The first-ever Hudson Valley Music Summit, held on August 9 at Kingston’s Best Western Plus, was a full-day event for music industry professionals — from managers to promoters, musicians, record labels, and beyond — to share insights, strategies, and experiences on how to create music and connect with fans.
The conference, produced by author and musician Dave Hoffman of Gorilla River Conferences, brought in local minds and notable names in the industry to sit on a variety of enlightening panels that discussed topics like reinventing the record label, branding strategies, and more. Fifty total speakers, 10 panels, and breakout mentoring sessions were scheduled throughout this inaugural event.
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The panel’s all-star roster of speakers and panelists included names like Dead Budnick, Editor-in-Chief of Relix Magazine, the Capitol Theatre’s Peter Shapiro, Alice Cooper’s Dennis Dunaway, and Alan Light of Sirius XM. What’s more, live performances from Michelle Shocked, The Foxfires, and the Mike Monterey Band were both hosted between panels and at a showcase after the conference at BSP Kingston.
From left to right: Paul Hammer, founder, Savoir Adore; Michelle Shocked, singer songwriter; Tracy Bonham, Grammy-nominated recording artist and performer; Moderator Alan Light, music journalist. |
Nearly 200 attendees, including musicians, managers, artists, A&R reps, booking agents, publicists, consultants, promoters, radio hosts, journalists, and fans, discussed the future of music and shared advice and strategies to advance the local scene.
“It’s heartwarming to see young musicians, that are as starry-eyed for success as I was when I started, getting solid guidance from highly respected music business experts,” said Dunaway who presented a recently released video, Cold Cold Coffin, in which he starred, at the conference.
For more information on the 2020 Hudson Valley Music Summit, click here.
