Angel Donors
The individuals and organizations listed below have made a significant impact on our year-long scholarship program. We are deeply grateful for your time, generosity, and support. The John Cirillo Songwriting Scholarship would not be possible without you. Thank you!
Steve Bloch
Steve Bloch transitioned from running his successful LA talent agency, Entertainment Associates, to founding Southern Cow Music in 1991, moving to Nashville in 1993. His publishing company secured cuts with artists like Faith Hill, Dierks Bentley, and Kenny Chesney. In the late '90s, he worked in independent A&R for Giant Records, generating hits for Clay Walker and Blake Shelton. In 2003, he co-founded Writer Zone Music, offering equity to successful songwriters. Steve later consulted for Demolition Music Publishing (2013-2020) and now assists Doug Johnson at Black River Entertainment and Dolly Parton’s producer, Kent Wells. He also publishes songwriter Scott Sean White. Steve is active in songwriters' communities and hosts events like "Lucky 13" Speed Pitch in Nashville. He has been an integral asset to the John Cirillo Songwriting Scholarship as a mentor and resource.
Denny Martin
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Robin Ruddy
Grammy-winner Robin Ruddy has built a thriving career in Nashville as a musician and entrepreneur, working as a songwriter, touring musician, session musician, recording studio owner and music publisher. A sought-after multi-instrumentalist, Robin has toured with Rod Stewart, Shania Twain, Ray Stevens and many others. She owns and operates The Parlor, a recording studio located in the heart of Music Row, which has been an integral part of the Nashille recording community since 2000. Robin’s new album, Healing Happens, was released in the spring of 2023.
Sheree Spoltore
Global Songwriters Connection (GSC) is an association for singer/songwriters that was founded in 2013 by music industry professional, career coach, mentor, motivational speaker and teacher, Sheree’ Spoltore’. Sheree’ is passionate about encouraging, equipping, and empowering songwriters around the world to be their personal best. Sheree’s songs have been cut by numerous independent artists and featured in film, television, and commercials. Sheree’s love of music led her to Music Row where she gained extensive experience working in various industry roles, including as a song plugger, a staff writer, and several management roles.
Instruments for Education
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Sarah Spencer
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Washington Street Publishing
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SongU
SongU.com provides a unique online opportunity to study songwriting with award-winning songwriters from Nashville, New York, and Los Angeles while making direct industry connections, co-writing, showcasing, and pitching songs—all from the comfort of home. Our friend and colleague John Cirillo was a respected and admired member of SongU from 2018 until his passing in 2022. His songwriting talents earned him grand prize and category wins in several international song contests, which awarded him two free years of membership at SongU between 2020 to 2022. During that time, he had over 60 separate songs pitched by SongU.com’s guest music publishers, sync agents, and song pluggers, several of whom continue to pitch his work today.
Alyssa Trahan
Alyssa Trahan’s music production journey began after a negative studio experience, leading her to teach herself how to produce music. By her teens, she was creating studio-quality tracks. After moving to Nashville in 2016, she signed a publishing deal and continued to thrive as an artist, songwriter, and producer. Known for her polished production across multiple genres, Alyssa has written and produced over 20 commercially released songs and earned placements on platforms like The Jimmy Kimmel Show, CMT, The Young and the Restless, and many independent films.
