About Debbie Zavitson
General Manager, Z Entertainment
Debbie Zavitson is a veteran in the music industry. The experience she brings from performing with her own band internationally, to an executive in A&R at Sony and Giant Records. She has now created her own publishing and management company Debbie Z Entertainment. As of 2017, in addition to her songwriters, Debbie is representing Curb Publishing, Doug Johnson, Canadian artists Tara Shannon and Hayley McLean (Texada). She’s also managing new up and coming band Steel Union. Featuring Josh Matheny (popular dobro session player and writer at Curb Publishing. Donny Fallgatter (previously with KingBilly), and Rachel Potter. An award winning Broadway star from musicals like Wicked, The Addams Family and Evita opposite Ricky Martin.
Debbie has always been one to strive for excellence in the pursuit of talent, and is responsible for signing multi-platinum recording artist Blake Shelton, as well as managing the integral first years of his career. She also discovered record breaking duo The Kinleys, who had the highest charting debut single by a duo or group in R&R history with their song “Please”. In the publishing realm, Debbie has worked with an array of hit songwriters, and has secured song placements on major recording artists such as Reba McEntire, Rodney Atkins, Chris Young, Brooks & Dunn, to name a few. Through her relationship with the West Coast Songwriter Conference, she met Los Angeles-based award winning songwriter Jay Lazaroff, who she began managing and connecting to the Nashville music scene.
She also acts as the vice president of publishing in the Nashville Division of Canadian music company Willow Sound Records, where she connects Canadian songwriters with the Nashville music community.
In Debbie’s own words, “Songwriters are the lifeblood of the music industry. They’re precious in a world that needs so much love and connection right now. A song is one of the only things that can connect people from all walks of life. We need to take care of our songwriters. In a world of sharing music, and not being paid a fair price for their work, they could become a dying breed.” That’s what Debbie tries to do every day.
EVENT SOLD OUT! STAY TUNED FOR THE NEXT POP EVENT.
About the Publisher Online Pitch Event
Have you ever thought: “Wow I think I have a really good song. If only I could get a legitimate publisher to listen?”
Through GSC’s affordable Publisher Online Pitch service you can have your song or songs heard by a reputable publisher from wherever in the world you live and without the expensive cost of travel.
One of the most important elements of this service is that you will be connecting with a publisher, creating a relationship with this publisher and learning the pitching process professional songwriters utilize every day.
Here are the details!
- This online music event is open to members of Global Songwriters Connection
- Members can take advantage of the “Listen Only” option for only $20 before pitching a song.
- This event is limited to 30 song pitches.
- Once you purchase the POP event you will receive a confirmation that will contain your step by step instructions for logging into the webcast.
- If you purchase a song pitch, you will need to email your song in mp3 format along with your photo (jpg format only) and lyric (Microsoft Word format only) to [email protected] by 11am the day before the event. (Please list your name and where you are from on the top of your lyric. GSC wants the publisher to connect with you.)
- Guitar vocals and keyboard vocals are acceptable. You do not have to have a full song demo for this event.
- The publisher will only listen to the first verse and the chorus of your song.
- The publisher may or may not comment on your song. This event is not intended as a publisher evaluation service; although in most cases, the publisher will offer constructive advice.
- This is a real music publisher online pitch opportunity. The publisher will either PASS on your song OR he may choose to keep your song for further consideration.
- You are encouraged to stay involved in the webinar while all songs are listened to and here is why:
- Out of respect for the other participants.
- Should the music publisher choose to comment on a song, you will learn from what he has to say.
- If a publisher takes a song, you will want to connect with that songwriter and possibly co-write with that writer.
At GSC we always want you to know the real journey of a song from the pen to the publisher. With that in mind we want you to be aware of these facts.
1. Paying to Pitch a Song: GSC wants you to know that professional songwriters do not pay to have their songs heard by a publisher. Professional songwriters have worked years at developing their songwriting craft and earning the respect of the publishing community which earns them the opportunity to have their songs heard.
2. The Demo: GSC wants you to know…If you had a publishing deal and was a staff writer for the featured publisher, this publisher would hear your songs every day in their most simple form of a guitar vocal or keyboard vocal. If you were pitching your songs to a producer, artist, manager etc then you will need fully produced and well produced demo’s for these types of pitches.
3. The Listening Process: GSC wants you to know…Often, when a publisher is listening for songs for a project or artist, they can usually tell if it is a song they would be interested in for that project in less than 30 seconds. Through the POP event the publisher will be listening through the first verse and chorus in its entirety. However, in the future should you pitch a song to a publisher in their office and they turn your song off after only the first half of the first verse, we want you to know that is a normal part of the process.
4. Pitch Ready Songs: The reality is that some of your songs may not be ready for pitching to a publisher. However, there is much to be learned through the pitching process.
5. The Follow Up: If the publisher should take your song for consideration, we will be excited with you and it does happen! Below is the GSC recommended follow up process. Correct follow up is essential for success.
a. If your song is taken by the publisher you will be provided with the publishers contact email address for follow up.
b. If you do not hear from the publisher within 5 to 7 business days of them taking your song. We recommend you email the publisher, thank them for participating in the GSC POP program, thank them for their interest in your song and list the TITLE of the song as a reminder and ask if they should need anything further.
c. If you do not hear from the publisher within three weeks, make a phone call to the publisher office. You will most likely be leaving a message. If so, just leave your name, contact number and that you are following up on your song and list the title.
d. If the publisher does not return your call, do not call again. Simply send a physical thank you card, thanking them for their interest, recognizing that they are a busy industry professional and that you hope to have the opportunity to play them more songs in the future.
At GSC we know it would be disappointing to have your song taken by a publisher and then not hear from them. Unfortunately, this process is part of the song pitching process. Thoughtful and professional follow up is essential to success and is appreciated by busy, overworked publishers. They won’t forget your professionalism. Sometimes you may not hear from the publisher who took your song for months and then out of the blue, when they are ready and working on the project, you get the call. Many times I have kept a member’s song for over a year and then gave them a call for the just right opportunity. Songs will often be pitched over and over again for years before they land on just the right project.
