INDUSTRY INSTRUCTORS SO FAR:
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Bobby Borg (Music Business consultant, author)
Randy Young (Cherry Suede)
Annette Conlon (NetteRadio.com)
Elisabeth Howard (Vocal Coach for Sting)
Bill Pere (CT Songwriters Assoc.)
Kay Pere (Vocal Instructor)
Steven Memel (Vocal Instructor)
Jan Linder Koda (Artist Development Producer)
Bernard Baur (Musicians Institute)
Jimi Yamagishi (Songnet)
Mandi Martin (Producer)
Laurie Anderson (SoundExchange)
Craig Harris (Drum Instructor)
Tommy Byrnes (Sovereignty Music)
Anthony Lawrence (Rockhouse Method)
Antoine Carter (Project Manager- Pro Music Records)
Emiko E. Carlin (President, The 6412 Ltd.)
Chip Schutzman (Miles High Productions)
Loren Weisman (Music Producer – Author – Speaker)
Noel Ramos (Artist, Advocate, IMC Director)
Billy Zero (Chemistry Management)
Matthew Moran (Songwriter, Technology Consultant, Author)
Vladimir Vukicevic (CTO & Co-Founder, Rockethub.com)
Steve Scott (Coalition of Songwriter & Music Organizations)
Judy Lamppu (Coalition of Songwriter & Music Organizations)
Toni Koch (Pitch-A-Song / CosmoCoalition.org)
Joe Solo (Producer / Songwriter / Composer)
Sindee Levin (Entertainment Attorney)
Jay Warsinske (Founder & CEO, Indiepower.com)
Susan Rabin ( Law Offices of Susan Rabin)
PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP: The Science of Switching On :: Steven Memel will teach this incredibly effective and intense 2 hour workshop integrating vocal technique and performance skills. Bring your onstage performance to a whole new level. Not just for singers! Any performer can benefit by watching and/or participating in Steven’s workshop.
PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP: How To Be Unforgettable :: Stephen Scott and other performance experts will teach this workshop on improving your live performances, better interacting with an audience and creating a memorable live show.
PERFORMANCE WORKSHOP: Once More With Feeling :: In this 2-hour workshop, Jan Linder-Koda will teach performers how to use powerful acting techniques to tap into the deep emotional feelings needed to be a great storyteller. Jan will demonstrate with several artists; if you would like to participate, please bring instruments, tracks and lyric sheets. You need not be a performer to benefit from this experience. Jan Linder-Koda is a Grammy nominated singer/songwriter who has worked with 20 Grammy winners.
WORKSHOP: Your Music: Pitch, Pass or Place? What was the Question? – Toni Koch leads an intensive interactive workshop on how to promote, market and distribute yourself, creatively introduce your music to placement pros and be an “unforgettable” artist, songwriter or performer. With nearly 30 years of music business experience as well as being one of the first indie artist music journalists, record store manager and club promoter in the 80s, Toni will share “Tips for Managing a Motivated Marketing Team,” which offers songwriters reasons for and against being your own manager, producer or business agent. Through Pitch-A-Song, the Coalition of Songwriter & Music Organizations (COSMO) has succeeded where many other larger “pitch sessions” have not in getting the music directly in the hands of people ready to clear it immediately if it fits. Steve Scott, (Pres.) and Judy Lamppu, (VP) of COSMO, will join Toni to share decades of expertise on why some songs are selected and others are not. What is “broadcast quality” and is “my demo good enough?” Attendees can bring a song on CD or play acoustically for us to hear and give quick “pitch, pass or place” comments. This workshop includes a hand-out featuring our faculty of Pitch-A-Song Industry Reps you can contact if your music is viable for “pitching” and has clearance. Throughout the workshop, attendees will become more confident, be inspired as well as challenged and encouraged to pursue their dreams.
WORKSHOP: Independent Music 101 :: Attorney Sindee Levin will teach this important workshop on business formation, contracts, copyright and other business basics.
WORKSHOP: Independent Music Business Plan :: Stephen Scott will teach a must-attend workshop on putting together a business plan for your independent music business. Stephen will explain why a business plan is important, what subjects should be covered and in what order. He will address some of the common trouble spots and offer solutions. A well crafted business plan covers subjects such as marketing and financial structure. Stephen will also address aspects of creating a marketing plan, and we the basic structure and information called for in the financing section of the plan. This workshop includes a hand-out featuring a course summary and notes section.
WORKSHOP: The Psychology of Producing Hit Songs :: Producer/Songwriter Joe Solo (Macy Gray, Fergie) will discuss the role that production and presentation play in the perception of a song. He will emphasize the human aspects of music production, illustrated with before & after examples. Audience members are encouraged to bring their material for an on-the-spot critique.
WORKSHOP: Don’t Waste Your Time: The Ugly Truth About Social Media :: Matthew Moran
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare, LinkedIn, and whatever the site of the week is… You are being told you NEED to engage with fans on Social Media but given the options and limited time, where should you be putting your efforts. Also, what tools make a real difference in extending your brand and reaching new listeners. The workshop provides a tangible, no-nonsense, hype-removed approach to the tools available for engaging on social media and beyond. Provided by a working songwriter and from an artist-to-artist perspective, you will learn: A doable 7 Step-Roadmap for Online Presence, 5 Technologies you cannot do without, How to minimize time but maximize effectiveness of online engagement.
PANEL: Producers Panel :: Jan Linder Koda (Moderator), Mandi Martin, Joe Solo, Others TBA (Please contact me to be included on this or any Panel)
Now that there are no big record deals, how do you get your music produced?
PANEL: Priorities – Art vs. Commerce :: Noel Ramos (Moderator), Kay Pere, Joe Solo, Steven Memel, Others TBA
Should an artist just make art? Why is it important for a musician to hone their business skills? Just how valuable are leadership skills, managerial skills, accounting knowledge, time management etc.? This Panel will discuss these topics as well as ideas and solutions for maintaining a more well-rounded view of your entrepreneurial efforts.
PANEL: Indie Artist Development = Bigfoot? :: Jan Linder Koda (Moderator), Mandi Martin, Matthew Moran, Joe Solo, Ritch Esra, Bernard Baur, Toni Koch – Does the concept even exist? Is there any real artist development in the new independent music market and if so, what form is it taking? Who is offering it, and how are they succeeding? What should an artist look for, and look out for in this very uncertain area? This Panel will address these questions and more.
PANEL: Crowdfunding :: Vlad Vukicevic of Rockethub.com will lead a Panel Discussion on the fast-growing revenue source being used successfully by many thousands of indies. Crowdfunding may well become a large part of the independent music business model.
PANEL: Myth or Truth – Are Musicians Really Bad Businesspeople? :: Noel Ramos (Moderator), Matthew Moran, Joe Solo, Others TBA – Perhaps surprisingly, many industry members still labor under the misconception that the more talented an artist is, the less capable they are as a business person. This Panel consists of a group of industry people who think it’s time to do away with this myth once and for all. Both sides of the issue will be examined and discussed, with a focus on the harm that is created when a stereotype such as this becomes so prevalent.
PANEL: Beware Business Bureau :: Noel Ramos (Moderator), Bill Pere, Others TBA We have all heard too many horror stories about rip-offs and scams in the music business. This Panel will discuss concerns and solutions, as well as techniques you can use to try to minimize your chances of getting stung.
PANEL: Energy Bonding :: Noel Ramos (Moderator), Toni Koch, Matthew Moran, Steven Memel, Annette Conlon – A Panel Discussion about the relationship between the audience and the artists. Bands get hired to bring the party, no matter how many people are in the room. But what if you’re the type of performer who needs a crowd to get you going? Is it a case of chicken or the egg? How do you put on the same high energy show consistently, whether there’s 5 people or 500?
PANEL: Do Promoters Really Promote? :: Noel Ramos (Moderator), Toni Koch, Matthew Moran, Annette Conlon, Others TBA – A Panel Discussion about bookers who don’t promote the shows they present. How can you draw more fans to your gigs if you’ve tried everything you can think of? Instead of thinking “outside the box,” realize there is no box! In this panel, artists and industry will brainstorm ideas and solutions to the ever-more-difficult task of promotion.
MENTOR SESSIONS: Bill Pere, Kay Pere, Toni Koch, Jan Linder Koda, Bernard Baur, Matthew Moran, Steven Memel, Joe Solo, Mandi Martin, Others TBA
Mentors will sit with an artist or a band for 20 minutes and give you their undivided attention. Let them hear a bit of your music, ask them specific questions or seek detailed advice about something they may have brought up during a panel… Mentoring is a HIGHLY EFFECTIVE usage of your time at IMC so take full advantage of your chance to sit one-on-one with our industry instructors.
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