It's true that we don't live in a city where there are tons of big labels looking to give local musicians their shot at the big time. But don't use that as an excuse for artistic slacker-dom. Instead, check out the Portland Music Foundation's educational seminars, one of Portland's best-kept bang-for-buck secrets.
Thanks to a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, the PMF is able to keep its programming costs low this year. The "Music as a Profession" series starts on January 21 with a free public panel discussion: "Is there a Record Deal for Me in 2009?" Panelists will include popular WCYY DJ Mark Curdo, Jason Hjort of brick.city.media, and recording artist and Milled Pavement Records owner Moshe. A regional representative from Atlantic Records will also be present. They'll discuss the current state of the music industry and talk about signing a record deal.
Then, on February 18, Grammy-winning sound engineer (and former PMF president) Adam Ayan will join other engineers and musician/producer Darien Brahms for a panel discussion about the technical aspects of digital recording. This session is for members only, which might be prohibitive if year-long memberships were more than a scant $20. (Other perks include discounts at local recording studios.)
Portland Music Foundation talks | One Longfellow Square, Portland | Wednesday, January 21 at 6:30 pm | Free | Wednesday February 18 at 6:30 pm | $20, including one-year PMF membership; existing PMF members, free | www.portlandmusicfoundation.com
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