ICONIC April 2016 | Page 18

JACKIE PATILLO PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, GOSPEL MUSIC ASSOCIATION ment. We have them all right here in Nashville. We’re able to get the presidents of these record companies as well as the marketing department. We speak on everything from vocal coaching to social media and merchandising. This is a great opportunity for anyone who wants to go on the road and have a successful ... just want to birth a music ministry. We will equip you at Immerse. Seneca: Okay, all right. Now, I’ve got this one question then. If I was an indie artist and I want my music to be submitted for the Dove Awards, what is the process I need to have in place so that I could accept or have my project considered? Jackie: Well, there’s a couple of ways that that happens when we’re talking about the Dove Awards. The Dove Awards is really a stage for those who are on the very front lines impacting our culture today. You’d see the Kirk Franklins and the Toby Macs on the Dove Awards, whereas Immerse is really more of a place for our emerging and independent artists. Seneca: I know that he has Immerse coming up this year. What are we to expect from this Immerse project? Jackie: Well, here at the Gospel Music Association we are responsible for all styles of gospel music, CCM, gospel, southern gospel. We cover all genres, hip hop as well as ... We’re multigenerational. We work from a past/present/ future concept in that the Gospel Music Association is not only over our Gospel Music Archives, we also index more people into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame every year, which this year we’ll be doing it on the 10th here in Nashville. We’ll be inducting Hezekiah Walker, which I’m very excited about. $149 RIGHT NOW THROUGH MARCH THE 31ST 18 PAGE | ICONIC MAGAZINE