has created multi-genre performances that utilizes her witty commentary on culture to entertain and inform audiences.

Sundance Institute will convene dozens of offscreen events, including inclusive and intersectional conversations on the next wave of storytelling, radical data transparency, the future of democracy at its intersection with the arts, behind-the-scenes panels on the art of filmmaking and musical performances that range from intimate to raucous at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival taking place in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Sundance, Utah, January 24 through February 3, 2019.

Last night, the Critics' Choice Awards were announced. Taking home the top prize of Best Picture was Roma. Also, in a surprising turn of events, both Lady Gaga and Glenn Close took home the award for Best Actress, for A Star is Born and The Wife, respectively.

José James joins voices with Lalah Hathaway on a joyful new duet version of Bill Withers' classic song “Lovely Day,” which is available to stream or download today. The track features bassist Pino Palladino, keyboardist Kris Bowers, guitarist Brad Allen Williams, drummer Nate Smith, and a horn arrangement by trumpeter Takuya Kuroda. James' forthcoming album Lean On Me is a loving tribute to the legendary singer and songwriter in honor of Withers' 80th birthday year. The album was produced by Blue Note president Don Was and will be released on September 28. Watch the album trailer.

Emmy-winning composer Kris Bowers scores compositions that step beyond the traditional boundaries of genre to form new and thrilling music. Bowers currently scores Netflix's “Dear White People,” and Shonda Rhimes' “For The People,” starring Hope Davis.

This Friday, March 16, on his 40th birthday, legendary LA rapper MURS will be releasing his new LP, A Strange Journey Into The Unimaginable, the most personal body of work the MC has ever created.

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will showcase their spectacular artistry, talent, diversity, and range for three performances March 2 4 at Chrysler Hall in Norfolk, Virginia, presented by the Virginia Arts Festival.

Offscreen at the 2018 Sundance Film Festival: Panels and Events