Unless you know everything it takes to be a professional musician – and trust me, unless you're Prince's ghost, you don't – you should give serious consideration to attending some or all of the events in this weekend's Minnesota Music Summit.
The sixth annual conference, organized by the nonprofit Minnesota Music Coalition, kicks off with an informal meet-and-greet party tonight at the Summit Brewery. Then it kicks into high gear Friday and Saturday with two days of panels, networking and mentor sessions to at McNally Smith College of Music in downtown St. Paul. Performances are obviously part of the mix, too.
Some of the big names involved this year include: Magnetic Fields leader Stephin Merritt, talking about songwriting (in town for two shows at the Fitzgerald Theater); local favorite Haley (née Haley Bonar), talking about making music videos; NPR's Tiny Desk Contest winner Gaelynn Lea talking about gigging with disabilities; and native Somali singer Dalmar Yare, giving a keynote speech about being an immigrant artist.
Haley will also perform with Gramma's Boyfriend on Friday, while Yare is teaming up with Martin Dosh, Holly Muñoz and Al Church as the Somli fusion band Ambassadors of Culture on Saturday at the Amsterdam Bar & Hall, where Gaelynn Lea will also perform.
Passes for all the events are available starting at $20 for MMC members or $30 for others, and can be bought online via MNMusicCoalition.org or in person. Here's the full schedule.
Thursday, April 20
Summit Brewing Company (910 Montreal Circle, St. Paul)
6-8:00 pm: Kickoff Party
Friday, April 21
McNally Smith College of Music (19 E. Exchange St., St. Paul)
10:00 am: Coffee/Sign up for Mentoring Sessions (Atrium-outside auditorium)
10:30-11:30 am: One-on-One Mentoring Sessions (Atrium-outside auditorium)
12:00 pm: Keynote Address with Dalmar Yare (Auditorium)
1:00 pm: Anatomy of a Music Video with Haley Bonar (Room 70)
2:00 pm: Film Composing with Chris Beaty: Composing for Media in a Global Market (Room 70)
Soap Factory (514 2nd St. SE, Minneapolis)
7-8:00 pm: Private Music & Film Social Hour
8-11:30 pm: Music Video Gallery Show feat. live music by Gramma's Boyfriend & Graveyard Club
Saturday, April 22
McNally Smith College of Music
9:00 am: Placement! Music in Motion Pictures (Room 709)
9:30 am-10:30 am: One-on-One Mentoring Sessions (Atrium-outside auditorium)
10:00 am: Legal Assistance for Musicians (Room 70)
11:00 am-12:30 pm: Conversation with Stephin Merritt (Auditorium)
1:00 pm: Women in the Music Industry (Auditorium)
1:00 pm: 10 Things You're Doing Wrong (Room 70)
2:00 pm: Wearing Multiple Hats (Auditorium)
2:00 pm: Touring MN: Bridging the Rural-Urban Divide (Room 70)
3:00 pm: Demystifying the Grant Process (Room 70)
4:00 pm: Making Music Accessible with Gaelynn Lea (Auditorium)
Eclipse Records (419 Wabasha St. N., St. Paul)
5:30-6:30 pm: MN Music Summit Record Store Day Party
Featuring live music from Feven Gebrezgi
Amsterdam Bar and Hall (6 W. 6th Street, St. Paul)
6:30 pm: Music Industry Happy Hour (back hall)
8:00-11:00 pm: Grand Finale Concert with Galeynn Lea, Ambassadors of Culture, Annie Mack ($12-$15 without summit wristband)
