Event To Be Held In Conjunction With Plug In Memphis: Indie Music Expo
MEMPHIS, TENN., (Sept. 22, 2011)— The Recording Academy® Memphis Chapter will present GRAMMY® GPS: A Roadmap For Today's Music Biz from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 1 at Stax Music Academy (926 East McLemore Avenue) in Memphis, Tennessee. The all-day professional education event will feature panels and workshops, providing current industry tools and information for all music makers and a keynote address by Glassnote Entertainment Group founder/CEO Daniel Glass. The event will be held in conjunction with the Memphis Music Foundation's Plug In Memphis: Indie Music Expo, which will take place at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music.
"GRAMMY GPS is a highly relevant professional development opportunity that illustrates The Recording Academy's dedication to offering quality development events for artists, labels, managers and other music makers," said Jon Hornyak Senior Executive Director of the Memphis Chapter. "The region we serve is overflowing with musical talent and entrepreneurs eager to learn more and gain a competitive advantage in such a rapidly changing industry. With such a positive response and attendance for the inaugural GRAMMY GPS event, we look forward to hosting the conference as an annual Chapter event."
On Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m., The Recording Academy will kick off the conference with GRAMMY GPS Fest at Hi-Tone Cafe, located at 1913 Poplar Ave., which will showcase regional independent artists. Givers, an indie pop band from Lafayette, La., will headline the event. Additional artists to perform include Cities Aviv and GR Robinson. This opening party is open to Recording Academy members and pre-registered conference attendees.
GRAMMY GPS is a GRAMMY Professional Development Event designed to provide information to independent artists, producers, labels and managers who have begun working in the music industry but still need the tools to succeed. The all-day conference will feature a keynote speech, educational panels and demonstration sessions that will offer attendees rare access to key music industry contacts while they learn valuable skills that can be used in the pursuit of a successful career. Panelists will include producers, engineers, songwriters and music industry executives.
The keynote speech will be delivered by Daniel Glass, founder/CEO of Glassnote Entertainment Group. Glassnote represents GRAMMY-nominated band Mumford & Sons, as well as GRAMMY GPS Fest headlining band Givers. A variety of seminar topics will be offered throughout the day including Sink or Swim: Surviving the Indie Landscape, Pitching and Placing: Music for Film and TV, Direct Connect: Social Media, and Your Bottom Line: Alternative Funding Sources, among others.
Confirmed performers for GRAMMY GPS events include:
Givers, indie pop group from Lafayette, La.
Cities Aviv, rap artist from Memphis, Tenn.
GR Robinson, singer/songwriter from Jackson, Tenn.
Skewby, hip hop artist from Memphis, Tenn.
Alexis Marceaux, singer/songwriter from New Orleans, La.
Fille Catatonique, singer/songwriter from Lafayette, La.
Confirmed panelists for GRAMMY GPS include:
Daniel Glass, founder/CEO of Glassnote Entertainment Group
Maureen Crowe, independent music supervisor/consultant
Paul Ebersold, GRAMMY-winning producer
Kevin Lamb, vice president Nashville at peermusic
David Macias, artist manager at Thirty Tigers
Jonathan Poneman, co-founder of Sub Pop Records
DJ Swivel, independent recording engineer (Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige)
Ken "Duro" Ifill, independent recording engineer (Jay Z, Alicia Keys)
Vlad Vukicevic, co-founder of RocketHub
Billy Zero, founder of DJ Boy Records
Conference admission for the general public is $35, and the event is free for Recording Academy and GRAMMY U® members. The event will be followed by a GRAMMY GPS closing showcase at Earnestine & Hazel's located at 531 S. Main St., featuring performances by Skewby, Alexis Marceaux and Fille Catatonique. Admission to the closing showcase is free for conference attendees and $10 for the general public.
For more information about GRAMMY GPS, please contact the Memphis Chapter at 310.464.7904 or memphis@grammy.com, or visit www.grammy.com/memphis.
