ASCAP EXPO kick-off: St. Vincent, Jermaine Dupri, Jason Mraz + more

* Festivities kicked off with opening remarks from ASCAP President (and Songwriters Hall of Fame member) Paul Williams and the Billboard-sponsored "We Create Music" panel, an event that has become a staple of EXPO’s opening day over the years. Multi-platinum recording artist Jason Mraz, ASCAP Latin Songwriter of the Year Claudia Brant, noted film composer Junkie XL (Mad Max: Fury Road, Deadpool, Batman v. Superman) and ASCAP Christian Music Songwriter of the Year /chart-topping songwriter David Garcia came together to discuss first breaks, overcoming self-doubt, the art of songwriting and so much more.

* Indie icon St. Vincent and 19-year-old Mark Ronson-signee King Princess joined forces for a conversation between two of today's most riveting musicians. The pair exchanged vivid stories from their songwriting pasts: their earliest musical memories, finding their identities as artists and penning their first breakthroughs.

* Jermaine Dupri walked EXPO attendees through his storied career, including 20 #1 hits on the Billboard charts and his iconic work with Usher (the Diamond-certified Confessions), Mariah Carey ("We Belong Together," Billboard's highest-charting single of the 2000s), Jay-Z and Beyonce.

* A team of Nashville power players from William Morris, Warner/Chappell, Red Light Management and Spotify tackled "Making It In Music City" in a conversation with #1 songwriter Adam Sanders, whose decade-long rise was also used as a case study by the group. Among other insights, Sanders and team discussed how playing a 2:30PM show on a Tuesday and befriending a pre-fame merch salesman named Cole Swindell changed his life forever.

Here's a link to photos throughout the day, including St. Vincent, Jermaine Dupri, Jason Mraz, Paul Williams and hit songwriter Priscilla Renea (Rihanna, Kesha, Carrie Underwood): https://drive.google.com/drive/u/0/folders/1urO5067KvFZsxafR-wDb-XuCDLTPW0Tr