During Gospel Music Association (GMA) week in Nashville April 1-5, the Urban Music Connection series will present “Public Relations Essentials,” lead by Gwendolyn Quinn, founder and president of New York City-based GQ Media & Public Relations, Inc. and the founder and editorial director of the African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC) and the Global Communicator (formerly The AAPRC Monthly). Quinn will moderate the “Public Relations Essentials” PR workshop at this year’s Urban Music Connection series on Monday, April 3.

Quinn has compiled an impressive list of public relations professionals who specialize in gospel music publicity and other faith-based and secular music projects to participate as workshop panelists. They include veteran publicist A. Jalila Larsuel, founder of JL Media Relations, Inc. and Special Events in Los Angeles, whose client list has included Andrae and Sandra Crouch, The Winans, Yolanda Adams, Kurt Carr, and the Stellar Awards; Sean Pennington, CEO and Founder of the New York/New Jersey-based Flipside eNTERTAINMENT Agency representing Hezekiah Walker, Byron Cage, Kim Burrell, Martha Munizzi, and BET’s “Lift Every Voice” host Gerard Henry; Teresa Lyles Holmes, founder and president of TLH Communications, a boutique-sized public relations firm whose client list includes the non-profit organization The Balm In Gilead as well as American Legacy, the premier magazine for African-American history and culture; and rounding out the panel is 12-year PR vet Jojo Pada, newly-named Vice President of Publicity at Artemis Gospel – home to artists including Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bishop Paul S. Morton, RiZen and others. “There are several accomplished African-American PR professionals specializing in gospel music and/or working with various faith-based organizations and as the founder of the AAPRC, I am in contact with many of them on a regular basis,” states the PR veteran whose clients include Aretha Franklin, Kirk Franklin, Smokie Norful and Micah Stampley. “Therefore, the selection process was difficult. We have included some of the best and brightest PR stars in the industry,”

Urban Music Connection will be held for two days during GMA Music Week (April 1-5), GMA’s annual gathering of more than 3,000 artists, musicians, songwriters, executives, media and others working or involved in the gospel music industry. The Urban Music Connection will be held on Monday and Tuesday of GMA Music Week and registration to the Urban Music Connection is available separately from the GMA Music Week convention. Specific details can be found at www.gospelmusic.org.

With Black gospel music sales growing to represent more than 20 percent of all gospel music sales and urban music continuing to lead the Billboard charts, the Gospel Music Association has responded with the Urban Music Connection at GMA Music Week 2006, designed specifically for artists and professionals working in or interested in the popular style of music.

Additional highlights planned for the Urban Music Connection include an overview of the “World of Urban Christian Music,” presented by Max Siegel, president of Zomba Gospel along with other industry professionals; “Producer’s Perspective – Producer To Producer!” featuring Embassy Entertainment’s Louis Brown and Pinnacle Entertainment’s Marc Harris; and “Keepin’ It Real for the Kingdom” a follow-up to a popular roundtable event held at last year’s GMA Music Week. This year’s roundtable will look at mainstream hip hop music and Christian hip hop music from the artist’s perspective and will be hosted by TABA Music Media and Christopher Martin, producer of Amen Films and professionally known as "Play" of Kid 'n Play. At a Monday night showcase concert, Integrity Gospel, EMI Gospel, Zomba, Embassy Entertainment and Word Records will present five hours of the best in urban Christian music.

The 37th Annual GMA Music Awards will serve as the culmination of GMA Music Week 2006 on Wednesday, April 5 at the Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville. Hosted this year by Kirk Franklin and Rebecca St. James, this event is gospel music’s biggest night, as nominated artists and industry professionals are honored with gospel music’s highest honor, the Dove Award. Information about tickets can be found at www.gmamusicawards.com.

Founded in 1964, the 4,500-member Gospel Music Association (www.gospelmusic.org) is dedicated to exposing, promoting and celebrating the gospel through music. The GMA represents all styles of gospel music including contemporary pop, rock, urban gospel, praise & worship, Southern gospel, country and children’s gospel music. The GMA produces the GMA Music AwardsTM, which recognizes achievement in all genres of gospel music and are voted on by members of the GMA.


About Gwendolyn Quinn
In 2002, Gwendolyn Quinn founded GQ Media & Public Relations, Inc. a New York-based, full-service publicity firm whose client roster includes Aretha Franklin, Kirk Franklin, Smokie Norful, Micah Stampley and various other entertainment related and cultural arts projects. Quinn is also the founder of the African-American Public Relations Collective (AAPRC), a national organization of 700+ African-American public relations and communications professionals. She is the publisher and editorial director of the collective’s monthly e-publication, Global Communicator (formerly The AAPRC Monthly).

Quinn’s career encompasses stints as vice president of publicity at Capitol Records, senior director of publicity at Arista Records (during legendary executive Clive Davis’ tenure) and senior director of publicity at Island Records -- then headed by Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Chris Blackwell. She has also held positions at Mercury Records, Flavor Unit Entertainment and ASCAP. Her work has paired her with some of the industry’s brightest stars, including Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Queen Latifah, Sean "P. Diddy" Combs, the Isley Brothers, Monica, Deborah Cox, CeCe Winans, Lisa Stansfield, Faith Evans, Zhane and Brian McKnight among others. Quinn is also the founder and creative director of the Songwriting Series, which is produced by A Queen Production, her multi-media production unit founded in 2002.


About A. Jalila Larsuel
In the field of entertainment and corporate public relations, few publicists have the depth and experience of A. Jalila Larsuel. A veteran of several major record companies and now a major player with her own successful publicity and special events firm, JL Media Relations, Inc. and Special Projects. Larsuel has worked a variety of music genres. Some of the past and present entertainers and corporations are Janet Jackson; Michael Jackson; Tina Turner; MC Hammer; Kenny G; Andrae and Sandra Crouch; The Winans; BeBe and CeCe Winans; Kirk Franklin; Yolanda Adams; Kurt Carr; Michael Bolton; Harry Connick; Stellar Awards; Essence Awards; American Music Awards; Coca Cola; Atlantic Richfield to name a few.


About Sean Pennington
Sean Pennington is the CEO and Founder of the New York/New Jersey based Flipside eNTERTAINMENT Agency - a full service public relations, publicity, artist management and lifestyle marketing agency. Pennington established Flipside eNTERTAINMENT over six years ago. Since that time, he has sought to propel gospel artists to heights equivalent to their secular counterparts. The Flipside eNTERTAINMENT Agency has created a highly specialized niche in the industry, proudly counting gospel greats such as Hezekiah Walker, Byron Cage, Kim Burrell, Martha Munizzi, Natalie Wilson, Lashun Pace, Anointed, Dave Holister, William Murphy, Donald Lawrence, Ted and Sheri, The Godsons, Israel and New Breed and BET’s “Lift Every Voice” host Gerard Henry among its roster.


About Teresa Lyles Holmes
Teresa Lyles Holmes is founder and president of TLH Communications, a boutique-sized public relations firm that works with clients seeking to improve the lifestyles of individuals, specifically African-Americans. Her clients include The Balm In Gilead, an international non-profit organization that builds the capacity of faith communities to address life-threatening diseases, especially HIV/AIDS and American Legacy, the premier magazine for African-American history and culture. Holmes launched her business in 1998 with Black Entertainment Television as her first client. Prior to starting her own business, Holmes worked with some of the nation’s top PR firms including Cohn & Wolfe, Ketchum and The Terrie Williams Agency. Holmes resides in Westchester County, New York with her husband and three teenage daughters.


About Jojo Pada
Newly-named Vice President of Publicity at Artemis Gospel, Jojo Pada lends over 12 years of public relations experience to the emergent Gospel label, which is home to artists Pastor Shirley Caesar, Bishop Paul S. Morton, RiZen, Youthful Praise, Judith Christie McAllister and others. She will oversee and develop all functions of the press department. Most recently Pada spent the last six years at Zomba Gospel, which included Verity and GospoCentric Records where she managed the press campaigns for chart-topping artists Donnie McClurkin, Fred Hammond, Hezekiah Walker, Tonex, Virtue and John P. Kee among others. Pada graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Public Relations where she went on to work for the prestigious Terrie Williams Agency and subsequently running celebrity events and press for the Motown Cafe New York. She is currently based in New York City.