During his closing remarks on the final day of the 2014 New Music Seminar, NMS founder Tom Silverman conveyed to industry panels and hopeful audience members that, “The world needs music more than it needs anything.” Resonating inside the hearts and minds of the eager delegates, it was established that the influence of music in itself thrives from every single entity involved to keep the fire going. From the passionate artists who confidentially strive further to get their foot in the door, to the business and management associates who make sure that the industry continues to move forward on a prosperous economic level, the New Music Seminar truly brought together a variety of panelists and likeminded individuals who openly shared their ideologies on the current state of the music industry.
Once the Wyndham New Yorker Hotel opened its doors for registration, one attribute that united these vibrant delegates was their thriving love for music, regardless of their talents or their professional background.
The festivities began with “The Science Of Schmoozing,” a panel led by conductor Elliot Resnik, associate of Shukat Arrow Hafer Weber & Herbsman LLP. Alongside Resnik, players Allison Shaw of Manic Monkee MGMT and Emily White of Whitesnake Entertainment focused their discussions on the importance of being at the right place at the right time through interactive networking. Warming up the hopeful crowd immediately, attendees flooded the hallways and various conference rooms with a surging sense of motivation to stand out from the rest.
While there were many panels and intensive discussions held throughout to advise aspiring musicians on how to transition into the music industry from a business standpoint, artists also received the opportunity to have their music exclusively peer-reviewed by record label representatives and A&R executives at the “A&R Live: Music Critique And Sound Sessions” panels that were held throughout the weekend.
Looking through the lens of the seminar from the media aspect of the industry, DigSin CEO Jay Frank addressed in the “Online Media Music Discovery” panel that when an artist reaches out online to get their music heard, “it’s not necessarily about how you can actually get heard, but how can you actually prove that you will be able sustain what it takes to make a long-term career.” Since there are many different types of artists across the globe that breed from all walks of life, the key players on this panel added that they would network with trusted sources and writers within their department who would lead them to new music to cover on a weekly basis.
On a similar note, the panel “Radio: The World’s Best Discovery Engine” centered their focused on the influence of radio and how it has reached out to extensive channels to break big-named musicians. As conveyed early on in the discussion, by the time an artist continues to travel through multiple stations throughout the market, the artist’s exposure can rise instantly. This relationship of airplay can not only correlate with a musician’s popularity, but also associate with the rising exposure of that station’s airplay. Ultimately, these players directly emphasized that certain artists may have not been as successful as they are now if it weren’t for the power of radio.
The New Music Seminar was a stimulating conference that opened our eyes to the mechanics of the music industry. Each panel that was presented encouraged delegates to engage with their peers and expand on contemporary ideas. As we move forward within this lively industry, it is important to enlighten the masses with invigorating viewpoints on how the music industry works as a functioning business so we can find room to grow.
