Photo caption with hometowns (from L to R): Vickie Jackson, Instructor; Taylor, Allyson (Houston); Sprague, Elizabeth (North Berwick, Maine); Young, Layla (Cleveland); Stephens, Taegen (Ocean Springs); Garrett, Will (Meridian); Keyes, Jerion (Jackson); Robbins, William (Vicksburg); Llana, Schaefer (Batesville) (not pictured).
CLEVELAND – Eight entertainment industry majors from the Delta Music Institute at Delta State University recently attended the 2018 DIY Musicians Conference held in Nashville, Tennessee.
The DIY Musician Conference, sponsored by digital music company CD Baby, is a three-day event where musical artists explore the workings of a successful independent music career, learning from breakout sessions, panels, and one-on-one mentoring opportunities; networking and collaborating; and showcasing their music on one of several performance stages.
Delta State students attended the conference as part of a special topics course focused on continuing the momentum generated from last year’s Fighting Okra Records practicum course.
DMI Instructor Vickie Jackson observed, “The conference was a great opportunity for our students to network with other entertainment industry professionals from across the globe. The information students received at the conference reinforced DMI classroom content while providing practical tools for their career development.”
Conference speakers and industry experts covered a wide range of topics, including “Getting Your Music On Spotify Playlists,” “Preparing Your Music For A Successful Release,” “YouTube For Artists,” “Digital Music Marketing,” “Fair Use And Copyright Abuse,” and more.
DMI Senior Layla Young reported, “DIY Musicians Conference was a weekend full of great people and great music. The students and Fighting Okra Records have been impacted individually and collectively. We have officially put the OKRA on the map!”
Student Liz Sprague added, “The DIY Musicians Conference was jammed packed with great people and information. I faced my entertainment industry fears and left the conference empowered with a new direction on how to master and market my craft.”
In addition to the conference activities, the class toured the offices and facilities of BMI, one of the major performing rights organizations in the U.S.
The DMI is an independent center of study under the College of Arts & Sciences at Delta State University, offering a B.S. degree in Entertainment Industry Studies degree. The focus of the DMI is to provide students with a broad and thorough education in the technological, creative, and business areas of the music and entertainment industry. For information, visit http://dmi.deltastate.edu.
