Tuesday, September 5, 2006

Writer:  Jim Kvicala, 706/583-0931, jimkvicala@terry.uga.edu
Contacts:  Bruce Burch, 706/542-7668, bburch@terry.uga.edu; Steve Dancz, 706/542-2766, sdancz@uga.edu

AthFest and UGA’s Music Business Program conduct free music industry seminars

Athens, Ga. – AthFest and the University of Georgia’s Music Business Program will hold a day of free panel discussions with prominent music industry professionals on Saturday, Sept. 9.

The free seminars, which mark the official conclusion of AthFest 2006, are from 12:30 to 6 p.m. in Sanford Hall on UGA’s historic North Campus. The agenda includes “meet ‘n’ greet” sessions with panel members as well as the programs on music industry-oriented topics.

There will be three separate panel discussions conducted: “Road to the Deal” (1 - 2:30 p.m.), “Recording and the Studio” (3 - 4:30 p.m.) and “The Future of Music” (4:30 – 6 p.m.). The panels and panelists are:

Road to the Deal
* Cass Cripps, owner of Metro Talent Group;
* Steve Jones, president of Brash Records; 
* Michael Rothschild, president of Landslide Records; and
* Bakari Brock, entertainment attorney with Kilpatrick Stockton.

Recording and the Studio
* Jim Barber, producer;
* Glenn Matullo, producer, engineer and owner of Orphan Studio;
* Rodney Mills, owner of Rodney Mills’ Masterhouse;
* Matt Leatherman, producer/engineer for Rodney Mills’ Masterhouse; and
* Jim Hawkins, Electro-Acoustic Systems.

The Future of Music
* Ed Douglas, consultant;
* Pete Dugas, founder of 1320 Records;
* Kissy Black, president of Lotos Nile; and
* Dee Dee Murray, CEO of Murray Media Music Corp.

AthFest, a summer music and arts festival held annually in downtown Athens, celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2006. AthFest's mission is to educate citizens and visitors about music and arts in general, and about Athens music and arts in particular. The event has been named a Southeastern Tourism Society “Top 20 Event” three times, as well as “Festival or Event of the Year” by the Georgia Convention and Visitors Bureau, and “Best Economic Restructuring Public-Private Partnership” by the Georgia Department of Industry, Trade and Tourism.

Over 125 bands and musicians perform each year during AthFest, with past performers including the Drive-By Truckers, Kevn Kinney, Shawn Mullins, John Mayer, the Jennifer Nettles Band, Modern Skirts, Now It's Overhead, Five Eight, Elf Power and many others. AthFest 2007 is scheduled for June 20-24. For more information about AthFest, visit www.athfest.com or call 706/548-1973.

The University of Georgia’s Music Business Program was inaugurated in January 2006 as an interdisciplinary certificate program, organized and operated by the university’s Terry College of Business and the Hodgson School of Music. Students take seven classes, a mix of basic business and music courses, including the Music Business I and II courses designed by the program’s co-directors, Bruce Burch and Steve Dancz.

In addition to guest lectures from prominent figures in the music industry, students gain real-world music industry experience through internships with record labels, promoters, studios and other companies. Students also are asked to find local artists with potential and promote them through their student-run record labels.

For more information about UGA’s Music Business Program, visit the program’s Web site at www.terry.uga.edu/musicbusiness.

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