Music Music Music

Over the past thirty days, Atlanta, Georgia aka “Hollywood of The South” has played host to four music conferences. The fifth such event, the Music Atlanta Conference (MAC) takes place this weekend at Atlanta Tech College. The event is a collaborative effort between former A&R Executive Kevin Shine and Untouchable Digital Entertainment, CEO, Eddie Ferrell, who many may remember as DJ Eddie F of Heavy D & The Boys. The main goal of MAC is to foster a bridge between music, education and the business community while cultivating an environment of “better music.” The list of panelists, moderators and guests runs long, as these future industry luminaries share insight on such subjects as new and digital media, budgeting and funding your music and music business knowledge. As I continue to cover the industry related events in Atlanta and the surrounding areas, I keep hope alive that the information disseminated equates to progress.

DJ Eddie “F” Ferrell

With a musical footprint cemented throughout the 90’s by the likes of L.A. Reid, Babyface, Dallas Austin and Mariah’s new manager, Jermaine Dupri to name a few, one may safely say that Atlanta, has earned a place among the top five US cities for music an production. For the last twenty plus years, there has been no shortage of singers, songwriters, producers, attorneys or engineers. In the present day landscape, the new crop consisting of the likes of Ne-Y0, Jazze Pha, Usher, Bangladesh, T.I and more continues to attract more emerging professionals than the roadways to stardom can accommodate. As weekly events lead to Atlanta also becoming the unofficial music conference capitol, I recall when there were five major conferences per year for the Urban entertainment “leisure time” world (flashback). Most of us strategically planned and budgeted far in advance to choose whether we’d attend Impact, Urban Network, Jack The Rapper’s Family Affair, BRE or Billboard. We’d later wait with baited breath to see the confirmation list of the “Who’s Who” in radio and records in attendance. Many careers were birthed, improved or upgraded at these confabs. As change is eminent and all of these conferences are little more than a Coke, a smile and a memory, has the music conference landscape become diluted? Will there be an awards ceremony for the best music conferences? Has this type of event lost its relevance and if you had your “druthers” would you attend any of them today or plan to budget for an Urban Buzz convention because you know business would be handled, deals would be made and progress is a mandate?

With a musical footprint cemented throughout the 90’s by the likes of L.A. Reid, Babyface, Dallas Austin and Mariah’s new manager, Jermaine Dupri to name a few, one may safely say that Atlanta, has earned a place among the top five US cities for music an production. For the last twenty plus years, there has been no shortage of singers, songwriters, producers, attorneys or engineers. In the present day landscape, the new crop consisting of the likes of Neyo, Jazze Pha, Usher, Bangladesh, T.I and more continues to attract more emerging professionals than the roadways to stardom can accommodate. As weekly events lead to Atlanta also becoming the unofficial music conference capitol, I recall when there were five major conferences per year for the Urban entertainment “leisure time” world (flashback). Most of us strategically planned and budgeted far in advance to choose whether we’d attend Impact, Urban Network, Jack The Rapper’s Family Affair, BRE or Billboard. We’d later wait with baited breath to see the confirmation list of the “Who’s Who” in radio and records in attendance. Many careers were birthed, improved or upgraded at these confabs. As change is eminent and all of these conferences are little more than a Coke, a smile and a memory, has the music conference landscape become diluted? Will there be an awards ceremony for the best music conferences? Has this type of event lost its relevance and if you had your “druthers” would you attend any of them today or plan to budget for an Urban Buzz convention because you know business would be handled, deals would be made and progress is a mandate?