GARY MUSICK PRODUCTIONS

Oceania Marina

2012-02-21T09:49:00.000-06:00

The new cast of the Oceania Marina is in the second month of their 6-month cruise contract. The Marina is currently cruising in the Caribbean and will be making its transatlantic voyage to the Mediterranean in March.

The Marina is Oceania’s newest ship and is celebrating the completion of its first full year of service. Here’s a link to learn more about the Marina and its exotic destinations. http://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/marina/default.aspx

Left to Right: Jonathan Kelly- Company Manager and Vocal Captain, Yana Yakaeyva- Wardrobe Manager, Kaitlyn Davidson, Kayla Shanahan- Dance Captain, Sarah Svoboda, Megan Miller, Meredith Jones, Evan Bosworth)

The Marina cast is performing three full-length shows and three shorter “opening acts” during each cruise. From Broadway hits to red hot Latin numbers and classical favorites, this versatile cast is delighting its audiences with outstanding vocals and dance. In addition to production shows, the 8-member team assists with entertainment staff duties throughout the ship. Our 4 vocalists also perform a variety of music with the ship’s band and pianist, including theme music nights featuring Beatles favorites and James Bond classics. We salute the hard-working cast of the Marina, along with all of our performers on board the ships of Oceania!

Volunteer Day at Room In The Inn

2012-02-20T15:18:00.000-06:00

On Monday, the entire GMP staff took the afternoon to volunteer at Room in the Inn's Campus for Human Development. We built shelves, assembled furniture, helped to prepare their new Respite Care Center and cleaned common areas and residential space in the Veteran's wing. We were very honored to be able to utilize our strengths to help Room in the Inn fulfill their mission of “providing programs that emphasize human development and recovery through education, self-help, and work, centered in community and long-term support for those who call the streets of Nashville home.” To learn more about the organization visit Room In the Inn's website.

Sizzle Reel

2012-02-08T13:37:00.000-06:00

Check out our sizzle reel and our YouTube channel!

2012-02-07T15:17:00.000-06:00

David Patton produced the entertainment and decor for a conference last week for our client, Leading Authorities. GMP provided two giant guitars, two microphone podiums, country décor, and live entertainment featuring six singers/dancers. The show was a great success!

Now Available: New Giant Guitars!

2012-02-03T15:12:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of our brand new giant guitars! These debuted at a show last week at the Sheraton Music City. They are slightly smaller than our existing set, with adjustable neck heights that make the pieces 12’ or 15’ tall (these are 12’ tall versions shown in the photo). These new guitars are designed for quick set up, and complement an entire group of musical themed props that are perfect for your next music-themed meeting or event. Give us a call us at 615.259.2400 for information on specially priced staging and prop packages for your next event!

New Giant Guitars!

2012-01-17T10:13:00.000-06:00

Coming soon! We're building a new set of giant guitars. These guitars are designed to fit in smaller ballrooms and will have adjustable heights- 12ft or 15ft. Check out these construction shots in different stages. We'll post completed photos after a show in a couple of weeks.

Pixel Mapping

2012-01-11T14:29:00.000-06:00

Jonathan Yeaworth, our GMP video guru, recently gave our staff an entertaining and informative presentation on “pixel mapping”- a video display technique that allows the projection of amazing images and animated graphics on scenery, general session stages, building exteriors, and even sandy beaches! Pixel mapping is the careful design of digital graphics to fit unique and unusual projection surfaces. This process helps eliminate scaling, distortion, or stretching of an image or video when projected onto a surface that is normally not intended to be used as a video “screen”. Pixel mapping allows us to turn ordinary stage sets into incredibly entertaining and engaging room environments that can constantly change to enhance the environment of any meeting or special event. We plan to use this technique during the opening ceremonies of a major convention slated for Atlantis this June. Watch for more info on pixel mapping as we integrate it into more upcoming shows! And, check out these links to watch a few samples of video mapping with amazing “wow” impact!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iutCPhQTo0A&feature=fvsr

http://videomapping.tumblr.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8IICGkOtJ9E

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSR0Xady02o

Christmas at the Galt House Hotel

2011-12-27T09:40:00.000-06:00

Our “Colors of the Season” dinner show wrapped up its second season at the Galt House Hotel! “Colors of the Season” is an integral part of the hotel’s fabulous “KaLightoscope” attraction. Thanks to the cast, crew, and GMP production team who made it all come to life. And a special thanks goes to our friends at the Galt House – especially Risa Garner, Terry Jenks, and Lisa Haller - for all their support throughout the project. We’re looking forward to making the holidays even more colorful in Louisville in 2012!

Galt House "Colors of the Season"

2011-12-21T11:11:00.000-06:00

Gary Musick Productions is producing Colors of the Season, a lively holiday show friends and the entire family. Filled with song, dance and laughter, this unique festive show is in its second season at the Galt House in Louisville, KY. Opening simply in the living room of a couple awaiting the holidays, the setting soon transforms into a magical world of lights, snow and festive color as the cast presents a joyous review of holiday musical favorites. During the trip to Santa’s Workshop, children stare in awe as toys come to life before them. By the time the beautiful “O Holy Night” finale, every heart will be warmed. This is the essence of the days all rolled together into one enchanting entertainment experience.

The show features a 10 person cast with special appearances by several talented young child performers from the Louisville area. Colors of the Season is part of the Galt House’s renowned KaLightoscope attraction and runs through Christmas eve.

This entire production, including cast, dancers, stage scenes and props, will be available for touring in 2012. Please contact us for details on presenting this show in your area.

"Best in Class" 2011

2011-12-15T15:02:00.000-06:00

GMP’s Gary Musick produced an event last week in Indian Wells, California, at the Hyatt Grand Champions. The three day educational conference celebrated “Best in Class” performance for our client’s management team. We provided stage design, lighting, audio, and video production for the conference event which included an opening night reception, several general sessions, and large break out meetings. The highlight of the event was the company’s “Best in Class” awards dinner which featured special recognition of the company’s top managers.

This was our third year working with the client, and our production partners, Jon Trujillo and Bill Apablasa of Blue Ink Writing. The show was once again a huge success!

Freedom Awards 20th Anniversary Celebration

2011-11-28T16:04:00.000-06:00

GMP Producer, Bert Hensley, was honored to produce the Freedom Awards in Memphis, Tenn. 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of the National Civil Rights Museum. In commemoration of this milestone, the museum honored twelve recipients with 2011 Freedom Awards: Danny Glover, Susan L. Taylor, Cicely Tyson, Kirk Whalum, Marva Collins, Hill Harper, Dr. Bill Frist, NAACP, Southern Poverty Law Center, Usher Raymond IV, Bill Russell, and Alonzo Mourning.

In addition to the recipients of the Freedom Awards, the museum honored seven icons of the civil rights movement which included Leola Brown Montgomery, Delores Huerta, Rev. Ed King, Rev. Samuel Kyles, Rev. James Lawson, John Seigenthaler, and Rev. C.T. Vivian.

With special musical guests James Ingram, Wendy Moten, and Kirk Whalum the Awards played to a sold out crowd at the Cannon Center. The special will air on PBS in 2012.

James Ingram performs.

New for the awards this year was a GMP recreation of the familiar Lorraine Motel sign which still stands in front of the Memphis motel where Martin Luther King was shot. The prop sign was used as the focal point of the show’s set. GMP scenic was responsible for the remainder of the set, as well as audio, lighting, recording, staging, and directing of the prestigious event.

Where in the World? Just Around the Corner!

2011-10-27T13:57:00.000-05:00

GMP producer Gary Musick is in Italy this week working on a show for one of our favorite corporate clients. Gary Musick Productions was selected for this project because of our long relationship with the client and our expertise in working with international events and cruise ship productions.

The client’s top sales people from around the world are sailing on the Regent Mariner to Corsica, Almafi, Sorrento, and a few other great destinations. The very talented Street Corner Symphony, a finalist on NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” entertained guests with a variety of pop and standards. It was a fantastic show!

The Regent Mariner

Street Corner Symphony

Gary Musick with Street Corner Symphony

Sorrento, Italy- 10/27/11

New GMP Trucks

2011-10-06T11:52:00.000-05:00

We're excited to premiere our two new delivery trucks. Each truck is a 24' box truck with Maxon Lift gates and Freight liner business class cabs. With our GMP logo on each side of the box as well as on the doors of the cab, we'll be delivering your production and scenery in style. Pictured here, in front of Nashville's Parthenon, is our amazing Scenic crew: (L to R) Eric Cardwell, Technical Director, Chris Lyle, Operations Manager, Jacob Driver, Load team, Gary Musick, President. (And we promise not to ever let Gary actually drive the trucks!)

AUDITIONS!

2011-10-05T16:54:00.000-05:00

Women's Half Marathon Series, Nashville 2011

2011-09-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

GMP producer Bert Hensley provided audio support for the Women's Half Marathon in Nashville Saturday for the second year. The Women’s Half Marathon Race Series is the largest in the country and benefits the YMCA of Middle Tennessee and other local charities. Congrats to the Half Marathon champion Candace Fredericks and to the 5k winner Catherine Peithman! The race was a great success thanks to a huge turnout and fantastic volunteers. A big thank you to Women's Running Magazine and all the sponsors. We look forward to next year!

Jo Dee Messina sang the National Anthem and ran the 5k.

Half Marathon winner- Candace Fredericks

5k winner- Catherine Peithman

NATD Honors 2011

2011-09-26T13:42:00.000-05:00

Nashville Association of Talent Directors (NATD) tapped GMP’s Bert Hensley to produce their inaugural NATD Honors Gala on September 14, 2011 at the famed Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. The event, which honored the contributions and careers of such notable figures as Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Nashville Predators hockey coach Barry Trotz, Agency for the Performing Arts CEO Jim Gosnell, Conway Entertainment Group founder and legendary agent Tony Conway, and the greatest band in country music history, Alabama.

For the event, GMP produced a tribute video for each of the five honorees, which included career achievements, philanthropic contributions and personal testimonials from long time friends and colleagues. A few notable video tributes included messages from Betty White and Willie Nelson, and comedian Lewis Black brought the house down with one of his famous rants as part of his tribute to long-time agent Jim Gosnell.

GMP is proud to have been asked to produce this special new event, and looks forward to making this one of the entertainment industry’s must-have tickets in years to come.

NATD Honors, The Hermitage Hotel- Nashville, Tennessee

Alabama

Rod Essig and Karl Dean

Barry Trotz

Lewis Black and Jim Gosnell

Wine Down Wednesday

2011-08-31T15:54:00.001-05:00

Valerie Summers, our new VP of Sales and Customer Relations at GMP, invited the GMP team to Arrington Vineyards for an evening of award-winning wine, dinner, music, and fun! Arrington Vineyards, located about 25 miles south of Nashville, is one of the most unique attractions in the Nashville area and is a popular spot for corporate events and private parties. Valerie’s husband, Kip, is the vintner and co-owner of Arrington, and we were lucky to be given a personalized tour and tasting by the expert himself. Kip and Valerie’s partner in the venture is Kix Brooks, from country music's super duo “Brooks and Dunn.”

Our evening started with a tour of the facility, followed by a tasting of the winery’s wide selection of varietals, culminating with dinner provided by Stage Left Catering. We had a great time and thoroughly enjoyed our last company outing of the summer. Thank you to Valerie, Kip, and Arrington Vineyards for making it a special evening. Watch for upcoming Arrington Vineyards special event packages from GMP - it truly is an outstanding location for corporate events and gatherings of all kinds!

Kip explaining the bottling process.

Learning about the bottling process.

Grape crushing machine.

Wine tasting.

Valerie

Did You Know?

2011-08-03T11:38:00.000-05:00

Thompson Square, fresh off their debut album and single “Are You Gonna Kiss Me or Not?,” just hit the road with Jason Aldean. Thompson Square turned to Gary Musick Scenic to complete elements of their new set design. The GMP team built two 5’ tall x 8’ wide faux speakers that served as a base for oversized lips. We wish them great success with the tour!

Faux speakers for Thompson Square.

GMP has also recently created scenic elements for other artists and staging companies in support of tours for artists like Kid Rock, Brad Paisley, and The Misfits. Our Scenic department recently helped Accurate Staging with key elements of the design for the Kid Rock “Born Free” tour which included a carved eagle, two 30-foot-long rifles, and an oversized longhorn skull.

Carved eagle for Kid Rock's touring set.

Scenic elements at live show.

Premier Breakthroughs Staging

2011-06-22T13:05:00.000-05:00

Gary Musick Scenic provided the staging for client Premier, Inc.’s Breakthroughs Conference at Gaylord Opryland. This was the second time we have worked on this conference. The staging was both functional and decorative, including a 54 inch triangular thrust and a couple of catwalk awards risers with acrylic sidewalls. Congratulations to Premier on another great conference.

Big Machine Label Group CMA Music Festival Booth

2011-06-22T12:43:00.000-05:00

Gary Musick Productions designed and implemented the booth for Big Machine Label Group (Big Machine Records, The Valory Music Co., and Republic Nashville labels) for the third consecutive year, and once again pulled out all the stops in creating a very cool environment for fans to interact with some of the biggest names in country music. The Big Machine Label Group consists of Taylor Swift, Martina McBride, Reba, Rascal Flatts, The Band Perry and a host of other artists.

The design consisted of four zones- one featuring the customized Rascal Flatts Red Camaro, an LED wall displaying videos and other BMLG content, a step-and-repeat photo wall with customizable marquee, and a merchandise section.

GMP would like to thank our friends at Big Machine for allowing us to once again play a part in making their CMA Music Festival Fan Fair Hall booth an experience of a lifetime for the nearly 100,000 guests who converged on Nashville for the four-day festival.

2011 IASA Educational Conference & Business Show

2011-06-22T10:43:00.000-05:00

Gary Musick Scenic was proud to develop, build and implement this fabulous General Session Set for IASA. The IASA 2011 Annual Educational Conference and Business show provides the most comprehensive educational program and business show targeted for financial and technology professionals in the insurance and financial services industry. Thanks for partnering with us!

"Working with Fireworks"

2011-06-03T09:01:00.000-05:00

MEETING magazine’s article, “Working with Fireworks” explores the hurdles in achieving a successful pyrotechnics or fireworks show.

Canadian meeting guru Terry Cunningham approached Gary Musick to learn more about the planning process of an event with fireworks. Musick stressed the importance of knowing the state laws and fire codes, along with having the proper permits and insurance liability, among a list of other important considerations. For more tips on creating a successful fireworks show, click here to read the full article. http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/MPTS0311/#/16 Pages 17/18

NDC Showtime!

2011-05-25T12:43:00.001-05:00

Gary Musick Productions had the privilege of working with NDC on their 2011 International Expo May 22-24 at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. GMP producer Bert Hensley oversaw the production of a Hollywood themed event that captured the conference theme of “Showtime!”

Scenic elements included a Hollywood themed stage backdrop, large awards statues, gold picture frame screen surrounds, red carpet and rope & stanchion. An art deco style marquee greeted guests, along with a matching refreshment stand stocked with old school candy and popcorn.

Congratulations to NDC on a very successful show, and a giant thank you to the GMP scenic and design team for a job well done.

The Vinny

2011-05-25T10:59:00.020-05:00

GMP Producer Bert Hensley oversaw the production of two events for Country Music Hall of Famer Vince Gill at his annual charity golf tournament, The Vinny. On Saturday, a pairings party took place at the Embassy Suites in Cool Springs. The theme for the event was “Bling It On, Baby!” and the room was definitely “blinged out”. A giant diamond wrapped golf ball served as the centerpiece of the stage set, with mirror balls hung over head. Vince and the amazingly talented western swing band The Time Jumpers provided entertainment for the evening. The event raises money for the First Tee and provides scholarships to deserving individuals across Tennessee.

At the conclusion of the tournament, which features celebrities and PGA tour professionals playing along with junior players and guests, Vince and wife Amy Grant hosted a Celebrity-VIP party at their Nashville home. This casual event took place in a tent in the Gill’s back yard, and carried a 1950s Route 66 Diner theme. Complete with a rotating “Vinny’s Route 66 Roadhouse” sign at the center of the tent, the theme was carried through with neon signs, 1950s style cars, and diner booths for seating.

GMP would like to thank Vince Gill and the team of great people involved in making The Vinny such a successful event, and look forward to next year when the event celebrates its 20^th anniversary.

Pre-Con With a Twist

2011-05-11T11:31:00.003-05:00

Here's a very cool idea for all you meeting planners and facility event planners, brought to you courtesy of the Hilton San Diego Bayfront. Instead of staging another tedious facility pre-con meeting before your next large event, why not do the meeting while taking a tour through the venue!? It's a unique approach and highly engaging for the planner. Our Hilton Bayfront event manager, Heather Wellong, took our client (National Association of Electrical Distributors) on an informative, fun, and tasty back-of-house tour of the hotel's operations to personally experience the inner workings of this large and innovative property. From the reservations department, to hotel communications, to the amazing laundry operation, we saw it all! The well choreographed journey included brief tours hosted by department heads operating in their own backyards. Perhaps most impressive were our stops in the hotel's banquet and room service kitchens. In each area, chefs had prepared a sampling of the actual menu items to be served during the meeting along with favorites from the hotel's restaurants. This allowed the customer to converse with chefs about menu and presentation questions in a very personal and informative format. Of course the highlight of the tour was the pastry kitchen. The hotel's award-winning pastry chef had prepared an impressive chocolate and spun sugar interpretation of the client's logo surrounded by a stunning selection of pastries and desserts from the banquet menu. It was a brilliant way to end the tour!

The pre-con ended with the hotel GM and executive team hosting a brief pinning ceremony accompanied by refreshing smoothies served high atop the hotel's 30 story tower. Of course we eventually did go through the BEO reviews, but even that seemed less tedious in light of our insightful tour. My compliments to the Hilton Bayfront for creating an innovative approach to building customer relationships!