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    Industry Conference Aims to Boost Local Musicians

    Next Friday, music industry professionals from all backgrounds will converge on the Ohio Union for the return of the Musician Inc. conference. Attendees can expect to hear professionals speak on topics related to music production, press and public relations, recording contracts and more.

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    We spoke with Matt Crumpton, Event Coordinator and Speaker to find out more about this upcoming event and how it is helping to grow and support the creative community in Columbus.

    Q: Matt, can you first tell us a bit about your musical background?

    A: Sure. I’ve been in various bands all of my life. I play guitar, piano, bass, keys, mandolin, and a few other things. I’ve written about 50 songs and have some stuff out on iTunes. I’ve been doing a lot with The Winnie Cooper Project lately. That is my 90s rap jam band. We play weird jammy versions of songs like No Diggity and Rumpshaker. It’s (hopefully) bizarrely funny and entertaining.

    In terms of the music business, I’ve managed bands, executive produced records, and been a concert promoter. I also worked backstage as a production assistant for two summers at a Live Nation venue. When I became an attorney, my love of music and experience in the business led me to developing music law as part of my practice. While most of my work is small business law, I do a fair amount of entertainment law work as well.

    Q: So where did the idea for “Musician Inc.” come from?

    A: Columbus has an amazing community of original musicians and songwriters. So, there is an unmet market demand of a music industry conference to answer the questions that Musician Inc. answers. We also have some national music treasures living among us. There are a handful of people who have worked on major popular music in one way or another who continue to live in Columbus.

    In 2009, I thought it would be a good idea to bring some of those folks together to share their industry knowledge with the up and coming artists in the local community. We put on the first Musician Inc. in 2009 for an audience of about 50 people. It was a great experience. But, I knew that we could do it bigger and better. That is the plan for Musician Inc. this year. We want to provide the quality of speakers that you would see at South By Southwest, and eventually grow to a regional, then national music conference. The key is slow and steady growth.

    Q: So who do you have lined up this year for speakers and topics?

    A: We have an unbelievable line up of speakers. If you look at the totality of artists our speakers have worked with, it’s pretty impressive. The conference consists of panels on music law, booking, production, press, and a keynote panel.

    All of our panels will be excellent and informative, but our keynote panel is probably the highlight. It is about “How to Make It In Music” and features Jeff Blue and Jerry DePizzo.

    Jeff Blue is one of the most commercially successful music industry executives alive. He is responsible for selling 140 Million records! That’s crazy to me. 140 Million! He signed Linkin Park, Limp Bizkit, Korn, Macy Gray, and Daniel Powter. He also signed a band called The Last Goodnight, and co-wrote that band’s hit single “Pictures of You.” In addition to those bands, he has been A&R or producer for Matchbox 20, Aaliyah, Hoobastank, Better Than Ezra, and many others.

    Jerry DePizzo is best known as the saxophonist for O.A.R. He’ll be speaking about success from an artist’s perspective, which is a little bit funny because he is one of the most humble guys I know, especially for someone at his level. Jerry has been involved with a music charity that I am president of, Music Loves Ohio. I’ve become friends with him over the last few years, and he is always gracious with his time.

    Our other panels and speakers are:

    Production 101 with Mike Landolt (Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane), Brian Lucey (The Black Keys Grammy Award Winning Brothers), Andy Dodson (Karate Coyote/Phantods), and Chris Graham (Karate Coyote/House of Heroes)

    How to Get Press and What Works with Chris DeVille (Columbus Alive), Tom Butler (CD101), Lex McAllister (Lexicon Works & Live NO Excuses Radio), and Jon Billy Theiss (The Other Paper)

    How Is Money Made In Music with Matt Crumpton and Basic Music Contracts with Lee Bass

    How to Get Gigs Without Being a Douche with Jacob Wooten (Kobo), Dominic Petrozzi (8Fest, AWOL), & Paul Painter (Woodland’s Tavern)

    Q: What sort of outcome would you like to see for musicians who attend?

    A: I would like the attendees to walk away with more knowledge about the basics of each aspect of a music career that is covered at Musician Inc. Most people who are just getting started in music have no understanding of the music business. Musician Inc. is a great starting point for people who are just now learning about the industry. It’s also good for people who are already “veterans” because the quality of our speakers is so high that they can learn the more complex aspects of the business by asking questions during the Q&A sessions.

    Q: What do you think this type of conference means in the context of fostering the artistic and creative communities in Columbus?

    A: I think it fits in nicely with events like Independents’ Day and Comfest. Right now, while we are having a few showcases this year, the focus of the event is the educational conference. Eventually, I’d like Musician Inc. to grow into a real showcase event and conference. When people say the “Columbus music scene,” what they really mean is artists that play at Kobo, Skullys, Woodland’s Tavern, Carabar, Ravari Room, and Rumba Cafe. The scene isn’t some intangible thing. It is real. It is based on events, venues, and people. Hopefully, Musician Inc. can become part of that scene and help to further promote it.

    Q: Outside of musicians themselves, who else might be interested in attending this conference?

    A: Anyone who is interested in the music industry or just music in general. You can pretty much ask our panelists anything. If you are a Linkin Park fan, you could come and ask Jeff Blue how he helped put that band together. If you are an O.A.R. fan, you can ask Jerry what it feels like to sell out Madison Square Garden. It’s a chance for regular people to be close to key players in the major popular music industry.

    Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the showcase show at Kobo?

    A: There will be eight very short showcases at Kobo following the conference, starting at 7:00 PM. These showcases are included as part of a private consultation with Jeff Blue. Artists who sign up for the showcase will play two songs for Jeff and other panelists at Kobo, and will get specific career advice from Jeff in a private meeting during the day.

    Jeff is currently an A&R for Atlantic Records. He also is a consultant for other major record labels, like Universal and Warner Brothers. The consultations and showcases are not cheap ($300 per artist), but Jeff’s hope at this conference is to sign one of the showcasing artists. It may not necessarily happen, but it happened last year when Jeff signed a band called Emphatic during a consultation. That band has a record coming out on Atlantic Records later this year.

    Musician Inc. takes place on Friday, April 22 at The Ohio Union at Ohio State (in the Cartoon Room). Registration starts at Noon and panels start at 1:00 pm. Tickets are $15 for Students (Must have ID) and $30 for Non-Students. Tickets can be purchased online at musicianinc.eventbrite.com, and the Facebook event can be found HERE.

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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