Portland Music Foundation

PRESENTED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE PORTLAND PHOENIX

The Portland Music Foundation is an ever-evolving effort to serve as an information clearinghouse for Portland's music playing, loving, & supporting community. We hope to foster efforts on many fronts to make our members archive their goals whether that be making a living playing coffeehouses, booking a national tour, getting press on a CD release, or simply discovering new music, and supporting it as a fan.

With a board of directors representing many facets of the Portland music scene - musicians, promoters, agents, producers, engineers, print & radio media , label owners - the PMF hopes to offer what expertise for the benefit members who can use it. All NINE of the 2010 Educational Sessions will be held at:

SPACE
538 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04101
*MAP*
(207)828-5600
http://www.space538.org/

Doors @ 6:00 PM || Start @ 6:30 PM

This event is for PMF members only. However, membership is available on site ($20.00 for 2010) and provides access to members-only events, which will include nine seminars in 2010 as well as a number of discounts at area music-related businesses. Join here.

For more information, email info@portlandmusicfoundation.org.

WEDNESDAY - JANUARY 20, 2010

Learn to Think Like a Talent Buyer

Frustrated that your calls and emails to club buyers or other talent buyers are being ignored? Wondering why? In this session we'll discuss what talent buyers are looking for with several of the area's most experienced, top talent buyers. We'll ask our panel your questions and you'll learn how to write an email or leave a message that gets their attention in this ultra-competitive world.

MODERATOR: Mark Lourie, Vice President of Skyline Music

With:

Lauren Wayne - Marketing Director for Live Nation New England, Talent Buyer for Port City Music Hall
Nick Bloom – Owner / Booking Director, Bloom Arts
Ian Paige – Talent Buyer, Space Gallery
Dan Millen – Owner / Talent Buyer, Rock On! Concerts, Boston
Ryan Dolan – Local independent talent buyer, Live Nation New Media Marketer, and touring musician

TUESDAY - FEBRUARY 23, 2010

When Do You Need a Contract and How Do You Make Sure You Don’t Get Screwed?

Just in time for tax season, we show you how to make sure you’ve got everything in writing to take advantage of corporate taxes. We’ll also get into those cases where you should definitely have a contract, murky gray areas where it might be a good idea, and documents to which you should definitely NOT sign your name.

MODERATOR: Scott Ordway, Ideal Entertainment

TUESDAY - MARCH 16, 2010

What Is and Isn’t Marketing?

In a roundtable, group setting, staffed by industry marketing experts, bands will be able to present their “story” and hear feedback on creating a short-term and long-term marketing plan that builds on their assets and shows bands how they have the power and responsibility to get to the “next level.”

MODERATOR: Herb Ivy, WCYY/WBLM

TUESDAY - APRIL 20, 2010

What Exactly Is Mastering, and How Can It Make My Music Better?

Mastering is one of the least understood parts of the recording process, yet a very critical one. Great mastering can significantly enhance a recording and the listening experience, and bad mastering can certainly do the opposite. Panelists will present an in depth description of the mastering process, including before and after listening examples, as well as answer any questions during an in-depth Q & A session.

MODERATOR: Adam Ayan, Gateway Mastering

TUESDAY - MAY 18, 2010

TOPIC: Artist Development, Where Did It Go, and Is It Still Relevant?

Record labels are not interested in signing bands based on their potential like the good old days. Now, it’s all about what is selling and how they can get a market share. A record label wants a pre-packaged success story. The loss of artist development at the labels means the artists need to acquire a number of skills on their own to have a successful career in the music business. This session will offer a checklist for designing a career path and help you “discover” your own potential.

MODERATOR: Lisa van Oosterum, Omnirox Entertainment

+++SUMMER BREAK+++

TUESDAY - SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

Playing a Live Show: From Advancing to Soundcheck

There’s a right way and a wrong way to play a show, and we’re not talking about your performance. This panel will focus on the best practices for working with a club and acting like a professional, including: creating technical documents like input lists and stage plots; loading in correctly; interfacing with the house sound engineer; the difference between a line check and a soundcheck; and the specific equipment you absolutely need to have on hand. This presentation will also feature a live band, and a live solo artist, performing a soundcheck the right way.

MODERATOR: Jim Begley, the Studio

TUESDAY - OCTOBER 19, 2010

How to Get Your Name in the Paper

While there are now more types of media than ever before, and all of them can help you promote your band, the newspaper is still a great way to spread your message. How do you get your record reviewed? How do you get a band profile? What’s the best way to contact and get to know writers? How does the paper work with the web site, blogs, etc.? What do publicists do, and are they worth the money? We’ll answer these questions and more.

MODERATOR: Sam Pfeifle, Portland Phoenix

TUESDAY - NOVEMBER 16, 2010

Defining a Social Media Strategy for Musicians

Okay, so you’re on Myspace. And you’re probably on Facebook, too. Maybe you’re on Twitter. You certainly should be. The landscape of the music world is changing. No longer does living outside a major metropolitan area limit your chances of finding an audience that appreciates and supports your talent. These social media tools, while seemingly insignificant on their own, can be combined to create a social media strategy that has the potential to create great opportunities. The key we will discuss is how to get the most out of the limited time you can dedicate to networking and still be a good musician.

MODERATOR: Patrick May, Skyline Music

TUESDAY - DECEMBER 21, 2010

Building and Managing Street Teams

It seems like the Holy Grail: Getting people to work for you on promoting your shows and albums. But there’s a science to it, and there are good ways and bad ways to get your fans invested in your band or career. We’ll talk about the best way to develop a street team, how best to use them, and talk to bands who have established street teams.

MODERATOR: Mark Curdo, WCYY/Labor Day Records

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