Your Cities Music is the next big thing and now has a Convention

Sound Diplomacy are proud to present a new day-long conference series focused on exploring new ideas and strategies between music industry development and issues surrounding city planning, diversity, employment, education, regulation and urban quality of life.  The MusicCitiesConvention mission statement. 

The conference from the looks of it is going to be a good one and  having a convention titled Music Cities is an obvious indicator that a Cities music needs to be taken seriously and now it might get some needed attention -- thanks to the organizers of this conference.  Personally I'm looking forward to attending and more importably showing what we've been doing with our USAMusicCitites.com

Which BTW,  This attention to music is just something the US has not done. Let lone been on anyones agenda, calendar or mind on the national level Save the few Mayors and local planners that have braved the tides of untrue music lies or just ignorance of some techonoblogger that didn't work a day in a legit music business and therefore has ZERO understanding of it.

Now to counter this and make sure that something as important as your cities music is being cared for and treated with dignity and economy fairness the artists, bands, groups, labels, clubs, studios that make this city music to begin which need to be part of this discussion; So please register  (It's the day before Future of Music Conference) and if you can't use the #musiccities hagtag to let the world know.


SINCE THIS WHOLE cities music theme is something that I've been working after it hit me that most music from an artists, band or group won't be more important or overshadow the music culture aka Local Music, that is/was all around them especially here where the notion of music cities in the US is such an important cultural and economy by-product of music.

Music is simply unlike any other item sold, merchandize or manufactured by man or machine.  << ME 

Lastly,  Just for fun, the CITYMUSICDEAL (TM) has a great social media promotion going on and I'd suggest taking up the challenge to follow them on Instagram & Twitter

Altavoz his throwing it's A into STEAM and so should you.

 So STEM is great STEAM is better and since it integrates Science & Technology plus Engineering & Arts with Math.

Hence the name.


Just taking a look at this blog you'll notice that I'm pretty PRO USMADEMUSIC and we're just not going to have music or any Arts with out education being a foundation where our future (KIDS) are introduced to it.

Here's a fact.

Students who study art are 4 times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement and 3 times more likely to be awarded for school attendance. 

Here's another.

• The US used to supply 80 percent of the Worlds Music today we supply 10 percent 

One last fact. 

• There are more people born every day and every single one of them needs art. 

Having first been introduced to STEAM via the Recording Academy Grammy on the Hill events I realized that for my company to survive let alone the US's place in the world of culture and economics to remain relevant we have to do something about it. 

And @AltavozDistroCo we're not waiting until 2014 we talking it this year.   I'll be making an announcement at the Washington DC Random Hacks of Kindness Dec 7th about a new program that we'll be helping to convey to school, community leaders and economist so stay TUNNED.........

1. http://www.dosomething.org/tipsandtools/11-facts-about-arts-education

Cities are reconnecting the dots and getting back to supporting music as part of community and technology.

So any readers of this blog know full well that I don't think we're doing enough to support USMadeMusic and the over simplification of it down to only being a service is a disservice to artists, music companies and our economy.  

Now I have to say that I'm please to blog about two cities that are turning their backs on the music is dead myth (hint VC and various leaders Local/State/Fed in Washington think it is)  and embracing what I and many others have been saying: Namely, Music and Technology are birds of a feather and now there's two more conferences with them together.  (sorry couldn't resist)

So who are the cities and what's the conferences?

The 1st one that came across my radar was one happening in San Jose aka Silicon Valley and it's called C2SV here's the Facebook link

And, for the looks of it this conference is going to be a very good mix of music and Tech and certainly an indication to other want-to-be tech capitals that they need to step up their inclusion of music and what it thinks makes up the economy.

C2SV is Silicon Valley’s showcase for technology and music. We're activating #dwntwnSJ for four days in September — more than a dozen venues, 70+ performers and a gathering of some of the smartest people in technology.

The other recent addition to the whole music and tech thingy is Boston and it's Boston TechJam
which is described as:  

"the block party for Boston-area companies, entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and students taking place on Thursday, October 3, today announced finalists for its live "Startup Pitch Heard 'Round the World" contest for startups, entrepreneurs, and student teams to test their company pitches and ideas. >>>"The bands picked for the first annual Boston TechJam are tight, diverse and are going to rock the Innovation District like never before. The level of musical talent working within the innovation economy here in Boston is unparalleled and I'm honored to be a part of showcasing it to the greater Boston community. All the bands performing have at least one member working at a local tech company," said Ben Maitland-Lewis, CEO, Presskit.to and Music Director for the Boston TechJam. "Narrowing the selection to just five live acts was extremely difficult based on the amount of submissions we got, but it illustrated how rockin' the Boston tech scene really is and I look forward to many more TechJams to come!"   Click for more info.

So adding San Jose, Boston to Toronto and of course Austin - some of us are old enough to have gone to SXSW when tech was the afterthought instead of music gotta love that wheel of karma, shows me that we are now after almost two decades starting to get a handle on what is the cart and what is the horse when it comes to TechTainment.   Which of course readers of this blog will rightfully concluded that I believe it's the music first and then the shinny new technology.

BTW I love how both of these events are focused on the independent artists (Buy Indie Support Locals ) that are part of the community and it shows that being on a Major Record labels is not the end all be all theres life yet in music.

PS.   An announcement will be forth coming about a mini DCTECHTAIMENT event.