FILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: PROPS AND OPPS FOR MAY '26PROPS

There is still time to catch Sierra Madre Playhouse’s One Million Words – Rilke, a hit solo show created by and starring Ivo Müller, with performances on May 1-3. The production, inspired by the groundbreaking work of Austrian poet Rainer Maria Rilke, made its North American premiere in California as part of an international tour honoring the centennial of Rilke's death in 1926. Directed by Arieta Corrêa, the show follows both a present-day actor and a 19th-century poet as they explore themes of creativity, belonging, love, and human connection. Following its Sierra Madre run, the production will head to its U.K. premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. Contact Libby Huebner at libby@adlibpr.com for more information or visit sierramadreplayhouse.org for tickets. Photo credit: Priscila Prade

Andra Day

WhyHunger, a global nonprofit dedicated to ending hunger and advancing the human right to nutritious food, will host its annual Chapin Awards Gala on May 6 at Cipriani 25 in New York City. GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter, activist, and actress Andra Day will be honored with the Harry Chapin Humanitarian Award for her dedication to social justice and philanthropy. Past recipients have included Barbra Streisand, Harry Belafonte, and Jon Batiste, among others. Day’s notable body of work includes a captivating portrayal of Billie Holiday in The United States vs. Billie Holiday—her very first on-screen acting role. The event will celebrate an organization that has connected 6.6 million people to food and invested $9.6 million in community-led solutions across 25 countries in the past five years. For more information, contact Luci Paczkowski at lpaczkowski@shorefire.com or visit whyhunger.org/chapinawards2026.

Music and game label Scarlet Moon has debuted Prescription for Pop, a crossover jazz series designed to bring a fresh sound to popular music. Composer and saxophonist Norihiko Hibino, renowned for his work on video games including Metal Gear Solid, Bayonetta and Yakuza, joined pianist AYAKI to form GENTLE LOVE. Following their Billboard-charting, 16-album run reimagining game and anime music as jazzy lullabies, the duo launched the new series with two albums dedicated to top 2025 and 2024 pop hits. Prescription for Pop: 2025 Hits and Prescription for Pop: 2024 Hits are now available, featuring highlights such as "Gone Gone Gone" and "Golden" from 2025 and "Too Sweet" and "Flowers" from 2024. Learn more at scarletmoon.com/sleep or by contacting Jayson Napolitano at jayson@scarletmoonpromotions.com.

OPPS

Young screen composers can have the chance to showcase their work through the World Soundtrack Academy’s annual Film Music Composition Contest. Registration is now open to composers under the age of 36, who have until May 15 to submit their work. The excerpt for this year's contest is from the 2020 horror television series Ratched. Get the competition guidelines and submit your work at worldsoundtrackawards.com/wsa-talent/composition-contest.

The Pacific Northwest Film Scoring Program's 2026 Film Scoring Competition—the program’s first ever—is now open, offering aspiring composers a chance to win a professional recording with a 52-piece orchestra. The deadline is May 17 to submit music to accompany The Walk Home, a short drama from filmmaker Jeremy Osbern. All the details can be found at pnwfilmmusic.com/score-competition.

If you’re interested in speaking at the 2026 Game Music and Sound Design Conference, proposals for talks will be accepted until May 10. Topics can be anything directly related to game/interactive audio. The event will be October 20-21 in Burbank with an option to attend virtually. Learn how to submit your proposal at gamesoundcon.com/submissions.The post FILM - TV - THEATER - GAMES: PROPS AND OPPS FOR MAY '26 first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Warner Music COO, Armin Zerza: Music is under-monetized, under-digitized, and ripe for ‘years of productivity’Zerza appeared at the JPMorgan Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Wednesday (May 20)
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Ten of the Best Queen Latifah SongsContinuing the theme from our recent Phil Collins list, we're looking at ten of the best songs from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 "Musical Influence" inductee Queen Latifah. Rock or hip-hop? Who gives a crap--she's awesome!

"Mama Gave Birth to the Soul Children" (featuring De La Soul)

From All Hail the Queen (1989)

"Evil That Men Do" (featuring KRS-One)

From All Hail the Queen (1989)

"Nuff of the Ruff Stuff"

From Nature of a Sista' (1991)

"Bad As A Mutha"

From Nature of a Sista' (1991)

"Just Another Day"

From Black Reign (1993)

"Bananas (Who You Gonna Call?)" (featuring Apache)

From Order in the Court (1998)

"It's Alright" (featuring Faith Evans and Lil' Mo)

From Order in the Court (1998)

"I Put a Spell On You"

From The Dana Owens Album (2004)

"How Long (Betcha' Got a Chick On the Side)"

From Trav'lin' Light (2007)

"Fast Car" (featuring Missy Elliott)

From Persona (2009)

Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of State/Wikicommons

The post Ten of the Best Queen Latifah Songs first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Sony Music Publishing promotes ZaZa Kazadi to Senior Director, A&R, UK & EuropeThe promotion will see Kazadi focus on Hip Hop, Rap, R&B and Afro genres.
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A special day with Miles the Music Kid in The BronxThe Guitar Center Music Foundation recently released details of, "Rising producer and multi-instrumentalist Miles Bonham, known as Miles Music Kid, recently visited two elementary schools in the Bronx in partnership with non-profit Education Through Music. During the visit, he donated 1,000 ukuleles and three DJ decks, provided by The Guitar Center Music Foundation, to help expand access to music education for New York City students."

Watch a video of Miles’ school visit HERE.

“I’m so lucky that I have instruments around my house, and I could just play them whenever I want," Bonham said in a statement. "But some people don’t have that even though they love music just as much as I do. I’m really happy knowing that we are giving these kids all of this musical gear so they can have something to go to whenever they feel like they want to express themselves through music.”

“Myles’ visit demonstrated the incredible impact music can have when students are given the opportunity to engage with it firsthand,” Myka Miller, Guitar Center Music Foundation Executive Director, told MC. “Watching these students light up as they explored instruments, created sounds together, and experienced the creative process in real time was truly inspiring. At The Guitar Center Music Foundation, we believe every child deserves access to music education, and we are proud to support initiatives like this that help open doors for creativity, confidence, and self-expression.”

According to a press release, "During the visit, Miles spent time with students, as he performed a song on the guitar for them and produced a song using their voices and different sounds in the classroom. The donation of ukuleles and DJ equipment introduces foundational tools and gives students new ways to explore creativity and self-expression."

“This was an incredibly special day,” said Bree Bowles, Senior Vice President, Republic Records: Kids & Family and 2026 Co-Chair of Education Through Music, supporting Education Through Music’s “Making Minds Sing!” 2026 Gala honoree Jim Roppo, Chairman and CEO, Republic Records. “Being in the classroom with Miles and seeing how students respond to music in real time is a powerful reminder of why this work matters. Education Through Music is committed to making sure every child has access to music as part of their education, and moments like this truly bring that mission to life.”

“Experiences like this show just how powerful music education can be in a child’s life,” said Dr. Janice Weinman, CEO of Education Through Music. “When students are given the opportunity to create, perform, and connect through music, it not only sparks joy but also builds confidence, collaboration, and a sense of belonging. We are incredibly grateful to Miles, Republic Records, and the Guitar Center Music Foundation for helping us expand access to these transformative experiences for our partner school students.”

For more information about The Guitar Center Music Foundation, please visit http://guitarcenterfoundation.org/.

Photo Credit: Toby TenenbaumThe post A special day with Miles the Music Kid in The Bronx first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Evan Whikehart named General Manager, North America at IDOL, as Paris-headquartered indie says its annual revenue topped $50m globally last yearWhikehart joins from Secretly Distribution
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Mixed Notes May 2026: Nessa Barrett, Lykke Li, Bea, and MoreNESSA BARRETT DIVES INTO DARK ROMANCE ON JESUS LOVES A PRIMADONNA

Nessa Barrett unveils her new EP Jesus Loves a Primadonna, an eight-track exploration of toxic love and vulnerability wrapped in noir rock and trip-hop textures. Alongside the release, she drops the cinematic “Buffalo 66” video starring Jesse Rutherford and announces intimate, sold-out shows, offering fans a closer look at this moody, emotionally charged chapter.

BEA STEPS INTO A NEW ERA WITH “CAN’T HELP FALLING OUT OF LOVE”

London singer-songwriter Bea, formerly Bea and her Business, redefines her sound and identity with the emotive new single “Can’t Help Falling Out of Love” via Warner Records. Co-written with Matt Maltese and produced by Jordan Riley (RAYE, Cat Burns), the track showcases her majestic vocals and stripped-back power balladry, marking a fearless fresh chapter in her journey from Gen Z breakout to confident, introspective artist.

YEAT AND ESDEEKID UNITE ON “MADE IT ON OUR OWN”

Multi-platinum artist Yeat linked up with Liverpool rapper EsDeeKid for the high-energy single “Made It On Our Own,” produced by Lucid and Mathaius Young. Shot at Drake’s Toronto home with Director X, the track fuses Yeat’s galactic rage rap with EsDeeKid’s scouse style, arriving amid Yeat’s ongoing rollout for his upcoming album ADL (A Dangerous Lyfe).

LYKKE LI LAUNCHES EXISTENTIAL ERA WITH “LUCKY AGAIN” AND ALBUM THE AFTERPARTY

Lykke Li returns with “Lucky Again,” the first glimpse of her forthcoming album The Afterparty (out in May via Neon Gold/Futures), ushering in her existential era. Layered with disco strings, Max Richter samples, and euphoric momentum, the track turns samsara into maximalist pop, marking a fearless reinvention as Li explores mortality, hedonism, and impermanence with her signature emotional intensity.

SOPHIE POWERS & LEXIE LIU JOIN FORCES FOR “KLEPTO”

After a streak of explosive singles including the provocative “popoff,” apocalyptic “muddy” and electrifying “spiderwebs,” pop disruptor Sophie Powers returns with her most confidently chaotic release yet: “klepto,” a hyper-catchy collaboration with Chinese superstar Lexie Liu. Out via Encore Recordings, the single blends bold storytelling with a sonic rush that feels like a late-night shopping spree gone haywire.

VENDREDI SUR MER SETS THE MOOD WITH “DES MONTAGNES DE TOI” AHEAD OF AMERICAS TOUR

Vendredi sur Mer returns with “Des Montagnes de Toi,” a delicate, piano-led track steeped in melancholy and intimacy. Serving as a bridge to her Malabar Princess era, the single highlights her signature poetic storytelling as she hits the road for an eleven-date North and South American tour, bringing her dreamy, nostalgic sound to audiences across the continent.

ALEX ISLEY CAPTURES L.A.’S AFTER-HOURS GLOW ON WHEN THE CITY SLEEPS

Alex Isley unveils her major-label debut When the City Sleeps, a lush, late-night meditation on love and solitude inspired by Los Angeles after dark. Alongside the album, she drops the nostalgic “Westside” video and announces a 2026 North American tour, marking a new chapter in her evolving artistry and continued presence in contemporary R&B.The post Mixed Notes May 2026: Nessa Barrett, Lykke Li, Bea, and More first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

As ABS deals reshape the music rights landscape, KBRA says it’s rated $12.9B in music royalty-backed bonds since 2020 – but expects issuance to fall 25% in 2026The music ABS market has more than tripled in size in just three years, says new KBRA report
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Studio Mix May 2026: David Guetta, Tenroc, Flore Laurentienne, and MoreFLORE LAURENTIENNE UNVEILS “(À TRAVERS LES) CHABLIS” AHEAD OF VOLUME III

Flore Laurentienne teases his final chapter in the Volume series with “(À travers les) Chablis,” blending ethereal synths and strings with free jazz percussion, harp, and Casavant organ. Released on April 10 via Secret City Records, Volume III closes the trilogy while celebrating nature, improvisation, and harmony born from chaos, offering a glimpse into the evolving, experimental world of the artist.

EPIPHONE PRESENTS: SPIRITUAL CRAMP “LIVE AT ALLY PALLY”

Epiphone Presents: Spiritual Cramp "Live at Ally Pally” captures one of punk’s most compelling modern bands, live inside the historicPalace Suite of Alexandra Palace in London. Shot by Nick Suchak mid-stride during the group’s late 2025 tour with The Hives,Epiphone Presents: Spiritual Cramps “Live at Ally Pally”distills the band’s explosive, sweat-soaked stage energy into a tight, intimate performance.

DAVID GUETTA FINDS SOUL IN A DIGITAL WORLD WITH RHODES MK8

GRAMMY-winning DJ and producer David Guetta is integrating the Rhodes MK8 MIDI piano into his Ibiza studio, using it as both a creative spark and central controller. Blending its expressive feel with an in-the-box workflow, Guetta explores how soul can transcend genre—bringing warmth and musicality into his dance productions through the iconic Rhodes sound.

HARRISON 32CLASSIC ELEVATES PURE SOUND AT APSOON RECORDINGS

APSoon Recordings has installed a Harrison 32Classic console in its Estonia studio, prioritizing clarity and zero coloration for its high-resolution jazz and classical recordings. Founder Aular Soon relies on the desk’s precise EQ, flexible inserts, and transparent sound to shape mixes captured in DSD, preserving natural acoustics while allowing subtle, dynamic control.

GRAMMY-NOMINATED HITMAKER TENROC DROPS “MOURNING 2 DANCING” FT. TORI KELLY & JON KEITH, ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM

Fresh off the release of his debut single “PLAYLIST,” multi-hyphenate singer, musician, and producer Tenroc released his second single “mourning 2 dancing,” featuring GRAMMY-winning singer-songwriter Tori Kelly and genre-bending hip-hop artist Jon Keith. Following the release, Tenroc officially announced the forthcoming release of his debut album, God Is a Person, due on July 17th via Sony/Provident.

WAR CHILD RECORDS RELEASE "HELICOPTERS" BY EZRA COLLECTIVE & GREENTEA PENG

War Child Records released “Helicopters” by Ezra Collective & Greentea Peng—from the highly anticipated forthcoming HELP(2) album. Produced by Ezra Collective and mixed by David Wrench, the group join forces with Greentea Peng for a commanding collaboration that seamlessly fuses their distinct sonic identities. “Helicopters” follows recent releases taken from the HELP(2) record, including “Opening Night” by Arctic Monkeys, “Flags” by Damon Albarn, Grian Chatten, and Kae Tempest, “Let’s Do It Again!” by The Last Dinner Party, “Begging For Change” by Pulp, and an exclusive stand-alone 7” addition of “Acquiesce (Live From Wembley Stadium, 28 September 2025)” by Oasis.

DYLAN LEBLANC ANNOUNCES A SPECIAL 10TH ANNIVERSARY RE-RELEASE OF HIS ACCLAIMED ALBUM, CAUTIONARY TALE

Louisiana singer-songwriter Dylan LeBlanc announced a special 10th Anniversary re-release of his acclaimed album Cautionary Tale, which is due out on May 15 via Single Lock Records. To herald the announcement, he has unearthed a demo of fan-favorite track “Roll The Dice (Bedroom Demo).” LeBlanc is also hitting the road on a U.S. tour, which kicked off on March 13 in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.

PRODUCER PLAYBACK:

“The one ingredient has to be talking about something that people care about, whether that’s love, heartbreak or something political. If you can find a point of view and see it through, that’s one thing a song can’t be without.” – Philip Lawrence

The post Studio Mix May 2026: David Guetta, Tenroc, Flore Laurentienne, and More first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Ten of the Best Phil Collins SongsContinuing the theme from our recent Joy Division/New Order list, we're looking at ten of the best songs from Rock & Roll Hall of Fame 2026 inductee Phil Collins. Genesis is already in (as of 2010), so this is only Phil as a solo artist...

"In the Air Tonight"

From Face Value, 1981

"You Can't Hurry Love"

From Hello, I Must Be Going (1982)

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)"

From Against All Odds: OST, 1984

"Easy Lover"

With Philip Bailey, from Chinese Wall, 1984

"Sussudio"

From No Jacket Required, 1985

"One More Night"

From No Jacket Required, 1985

"Separate Lives"

With Marilyn Martin, from White Nights: OST, 1985

"Two Hearts"

From Buster: OST, 1988

"Another Day in Paradise"

From ...But Seriously, 1989

"Something Happened on the Way to Heaven"

From ...But Seriously, 1989

Photo by Philippe Roos, licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.The post Ten of the Best Phil Collins Songs first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Barry Weiss’s RECORDS promotes Andrew Saltman to SVP of Artist Development, Sara Gil to General ManagerThe pair will lead label operations across RECORDS and its country imprint RECORDS Nashville
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Mortiis Has L.A. Goblin Up His TunesAlmost exactly a month ago, Norwegian black metal titans Emperor performed at the Wiltern and tore L.A. a new one. At the Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles on a midweek spring evening, that band's former bassist Mortiis was co-headlining with Pacific Northwest band UADA.

A lot has happened in the 34 years since Mortiis, real name Håvard Ellefsen, left Emperor (he was in that band for a year between 1991-'92), most notably the fact that he fully took on the persona of a goblin for a while. In interviews, he would talk about how he lives in a cabin in the forest, surrounded by the howls of wolves and the wind. Strikingly, he wasn't seen without his goblin prosthetics for years. Much like Kiss, it was deep into his solo career before we got to see what he looked like under the pointy ears and pointier nose. He took the face off for a bit, and now he's back to the goblin look again.

Rubber aside, Mortiis has been through some stages, or "eras," over the years. Era I encompasses his early work--the one EP and six albums recorded in the '90s up to and including 1999's The Stargate. They were all recorded using synthesizers, and the artist described them as "dark dungeon music." Mostly instrumental, only The Stargate features vocals courtesy of Sarah Jezebel Deva.

At the Teragram, Mortiis was revisiting Era II, his dark wave/electropop period that essentially started and ended with the 2001 album The Smell of Rain. Mortiis's set leaned super-heavily on that album as a result. It's fascinating too; back in 2001, the album divided fans. The artist would divide them again when he entered into his industrial era III. Now though, The Smell of Rain is seen as a bit of a mini-classic, as it should be. The tunes are huge, Mortiis' vocals (a new thing at the time) were great, and the production is simultaneously pristine and gnarly.

Mortiis performed four songs at the Teragram that were not on The Smell of Rain, carefully picked out because they at least fit the era II mood. Two are from the brand new Ghosts of Europa (the title track, and "Tundra, Heart of Hell." "Demons are Back" is taken from 2016's era 0 album The Great Deceiver, as is "Doppleganger."

But again, Mortiis has cultivated a mood at these shows. Open-minded fans of black metal, of symphonic death metal, of goth, of industrial, of electropop and/or of dark wave should be able to enjoy the brilliance of these songs.

"Spirit in a Vacuum" and "Parasite God" were highlights, the crowd not knowing whether to mosh or sway as Mortiis simultaneously electrified and hypnotized all before him.

The openers (Jerome Reuter's Rome and Wraith Knight) were very different, but both betrayed a penchant for neo-folk and medieval pageantry. The former has a few lyrics that are problematic at the very least, while the latter's instrumental tunes seem to be influenced by era I Mortiis. As a result, there was a mood over the whole event that, refreshingly, Mortiis was the one to change. This old goblin provided heaps of joy, fun, and dance-friendly tunes.

Intense and melodic, Mortiis continues to do things entirely on his own terms.The post Mortiis Has L.A. Goblin Up His Tunes first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

T.J. Martell Foundation to honor Red Light Management founder Coran Capshaw with Lifetime Music Industry AwardCapshaw has built Red Light into what the company says is the world's largest independent artist management firm, with a roster that includes Dave Matthews Band, Phish, Chris Stapleton, and The Strokes.
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The Return of Cabaret Voltaire at the Bellwether, L.A.There was something in the water in the county of Yorkshire, England in the early-to-mid '70s. In 1975, proto-industrial pioneers Throbbing Gristle formed in Hull. But two years prior, 68 miles south in Sheffield, Cabaret Voltaire was born.

So the story goes that founding member Chris Watson, inspired by Brian Eno, was experimenting with making "music without musical instruments." He was a telephone engineer, and that work informed his creativity too. Watson soon joined forces with Richard H. Kirk, and the pair were joined by Stephen Mallinder.

The rest is history. The Mix-Up album dropped in '79; the last Cabaret Voltaire album, BN9Drone, was released in April 2021, though by that point Kirk was the sole remaining member out of the original three. Five months later, in September 2021, Kirk passed away.

So here we are in 2026. Cabaret Voltaire is Mallinder and Watson, through the latter struggles to travel so the touring lineup is Mallinder and friends. One of those friends is Tara Busch, aka opening act I Speak Machine, who performs Watson's parts with aplomb.

There were no songs performed from the first three albums at Cabaret Voltaire's Bellwether show (their return to Los Angeles after years away)--the set was weighted heavily towards 1983's The Crackdown and 1984's Micro-Phonies. CV kicked off with "24/24," "Animation," and 'Why Kill Time (When You Can Kill Yourself)" from the former, before diving further into the past with "The Set-Up" from 1978's Extended Play EP, and "Landslide" from 1981's Red Mecca.

"Crackdown" and then "Yashar" (the latter from 2X45) were set highlights, "Sex Money Freaks" betrays their early Berlin nightclub inspirations, and set closer "Do Right" was a crowd pleaser. Encores "Nag Nag Nag" and "Sensoria" proved to be the perfect way to end the night.

The Bellwether was packed for this one. CV seemed to bring out all of Los Angeles' beautiful freaks, from the goths to the cyberpunks and everyone in-between. They all will have left happy.

The post The Return of Cabaret Voltaire at the Bellwether, L.A. first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Sony Music Publishing wins Pop Publisher of the Year at 2026 BMI Awards… as Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Luther’ takes Song of the YearSMP landed the title for representing 24 of the previous year's most-performed songs.
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