The 18th Annual Millennium Music Conference & Showcase will be held February 20-23, 2014 in Harrisburg, PA. The conference features 2 afternoons of music business panels, clinics, workshops, meeting and trade show. The event celebrates new music with showcases featuring over 300 original acts at 30 live music venues. With 150 slots reserved for Sonicbids artists, all acts that submit to the showcase get free registration credentials to attend and participate in the conference whether they are selected or not. We sat down with MMC to get an inside scoop of their event. Here is what they had to say:
MMC is in its 18th year, what do you think keeps it going strong?
The free registrations with any submission for all acts and artists affords serious musicians opportunities with out the fees and packs our event.
Our centralized location makes MMC easy to reach from all east coast cities.
As the music industry has changed, so has MMC, with new acts, venues, speakers, topics and a focus geared toward independent artists and the ever shifting world of music business.
What makes MMC a unique event?
It is a very affordable and musician friendly event that each artist or band can personalize to their own needs. Whether networking, sitting down with mentors, attending panels and workshops, connecting with industry professionals or meeting other musicians, there are so many different ways to make the most out of MMC and make it work for your acts advancement.
What stands out to you when you review an artist's EPK?
I go from back to front to get the whole picture from images and words, then I listen to the music. When an artist takes the time to organize and complete their EPK it showcases a higher level of professionalism and makes it easier to place them on a bill and into a venue almost before the music is heard. Getting a sense of the artists direction and promotion is really helpful and we have custom questions in the submission form.
What is one thing you would like everyone to know about MMC?
Over 30% of all the artists are in the singer-songwriter genre. MMC welcomes all genres but some see it as only rock and roll. MMC spans genre spectrums with selections of singer-songwriters, rock, metal, indie, americana, blues, reggae, funk, punk, hip hop, jazz, edm and more. The whole band paradigm has been changing and we're changing too.
What advice to do you have to bands playing MMC?
Take advantage of all the opportunities. Don't just show up and play your showcase. Come prepared to mix the performance with networking, panels, mentoring, making new connections and partying with other musicians so you walk away with the best experience. We find that most acts really get energized from participating in MMC.
