In the void has emerged a slew of music panels and conferences, aimed at a sort of grassroots education. Some of those have, of course, been more successful than others, partly based on the motivations of and resources available to the host.
And among several upcoming here in Denver, there is this weekend's Summit Music Conference and Artist Showcase. It's being presented by Fogo Management this Saturday at Casselman's starting at noon. $25 gets you in all day, or you can just see the artist showcase portion in the evening for $10. The meat of the thing, though, is the panel discussion, which features journalists, A&R reps, publicists and other industry types from around the country. We asked two of them, Columbus "Lumbo" Williams of Skee.TV and Simone "Boss Lady" Amelia, who among other things co-hosts DJ Green Lantern's Invasion show on Sirius/XM, to tell us what they'd tell a kid who wants to have a career in the music business.
Columbus "Lumbo" Williams Music & Production Supervisor at The Music Collective, Music Licensing/A&R/Admin at Skee.TV.
1. Keep an open mind to all genres of music. Don't get stuck in just one.
2. Collab with other producers or artists to expand your catalog of music.
3. Talk to people. Don't just keep quite ask as many questions possible.
4. Find a Mentor who has been in the industry before to help guide you.
5. Make sure all of your social media outlets are up to date with your information, and use them as your platform when submitting and reaching out to people in the industry.
Simone "Boss Lady" Amelia Journalist, Creator & Host of DrJays.com Live, Co-host of DJ Green Lantern's Invasion radio show on Hip-Hop Nation (Sirius/XM) and Lifestyle Manager for DJ Networks.
1. Lose any and all signs of ego. Maintain humility even when you're succeeding--actually, especially when you're succeeding.
2. Always be hungry, never be thirsty. Keep your spirits positive and believe in yourself with no limits, but know and understand there's a definite time and place when presenting yourself.
3. Research anything and everything that crosses your path. When reaching out to people and networking, be sure to personalize your interaction so they know you've done your homework on who they are and what they do.
4. Keep a tight crew of like-minded individuals around you at all times. Even just one solid supporter makes all the difference in your journey.
5. Don't ever give up. Ever.
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