2020 DCMS SESSIONS

Vinyl and Vinyasa

We believe that musicians can better thrive in business and life if they strengthen their mind and body connection and make wellness a priority! Get your zen with instructor, Mary Mbaba (@mary2thegame. Mary will lead yogis thru a chill vinyasa flow with classical vinyl collection from DJ Chalant (@DJchalant).

Arts in Wellness/Music in Health

Learn about the field of arts in health, gain an understanding in the commonalities and differences between music therapy and therapeutic music in the healthcare environment. The attendees will hear about the current local arts in health programs, find out information about artist in residence training and hear first hand experiences of how music has been used as a healing tool in hospitals for cancer support and palliative care.

Tamara Wellons is a vocal music recording artist who has a voice that flows seamlessly from hymns to soulful house music. Upholding her southern Virginia roots and musical tradition, Tamara has performed on prestigious national and international stages, such as London’s Jazz Café, DC’s Blues Alley, Richmond Jazz Festival, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and many more.

Tamara is a 2019 Artist Fellow in Music for Prince George's County Arts and Humanities Council, a two-time grant recipient of the Maryland State Arts Council (MSAC) Independent Artist Award for Vocal Performance. The multi-faceted singer has released three music albums and starred in an original theatrical concert production of Songs for Janie, a music interpretation of Zora Neale Hurston’s literary classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God.

When not on stage, Tamara works in the Arts in Health field healing arts singer at Georgetown University Hospital- Lombardi Cancer Center, Washington Hospital Center- Palliative Care and is the Program Manager for the Smith Center for Healing and the Arts - Artist in Residence Program at Inova Schar Cancer Institute providing integrative health and the delivers arts and music services to patients, hospital staff and caregivers.

Creative AND Corporate: How to Manage Your Career as an Independent Artist

Attendees will receive insight on how to manage the business of music as an independent artist. Given the increasing de-centralization of the music and the accessibility of technology, more and more artists are choosing to remain independent. This program will provide independent artists and their collaborators/team with insight, instructions and resources to help them thrive as an independent artist.

Stephanie Mathis is a 2012 graduate of American University, Washington
College of Law in Washington, DC. While in school, she was a student attorney with the Community and Economic Development Law Clinic, where she provided free legal representation to small businesses and non-profit organizations with various legal issues pertaining to tax, finance, governance, intellectual property and compliance with various state and federal regulations, in addition to consulting with clients on business development matters. Since becoming a licensed attorney in both Virginia and Maryland, Stephanie has worked on matters in various areas of law, to include: Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Law, Small Business Law, Non-Profit Law, Immigration Law, Landlord-Tenant Law, Family Law, and Medical Malpractice Law.
Stephanie also accredited by the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs, assisting
veterans in their understanding of and access to the many benefits available to them. Stephanie is also an Associate Member of the Washington, D.C. Chapter of The Recording Academy.

Podcasting 101

If you are thinking about starting a podcast or you have one and have questions, this is a great event created just for you. We will go over the very basics of setting up a podcast and how to navigate all of the steps. We will also have a lengthy Q&A session so come prepared with your questions and please don't be shy, we love talking about podcasts and our goal is to help you with yours.

In particular, Heartcast Media Founder Molly Ruland, will really dial in on how audio & video content can boost your visibility as an artist or musician. She has spent 20 years in local music and multimedia and comes with first hand experience and information on effective marketing on a bootstrapped budget.

Clave: Rhythmic Key of the Diaspora

This interactive presentation entitled “Clave - Rhythmic Keys of the Diaspora”, is the first in a music & culture series tentatively titled “Black Atlantic”. The focus of this 30 to 45min presentation is to shed light on the black African aesthetic of rhythmic structure commonly dubbed ‘syncopation’ by western musicologists but better explained by the Afro-Cuban concept
of the 'Clave'. More specifically, the session will show how this African principle was incorporated into and influenced western concepts of musical meter ranging from Brazil to the US, how it remains at the core of nearly all modern music and how it can be applied in composition.

Making Money on the Road

How to tour effectively as an indie artist.

Finance management
Route planning and logistics
Booking and pitching
Show planning

Unapologetically outspoken, flying her freak flag, and always smiling, Washingtonian Magazine dubbed Emma G as one of the “Best of DC”. One Love Massive describes her as “charismatic”, and ANR Factory describes her voice as "poignant and beautiful” with “astounding bravery to speak up” on issues that matter to her.
And where did this bravery come from? A long history of health issues, brain surgeries, battles with depression and suicide, drug addiction, and sexual assault, yet still finding the inner strength to come out the other side positively: singing her truth. “Things that happen to us don’t make us who we are, but we all need to overcome struggles. The trick is to overcome them together.” Says Emma G. “My hope is that my music will not only resonate with individual people, but also ignite those flames of love, resilience and community”.
Recent appearances have included the National Cherry Blossom Festival- and Independence Day Parades, PBS, and The Kennedy Center, Fox5 TV, CBC News, and The Daily Show, as well as venues such as LA's The Mint, New York City's Rockwood Music Hall, Washington DC's Arena Stage, and the documentary premiere of Academy-award nominated The Weight of Success in Palm Springs, California. Now - fresh off a nationwide New Zealand tour, and a recent 22-date US tour spanning from Washington DC to New York, Burlington, Vermont to Asheville, and North Carolina to Austin, Texas with her band of misfits Joey J Drums and DJ Reality Check, the trio are a force to be reckoned with.

Making a Living in Music

This panel will hear from a handful of musicians and learn how they are making a living with their musical career. From video game covers to grants and merchandising. Diverse perspectives on the avenues for career paths and income streams as an independent artist.

(Moderator) - Whitney Jones is the Creator and Blogger for ‘It’s a Lifestyled,’ an online platform for up and coming artists, music producers and songwriters. Seeking to advance her career in Artist Development and Artist & Repertoire. Whitney‘s platform has gained her many connections within the industry to help advance and shine light on the careers of rising artists. Now working as a writer with The Washington Informed Bridge DC, Whitney is passionately working towards extending her brand including hosting events, conducting interviews and to continue to be a voice in the music industry.

Stan "Substantial" Robinson - The legendary Chuck D of Public Enemy referred to Substantial as “One of the great MCs of our time.” His soulful, introspective brand of Hip Hop has received critical acclaim from The Source Magazine, Ebony, and Okayplayer while his videos have appeared on MTV, VH1 and BET. Substantial has performed in nearly 20 countries and collaborated with artists such as Kool Herc, Oddisee, Asheru and more.

Stephen "Night Train 357" Wilkes - NIGHT TRAIN 357 is a creative emcee that enjoys infusing wordplay with subject matter not often touched upon in the Hip-Hop community. He has performed with the likes of Black Sheep, Nonchalant, Logic, Salt (from Salt-N-Pepa), Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, Cappadonna, Slick Rick, Ethan Spalding, Edword Asis, NuChoyce, and Biz Markie as well as a long list of DJ’s, emcees, singers, and musicians.

Diwa De Leon - Diwa de Leon is a Philippine-born independent composer, music producer and content creator now based in the US. He has made it his personal mission to promote the sound of the hegalong, a two- stringed lute from the Philippines. He has won awards and rave reviews for his film scores in the Philippine film industry. He wrote the music for Brillante Mendoza’s “AMO”, the first Filipino Netflix series. He is also a YouTube content creator known as String Player Gamer, where he produces video game music covers for his 140,000 subscribers. His music has been streamed over 35 million times on Spotify under the String Player Gamer brand.

Samples: A Production Panel For The Artist

This panel looks at the art of how to work with sampling and sampler equipment. The state of clearance of samples and also the use of royalty free sounds.

(Moderator) - Arda Mus

OHLOW

Soundtracks & Scores: How Music Can Impact a Film's Success

In this interactive workshop participants will discuss classic film soundtracks and scores, and their impact on audiences. They will view examples of moving scores and scenes featuring popular songs. They will also get to engage in an activity with local actors and musicians. Participants will leave with a better understanding of how to approach scoring a film presenting songs to filmmakers.

Rahima R. Rice was born and raised in Washington, D.C. Her most recent work includes the web series, Room 513, the one-act play, The Eight -which premiered at the 2018 Anacostia Playhouse Visions/Revisions New Works Festival- and the soon to be released short film Making & Breaking. Rahima is the curator of The 10-Minute Taste, a modern take on dinner theater. In 2020 her full-length play At the Full Yum will be included in Signature Theater's SigWorks Reading Series. Rahima holds a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Media from the University of the District of Columbia, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for the Stage & Screen from Lesley University.

Meditative Effects of Music on the Brain and Body

This session will include an informational presentation and experiential lesson on the physiological benefits of listening to music, practicing deep breathing, and singing.

Christian Mallett, M.S. is a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology at Howard University and a singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, CA. As a Ph.D. student in Clinical Psychology, Christian’s research explores resilience factors that buffer the negative impact of childhood adversity on later mental and physical health. Christian also teaches emotion regulation, coping, and relaxation skills to children and adolescents. As a singer-songwriter, Chris Mallett has released his debut album “Even When I Didn’t Realize” on all streaming services. He has performed his music throughout Washington, D.C.

Submitting to National Platforms: A Practical Guide for Artists

This Panel explores how to support a submission for consideration by a curated national platform - Do you have what it takes to bring your music to a national audience?

(Moderator) -MarySue Twohy is a programmer / show host for SiriusXM creating multiple 24/7 music channels including folk, mellow classic rock and yoga. She was honored with a national Gracie award for her interview features on "The Village Folk Show", served on the Folk Alliance International Board for seven years, including a term as vice president and continually advocates for folk music on a national scale. She participates in local animal and sustainability activism in Maryland, where she resides with her husband and Basset Hound. She also is a two time Wammie winner from her days touring regionally in support of her three albums before starting her broadcasting career 14 years ago.

Dave Dickinson is a Program Director who helps give the Gospel channel, Kirk Franklin’s Praise, Quiet Storm formatted Silk & Urban Adult Heart and Soul their attitude for the satellite and app subscribers of SiriusXM to maximize their listening experiences. Before starting at SiriusXM, Dave programmed several terrestrial stations in Connecticut, Louisiana. Most recently he spent seven highly successful years leading Adult Urban powerhouse (at the time) WHUR to a string of market wins against ALL its’ competitors. After that effective run and a changing climate, Dave switched gears to explore developing his own website before joining the expanding world of satellite broadcasting in 2013.

Ellen Flores -As a passionate and avid music lover, Ellen’s broadcasting journey began in her native Puerto Rico. Growing up surrounded by a melting pot of genres and sounds, radio and journalism were a passion that brought her abroad for a series of career milestones like: writing for DC Latino entertainment magazine Kesta Happening, working at El Zol 107.9 FM, and ultimately SiriusXM. As the resident authority on all things Latin Rock-Alternative and Salsa, Ellen is the Program Director for the channels La Kueva and Rumbón.

Venue Perspective

Helping musicians see the perspective of venue owners and managers, and answer questions to clarify best business practices within the relationship. Explore the options available based on the different types of venue in size and scope.

Moderator: Karim Karefa 9:30 Club (Operator)
Jamon Johnson: Small Wooden Box (Owner)
Alisha Edmonson: Songbyrd (owner)
Sheldon Scott: Eaton Hotel (operator)
Miles Ryan: The Pocket (owner)

Lunch and Learn - Coming Together to Make DC a True Music City

We live in a growing changing city where displacement of creatives and gentrification is of utmost concern. Every member of our community bears the responsibility to combat that displacement with the various tools they have available to them. Musicians especially suffer from high rent, lack of space for creative expression, closing venues, shortage of industry resources, lack of accessible grant funding, unfair practices from promoters, discrimination from performance outlets and new residents who’s willful and/or uninformed actions negatively impact the vibrant cultural expression of the city.

This lunchtime breakout session is for the musicians who are interested in creating change at a citywide policy level. Listen Local First will share updates on all of the most recent legislation that has passed the council, the legislation that is pending and legislation that is currently in the pipeline and being drafted by various agencies and councilmembers. We ask all of you to come share initiatives that you are working on that need support as well as issues that you would like to see addressed at a citywide level.

Lunch and Learn -The Back End

This is the beginning of a co-working series for the music makers and creators presented by Her Dreams Productions in partnership with SoundExchange in response to the need for information about music royalties for area artists. This is a hands-on experience and an opportunity to gain understanding of legislative changes affecting music makers. The back end administrative work of registering music is the focus to help independent artists establish passive income and grow economically.

Lunch and Learn - Sound as Play

This interactive workshop will walk attendees through various free sound design programs, guiding sound design prompts, and websites for gathering free samples. As musicians, producers, and artists, it's easy to find ourselves stuck in the creative process or feeling like we are boxed in by the "right" way to produce/design soundscapes. This workshop encourages attendees to try new, experimental, and playful ways of manipulating sound by walking through sound programs and sharing thought-provoking prompts that attendees can take back to their home studios. My hope is that attendees can use what they learn from this workshop to either create new sounds/practices that they can incorporate into their music process or to simply use these methods as a way to take a step away from the seriousness that can come with producing and instead allow for moments of play, chaos, and experimentation.

MANIIK is an Indonesian-American producer, vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, DJ, and event organizer based in Washington, DC. From her affection for 2000s electropop to her academic studies in experimental computer music, MANIIK’s sound is a visceral blend of her sonic upbringing. Her forthcoming EP draws from the waste bin of pop music to fuse traditional Indonesian motifs with the artifacts of failed digital experiments. MANIIK is a member of a thriving community of LGBTQIA+ musicians of color, performing and booking shows across several cities on the east coast. Her debut Indonesia tour featured a new collaborative performance with Indonesian dancer and movement artist Karina Sokowati. You can find MANIIK on Soundcloud and Instagram (@baby.gamelan).

Lunch and Learn - Branding for Part-Time Musicians

This workshop explores efficient methods of brand development for music careers
• Pursuing music and branding under a limited time-schedule
• Methods of putting yourself out there in person and online
• Networking techniques

Music Industry A-Z

This panel is so significant it has it's own listing. Read about it here

Inclusivity in Music

This panel explores Accessibility and Diversity issues in the music industry with a focus on DC.

Adeyanju Aiyegbusi (they/them) is a musician and cultural organizer based in Washington DC. Outside of live performance, their work interrogates genre as a racialized and gendered construct that benefits industry at the expense of Black musicians. As a student of punk and DIY countercultures, Adeyanju frames the arts and artists as conduits for radical resistance, liberation, and transformative world building. In February 2019, Adeyanju founded the arts collective P0STB1NARY as a direct response to the lack of resources for Black and non-white trans creatives. P0STB1NARY seeks to build sustainable ecosystems by shifting power away from gatekeepers and towards creative workers.

Sonia Herrero is a DC-based music producer. She is chapter head of DC Soundgirls.org. Currently, Sonia is a session violinist for film and commercial music and explores modern music techniques such as looping and sound design to amplify the meditative qualities of classical music. She also teaches music workshops around DC with the Hirshhorn's annual Sound Scene festival.

Aaron Cunningham is a writer, public speaker, freelance journalist, lyricist, son, husband, and proud native of Flint, Michigan. He currently serves as the Executive Assistant at the Campaign Legal Center, a Washington, DC-based non-profit dedicated to advancing democracy through law. He has spent his professional career working in DC-area non-profits in the fields of civil rights, education, international development, and workforce development. On the performance side, Aaron is a frontman and lead singer of the bands Avid Reader and Petty Indulgences, an actor in local community theater, and a participant and founding officer in a Washington, DC-area ToastMasters chapter.

Kiona Owens is a business practitioner with over 10 years of combined experience in both public and private sectors. A skilled professional with extensive experience in supplying strategic diversity inclusion programming, an expert at gathering performance data to help remove barriers to inclusion in the sports, entertainment and art industries.

Women in Music DC Presents: Get Your Taxes on Track!

WIM DC will be hosting the panel “Women in Music DC Presents: Get Your Taxes on Track!” at the DC Music Summit (DCMS) on Feb 1. The panel will feature Jack Porter, CFO for RoadNation.com, a tech company that crowd funds for touring performers. Jack will discuss the types of taxes musicians can write-off and how to choose the best entity type for you. The panel will be from 3-4 PM at the Eaton Hotel in DC.

Jack Porter currently serves as the Chief Financial Officer for RoadNation.com, a technology company that crowd funds for touring performers. He also manages his private accounting practice and is a principal in Lighthouse Real Estate Services, LLC, a company providing quality affordable housing in and around Charleston S.C.
Mr. Porter served as the Chief Financial Officer of The Châteauville Foundation and The Castleton Festival as well as the late Maestro Lorin Maazel’s business manager and financial officer for over 20 years.
Jack Porter, a certified public accountant, received a BS in accounting from Bowling Green State University in 1972. He grew up in Columbus Ohio and lived in the Detroit area for 15 years following college.

Creative Advocacy Beyond Raising Awareness

This interactive and movement-focused session will teach participants the rules of bringing art, music, and creativity into the halls of Congress and other places of power. It will engage participants in exploring how they could use music, movement, and play to touch those in power and transform structures of oppression.

Brianna McGowan (developer, poet, data scientist, advocate, dancer) and Sam Bonar (bard, facilitator, mediator, comedic strategist) are passionate about changing the culture of power, intersecting worlds, and building a political system with respect, integrity, and liberation. They are the current co-facilitators of Delicious Democracy: DC's creative advocacy lab. Sometimes known as Code Red and Filiblaster, they encourage their community to boldly envision a future that defies the status quo through a new political ideology called Equitism. They are gathering listeners, builders, and creatives to help found a cultural/political community nourished by face-to-face creative action and experimentation.

Racism in Children’s Music: Practical Steps for Liberating Music for the Black Child

This workshop will explore the history of racism in children’s music; how popular nursery rhymes continue to be used to reinforce inferiority complexes in children; and the cultural appropriation of African music in popular children’s movies. It will also highlight the award-winning teaching artists of color who are creating culturally relevant music for children and provide practical solutions/resources to help parents, teachers and guardians take back control of their children’s music listening experience.

The Uncle Devin Show® is an interactive, musical experience for children by renowned drummer and percussionist, Devin Walker. The show cultivates the minds of children through percussion instruments and is a dynamic cross between DC's Trouble Funk and Schoolhouse Rock! Uncle Devin takes children on a magical journey through the Land of Percussion that allows them to hear, see, and play different percussion instruments while gaining an understanding of the history of percussion and why it is the easiest, oldest, and most diverse form of musical creativity.

The Marketing Strategy: Making An Impact

Brand presence is your first opportunity to interact with your audience and help them make decisions in your favor. By building a solid marketing strategy, you'll be better able to reach all of your audience, while making an impact with your brand's unique voice. Discover how a marketing strategy can create actionable steps and spark your creative energy!

Learning objectives

Define your target audience and how can you reach them more effectively.
Design strategies so your marketing plan can create profit.
Explore different tactics for your audience while staying on brand.

Karen Baker is an accomplished Business Owner, Adviser, and Board Member with 25 years of success across the higher education and marketing industries. Her areas of expertise include strategic planning, marketing, event management, and media relations. Karen works directly with C-Suite entrepreneurs and executives and their key stakeholders on internal strategy design, marketing, branding, and national advertising campaigns in the Arts, Entertainment, and Social Impact. She has been a Professor for 15 years teaching both undergraduate and graduate-level certification students at George Washington University and American Public University. For her exceptional leadership, she has been 4x grantee of DCCAH Arts & Humanities and PCMA Best in Class 2018-2020.
Karen obtained her BA in Political Science from Howard University, her MTA in Event Management from The George Washington University, School of Business, as well as a Master in Arts, Design Management from Savannah College of Art and Design. She is Board President for a ten year, a non-profit organization, Social Art and Culture.

Crafting the Perfect Narrative (And Why That's Important)

The American music industry is roughly a decade away from earning as much as it did at its height 20 years ago. This will be accomplished with 10x as many artists topping the charts from a seemingly infinite supply of nations worldwide. Thus, it's more important than ever for artists to know the who, where, how, and why of their careers.

I've worked in multiple genres with artists from four continents. Understanding how to create compelling stories alongside artists themselves is how I have defined my success on the industry side of music.

This session breaks down how artists can start to figure out their story (and why that's important), plus navigate that through hiring support staff, pitching to blogs, developing a live performance, giving interviews, and more. With a blend of anecdotes from my decade-plus time in music, plus breaking down the logic of narratives that have worked, I create a compelling story that defines where music is headed and how, with work, a diligent and intelligent creative can play a part in that.

Marcus K. Dowling is a journalist, broadcaster and entrepreneur. In the past ten years, via his conceptual vision and marketing expertise, Marcus has aided creative entrepreneurs in the arts and entertainment industries in earning over $25 million in gross revenue. He is currently a co-founder of the DC-based Afro-Latino ADOBO event brand, plus as a freelance journalist regularly writes for the likes of DJ City, VICE, Pitchfork, DJ Booth, Complex, Bandcamp, Mixmag, ESPN's Undefeated, and more.

Don't Mute DC- 2020 What's Next for Go-Go & Urban Artists

This Panel explores the perspectives of Go-Go artists as they move forward with continuing the advocacy and celebration of DC's hometown sound, Go-Go.