Category: Resources For Musicians

Making Money with Music

Any musician who wants to improve their income and learn to navigate how to build their music business, especially during the pandemic, should sign up before the limited slots run out. In it, you will learn to:

  • Tap 45+ revenue streams for your music business which do NOT require you to play live in-person.
  • Boost your audience and income.
  • Reduce your expenses to take home more $

The workshop is run by noted music business authors Randy Chertkow and Jason Feehan (The Indie Band Survival Guide, Making Money With Music), which Billboard Magazine calls “the ideal mentors for aspiring indie musicians who want to navigate an ever-changing music industry.” 

Date: Friday, January 29, 2021, 11:30 – 1:00 PM

Make It Live!

Delve into the workings of booking in NYC, the live music capital. Led by Drom talent buyer and educator Mehmet Dede, this online presentation is an essential primer for independent artists and performers who will be introduced to tools, tactics and insider tips on how the independent booking world operates. The presentation will cover an introduction to booking NYC venues, crafting the perfect pitch email and an overview of setting up virtual shows in the age of a pandemic.

Date: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 5:00 – 6:15 PM

Remote Recording for the Modern Creative

The ways in which we live and work have transformed over the last year, especially in the music industry. Social distancing has placed new restrictions on travel and studio operations, leading many engineers and producers to completely transform their workflow and explore effective solutions for remote collaboration. A number of digital tools have been discovered by creatives looking to quickly pivot from in-person collaboration to a remote workflow. Nevertheless, there have been a number of technical challenges that have impeded the efficiency and effectiveness of this. 

During the Remote Recording for the Modern Creative, Audio Engineer and Producer Ebonie Smith will explore the different applications that allow creatives to collaborate remotely and analyze the problems and potential solutions that come with them.

Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Distribution Derby

Self-releasing, independent artists have many choices when it comes to choosing a distributor. Our Distribution Derby will showcase different distribution models. Learn what distributors do and which one is right for you. This program is part of New York Music Month Extended Play, an initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.

Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 5:00 – 6:00 PM

Grow It Live!

A companion to the “Make it Live! A Practical Approach to Getting Gigs in NYC” presentation, this session will go deeper into promoting booked events and building your live audience and community. This presentation will cover marketing concerts, identifying your fanbase and grassroots promotion tools.

Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021, 1:00 – 2:15 PM

Creating Electronic Music with Everyday Sounds

In this introductory hands-on workshop with instructor Izzi Ramkissoon, Electronic Music Program at the College of Staten Island, participants will learn about how to create music using everyday sound in the style of musique concrete.  In the workshop attendees will learn about this history of musique concrete, listen to examples, record sounds using a computer or phone, edit and process sounds using free software (audacity), create a piece of music that can be shared after the workshop.

Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

Explore the Beat

Jump into the world of beat-making and digital music production.

Workshops are open to all, whether you are a curious beginner with limited resources looking to to hone in on foundational skills or a seasoned professional hoping to expand your creative toolbox and find new workflows. Dive into a variety of practices and techniques used to create unique digital productions from ideation to release and performance.

Each of 8 workshops will inspire you to be innovative with the resources that surround you and challenge you to think outside the box.

Date: January – February, March – April 2021

Cross Cultural Collaboration: How Blending Cultures Leads to Innovation

In an era when music has become global and songs are made with rhythms and sounds from different areas of the world, we often hear that some of the biggest songs on the market are the product of a collaboration between creators with different cultural backgrounds. 

During the Cross-Cultural collaboration master class, students will learn how to use technology to seamlessly combine elements from different cultures into a commercially successful recording through the use of music production software (ProTools, Logic, FL Studio, etc.), loops, samples and much more. Attendees will also learn about the importance of embracing their cultural background through their music creative process to find their own unique sound and cultural integration leads to innovation.

Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Steps to Self Release an Album – Interview with Amanda Gookin

New York Foundation for the Arts (NYFA) is pleased to present a series of events showcasing new recordings, music videos, and panel discussions with industry professionals to celebrate women-identifying artists and recipients of the NYC Women’s Fund for Media, Music and Theatre.

Cellist Amanda Gookin will walk through the steps to self releasing an album in this written interview on NYFA’s blog, NYFACurrent. Gookin’s new album was funded by NYC Women’s Fund for Media. Music and Theatre

Gookin is an educator, activist, and musician whose 2020 album “Forward Music Project” has been featured in The New York Times, The LA Times, and I Care If You Listen by the American Composers Forum.

Date: Tuesday, March 23, 2021