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.
Past Topics Include:
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 writers block. Unlock the potential of GPT technologies and elevate your indie music career quicker than before.
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!
How to Fail (and then succeed) In Getting 10K Followers on TikTok in 6 Months
Sean Stephens
In this seminar, we’ll dive into the world of TikTok, exploring the strategies that work and the pitfalls to avoid. Learn how to create consistent, engaging content, build your fanbase, and make the most of this powerful platform. Learn what resonates, where to lean in, and where to hold back. Join Sean Stephens for expert insights, practical tips, and real-world examples to elevate your TikTok game and boost your music career.
Copyright 101 for Musicians
Max Rothschild
The issues surrounding copyright have gotten all the more complex with the advent of digital media and new formats such as NFTs. It’s important for independent artists 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 music ,so that you can put your best foot forward when releasing and distributing new music.
Intro to Artist Contracts
Max Rothschild
We’ve all heard the term “Get signed”, but rarely are we told about the fine print—in other words, what are you getting into? How much do you know about what you’re signing, and whether it’s the right thing for your music and your career?
In this session we’ll explore the fundamentals of artist contracts, both from an independent label and major label perspective. You need to understand the implications of how these contracts work, so that you’re equipped with the knowledge to negotiate the best path forward.
How to Professionalize Your Brand’s Design
Kerri MacLeod
In today’s music industry, it’s important for bands to have a professional and cohesive visual identity. In this seminar we’ll discuss the key elements of successful brand design and share practical tips for professionalizing your band’s image. From logo creation to social media presence, this seminar will provide valuable insights for any group or artist looking to elevate their brand.
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.
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Past Speakers Include:
Max Rothschild; Associate – Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Heim Finlay LLP
Max practises in the areas of entertainment, music, digital media and intellectual property law. Before joining Stohn Hay Cafazzo Dembroski Heim Finlay LLP, Max worked as in-house counsel for the Canadian Musical Reproduction Rights Agency Ltd. (CMRRA) and as an associate at Bereskin & Parr LLP. With experience both as in-house counsel and in private practice, Max brings a practical and business-oriented perspective to legal matters.
Max works with a wide variety of clients, ranging from emerging and established artists to music publishers and copyright collectives. He assists them with negotiating and drafting agreements, intellectual property enforcement, licensing and royalties, and provides general copyright law advice.
Max is an advocate for the arts and accessible legal resources and is a board member with the Artists’ Legal Advice Services (ALAS). He is also the corporate secretary for Interactive Ontario, a not-for-profit trade association dedicated to the economic and creative growth of the Interactive Digital Media (IDM) industry in Ontario.
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.
Kerri MacLeod; Owner – Mothership
Kerri is a multidisciplinary Graphic Designer and Information Architect, with additional skills in front-end programming.
She is a conceptual thinker and has an outstanding ability for visual and strategic design.
With a unique combination of design and analytics skills, Kerri often serves as the translator between programming and creative.
Over the last 10 years, Kerri has assisted numerous companies with their branding and marketing needs, having worked on nationwide marketing, advertising, product launch and image campaigns for both national brands and companies, as well as a range of startups and mid-size businesses.
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 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 of 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.
We will be posting new additions, seminar and speaker details shortly. If you have any questions, please email us at info@gussapolooza.com