The New Music Seminar kicks off next weekend (June 8-10) at The New Yorker Hotel in New York City. It consists of more than 160 music industry leaders participating in panel discussions about creating a more efficient and sustainable music business as a whole for the future.
We talked to our friends over at New Music Seminar to see which panels they are most excited for this year.
Below is a list of the ones you Must-See along with NMS’s descriptions. Be sure to reserve your tickets now!
1. Desmond Child's "The Art and Business of Songwriting”
When: Sunday, June 8
Conductor: Desmond Child
Description: This panel is a songwriting workshop for artists to learn directly from a professional, legendary songwriter. The program will start with a song and the story behind it. Some rags to riches tales; song architecture techniques and songwriting business advice. Watch the great Desmond Child weave through a few musical pieces and wrap it all up with a song.
2. “A&R Movement: Where is Music Headed?”
When: Tuesday, June 10
Players: Talya Elitzer (Director of A&R, Capitol Records), Alyssa Castiglia (A&R Representative, Island Records), Brandon Davis (A&R Manager, Atlantic Records), Jon Coombs (General Manager, Secretly Canadian Publishing), Jenna Rubenstein (Creative, Insieme Music Publishing, Glassnote Entertainment), Austin Rice (A&R, Columbia Records), Jessica Strassman (A&R Representative, Startime International), Patch Culbertson (A&R Manager, Republic Records), Dylan Chenfeld (A&R, Razor & Tie)
Description: In this panel, the young guns of A&R chart the future of music. This panel will also review the Top 3 Artists from the NMS “Artist on the Verge Project,” where the winner will win marketing, promotion, musical equipment and services valued around $100,000.
3. Music Xray Presents: "A&R Live - Music Critique and Sound Selector Sessions"
When: Monday/Tuesday, June 9-10
Conductor: Mike McCready (Co-Founder and CEO, Music Xray)
Players: Talya Elitzer (Director of A&R, Capitol Records), Jenna Rubenstein (Creative, Insieme Music Publishing, Glassnote Entertainment), Alyssa Castiglia (A&R Representative, Island Records) Stephanie Karten (A&R, Robbins Entertainment), Chloe Weise (A&R, RCA Records)
Description: Get your music critiqued by A&R executives from the big labels right there in front of your peers. See NMS website for information on how to potentially have your music heard.
4. Nile Rogers and Craig Kailman’s “The Producers Movement”
When: Monday, June 9
Conductors: Craig Kallman (Chairman & CEO, Atlantic Records) & Nile Rodgers
Players: Howard Benson (Producer, AAM), Andy Kipnes (CEO/Founder, AAM), Mike Caren (President, Worldwide A&R, Warner Music Group), Luke Laird (Songwriter, Creative Nation), Peter Asher (President, Peter Asher Management)
Description: Producers have been the critical link to help artists connect to potential audiences. Now they are more relevant than ever as most are also involved with songwriting and some go on to become artists (see Bruno Mars and Pharrell Williams). We will discuss the state-of-the-art of music production from artist psychologist to sound technologist to music consumer telepathist.
5. "Hip Hop Resurrection"
When: Monday, June 9
Conductor: Al Branch (General Manager, The Blueprint Group)
Players: Jonny Shipes (CEO, Cinematic Music Group), Rob Reef Tewlow (Music Director at Shade 45, Sirius XM), Peter Schwartz (Vice President and Head of Urban Music, The Agency Group), B-Dot (Content Director, Rap Radar)
Description: This panel discusses the reinvention of hip-hop that's currently underway and how and why it's happening now. After six years of decline, hip hop is reinventing itself. What happened and how can hip-hop turn it around? If you look at hip hop as an industry in recession, what will it take to bring back prosperity and make it sustainable?
6. “Subscription Music: The Music Business's Bright Future”
When: Monday, June 9
Conductor: Ralph Simon (CEO and Founder, Mobilium Global)
Players: Mark Piibe (EVP, Global Business Development & Digital Strategy, Sony Music), Stephen Bryan (EVP, Digital Strategy and Business Development, Warner Music Group), Paul Springer (Senior Vice President, Rhapsody), Tamara Hrivnak (Director, Partnerships, Google Play Music), Julien Simon (VP Music Rights and US Operations, Deezer), Steve Blatter (SVP/General Manager, Music Programming and Digital Music, Sirius XM)
Description: The leaders of the exploding music subscription sector explain why music subscription will drive exposure and revenues for artists and their investors in a way that records never could. How can the music industry get behind the subscription wave and accelerate the consumer adoption of subscription music?
7. "Music Video Mandatory”
When: Tuesday, June 10
Conductor: Steve Gottlieb (Video Commissioner/ Bossman, Downtown/Video Static)
Players: Phil Botti (SVP Music Video and Content Production, Atlantic Records), DJay Brawner (Executive Producer/Director, Anthem Films), Jill Kaplan (Producer, Video + Content Production, Columbia Records), Jim Roppo (EVP of Marketing, Republic Records), Doug McVehil (Senior Vice President of Content and Programming, VEVO), Zachary Mortensen (Executive Producer, Ghost Robot)
Description: Videos are no longer an option, as YouTube has become both a revenue generator and a worldwide music exposure medium. Making a powerful music video has never been more important, not just for the hit single, but, perhaps, for every single. These video experts discuss the concept and the execution: How to make great videos quickly and inexpensively.
How can labels/managers/artists build video into the process of making each song? Are labels ready to make thrice as many videos per artist per year than they ever did before? Who will make these videos? Mastering the $5,000 viral video is the goal, how do we achieve it?
8. "Dance Music: It's Not Just a Disco Bubble"
When: Tuesday, June 10
Conductor: Glenn Mendlinger (Astralwerks)
Players: Patrick Moxey (President, Ultra Music), Geronimo (Senior Director of Programming, Sirius XM), Prem Akkaraju (Chief Content Officer, SFX Entertainment), Senthil Chidambaram (CEO, Dancing Astronaut), Lee Anderson (Agent, AM Only), Victor Lee (COO, USA, PRMD Music), Glenn Mendlinger (Senior VP/ General Manager, Astralwerks Records)
Description: This panel explores how to maintain EDM's growth in a sustainable way and what the dance music business can learn from the country business. They will discuss the relative importance of songs, artists, productions, radio, alternative exposure outlets, touring and generally expanding the dance music ecosystem.
