SESAC and CMA

The next stop includes two very important organizations for music rights and for country music in general. Welcome to the home offices of SESAC and the Country Music Association! This building sits on the former site of the original Cedarwood Publishing building—an important independent publishing company.

In 1931, Paul Heinecke established the Society of European Stage Authors and Composers, known today as SESAC. Obviously they expanded beyond Europe and now include artists from all over the world and represent all genres. SESAC started in New York, but in 1964 they expanded to Nashville, and in 1985, Nashville became the home of its world headquarters. 

In 2015, their original office building on 66 Music Square West was torn down and SESAC moved here. Today, SESAC operates as a performing rights organization and represents 30,000 affiliated songwriters, composers, and music publishers. They also support music in television and film. 

Some of the most famous members of SESAC include Bob Dylan, The Avett Brothers, Neil Diamond, Adele, Mariah Carey, and Mumford & Sons. The TV shows they represent include Grey’s Anatomy, Dateline NBC, and Dr. Phil. Their song repository contains over one million songs. Now that’s a lot of songs! 

This building is also the home office of the Country Music Association, better known as CMA. Founded in 1958, the organization was first headed by Wesley Rose, president of Acuff-Rose Publishing. In 1967, the first CMA Awards ceremony was held, and the female vocalist of the year award went to none other than Loretta Lynn. The annual CMA Awards remains a major media and music event televised live each year from Nashville.

You won’t have to go far to get to the next stop. Just turn around! On your phone, click “Next Stop,” then click “Arrived,” and begin the narration for Decca Records and Columbia Records.