The Country Music Association hosted its inaugural Artist Academy in partnership with Whiskey Jam, as part of CMA’s ongoing commitment to providing the industry with essential resources for success. The Artist Academy was designed to aid emerging artists, with participants selected through an application process. On Tuesday, more than 60 artists took part in a full day of programming that included a panel featuring booking agents as well as sessions focused on financial wellness, legal issues, mental health, management, social media, streaming and more.
The day kicked off with a welcome by Kate Watson (CMA Director, Industry Relations) and Ward Guenther (Whiskey Jam Founder and Host) and included an explanation of how to utilize resources at both CMA and Whiskey Jam. A booking agent panel featuring Beth Hamilton (Agent, WME), Sam Forbert (Agent, CAA), Jeffrey Hasson (Agent, UTA), Matt Runner (Agent, Wasserman) and Adi Sharma (Co-Head, Neal Agency) was moderated by Guenther and touched on the importance of building your touring business and finding the right representation.
After a networking lunch, Kella Farris (Partner, Farris Self & Moore and CMA Board Chairman) and Sarah Hamner (Senior Business Manager, Wiatr & Associates) participated in a panel hosted by Kayleigh Bentley (CMA Manager, Member Experience) on the topic of financial wellness and tax preparation, as well as how to stay on top of finances beyond your business manager. David Crow (Partner, Milom Crow Kelley Beckett Shehan) then spoke on quick-hit legal issues, covering need-to-know topics like liability and protecting your business.
During the Artist Academy, participants also learned what mental health resources exist in the music industry including organizations like Porter’s Call with Beth Barcus (Co-Executive Director, Porter’s Call), Onsite Workshops with Debbie Carroll (Vice President of Entertainment and Specialized Services, Onsite), Music Health Alliance with Tatum Allsep (Founder and CEO, Music Health Alliance), Backline, Amber Health and MusiCares. Brent Watkins (President, Pancoast Benefits) also shared information on health insurance.
Darby Leiber (Artist Manager, Make Wake), Morgan Mills (Chief Marketing Officer, CmdShft) and Chief Zaruk (Founder, The Core) shared advice on running your camp as a business and the best practices to do so. Lindsey Feinstein (Account Director, Girlilla Marketing) and Stevie Escoto (Senior Managing Director, Girlilla Marketing) highlighted their go-to tips for managing social media, branding and finding balance in seeking virality. Madi White (CMA Manager, Integrated Marketing) hosted the final panel of the day with Sarah DeMarco (Label Relations, Amazon Music), Mills and Taylor Viegut (Senior Director of Commerical Partnerships, UMG Nashville) on making the most of streaming services. The day concluded with a networking happy hour for artists and industry professionals to connect.
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