panels //

HYATT REGENCY HOTEL:

SEPTEMBER 5

11:00 AM - 12:30 PM - Lakeshore A, B and C
KEYNOTE ADDRESS - butch vig

an interview by jeff castelaz

"Artist" is the single word which best describes producer, mixer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Butch Vig. After graduating from the UW-Madison, where he received a degree in filmmaking, Butch co-founded Smart Studios and began producing and mixing albums. His perseverance as an independent producer carried far beyond Wisconsin's borders, as artists from around the country began to hear the clear, edgy, hard rock sound shaped by Butch's productions. His work with Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Smashing Pumpkins and Soul Asylum in the 90s has been hailed as the best of the decade's recordings.

In 1995, Vig formed the internationally acclaimed band Garbage. The multi-platinum, Grammy Nominated band has achieved worldwide critical and commercial success as it ushered in yet another new direction for rock music. Vig has produced critically acclaimed albums for Against Me, Green Day, and The Foo Fighters, winning a Grammy for their album "Wasting Light." Butch recently finished producing and mixing the Foo Fighters' soon-to-be-released eighth studio album, Sonic Highways, recorded in eight iconic studios in eight different U.S. cities.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - Lakeshore A
MUSIC SUPERVISORS. LET'S FACE IT. MOST MUSICIANS NEED SUPERVISION: BEST PRACTICES FOR GETTING YOUR MUSIC LICENSED AND PLACED IN FILM, TELEVISION AND ADVERTISING

Music Supervisors and Music Directors for film, TV and advertising, can have a profoundly positive effect on the careers of songwriters and musicians. The right placement can bring in significant revenue. Sometimes it's up front, sometimes it's a one shot deal, sometimes it's small, but it gets you in the door, and sometimes, it can keep paying you for years to come. How are the various deals structured? Is the production quality of your music up to snuff and how do you know? Do you have the sound and style they are looking for? How do you know what they are looking for? How do you even get heard? With Bonny Dolan - Comma Music (Moderator); Eric David Johnson - Search Party Music; Theo Aronson - Ooh La La Records; Daniel Holter - The License Lab; Joe Paganelli - Shovelhead Media

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - Lakeshore C
WELCOME TO THE MUSIC BUSINESS. YOU'RE F*CKED.

Martin Atkins - Noted musician, author and lecturer. Author of "Tour Smart", "Welcome To The Music Business. You're F*cked" and "Band Smart". Extremely informative and brilliantly entertaining at the same time. This guy has pretty much seen it all and done it all as well.

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM - Gilpatrick B
PRESS AND RELEASE: HITTING THE RIGHT BUTTONS FOR PR

Public relations, media relations, distant relations... How do you get the word out? How do you stand out in the crowd? How do you get people to pay attention? What's the best way to approach the various types of media? In theory, you can probably figure out when you're not generating enough PR for your career (again, in theory), but where's the line between doing enough and doing too much? Should this be your job, your manager's, or somebody else's? When do you need professional help? (Okay... THAT's a loaded question.) - With Althea Legaspi - Freelance Journalist; Adam Lewis - Planetary Group (Moderator); Sue Schrader - Blonde Ambition PR

1:30 PM - 2:30 PM - Lakeshore B
S0... THIS AGENT WALKS INTO A BAR...

You don't have a record deal. Or, maybe you're on a small indie with no real support or marketing muscle like the major or big indie labels. How do you become a successful touring artist without the machinery behind you? After all, that's something that will definitely get you noticed. How do you prove yourself worthy of an agent? How do you find an agent that's right for you? How do you build from local to regional to national to international touring? Do you need an agent to help you land a label? A label to help you land an agent? And, where is the manager in all of this? Is there one? Which one was first, the chicken or the egg? Surely, there was something before either one... And lastly... Concentric circles or eccentric circles? Ask these guys. - With Jeremy Weiss - The CI Companies (Moderator); Brian Waymire - The Agency Coalition; Tyler Rehm - The TR Agency; Bruce Krippner - Martyrs; Nate Arling - Double Door

1:30 - 2:30 - Gilpatrick A
CASH FLOW. REVENUE STREAMS. SOUNDS LIKE RIVERS OF CASH. RIGHT HOW DO YOU GET PAID? WHAT SHOULD YOU EXPECT?

The odds of writing successfully. If you do, what are the potential revenue streams and who are your customers. Maximizing the potential revenue streams and what to expect for payment. Pitching to Film, TV and Advertisers. What to prepare before a pitch, what "not" to say, know your market, your responsibilities and how much should you expect to make. - Roy Elkins - Broadjam

2:30 - 3:30 - Lakeshore A
NON-COMMERCIAL RADIO, COLLEGE RADIO, AND RADIO PROMOTION FOR INDEPENDENT ARTISTS. REALLY?

Whether you're big on the local scene, traveling beyond state lines or both. How do you get the attention of radio in the markets you're traveling to? Or, maybe you've started to have success with a radio campaign. How do you support that? How do you use it to support what you are doing? How do you make it easier for radio to support you and your music? Terrestrial radio is still king but how do you maximize satellite and internet radio? And...shouldn't you get paid royalties?? With Jeff McClusky - Jeff McClusky & Associates; Adam Lewis - The Planetary Group; Ken Abdo - Lommen Abdo (Moderator); Sean Demery - 88Nine Radio Milwaukee; Peter Gray - Warner Bros. Records

2:30 - 3:30 - Lakeshore C
SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST: SUSTAINING THE CAREERS OF ARTISTS SND THEIR MANAGEMENT

Managers and artists rely on each other for co-existence. The relationship between managers, artists, record companies, publishing companies and everything else has evolved and changed in ways encompassing practices that used to be considered a conflict of interest. Management companies didn't used to own the label their artists were signed to. Survival of the artist is key to the survival of the manager. An artist relies on the manager for survival. How can this all be managed? With Emily White - Whitesmith Entertainment; Ken Komisar - Laundry Room Productions; Mike Mowery - Outerloop Management; Howard Hertz - Hertz Schram PC (Moderator)

2:30 - 3:30 - Gilpatrick B
SONGWRITERS AND LIFE OUTSIDE A BAND

Songwriters in bands don't always write songs that fit their band. Many songwriters write in a number of different styles. A really good song can be done in virtually any style. Sometimes, bands break up and it can be a real drag. Sometimes, another band comes together easy. Sometimes, it's just a lot of work and things don't seem to click. Sometimes, a band breaking up can be liberating. As a songwriter, you have to write songs, you have to write music. There are ways to make that work for you. There are ways to make that your work. With Ralph Covert - Waterdog Music; Chris Sernel - APG/Warner Chappell; Johnny Gradone - Zavitson Music Group; Daniel Holter - The License Lab; Heather Liberman - Leavens, Strand & Glover (Moderator)

3:00 - 4:00 - Gilpatrick A
LET'S GET PHYSICAL!

Overall digital sales have surpassed fifty percent of the market share. BUT, physical product is a very important part of the equation! Vinyl sales continues to grow. People like special packaging and artwork. Something cool they can take away from your show. They can be attracted to bundles of product. You can increase demand at shows, online and even in physical stores, by combining CDs and vinyl with digital downloads, t-shirts, posters, autographs, photos and more. With Joe Vent - AtoZ Media; Patrick Hertz - Copycats Media; Brandon Tushkowski - GMR Marketing; Jeremy Weiss - The CI Companies (Moderator)

3:00 - 4:00 - Gilpatrick C
I LOOKED AT YOUR SCHEDULE AND WE'D BE A GREAT FIT TO OPEN FOR ANY OF THESE...

What young artist doesn't want to open for a major headliner?!? But, just like everything else in this business, there's a lot of competition for the spots. There can be many factors are involved why someone is an opener. What are they looking for? Are you the right fit? When do you know you're ready? How do you get to the right person? What about the money? Should you really send an email to the promoter or talent buyer with a laundry list of acts you think you would fit with? With Bob Babisch - Summerfest; Sean McDonough - Live Nation/House Of Blues; Adam Powers - The Elbo Room

4:00 PM - 5:00 PM - Lakeshore A and B
ARTIST DEVELOPMENT, CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND BUILDING YOUR TEAM

Artist Development. Who does that anymore? People who care, that's who. People who love music and artistry. It's a DIY world, or so people say. There are so many ways to get your music out there and so many things to maintain. Producing recordings, booking shows, web design, social media, marketing, distribution, videos, and on and on. Oh yeah...and then there is writing and creating the music...when there's time. Maybe you should concentrate on the music like you're supposed to and find other people to do that other stuff. How do you build the right team? How do you afford it? Can you afford not to? The right management can help with that. The right label can help with that. The right producer can help with that. The right PR person can help with that. But you also have to help yourself with that too. Growing careers together. That's what a team does. With Jeff Castelaz - Elektra Records; Emily White - Whitesmith Entertainment; Butch Vig - Musician/Producer; Peter Strand - Leavens, Strand & Glover (Moderator); Steve Hutton - Uppercut Management; Jeff McClusky - Jeff McClusky & Associates