Presented by The Indie Distributor Project
Are you an independent artist looking to take your career to the next level? Gussapolooza is the perfect place for you.
IndieLaunch features a lineup of educational seminars and workshops designed to empower indie musicians to hone their craft and cultivate a dedicated following.
With a focus on education, networking, and professional development, these seminars offer valuable insights and practical advice for musicians at any stage of their career.
Choose from a wide range of topics, including songwriting and performance techniques to marketing and promotion strategies. Whether you’re just starting out or have been making music for years, you’ll find something of value.
Located in The MTAV Barn Stage
2024 Topic Schedule:
Saturday September 14th, 2024
10:00am
The Athletic Vocalist: How To Warm-Up Your Voice and Sing or Scream Without Tension
Harley Olivia
A big part of a vocalist’s job is navigating tension. If you’ve ever strained for a note, lost your voice on tour, ran out of breath on stage, or screamed yourself hoarse – then you know how frustrating it can be! In this session, Harley will go over the best techniques to prevent and release vocal tension, in order to protect your voice long-term!
11:00am
A Holistic Approach to Songwriting
Melle (Melina Hanke)
When a song is created, it is the sum of several pieces fitting together harmoniously. In this seminar we’ll discuss some of these key pieces and how to approach them, how to shake off writer’s block, and learn ways to devise your own songwriting philosophy.
12:00pm
Getting Your Name Out There: How to Get the Best Bang for Your Buck
Noam Halberstadt
This seminar is designed specifically for indie musicians and artists looking to maximize their impact without breaking the bank. Learn the art of strategic investment in your music career, from essential marketing tools to smart social media tactics. Discover cost-effective strategies to amplify your presence, engage your audience, and achieve your creative goals! Propel your music career forward, wisely.
1:00pm
Music Promotion: Breaking the Ice with Social Media Marketing
Matt Bacon
This is a 40-minute overview of music marketing from the bottom up. It focuses primarily on tactics that anyone can easily deploy in order to grow their social media presence, streams and community.
The strategies here include:
-Why people check out new artists and how to deliver that in your branding
-Content strategy and you, plus how to make content creation less miserable.
-What makes social media accounts compelling and what makes them grow
-A basic overview of ads strategy
-Dispelling common misconceptions people have about music marketing
Sunday September 15th, 2024
10:00am
Music Licensing for Independent Musicians
Melissa Johnston
As an independent musician it is important to understand the landscape of music licensing in Canada. Join Melissa Johnston of Metalworks Institute to gain an understanding of the players in the Canadian music licensing landscape; including CMRRA, Connect Music Licensing, SOCAN, and Re:SOUND. This session will help you to develop an understanding of the music royalty ecosystem in Canada and make sure that you know all the royalty streams available to you as an independent artist/music creator.
11:00am
Perfect Your Pitch: Building Authentic Connections as an Independent Artist
Gerard Longo
Perfect Your Pitch is the quintessential guide for up-and-coming musicians building their artist platform. We walk through the steps of developing your authentic artist brand, connecting to your audience, and using the momentum gained to find opportunities in media, live performance, and partnerships while building a sustainable, profitable creative ecosystem — on your own terms.
12:00pm
Copyright 101 for Musicians
Paul Sanderson
The issues surrounding copyright have gotten more complex with the advent of digital media and AI. Independent artists need to understand their rights in and to their original works.
In this session, we’ll outline the key concepts of copyright and how they apply to songwriting so that you can put your best foot forward when releasing and distributing new music.
1:00pm
Empowering Indie Musicians with ChatGPT and AI
Sean Stephens
We all know music requires marketing and admin; usually the least desirable aspects to the business for a creative person. Tools like ChatGPT can help you revolutionize your music marketing. Learn about what ChatGPT is, and discover how ChatGPT simplifies content creation for social media, emails, and websites, helping indie musicians reach a wider audience from an artist who uses it daily. Learn to craft social posts, enhance email campaigns, and optimize your online presence. Learn how it can also be used as a creative prompt to get you free from writer’s block. Unlock the potential of GPT technologies and elevate your indie music career quicker than before.
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Speakers Include:
Paul Sanderson – Owner – Sanderson Entertainment Law
Paul has been practicing arts and entertainment law for 40+ years. He has counselled thousands of clients, including major music publishers, small and large independent record companies and gold and platinum recording artists in all aspects of the music business.
He has worked on domestic and international recording, licensing and distribution contracts in countries including Canada, the United States, Japan, Germany, South East Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Korea and Taiwan.
He is a licensed Canadian Trademark agent, an instructor at Metalworks Institute since it began in 2006 and co-founder and board of director of Artist Legal Advice Services, which since 1986, has provided summary legal advice to artists of all disciplines. www.alasontario.ca
He is the author of Musicians and the Law in Canada, now in its 4th edition, published by Carswell Legal Publications and Music Law Handbook for Canada Volumes I and II.
He is also co-founder, guitarist and main songwriter in the original blues-based group Blue Room. www.blueroomusic.com
For more information: https://www.sandersonlaw.ca/
Matt Bacon – Owner – Dropout Media
Cigar chomping Matt Bacon is a consultant, A&R man, and manager specializing in the world of heavy metal.
Matt has worked with everyone from pop stars like Mitski and boygenius to rock icons Coven and Arthur Brown by way of legendary bands Killswitch Engage, Whitechapel, Neurosis and Apocalyptica as well as labels including Prophecy Productions, Blacklight Media, Reigning Phoenix Music and Tankcrimes.
In the last year he has used his daily Instagram video series ‘Bacons Bits,’ and his podcast ‘Dumb & Dumbest,’ to give bands advice in an easily digestible way. With countless tours booked, records released, and deals signed, he loves every minute of it.
Melissa Johnston – Metalworks Institute
Melissa Johnston is a music business professional with over thirteen years of experience in music publishing, specializing in mechanical licensing and royalty processing. She joined the team at Metalworks Institute in 2019 as an Instructor and has since taken on the role of Student Success Manager.
After graduating from Durham College’s Entertainment Administration program in 2006, she began her career at CMRRA helping the industry make the transition from physical media to the age of streaming. At the CMRRA,
Melissa was able to hone her skills in client management while growing and managing a team of people responsible for the accurate licensing and processing of royalties. Melissa quickly rose through the ranks at the CMRRA and dealt directly with the largest music publishers, major and independent record labels, while interacting with senior management and helping develop a new licensing platform.
Melissa combines her passion for music with a deep understanding of the business side of the industry and the nuances of not only being successful in the industry, but how to navigate the many facets of the industry to thrive.
Gerard Longo – Founder/CEO – Underground Music Collective (UMC)
Gerard Longo is the Founder/CEO of Underground Music Collective (UMC), a Nashville-based educational and multimedia platform serving the music industry and independent creatives, everywhere. For more than a decade, UMC has impacted thousands of musicians, creatives, and industry stakeholders through multimedia content, live music experiences, and the UMC Academy artist coaching program.
Gerard spearheads UMC’s collaborations with local, national, and global brands, including Universal Music Group, Red Bull, the Tennessee Titans, Creative Artists Agency, Liberty Tax, the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, Helping Our Music Evolve, and Redfin Real Estate. Gerard’s work has been featured across major media outlets including iHeartRadio, Fox News Digital, and MusicRow Magazine; and UMC has been invited to attend and/or cover major events and festivals across the U.S. and Canada, including Nashville’s Big Bash, AmericanaFest, ForbesBLK, Musikfest, and many more.
Noam Halberstadt – Marketing Specialist | Music Producer – Lamplight Music Marketing & Artist Development
Noam’s journey in the music industry began at a young age, playing guitar professionally with local event bands when he was just 16. In 2015, he took the leap and launched his own project, “Human Index” embarking on a year-long tour across Toronto. This immersive experience not only deepened his connection to music but also ignited a passion for the business behind the melodies.
Transitioning into music recording and engineering felt like a natural progression for Noam, leading him to join the esteemed team at Revolution Recording. Here, he had the privilege of working alongside renowned bands such as Alexisonfire and the Headstones and the Strumbellas, honing his craft and gaining invaluable insights into the intricacies of sound production while picking up cues about the larger business-oriented perspectives.
While working as an engineer, he realized that there was a widespread misunderstanding among musicians regarding music marketing and this ultimately steered his career path. Fueled by a desire to bridge this gap, he made the transition into marketing, determined to demystify the process for fellow artists. Today, he specializes in all facets of music marketing, leveraging my diverse background to drive innovative campaigns forward and is at the forefront of experimentation, exploring the intersection of AI creatives and music advertising to unlock new possibilities in the ever-evolving landscape of the industry.
Harley Olivia – Voice Teacher and Singer/Songwriter
Born from the chaotic dive bar scene of Toronto, Harley Olivia has seen it all. From fronting metal bands to circus-punk and everything in between, Harley has always felt most alive on the stage.
She has over 15 years of experience as a performer, and in 2013, she graduated from Humber College’s Theatre Performance Program, where she expanded her knowledge of the breath and voice. After graduation, She continued her voice studies as an apprentice to contemporary opera legend and author; Fides Krucker.
Harley now divides her time between being a voice teacher and a singer/songwriter. In her spare time, she gives talks on the subject of Voice Science and Songwriting to the students of OIART. You can find more information on Harley Olivia’s music, shows and lessons at her website: www.harleyoliviamusic.com
Sean Stephens – CEO – Treefrog Inc. – Independent Musician
A passionate guitarist and singer, Sean dedicates his after hours to writing songs, always aiming to create something meaningful and inspiring… Something that people can relate to.
As the CEO of Treefrog Inc. a renowned multi-faceted digital transformation agency, Sean gets to regularly work with companies all over the world to strategically leverage branding, marketing and technology to hyper-charge their businesses.
Sean gets to meet and work with CEO’s across all industries and walks of life, and gets to bring new technologies regularly to bear in new and interesting places.
Melle (Melina Hanke) – Singer/Songwriter – Canadian Musicians Cooperative
Melle began writing songs at age nine as a way to cope with her lifelong battle with depression.
Now, almost 16 years later, Melle has amassed an astounding 2+ million followers and subscribers across many social media platforms by performing covers and original songs showcasing her bone-chilling vocals and journey of learning original guitar.
We will be posting scheduling details shortly. If you have any questions, please email us at info@gussapolooza.com