The Solo Songwriters Workshop and Festival begins Friday in Lafayette.
This year, there’s also a Music Industry Conference connected to the event.
Lafayette will host more than fifty songwriters at the second annual South Louisiana Songwriters Festival and Workshop, which lasts through this weekend.
There’s a four-day songwriters workshop and a public-facing festival that allows artists to perform the songs they have written during the workshop. This year, organizers have added a music industry conference, which covers topics like intellectual property, song rights, and other issues artists need to know about.
Here’s the schedule:
FRIDAY, MAY 24
8 AM – 9 AM
REGISTRATION
9 AM – 10 AM
Opening
remarks from Mayor-President Joel Robideaux and CREATE Lafayette, representatives from the Buddy Educational Foundation, Louisiana Entertainment, and Lafayette Economic Development Authority.
10 AM – 11:15 AM HOW TO PROMOTE YOURSELF IN THE NEW INDUSTRY MODEL
Matt Hanks, Shore Fire Media (Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Carole King, Cyndi Lauper) and Glenn Dicker, founder Yep Rok Records (Nick Lowe, Jim Lauderdale, Mandolin Orange).
Moderated by Aileen Bennett.
11:45 AM – 1 PM MAKING A GREAT RECORD: MAKING THE MOST OUT OF STUDIO TIME
Garry Tallent (E Street Band), Justin Tocket (Dockside Studio), Sean Ardoin (Grammy nominee).
Moderated by CC Adcock (Producer).
1:30 PM – 3 PM WHO’S GOT YOUR BACK? WHAT MANAGERS DO AND LOOK FOR IN ARTISTS
Chris Kasa (UROK- Jade Bird, Liam Gallagher), Reid Martin (MidCitizen Entertainment – Big Freedia, Sweet Crude, Tank and the Bangas), Ed Gerrard (Impact Artist- Gipsy Kings, Amy Helm).
Moderated by Reid Wick.
3:15 PM – 3:45 PM SONGPLUGGING: HELPING SONGWRITERS PITCH THEIR SONGS
Jacee Badeaux (Big Yellow Dog Music – Jesse James Decker, Meghan Trainor, Josh Kear). Followed by one-on-one opportunity for songwriters to speak directly to Jacee Badeaux.
Moderated by Scott Durbin.
4 PM – 5:30 PM THE ART OF SONGWRITING
Rusty Tabor (Earl Bud Lee Publishing- Friends in Low Places), Gary Larsen (Royal Teeth), and Bob Holbrook (Holbrook Multimedia).
Moderated by Reid Wick.
SATURDAY, MAY 25
9 AM – 10 AM REGISTRATION
10 AM – 11:15 AM NAVIGATING NASHVILLE:
FROM GETTING DISCOVERED TO LANDING A RECORD DEAL WITH BIG MACHINE LABEL GROUP (TAYLOR SWIFT, SHERYL CROW, FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE, LADY ANTEBELLUM)
Eric Smith and Payton Smith discuss their journey as a father/son-manager/artist duo navigating the music industry in Nashville.
Moderated by Aileen Bennett.
11:45 AM – 1 PM GETTING IN SYNC: HOW ARTISTS AND MUSIC SUPERVISORS WORK TOGETHER TO GET MUSIC IN TV, FILM, VIDEO GAMES, AND COMMERCIALS
Jamie N. Commons (Orange is the New Black, Battlefield Hardline, Beats by Dre) and Ed Gerrard (Impact Artist- Scream, The Princess and the Frog, The Big Lebowski).
Moderated by Scott Durbin.
1:30 PM – 3 PM ANATOMY OF MUSIC COPYRIGHTS AND PUBLISHING INCOME: HOW TO PROTECT AND MONETIZE SONGS
Steve Lowy (Attorney, Managing shareholder os Isaacman, Kaufman, Painter, Lowy & Zucker P.C. in Los Angeles), Don Glista (Senior Legal & Creative Affairs Manager at Universal Music Publishing-London), Edgar D. Gankendorff (Provosty & Gankendorff, LLC- New Orleans),
and Stephen Easley (Counsel to the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, Austin, TX).
Moderated by Aileen Bennett.
The SOLO Fest opens with a rare Louisiana performance by the legendary Nick Lowe on May 22nd and continues with Songs Over Style, an evening of original songs performed by a stylistically diverse collection of artists from across South Louisiana – and across the pond (Sonny Landreth, Jon Cleary, Quintron + Miss Pussycat, Mary Gauthier, Cupid, Jamie N Commons, and C.C. Adcock) on May 23rd.
The Weekend festival closes SOLO with over fifty unique and often spontaneous performances in various formats (rounds, song shares, group shows, etc.). Tickets for Opening Night with Nike Lowe, Songs Over Style and the Weekend Festival can all be purchased at www.solosongwriters.com [solosongwriters.com]
