NASHVILLE (CelebrityAccess) – Relix Music Conference kicked off at Brooklyn Bowl Nashville on Monday (April 17), marking the conference’s first visit to Music City. The day included conversations about artist branding and the intersection of mental health and music and a discussion with iconic musician Peter Frampton. Here are some highlights.
Sound Check: The State of the Business – Part 1 – Relix Magazine’s Dean Budnick moderated a panel that encompassed many different topics currently affecting the industry, including how artists can get creative in the digital world, how to navigate new disruptive technology, how indie venues are partnering with out-of-the-box brands and much more. Panelists included Aaron Frank (AMFM Management), Dayna Frank (First Avenue Productions / National Independent Venue Association (NIVA), Josh Rowe (Ad. Ventures), Mary Catherine Kinney (Spotify), and Tara Moore (PS Business Management).
In Conversation: Peter Frampton – Iconic songwriter and guitarist Peter Frampton sat down with music journalist Holly Gleason for a career-spanning conversation where he discussed his work with his bands The Herd and Humble Pie, the intersection of progressive rock and hard rock, meeting George Harrison for the first time, his relationship with the iconic David Bowie and more.
Brand Aid – Greg Knight (Greg Knight Music) led a conversation that featured Mark Weiss (237 Global), Brian Schwartz (7S Management) and Marcie Allen (MAC Presents). The panelists discussed how to make brand partnerships feel authentic, creating relationships with brands, the need for artists to control their own data and music, and more.
Where Is My Mind: Mental Health & The Music Industry – This “should have been talked about sooner” conversation featured musician Andy Frasco, Eric Krusen (Gibson Gives), Michele Augis (The Neal Casal Music Foundation), Tatum Allsep (Music Health Alliance), and was moderated by Hilary Gleason (Backline). The group talked about the decrease in stigma around mental health, giving people a chance to process grief, and how the industry can work together to help provide community care and the resources available through various organizations.
Americana Music Association Showcase – Americana fusion singer Autumn Nicholas and country duo Bown * Young performed showcase concerts presented by the Americana Music Association (AMA) on the Brooklyn Bowl patio.
Point A to Point Z: Optimizing the Fan Experience – Peter Shapiro (Dayglo Presents), Ben Lovett (tvg Hospitality), Tom See (Live Nation Entertainment) and Chrissy Hall (Ryman Hospitality) came together for a conversation about the fan experience in live music encompassing everything from announcing a show to selling tickets and putting it on. It was moderated by Pam Matthews (IEBA), and the panel covered topics including the biggest obstacles to the fan experience, common problems that venues can solve, what live music experiences can learn from the hospitality industry and much more.
DAY TWO:
On Tuesday (April 18), the Relix Music Conference wrapped up its two-day event with more panels from top industry professionals, musicians, and more. In addition, the second day featured discussions about children’s entertainment and Web3’s new role in the industry, a case study on Wasserman Music and a conversation with one-half of the Hall and Oates duo, John Oates. Highlights below.
Sound Check: The State of the Business Part 2 – Budnick moderated the second part of this industry-encompassing panel, covering topics including what music impacted the panelists’ careers, how the amount of information on artists has grown and how to break through all the “noise,” the musical mythos of Nashville and more. Panelists included Ben Blackwell (Third Man Records), rock and soul singer Maggie Rose, JC Curleigh (Gibson Brands) and Braeden Rountree (WME).
Child’s Play – Mike Greenhaus, Editor-in-Chief of Relix Magazine, led a discussion on creating and maintaining great live children’s entertainment in today’s world. Speakers included Jonathan Shank (Terrapin Station Entertainment), Stacey Ryan (School of Rock), Stephen Grybowski (Rock and Roll Playhouse), and Stephen Shaw (Round Room Live), who discussed the resurgence of live children’s events, how children’s entertainment is adapting to the digital age, and more.
Case Study: Wasserman Music – Chappel McCollister, Jonathan Levine, Lee Anderson and Molly Bailin (Wasserman Music) discussed the emergence and success of the company in a conversation moderated by Josh Baron (Project Admission). The group discussed strategically making decisions about client opportunities, Wasserman’s focus on artist and genre representation, the intersection of music with sports and branding, and much more.
In Conversation: John Oates – In a conversation with music journalist Jewly Hight, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee John Oates discussed his historic career, including the impact of the folk revival in the 60s had on his life, how he combined all of his influences into his music, how the art of sampling is keeping classic music alive for a new generation, how the hit song, “Maneater” evolved from a reggae song and much more. He also performed a cover of “Spike Driver Blues” (Mississippi John Hurt) and an acoustic version of his song “Pushin’ A Rock.”
