About Us

CQK Music Group grew out of the prolific songwriting career of its president, Mary Dawson. A lifelong songwriter herself, Mary became professionally involved in the music industry in 1983. Originally established in 1987, to serve as a small publishing vehicle for her own songs, CQK Music grew with the enlargement of Mary’s catalog. Gradually, songs by other writers were added on a song-by-song basis which has resulted in a catalog of original songs that now contains hundreds of titles in a panorama of styles and genres.

CQK Music Group now has three music publishing companies: CQK Music (ASCAP), I-Think-I-Can Music (BMI) and Dawson-Marshall Music (SESAC). Our publishing companies seek to be ‘ahead of the curve’ in recognizing new trends and serving new markets in the music industry by providing quality songs for local, regional and national artists in the Pop, Country, R&B, and Gospel genres. CQK writers are also committed to providing songs on demand to serve individuals and groups with original material to suit their unique needs.

CQK recognizes that the role of a music publisher is not only to provide songs for artists, but also to mentor and develop aspiring songwriters. We do this through a wide spectrum of free and low-cost resources: 

• I Write the Songs Radio Show 
• Professional Song Critiquing Services
• Career Consultations
• Songwriting Seminars

Our resources for aspiring artists and songwriters are helping to ‘level the playing field’ and allow new talent to compete in the music industry based upon excellence and craftsmanship rather than location of residence. Our radio talk show, I Write the Songs, has been especially created to inspire and instruct aspiring songwriters and also to inform the general public about the important, but often overlooked, role of the songwriter in the creation of the songs they love. 

From its inception to the present, CQK Music Group has demonstrated a continuing commitment to stimulate the creation of high-quality songs and recordings that provide musical support for the journey of life.