|
|
MidPoint is building itself to be the center of the universe for unsigned acts, so the panel discussions, workshops, mentoring sessions and other hands-on educational activities are a key component of the event. There’s not a magic formula for “making it” or furthering your musical career, but the assembled panelists at past MPMFs have given out good advice and proven helpful for those looking for assistance. They’re often pretty entertaining and humorous for the non-musician, too.
Once again, MPMF’s organizers have assembled a top-shelf cavalcade of pros from the Greater Cincinnati area and across the U.S. — check the lineup below.
Along with the panel debates and discussions, musicians can get face-to-face sit-downs with some of the industry vets during the daytime activities. Sign-ups for the “Mentor Sessions” start at 10 a.m. at the MPMF registration desk at the Contemporary Arts Center, the fest’s glorious new panel and workshop HQ. Sessions run 1-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
FRIDAY
10-11 a.m.: Music Business: Back to Basics
A lot of musicians are too cool to study the business side of things when it comes to their “art.” Those musicians will probably be in their basements when they’re old men and women, playing their boom-box demos for their grandkids and saying, “I shoulda been a contenda, but they never found me.” This roundtable will touch on many of the ins and outs of the biz, from legal advice to distribution hints to how to keep tabs on your music-related cash flow (wait, you can make money as a musician?).
This panel is good for the experienced and the newcomer alike.
Moderator: Dick Gabriel (American Federation of Musicians/Los Angeles)
Other panelists: Leon Bass (Columbus, Ohio), Jim Bosken (QCA/Cincinnati), Robert Mendelsohn (Cincinnati) and Shawn Murphy (ASCAP/ Chicago).
11 a.m.-Noon: Managing Your Career
No offense to Mustache Harry down at the corner Taco Bell/KFC comboplex, but managing a musical act is a little more difficult than managing a fast food restaurant. And most musicians would have a hard time doing either. This discussion will go over what managers are looking for in an artist and what those wanting to get into management themselves should be doing to get that sweet gig babysitting the business affairs of the world’s future Rock Stars.
Moderator: Peter Rauh (Ruffworld Music/Los Angeles)
Other panelists: M. Sean Agnew (Blue Metallic Entertainment/Chicago), Michael Creamer (Creamer Management/Boston) and Snake (McGhee Entertainment/Los Angeles).
Noon-1 p.m.: Industry Keynote Address: Alan Light
Both of this year’s keynote speakers have local roots. Alan Light grew up in Cincinnati and went on to be one of the world’s premier music writers/editors. Currently at the anti-Plastic-Pop mag Tracks, Light previously was editor of Spin and VIBE. He’s also been a senior writer at Rolling Stone, where he started working in 1989. Besides this impressive résumé, Light’s claim to fame is that he’s the only writer to have penned cover stories for the country’s three leading music mags (Rolling Stone, Spin and VIBE). Along with writing pieces for innumerable other publications, Light has interviewed everyone from Emimen, U2 and Public Enemy to Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson and Neil Young, and his work in the publishing world has earned him several awards and honors. Light has seen a lot of sides to the music industry, so his address should be insightful and entertaining. And if you have any questions about the Beastie Boys’ first album, ask away. Light is likely the only Yale graduate to do his senior thesis on the wacky Hip Hop threesome.
1-2 p.m.: Licensing Your Music for TV, Films and Beyond
Getting your song placed in movies or TV shows is proving to be an excellent way for artists to get wide exposure and make a little scratch on the side. But if you’re thinking that you’ll just go door to door to every house and cineplex in America and start blasting your tunes out of a boombox, well, you should probably be locked up — and you should definitely make it to this panel. Panelists will discuss the routes to go, the different ways to travel them and what to do when you get there, among other related topics.
Moderator: Barry Thomas (Louisville)
Other panelists: John Baldi (Concord Music/Los Angeles), Cynthia Cleves (Covington), Jamie Mandel (Nice Guy Records/Cincinnati) and Shawn Murphy (ASCAP/ Chicago).
2-3 p.m.: Fear and Booking in the Midwest and Beyond
While the MPMF panels will tackle a variety of tactics for promoting your music, gigging is still one of the most valuable ways to spread the word. But there are many avenues to go when booking your band, particularly if you’re hitting the road. You can still just get on the phone and talk to the guy at the Electric Banana three states away, but how do you make sure he doesn’t just turn the club into a karaoke bar the night of your gig because he met a hot girl who wanted to sing “I Will Survive” in front of an audience? This session will talk about setting a booking strategy, promoting your gigs, building your fan base with each show and selling merch, among other things. For the record, never play the Electric Banana. Just trust me on this one.
Moderator: Charlie Cheney (CEO of Indiebandmanager/ Jamison, Pa.)
Other panelists: Mark Hall (Assistant Executive Director of NACA/Columbia, S.C.), Jamie Mandel (Nice Guy Records/ Cincinnati), Alison Shaw (Hyperactive Music Magazine/ Albuquerque, N.M.), Snake (McGhee Entertainment/Los Angeles) and David Weissmann (Musical Earth/Columbus).
3-4 p.m.: Digital Delivery in the 21st Century
If you haven’t noticed the importance of digital distribution of music in the past few years, you probably should pay more attention. A lot more attention. Downloads, ringtones, Internet radio? Any of this ringing a bell? Well get out ye ol’ mimeograph and take notes at this panel, which will talk about many new tech aspects (copyrights, where it’s all headed, why your computer makes that “Heerrrraaaaang-ping-ping-ping-burrrrr-bring-bring” noise when you go online … wait, that’s another thing entirely). Learn the ins and outs of getting your music to the masses using the new technological advantages modern musicians have been blessed with.
Moderator: Ron Vos (Hi Frequency Marketing/New Brunswick, N.J.)
Other panelists: Dave Davis (QCA/Ultrainteractive, Cincinnati), Ben Hordel (DecentXposure, New York, N.Y.) and Bryan Jay Miller (
MidPoint is building itself to be the center of the universe for unsigned acts, so the panel discussions, workshops, mentoring sessions and other hands-on educational activities are a key component of the event. There’s not a magic formula for “making it” or furthering your musical career, but the assembled panelists at past MPMFs have given out good advice and proven helpful for those looking for assistance. They’re often pretty entertaining and humorous for the non-musician, too.
Once again, MPMF’s organizers have assembled a top-shelf cavalcade of pros from the Greater Cincinnati area and across the U.S. — check the lineup below.
Along with the panel debates and discussions, musicians can get face-to-face sit-downs with some of the industry vets during the daytime activities. Sign-ups for the “Mentor Sessions” start at 10 a.m. at the MPMF registration desk at the Contemporary Arts Center, the fest’s glorious new panel and workshop HQ. Sessions run 1-3 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
FRIDAY
10-11 a.m.: Music Business: Back to Basics
A lot of musicians are too cool to study the business side of things when it comes to their “art.” Those musicians will probably be in their basements when they’re old men and women, playing their boom-box demos for their grandkids and saying, “I shoulda been a contenda, but they never found me.” This roundtable will touch on many of the ins and outs of the biz, from legal advice to distribution hints to how to keep tabs on your music-related cash flow (wait, you can make money as a musician?).
This panel is good for the experienced and the newcomer alike.
Moderator: Dick Gabriel (American Federation of Musicians/Los Angeles)
Other panelists: Leon Bass (Columbus, Ohio), Jim Bosken (QCA/Cincinnati), Robert Mendelsohn (Cincinnati) and Shawn Murphy (ASCAP/ Chicago).
11 a.m.-Noon: Managing Your Career
No offense to Mustache Harry down at the corner Taco Bell/KFC comboplex, but managing a musical act is a little more difficult than managing a fast food restaurant. And most musicians would have a hard time doing either. This discussion will go over what managers are looking for in an artist and what those wanting to get into management themselves should be doing to get that sweet gig babysitting the business affairs of the world’s future Rock Stars.
Moderator: Peter Rauh (Ruffworld Music/Los Angeles)
Other panelists: M. Sean Agnew (Blue Metallic Entertainment/Chicago), Michael Creamer (Creamer Management/Boston) and Snake (McGhee Entertainment/Los Angeles).
Noon-1 p.m.: Industry Keynote Address: Alan Light
Both of this year’s keynote speakers have local roots. Alan Light grew up in Cincinnati and went on to be one of the world’s premier music writers/editors. Currently at the anti-Plastic-Pop mag Tracks, Light previously was editor of Spin and VIBE. He’s also been a senior writer at Rolling Stone, where he started working in 1989. Besides this impressive résumé, Light’s claim to fame is that he’s the only writer to have penned cover stories for the country’s three leading music mags (Rolling Stone, Spin and VIBE). Along with writing pieces for innumerable other publications, Light has interviewed everyone from Emimen, U2 and Public Enemy to Johnny Cash, Brian Wilson and Neil Young, and his work in the publishing world has earned him several awards and honors. Light has seen a lot of sides to the music industry, so his address should be insightful and entertaining. And if you have any questions about the Beastie Boys’ first album, ask away. Light is likely the only Yale graduate to do his senior thesis on the wacky Hip Hop threesome.
1-2 p.m.: Licensing Your Music for TV, Films and Beyond
Getting your song placed in movies or TV shows is proving to be an excellent way for artists to get wide exposure and make a little scratch on the side. But if you’re thinking that you’ll just go door to door to every house and cineplex in America and start blasting your tunes out of a boombox, well, you should probably be locked up — and you should definitely make it to this panel. Panelists will discuss the routes to go, the different ways to travel them and what to do when you get there, among other related topics.
Moderator: Barry Thomas (Louisville)
Other panelists: John Baldi (Concord Music/Los Angeles), Cynthia Cleves (Covington), Jamie Mandel (Nice Guy Records/Cincinnati) and Shawn Murphy (ASCAP/ Chicago).
2-3 p.m.: Fear and Booking in the Midwest and Beyond
While the MPMF panels will tackle a variety of tactics for promoting your music, gigging is still one of the most valuable ways to spread the word. But there are many avenues to go when booking your band, particularly if you’re hitting the road. You can still just get on the phone and talk to the guy at the Electric Banana three states away, but how do you make sure he doesn’t just turn the club into a karaoke bar the night of your gig because he met a hot girl who wanted to sing “I Will Survive” in front of an audience? This session will talk about setting a booking strategy, promoting your gigs, building your fan base with each show and selling merch, among other things. For the record, never play the Electric Banana. Just trust me on this one.
Moderator: Charlie Cheney (CEO of Indiebandmanager/ Jamison, Pa.)
Other panelists: Mark Hall (Assistant Executive Director of NACA/Columbia, S.C.), Jamie Mandel (Nice Guy Records/ Cincinnati), Alison Shaw (Hyperactive Music Magazine/ Albuquerque, N.M.), Snake (McGhee Entertainment/Los Angeles) and David Weissmann (Musical Earth/Columbus).
3-4 p.m.: Digital Delivery in the 21st Century
If you haven’t noticed the importance of digital distribution of music in the past few years, you probably should pay more attention. A lot more attention. Downloads, ringtones, Internet radio? Any of this ringing a bell? Well get out ye ol’ mimeograph and take notes at this panel, which will talk about many new tech aspects (copyrights, where it’s all headed, why your computer makes that “Heerrrraaaaang-ping-ping-ping-burrrrr-bring-bring” noise when you go online … wait, that’s another thing entirely). Learn the ins and outs of getting your music to the masses using the new technological advantages modern musicians have been blessed with.
Moderator: Ron Vos (Hi Frequency Marketing/New Brunswick, N.J.)
Other panelists: Dave Davis (QCA/Ultrainteractive, Cincinnati), Ben Hordel (DecentXposure, New York, N.Y.) and Bryan Jay Miller (woxy.com, Cincinnati)
4-5 p.m.: Artist Keynote Interview: Greg Dulli
Bob Pollard of the late, great Indie Pop band Guided By Voices recently had a “comedy” album released that contained only between-song banter. Pollard is a terribly funny frontman, but he can’t hold a candle to the wit of Greg Dulli, this year’s MPMF Artist Keynote. Dulli is an area native whose Cincy-based band The Afghan Whigs were the best group to come out of the Grunge years (and one of the best Cincy bands of all time); he currently lives in L.A. and fronts the Twilight Singers. Even more recently, he released his first solo album, Amber Headlights. With the Whigs, Dulli went from one of the biggest Indie labels in the world (SubPop) to one of the biggest majors (Elektra) to an even bigger major (Columbia) before pulling the plug on the band, so his industry experience and insight is rich, and he surely has more than a few tales to tell. Alan Light will conduct an interview with Dulli for what is sure to be a spirited and uproarious discussion. Oh, the things we could ask. What happened with Sylvia Rhone? Did you really get banned from Sudsy Malone’s for putting beer bottles in a washing machine and turning it on, or is that just urban legend? What’s Mark Lanegan really like? And Bob Pollard’s done it — when’s your comedy album coming out?
SATURDAY
11 a.m.-Noon: Promotional, Publicity and Marketing Strategies for the Independent Artist
Image is more than just fashion sense (though that pink scarf really doesn’t go with that paisley dress shirt unbuttoned down to your pubes, so take it off now). This session compares developing your image to a business creating “brand loyalty and awareness,” which can range from proper promotional tactics to “trend research” to how to control your own image and how people perceive you (Step 1: Don’t be an asshole). Ultimately, it’s about artists raising their profile and drawing more people to their music.
Moderator: Ron Vos (Hi Frequency Marketing/New Brunswick, N.J.)
Other panelists: Joe Aremenia (MTV/New York, N.Y.), Lisa Braun (Clear Channel, Cincinnati), Leah Horwitz (VHI/Los Angeles), Paki Newell (The Lippin Group/Los Angeles) and Phil Paradis (Blueline Editorial LLC/Cincinnati).
12:30-2 p.m.: Elevate to Superstardom
With American Idol, now even the most mediocre karaoke singer in the world can become a superstar. But a lot of musicians have too much integrity and taste to participate in that crapfest (or they didn’t make it past the first round of auditions). M. Sean Agnew, CEO of Chicago’s Blue Metallic Entertainment Group, will lead this interactive workshop for musicians and music biz wannabes and already-ares.
2-3 p.m.: Getting the Most Out of Your Production Budget
No, it would not be funny to put a cowbell right there. This roundtable discussion helps artists find the best producer, studio and format for their recording and also addresses ways to get the most out of their time and budget (do you really need to hire the Indian sitar player for that wicked awesome 14-second Middle Eastern intro?). These studio-pro panelists have worked with everyone from the smallest hobbyists to the biggest superstars, so come get some perspective before you put that two-song demo disc in DualDisc Surround Sound. I’ll add this nugget of wisdom: When the engineer says “We’ll fix it in the mix,” he’s really saying “I want to go home and get high, eat pizza and watch TV, and you’ll never notice it anyway.”
Moderator: Erwin Musper (Highland Heights, Ky.)
Other panelists: John Curley (Cincinnati), Ken Lewis (New York, N.Y.) and Ronnie Thomas (VisionGate Entertainment/ Nashville).
3-5 p.m.: MPMF Demo Derby
You suck. You rock. You’re almost there. Ever thought of going into real estate? These and other nuggets of wisdom might be heard at this workshop, which can be brutally honest but ultimately invaluable for musicians. Artists can get immediate feedback from people who know a lot about music (not just your Mom, who will always tell you it sounds, “Cool. Are the kids still saying that? Cool?”). The time of this session has been expanded to accommodate more victims, er, artists. Bands and performers who want to participate should drop off their disc with one selected track at registration on Saturday starting at 10 a.m. On-site therapists will not be on hand to assist the despondent, so stiff upper lip, chum.
Moderator: Jon DeLange (Tinderbox/Minneapolis)
Other panelists: Joe Armenia (MTV/New York, N.Y.), Gil Kaufman (Cincinnati), Ken Lewis (New York, N.Y.), Mike Taylor (woxy.com/Cincinnati) and Erwin Musper (Highland Heights).
This article appears in Sep 21-27, 2005.
