Memphis Recording Academy Presents GRAMMY GPS: A Roadmap For Today’s Music Biz

The Memphis Chapter of the Recording Academy is kicking off a two-day event this weekend entitled Grammy GPS: A Roadmap for Today’s Music Biz. The event is what it sounds — it is the Recording Academy’s way of saying that their event will work much like a GPS — a satellite-based navigation system — but instead of navigating the roads, Grammy GPS is for help navigating the new music business.

Grammy GPS: A Roadmap for Today’s Music Biz will touch on a multitude of topics including music licensing, distribution, direct-to-fan marketing and much more.

Kicking off today (April 15) at 7 pm with a Conference Kick-Off Party at The Warehouse venue in downtown Memphis, TN, the event will be featuring performances by rapper Yung Kee, Ryan Peel, Star And Micey, and the Summers.

Following the Conference Kick-Off Party at The Warehouse which is for conference ticket holders and special guests only, Grammy GPS will move on to music business panels and workshops along with networking opportunities the next day (April 16) starting with panels at the Playhouse on the Square featuring a multitude of significant music-industry insiders and business professionals including keynote speaker Mark Montgomery of Claritas Capital, BMI’s David Preston, hip hop recording artist Al Kapone, Chiccen of Sweat Da Trac Productions, producer Joe Blow Da CEO, producer Hot Rod (Yo Gotti), Levitt Shell’s Anne Pitts, recording artist Amy Lavere, Deb Dorsey of Atlantic Records, Johnnie Walker of the Memphis & Shelby County Music Commission, Maurice “Mo Better” Rivera of KXHT-FM/Hot 107.1, Soulsville Foundation’s Deanie Parker, Joseph Davis of Ardent Music, GRAMMY winning producer Paul Ebersold, Tennman/Interscope recording artist Free, recording artist Skip Pitts (STAX Records), Jonathan McHugh of Island/Def Jam, music director and producer Kurt Clayton (Three 6 Mafia), Wes Phillips of Select-O-Hits, Tom Monday of the giant P2P website LimeWire, Jed Carlson of ReverbNation.com and more.

The panels with host a number of topics ranging from “Are You The Next Big Thing?” brought to you in part by the Memphis Music Foundation to “Supply And Demand: The Basics Of Distribution,” from “Direct-To-Fan And Internet Marketing: From Primer To Practice” to “Lights, Camera, Soundtrack: Music & Film” to topics of “How To Break Into The Biz.”

Following the panels at the Playhouse on the Square, which again kicks off Friday (April 16) from 12-7:30 p.m., will be GRAMMY GPS Fest also on Friday (April 16) at the venue Hi Tone featuring performances by hip hop recording artist Skewby, DEE-1, the Dirty Streets, Pezz, Jeremy Stanfill, and Tanks.

For a full list of panel topics and panelists, ticket costs, to register on-site or in advance or to submit your demo for a chance to be heard and reviewed by top industry producers, or for information on how to gain free admission, visit grammy365.com/events/memphis-grammy-gps-roadmap-todays-music-biz.