Mind you, this is A recap. THE recap would be impossible to write, since there were dozens of workshops and panels, hundreds of mentoring sessions, and hundreds of friendships being made last weekend at the Congress Plaza Hotel in Chicago — and I can only be in one place at a time.
My conference experience at a glance
So here goes: It was CD Baby’s second DIY Musician Conference, and this year — with help from sponsors like Gig Salad and Berklee Online, plus our friends at rock paper scissors — we took the programming to the next level.
Can’t say enough great things about the @cdbaby DIY Music Conference. Absolutely incredible experience!!! #DIYMusician
— Ryan Van Slooten (@ryan_vanslooten) October 2, 2016
I was speaking at a different session each day, so I didn’t get to take in quite as much as I’d have liked; but from the programming I WAS able to catch, here are a few of my favorites:
- Charles Alexander giving super specific and actionable recommendations for artists who want to get their songs into more playlists and build their profiles on Spotify.
- Gregory Hyde providing a solid framework for gigging artists to go from amateur to pro in less than a year.
- Pandora teaching artists how to make the most out of their expanding Artist Marketing Platform.
- Becky Yee taking hundreds of free band photos for a line of artists that snaked its way through three big conference rooms.
- The sounds of the legendary Lee Oskar filling the hallways as he absolutely shredded on the harmonica.
I was also psyched to see many of our keynote speakers spending solid time with attendees throughout the 3-day weekend, making themselves not just accessible, but welcoming to over a thousand independent artists.
Keynotes included:
- NPR’s Bob Boilen and Tiny Desk Contest winner Gaelynn Lea (who had quite a few folks in the crowd crying as she played a haunting rendition of her song “Someday We’ll Linger in the Sun“).
- Kevin Breuner (who kicked off the conference with a rousing pep talk for artists who are sick of self-promoting, focusing instead on being of service to your listeners).
- Tom Jackson (whose live band makeover was even more engaging, entertaining, and educational than last year).
- Patreon’s Jack Conte (whose inspirational finale to the conference brought folks from tears to elation — no joke).
There was also a big sync licensing through-line, with heavyweights in the world of licensing and music supervision (Alexandra Patsavas, Chris Clark, Bonny Dolan, Melissa Chapman, and many more) giving talks and hanging out with artists, occasionally even handing out their contact info, which might be worth the price of admission right there.
It’s all about the artists
Just like last year though, the best part of the conference was the awesome community of independent artists who were brave enough to put themselves out there, make friends, meet industry leaders, and share their music.
Many of the musicians I met last year returned — Sean Ardoin, Matt Wheeler, Vixen Noir, Mary Bue, Bisi Obateru, and dozens more — but rather than breaking off into their own clique of conference veterans, they welcomed newcomers, created Facebook groups to share tips, and formed little lunch groups to keep the conversations going during breaks. Some even kept the party going with jam sessions that ran all day and into the early morning hours:
Jamming at DIY Musician Conference
Honestly, this generous artist community is the thing that I’m most proud of, and if you were there with open ears and an open heart, thank you so much (from me and everyone on the CD Baby team) for making the DIY Musician Conference so special.
I suppose I’m biased, but it really does feel unlike any other musician conference I’ve been too. More actionable, more affordable, and more welcoming. That was the goal from the beginning. I think we achieved that and more, thanks to a fantastic group of artists who value their independence and one another.
See y’all next year in Nashville for the 2017 DIY Musician Conference!
Weird how you can feel so much affection for a company, right? @cdbaby is people! #DIYMusician pic.twitter.com/NfbuIEhxKL
— Fred LeBaron (@flybrariman) October 2, 2016
Here’s what attendees are saying:
“The 2016 edition of the CD Baby DIY Musician Conference took all of the things that were good about the 2015 version & improved on them. The speakers – most notably Benji Rogers, Bob Boilen, Gregory Hyde, and Shannon Curtis & Jamie Hill – shared some truly insightful advice & actionable steps. The best aspect of the conference was the tremendous sense of community, among everyone – my fellow DIY musicians, the speakers, and the CD Baby staff.” — Matt Wheeler
“I would say that again, the DIY Musician Conference was exactly what we needed to give us the next year’s worth of actionable steps toward building our career. Last year, Seth and I barely met anyone, we were so focused on attending sessions and squeezing every last drop of info out of the experience. This year, the best part was connecting and talking with, and in some cases, jamming with, my fellow DIY’ers. There were so many talented people there who make great music and who understand the power and importance of building community. I feel honored to be a part of this tribe. As for sessions: I just LOVE anything Benji Rogers does because that man is so far ahead of the curve. I have come away from his sessions twice now wanting more time learning with him. And of course, Jack Conte was exceptionally inspiring.” — China Curtiss Kent of Alright Alright
“I think you guys really ratcheted up the quality of the presenters. My favorite sessions were the ones with Mark Hornsby and Steve Seskin. Mark could explain ProTools to my wife, and Steve made songwriting sound so simple that even I could do it! Let’s just say I have a hard time trying to think of a favorite, or even one I didn’t like.” — Paul Purdue of Rites Reserved
“The DIY Musician conference exceeded my expectations on many levels. Everyone was so supportive. The speakers were inspiring and accessible. The sessions were fun (Martin Atkins was hilarious!) and I came away with lots of things I could do immediately to help my music career get to the next level. But probably the best part was all the incredible people I connected with.” — Eric Sorenson of G3NERIC
Conference photos by Becky Yee:
Were you there? What was your favorite moment or session from 2016’s DIY Musician Conference? Let me know in the comments.
Chris Robley is an acclaimed singer-songwriter and award-winning poet from Maine.
His Beatlesque indie-pop and milltown Americana songs have been praised by The Associated Press, No Depression, KCRW, The LA Times, Boston Globe, NPR, American Songwriter, and others.
His poems have appeared in Poetry Magazine, Prairie Schooner, The Poetry Review, and more.
Robley has received a Maine Literary Award in Poetry, Boulevard’s Emerging Writers Prize for Poetry, and in 2016 was selected by former US-poet laureate Robert Pinsky as a finalist for the Dorset Prize.