Overview
We are excited to announce our Second Annual “Music As A Business: Educational Seminar” event at Soundcheck - Nashville, TN. This one-day program is intended to bring musicians and industry experts together for a fun and informative day centered around the legal and business issues all musicians / artists must face. Learn to build your team and grow your business with various tools and resources we provide! Presented by Ashlevans Ent., ARC Law Group, Shure Microphones, and 650am WSM Radio.
Fri. September 20, 2019
Sat. September 21, 2019
TICKET PRICES: Early Bird to Aug 15 = $20 • From Aug 16 to Sept 18 = $25 • Day Of $30 (cash or venmo)
Presented by Ashley L. Evans / Spotlight615
After booking shows and graphic designing logos, images, branding and websites for many artists, Ashley founded Spotlight615, which has featured over 400 original acts, performing all original music. She wanted to create showcases for original artists, featured them at the only all original music show on Broadway (Tin Roof Broadway), with various pop-ups around Nashville including residences at The Stillery midtowns’s rooftop, SOUTH, Germantown Art Crawl, and has done seven sold-out Road Trip shows in Chicago, IL, all while raising over $75k for local charities, including Team Big 98 for St Jude. This event, Music As A Business: Educational Seminar, was created from all the questions I get as a graphic designer, agent, artist manager - in seeking out a team around me to assist independant artists advance in their careers, from lawyers to producers to PROs and CPAs! I am thankful for the many and many of hours on calls Mark has spent with me and artists I work with, keeping our legal stuff on par.
and Mark A. Pearson / ARC Law Group
Mark A. Pearson is the principal counsel at ARC Law Group, a law firm focused on advising Creative, Talented and Entrepreneurial clients in the areas of business, entertainment, sports and technology law. Following his career as an award-winning television producer, Mark spent the past decade advising some of the hardest working acts in the music biz, including international touring artists Con Brio, Front Country and DJ Mark Farina, as well as, up and coming acts such as Barrio Manouche and Ellise. In addition to his work in the music industry, Mark served as production counsel for Academy Award nominee, Borrowed Time and was recently awarded the Governor’s Citation Medallion for his service to the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (Emmy® Award). Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, but with clients in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Nashville, Mark also advises leading entertainment-technology disruptors like TuneGo, Caffeine and Fandor.
You can reach Mark at mark@arclg.com / www.arclg.com.
and Ryan Smith / Shure Microphones
Ryan Smith, Regional Manager of Shure’s Artist Relations office in Nashville will be on site to discuss some recording techniques involving their MOTIV line of USB recording mics.
650am WSM - wsmonline.com
Throughout August and September, watch for times to tune in live with Ashley and specials guests - live on WSM www.wsmonline.com
• Aug 29 @ 11am Ashley with Phil Bogard (Rock to Recovery) & Elizabeth Porter (EHS & MIND Movement).
• Sept 12 @ 11am Ashley with Ryan Smith (Shure) & Sadie Campbell (artist).
• Sept 18 @ 10:30am with Mark Pearson (ARC Law Group).
Schedule.
• Doors 9:15am - check in & vendor booths open / Start 10am, Coffee thanks to Starbucks.
• Workshop #1 10:15 - 11:15am with Rick Barker
• Panel #1 “Mind / Body / Soul” 11:30am - 12:30pm hosted by Ashley L. Evans of Ashlevans Ent. / Spotlight615 featuring: Elizabeth Porter - Entertainment Health Services • Phil Bogard - Rock To Recovery • Ben Cannon - agent Spark Joy Music • Ben Shaw - Artist
• Lunch 12:30 - 1:30pm (provided, thanks to Shure) with Lexi Carter and Lindsey Sipe!
• Panel #2 “Building your Artist Team” 1:30 - 2:30pm featuring Ryan Smith - Shure • Sam Jackson - Tax Manager, Marcus Cobb - Jammber … and more TBA!
• Cookies, thanks to Tiff’s Treats!
• Workshop #2 “Getting Paid: Music Copyright & Digital Royalties” 3-4pm with Mark A. Pearson of ARC Law Group
Speakers / Special guests on panels:
PANEL #1 “Mind / Body / Soul” 11:30am - 12:30pm
ELIZABETH PORTER, LPC/MHSP is the Founder and President of Entertainment Health Services, specializing in mental health and coaching services for individuals working within the entertainment industry. As a Licensed Mental Health Therapist, Certified Entertainment Industry Life Coach, 10+ years in leadership/management, and a background in the music industry; Elizabeth brings a unique blend of experience and skills to those served in the industry. She received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from Kent State University and her Masters Degree in Counseling Psychology from Northeastern University. Over the years, Elizabeth’s experience in the mental health field included working as a coordinator for residential programs and community based services, program manager for school-based therapists, emergency services clinician, and interventionist.
Elizabeth started Entertainment Health Services (EHS) in 2015 and launched her coaching program in the beginning of 2018 as an extended service of EHS. Throughout her career in Mental Health, Elizabeth always maintained deep involvement in the entertainment world; initially as an independent artist in Boston releasing two albums and doing some sound engineering. She later relocated to Nashville, where she worked as a venue booking manager and continuing as a solo artist, releasing another EP and performing regularly. It was during these years she began to focus on the unique issues facing entertainers and other entertainment industry professionals. She recognized a need for greater support around mental health and navigating the stressors of the industry. Elizabeth decided to combine her two careers, opening EHS and dedicating her career to helping entertainment professionals through mental wellness and life coaching. EHS works with creative professionals, executives, and individuals in entertainment business on an individual level as well as through workshops. Through EHS, Elizabeth aims to bring greater awareness of mental health to the industry, reduce stigma, and support individuals in entertainment with navigating life and mental health.
Phil Bogard, from Rock To Recovery. Phil is a founding member of the major label band Ingram Hill, who in the early to late 2000’s toured with Hootie & the Blowfish, Maroon 5, Gavin Degraw, Better Than Ezra and many other large headline acts. The band boasts two Top 40 hits on Billboard’s Hot Adult Contemporary radio airplay charts as well song placements in three major motion pictures: 13 Going On 30, Raising Helen, and Herbie Fully Loaded. The band performed on many local and regional tv shows and also had a national performance on Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show.
More recently, Phil has played/written/produced with hip hop artist, Jelly Roll; touring as an opening act for artists such as Cypress Hill, Insane Clown Posse, and Yelawolf. And for the last two years he has been touring as the lead guitarist for Walker McGuire, whose debut single, “Til Tomorrow,” hit in the top 50 of Billboard’s Country Music list, which has landed them on arena tours with acts such as Lee Brice, Kane Brown, and Jake Owen.
Marcus Cobb is a technologist, product designer, public speaker and successful entrepreneur. Cobb hails from modest and humble beginnings in El Paso, Texas where he was born and raised. He has become a highly sought-after investor, mentor and strategist for numerous organizations. His most recent role is CEO and co-founder of Jammber, a payment-workflow platform for the music and entertainment industries.
Though successful by all standards, Cobb often refers to his turbulent upbringing of being “every statistic you don’t want to be” as a call-to-action for youth and aspiring entrepreneurs. He often shares openly about his childhood challenges; from physical parental abuse to adjusting to life in a foster home as a teenager. But mostly, he celebrates the matriarchs who raised him and drove him to succeed.
“My grandmothers. They worked tirelessly to convince me I was uniquely capable and loved, despite the many bad actors in my life. They spent a lot of energy nurturing those beliefs in me. They celebrated my tinkering and my ‘inventions’. They would walk me to the bookmobile when I was very young and just smile in the background when I’d argue with the bookmobile drivers that the 3-book limit wasn’t enough to last any kid for a whole week. I needed at least 5...or 7. Once those amazing women set my imagination free, my life began to follow suit,” recalls Cobb.
Cobb believes perspective is the chief factor when it comes to success for anyone, admonishing, “if you examine and study the history of great success you find that many, many successful people come from modest or even very difficult backgrounds. You have to resist the temptation to internalize a negative narrative that where you come from determines where you are going. We all have extraordinary value.”
Cobb discovered the benefits of computer science at the age of 7, when his elementary school installed their first computer lab. He created his first computer game at age 12 and was an IT manager of a multi-million dollar marketing company by age 19. At age 21, the Las Vegas Review Journal endorsed him as a “computer prodigy...and one to watch” and his story has been featured in multiple publications including Tim Shaw’s book, Blitz Your Life.
By his early twenties, Cobb had established a reputation for providing companies of all sizes with strategic advantages through his technical innovations and building high-performance teams. He went on to work for Fortune 50 companies including Microsoft, Dell and CitiGroup; amassing a remarkable project portfolio.
Today, platforms he helped architect and design handle over $190 billion dollars in transactions annually.
Having started his first venture at age 18, Cobb returned to his entrepreneurial roots after his tenure in corporate America. He joined the early leadership team at TicketsNow.com which grew into a $270M acquisition by TicketMaster. He subsequently founded and sold enterprise software company EIDO Software; his first solo exit. Cobb then went on to create Marc Wayne Fashions, a luxury fashion brand, and RRIPL Consulting, a top-tier technical staffing company. “I design products for real people. And I start companies because of the extraordinary, positive economic impact on people’s lives that might not have happened if we didn’t. That drives me.” says Cobb.
Vision for Jammber: When asked why he founded Jammber, Cobb says, “we realized in removing the mountains of red tape in the way of creativity, we have an opportunity to usher in a Renaissance of the arts and change lives in the process.”
Regarding the music industry specifically, Cobb continued, “Music is the history of the world. Streaming’s rapid growth has forced an old, massive, inefficient marketplace to reinvent itself. It’s a painful change and the industry needs a path forward. Everyone at Jammber feels we’re extremely fortunate to have a chance to provide the industry with that path forward. Call it serendipity or luck because it’s a much larger opportunity than we ever imagined. But it’s humbling and incredibly motivating when you have a legitimate chance to change the world.”
Ben Shaw is a singer-songwriter who has been performing on and off again for close to 30 years. Ben's music is a song-driven, modern folk where lyrical melodies are sung with barroom grit, embellished with psychedelic Americana. In 2016, after a decade or so of avoiding the spotlight, Ben released his first full-length album in over 15 years, Feet to the Fire, a sonic painting, which embodies the love and experiences he has been given in his life by so many.
In August of 2018, Ben released his follow-up record, Bonita, at Pine Hollow Studios in Eau Claire, WI with Producer Evan Middlesworth (The National). Ben heads back into the studio again this November to record his next album, due to release in 2020. https://thebenshaw.com/
Benjamin Cannon, of Spark Joy Music, Owner; Indy Skyline Sessions. Ben is a David Gray fan who does private artist consulting and public artist development, in that order. He also thinks that drinking coffee by the lakeside with his kids is the best thing ever. His passion is providing support and education to creatives that want a contrast and a different perspective in an industry full of opinions. Ben has been playing instruments since he was 12 years old, attended Indiana University for music and business marketing. Being in love with music his whole life, he took a sabbatical to Wilmington Island in 2008 to get back to basics and to pursue his own musical journey. Ben discovered that he wanted his life to be about helping as many other creatives succeed in achieving their musical aspirations.
He is now the owner of Spark Joy Music, Indy Skyline Sessions, and a future educational center. Ben is 1 part small business owner, 1 part event planner, 2 parts artist consultant, and 3 parts Father. Too many parts? He’ll tell you it’s all about routine, consistency, and being a little bit crazy.
Panel #2 “Building your Artist Team” 1:30 - 2:30pm
Samantha Jackson, CPA, Tax Manager @ Farris, Self & Moore, LLC who provides business management and tax consulting, preparation and accounting services to individuals and various business entities throughout the entertainment industry and the general business community. Our client base primarily consists of award-winning musicians, songwriters, publishers, record companies, producers and other creative and corporate entities in a variety of professions. samantha@fsmnash.com
CHRIS MCGREW - Working as a drummer and producer for the past 25 years in San Francisco, Chris has been a catalyst for new projects and connections, and has released numerous titles as a drummer, producer, and/or engineer. In 2000, Chris co-founded Tunesmith to produce commercial music in support of a band called Griddle. We made 6 albums over 12 years, paying for tours and studio time by making music for radio spots and a popular animated series called Heavy Metal Guy.
Chris went on to manage First Generation Studios, where he produced music and sound design and recorded voiceover for clients like Verizon, Samsung, Facebook, The Discovery Channel, Nat Geo Wild, and many others. Recent film projects as sound designer and composer include Love Hurts, an award-winning short and Brujo, a feature-length drama.
Chris is currently co-owner and producer at the historic Hyde Street Studio C in San Francisco, and is the drummer and co-producer on the upcoming Pamela Parker album The Fantastic Machine. In order to fulfill the need for distribution, promotion and tour support, Chris recently started a booking agency called HydeOut Talent Agency and co-founded XRACER Productions, an artist oriented ‘label services’ company designed to help artists release and monetize their work.
Lexi Carter: Lexi currently co-hosts the lifestyle show, Nashville Today, on WSM Radio with Devon O'Day. Lexi has been producing and co-hosting the show since 2017, and came to Nashville after working in country radio for over 10 years at the Jersey Shore. She's been wearing multiple hats most of her career being an on-air personality, as well as a producer. She is able to balance it all while letting her positive personality shine through.
She also hosts dozens of live events each year, including a conversation with Jerrod Niemann at WSM's Music City Mentors, the Belk Fashion Show during the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament and the Gospel Bird Jubilee at Ole Smoky/Yee-Haw Brewing on Sundays in downtown Nashville.
Rick Barker is Host of The Music Industry Blueprint Podcast and Former Manager of Taylor Swift. Rick coaches and consults artist all over the world through his online membership programs. His “Super Power” is simplifying complicated issues. He is a featured Keynote Speaker and specializes in teaching Social Media to build and engage fans. http://rickbarker.com
Pamela Parker is a producer, engineer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and high-powered vocalist. She has been working for the last 12 years at the legendary Hyde Street Studios in SF as a producer and engineer with bands like Evan Lanam & The Live Oaks, Hibbity Dibbity and The Human Condition. In addition, she fronts a rock band and has a new album out called The Fantastic Machine, produced by herself, Chris McGrew and Jaimeson Durr (Sammy Hagar, Jason Bonham) at Hyde Street Studios. Pamela has two degrees in music. The first in Vocal Performance with a double minor in jazz and classical guitar and piano. The second degree is in Commercial Music from Shenandoah Conservatory, where she studied voice, piano and guitar with a major emphasis on recording, producing and arranging music in the studio. Recently, the band produced a full score and theme song for a multi-award-winning short film Love Hurts. The band has also composed custom music for commercial clients such as Discovery Channel & Verizon. The upcoming album, The Fantastic Machine, creates a fresh rock n'roll landscape with a wide range of surprising touchstones like Bonnie Raitt, Aretha Franklin, Thin Lizzy, Funkadelic and Heart. Pamela’s last album, Evolutionary Process, also produced at HSS debuted at #1 and was up for Album of the Year in Vancouver, BC on CHLY Radio. Pam@PamelaParkerRocks.com & www.PamelaParkerRocks.com
Lindsey Sipe from The Country Note / LIT
She’s a dreamer who doesn’t give up, a hustler who plays the game her way, and a visionary who forges her own path. That’s country music journalist Lindsey Sipe. She’s also a guards down, humor bound, sassy Southern Belle with a ridiculous amount of 90s country knowledge and a knack for telling stories with honesty and integrity. As co-owner and Nashville correspondent of the popular news website,The Country Note, Lindsey has covered events from award shows and festivals to private industry parties and benefit galas. She has interviewed Opry legends like Jeannie Seely, current hitmakers like Dierks Bentley, and rising stars like Clare Dunn. As a photographer, she has captured the pure joy of acts ranging from Ricky Skaggs to Kip Moore to Carly Pearce. Whether she’s writing a critical review or lighting up socials, Lindsey believes that music business can only succeed if it’s built on a solid foundation of raw talent, healthy relationships, and sheer drive.
And that is what has led her to create LIT Nashville---an artist consultant and media company focused on prepping the artist with the basics and matching them with their dream team. Set to launch in the fall of 2019, LIT will provide a la carte services such as bios, show photography, media training, and publicist /pitch consulting. LIT will also offer package deals, continued press coverage, and potential game changing networking opportunities. Everybody’s journey is unique, so whether you’re looking to stay independent or find a home at a label, LIT can help you put your story and your pitch together so that you can do what you do best: make YOUR music YOUR way.
Stephanie Davenport, A&R at Warner Music Nashville
Stephanie Davenport is Director of A&R at Warner Music Nashville. A lifelong lover of country music, Stephanie moved to Nashville in 2003 to attend Belmont University, during which time she realized her passion for developing and nurturing artists and songwriters. Upon graduating, Stephanie first worked at WME (William Morris Endeavor) booking concerts for their country roster before making the move to Warner Music Nashville in 2011. In her current A&R role at Warner, she scouts talent and solicits songs for artists such as Blake Shelton, Cole Swindell, Brett Eldredge, Cody Johnson, Michael Ray, and Kenny Chesney, in addition to overseeing projects for High Valley, Walker County, Randall King, and Troy Cartwright.
Sponsors, booths and beverages, oh my:
Welcome Party beverages compliments of:
We are Catalog Kings. We specialize in printing elegant and timeless pieces for all industries. From catalogs, postcards, flyers, and direct mail, to advertising for magazines and newspapers, our award-winning team of art directors and marketing professionals work with you to focus in on strategic and creative approaches that will set you apart from your competition. www.catalogkings.com
Event beverages & cookies compliments of:
• STARBUCKS
• TIFF’s TREATS
