WASHINGTON DC - Future of Music Coalition (FMC), a national education, research, and advocacy nonprofit for musicians, is proud to announce the Future of Music Policy Summit, which takes place at Georgetown University in Washington, DC on October 27-28, 2014.

2014 marks the 14th Future of Music Summit, which will again be held at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. for policy thought leaders, academics, entrepreneurs, fans, attorneys, managers, agents, writers, musicians, students, and technologists.

“There has never been a time in music history where musicians and all those who work with them have so much personal control over their careers and destiny,” states FMC’s Managing Director, Hannah Byam. “But with this heightened level of control, it means musicians and their teams have to be more aware of all the disparate elements that influence their success, such as transparency in music deals, using technology to the hilt, innovations in live events, and the impact of national policy for topics like net neutrality. This year’s Policy Summit will cover all these topics and more. While so many in the music industry are acting like entrepreneurs, we know that tackling them all can be challenging, so our Policy Summit really serves as an annual event where we can help attendees understand these factors—and give them the tools and information they need to succeed.”

The 2014 Future of Music Policy Summit is co-hosted by Georgetown University and made possible by the support of the Department of Performing Arts at Georgetown University and an award the National Endowment of the Arts.

Panelists at the 2014 Future of Music Policy Summit include:

Musicians:

•       Kiran Gandhi Drummer/Percussionist; MBA candidate, Harvard Business School 
•       Katie Alice Greer Musician, Priests 
•       Fox Stevenson Singer, Songwriter and Producer 
•       Astra Taylor Documentary Filmmaker, Musician and Author, “The People’s Platform” 

Managers:

•       Peter Jenner Manager, Sincere Management
•       Emily White Co-founder, Whitesmith Entertainment, Readymade Records, and Dreamfuel.me

Agents:

•       Kevin Gimble Owner/Agent, Circle Talent Agency
•       Steve Gordon Owner/Agent, Circle Talent Agency 

Policy Thought Leaders:

•       Michael Bracy Co-founder and Policy Consultant, Future of Music Coalition
•       Barry Lynn Director, Markets, Enterprise and Resiliency Initiative, New America Foundation
•       Casey Rae VP for Policy and Education, Future of Music Coalition
•       Kristin Thomson Co-director, Artist Revenue Streams Project, Future of Music Coalition
•       Joe Torres Senior External Affairs Director, Free Press

Music Organizations:

•       Bryan Calhoun Digital Strategy, The Blueprint Group; Founder, Label Management Systems and Music Business Toolbox; Board Member, Future of Music Coalition
•       Jami Duffy Executive Director, Youth on Record
•       Peter Gordon President/Co-founder, Thirsty Ear Recordings and Jazz Forward Coalition
•       Dani Grant Founder, SpokesBUZZ; Owner, Mishawaka Amphitheater
•       Gerald Seligman Executive Director, The National Recording Preservation Foundation

Academics:

•       Josh Kun Associate Professor of Communications, USC Annenberg; Author; Music Critic 

Attorneys:

•       Peter DiCola Associate Professor of Law, Northwestern University; Board Chair, Future of Music Coalition
•       Jodie Griffin Senior Staff Attorney, Public Knowledge
•       Jonathan Sallet General Counsel, Federal Communications Commission
•       Walter McDonough Co-founder and General Counsel, Future of Music Coalition 

Writers:

•       Thomas Frank Columnist, Harper’s Bazaar; Author, “Pity the Billionaire”

Additional panelists and keynote speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

Register for the Future of Music Summit 2014.

As always, Summit 2014 unofficially kicks off on the evening of Sunday, October 26, with a Pho dinner in the DC metro area, where conference attendees are welcome to make connections over a relaxed, informal meal.

In order to ensure musicians are not left out conversations that affect their livelihoods, Future of Music Coalition offers artist scholarships for the Policy Summit so they can attend, learn, and network and share perspectives. The scholarship allows musicians to attend the Future of Music Summit on a sliding scale basis, starting at $25. The scholarship does not cover travel or lodging. Musicians can apply for scholarships.