Panels on:
-how musicians can use emerging technologies to promote and distribute their work
-health insurance for musicians
-the state and federal policies that are affecting how musicians access media, and how they will be compensated in the future

Breakouts and roundtables on:
-new revenue review
-podcasting/webcasting
-international touring and visas
-New York based initiatives and funding opportunities

Panelists

Dee Dee Acquisto Senior Director, Health & Human Services, MusiCares
Richard Bengloff President , American Association of Independent Music
Michael Bracy Policy Director, Future of Music Coalition
Jim Brown Director of Health Services, The Actors Fund
Brian Camelio CEO/Founder, ArtistShare
Ann Chaitovitz Executive Director, Future of Music Coalition
Jennifer Wright Cook Executive Director, The Field
Matthew Covey Executive Director, Tamizdat Inc.
Matthew DeFilippis Vice President, New Media & Technology, ASCAP
Ken Freedman Station Manager, WFMU
Joel Hamilton Engineer, Producer, Studio Owner, Studio G Brooklyn
Jim Hannen Contract Administration Supervisor, American Federation of Musicians of Greater New York
Dick Huey CEO, Toolshed
Ariel Hyatt President , Ariel Publicity and Cyber PR
Frannie Kelley NPR Music Production Coordinator, NPR
Zoe Knight Associate Director/Consultant, Artist Mangement & Publishing
Alex Maiolo Project Director, HINT
Charles McEnerney Host + Producer, Well-Rounded Radio
Molly Neuman Director/Manager, eMusic/Indivision Management
Marie Ortiz Program Director, Healthcare, Fractured Atlas
Hal Ponder Director of Government Relations, American Federation of Musicians
Jeff Price CEO/Founder, TuneCore
Casey Rae-Hunter Communications Director, Future of Music Coalition
Neeta Ragoowansi Director of Artist-Label Relations, SoundExchange
Molly Sheridan Managing Editor, NewMusicBox.org/Director, CounterstreamRadio.org, American Music Center
David Terry Senior Officer, NYFA
Kristin Thomson Education Director, Future of Music Coalition
Marcy Rauer Wagman Associate Professor/CEO, Drexel University/MAD Dragon UNLTD
Scott Winship Program Manager, Meet The Composer

Building a Musicians’ Middle Class

Eight years ago, Future of Music Coalition was conceived as an organization that would work to build structures to create a musicians’ middle class. It was clear to us that, while the music industry has made a handful of artists very wealthy, the vast majority of musicians live gig-to-gig, unable to afford the basic protections and securities of life that allow them to continue making their art and, equally important, without a way to educate themselves to break out of this cycle.

Since our 2000 founding, we have focused on elements that would allow musicians to better participate in the issues that affect their livelihood: encouraging the development of digital distribution models that reduce costs and increase connections between musicians and their fans; examining new business models that create more equal partnerships between creators, labels and consumers; fighting against payola and media consolidation that reduce artists’ chances of radio airplay; advocating for net neutrality provisions to ensure that all legal Internet traffic is treated equally; and helping musicians navigate the often-confusing world of health insurance coverage. We want musicians’ labor to be valued, we want them to be compensated for their work, we want them to understand how the myriad laws and regulations affect them, and we want them to have access to basic health insurance and medical services.