BETHLEHEM, Pa. — While folks are already flocking to SteelStacks to take in over 500 performers for Musikfest, early visitors checked in at ArtsQuest to indulge in some education on the future of the music industry as part of the Musikfest Music Industry and Education Conference.
Organizers welcomed musicians, educators, and more to the ArtsQuest Center on Thursday to launch the educational event, which aims to explore “the intersection of music education, popular music and business leadership” via interactive workshops, speaking engagements, and Q&A sessions.
Sessions were scheduled from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on both Thursday and Friday, and targeted music teachers, arts administrators and business professionals who were looking toward the future of their respective industries.
“The significance of this conference extends beyond its role as a gathering for professionals, students and enthusiasts,” ArtsQuest Director of Music Programming Marissa Guarriello said.
“By providing a space for discussions on programs, practices and issues in music business and education, the conference actively addresses the current needs and challenges facing these fields."
“It was nice to hear that there are other people that really value representation and making that a bigger deal because I feel like even though it's starting to become more of a thing these days, it's still not enough, especially for me who is a person of color ..."Safiyah Hernandez, musician
Thursday’s itinerary included a keynote address from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music director of entrepreneurship and career development Alain Barker on new opportunities in music performance and production; a session on redefining the school music community with two-time Grammy nominated educator and musician Kevin Longwill; another session on music technology and entrepreneurship by Grammy-nominated music educator Sarah Gulish; and a low-key engagement on diversity, access, and inclusion in the industry by Lehigh Valley Girls Rock’s Jen Alpha.
Tech and the future of music education
Barker spent his speech exploring the developments in the music industry witnessed over the past few years, pointing out changing dynamics for production – more and more original work is coming from “amateur professional” artists online than ever – and the benefits and challenges it could present.
“Obviously, the internet has a huge amount to do with fundamentally shifting the way that we think about music… and just think about TikTok, for instance, as an example of a platform that completely has shifted conversations about music, and increased a cross pollination of styles and genres, and so much more. AI, likewise, is big, and as somebody mentioned, it’s like a tsunami of change,” Barker said.
Highlighting the shift of the industry, Barker pointed to Travis Scott’s digital show in the online game Fortnite, which drew well over 1 million viewers.
It is a testament to the need for educators and other industry workers to learn more about the changing dynamic of music, and the need to explore the future.
The director also took time to show a short video of former Arts Foundation executive Ben Cameron, who highlighted the changing dynamic of music via a comparison with the movie industry. Whereas years ago, artists would struggle to work with a major studio to secure stardom, budding stars of today have so much more power – literally in their hands.
“And now, who in this room doesn't know a 14-year-old hard at work on her second, third or fourth movie? Similarly, the need for artistic distribution has been democratized for the first time in human history,” Cameron said.
Barker later tapped the crowd to participate in a live poll concerning how the idea of the “music school’ can be reimagined, yielding results like “younger teachers,” “more voices,” sustainable practices,” and “entrepreneurship.”
“So there is an opportunity, there are gaps in the market, there are ways that you can all get involved for those of you who are educators, to not just simply replicate and emulate the way that your forefathers did, the way of generations past, but happily jump into a space in which everything that you do as an educator is truly connected to the way of the world as it exists and where it's going,” Barker said.
This could include offering a full-spectrum education for music students, tapping into elements which involve promotion, business, and other topics which often fall outside the purview of the creative space, Barker said.
World Café Live Education Program Manager Briana Clarke said she found the keynote address to be a great way to start the conference.
“It was inspiring. I feel like the wheels are turning in my head,” Clarke said.
“It was a good foundation for a very layered conversation, but I think the conversation that it also sparked a lot of imagination, and creativity.”
She added the speech motivated her to mull over the changing dynamic of the “starving artist” in a world where many people can produce art with a phone, and how education should address that topic.
“I felt like the institutions have to shift for it to be like in alignment, because if these institutions are still on the wave of traditional education and production, there’s a disconnect,” Clarke said.
Safe spaces for musical growth
During Alpha’s session, she dove into a discussion covering the power of Lehigh Valley Girls Rock, and how it has helped instill confidence and empowerment in girls and women throughout the area, and how integral it is to develop inclusive spaces in the music industry to properly move into the future.
“So our mission is to provide empowerment opportunities through music and art for cisgender girls and women, and trans and non-binary folks. And they offer both programs for youth and programs for adults. Our foundational program, the program that started at all, was a Youth Rock Camp,” Alpha said.
Youth Rock Camp served as the ultimate safe, inclusive space for those interested in music: any girl, no matter their experience level, could come to camp, learn to develop a band, write an original song, and perform it.
“So our mission is to provide empowerment opportunities through music and art for cisgender girls and women, and trans and non-binary folks."Jen Alpha, Lehigh Valley Girls Rock
Since the initial camp nearly 10 years ago, multiple bands have sprung up from Lehigh Valley Girls Rock, proving the theory that given access and a space to grow, even more people can express themselves with confidence.
Alpha later engaged the crowd, opening a discussion on fostering safe spaces in the industry with the input of performers, businesspeople, and other people in the business.
“So we put out the energy that we care about safe spaces, and we care about diversity and inclusion, and we care about it being a positive, uplifting environment,” Alpha said.
“We would never allow one of our shows to turn some negative experience for somebody. And so we project that into the world, and we put in our materials. And it makes a difference in the kind of people that come out.”
Attendees – many of whom were young musicians – valued the talk, and appeared very receptive to Lehigh Valley Girls Rock and its mission.
Musician Safiyah Hernandez – who has a brand new track dropping Friday, Aug. 2 – said she valued discussions about representation in the music industry, and how safe spaces and support are helping foster more artists.
“It was nice to hear that there are other people that really value representation and making that a bigger deal because I feel like even though it's starting to become more of a thing these days, it's still not enough, especially for me who is a person of color – somebody who's Muslim, that doesn't always feel like I'm in the safest space ever, and somebody that loves to perform,” Hernandez said.
“So yeah, I thought it was really helpful to know that this is around, and if I do ever want to join it, I can.”
The Musikfest Music Industry and Education Conference continues Friday at 10 a.m. at the Blast Furnace Room in ArtsQuest Center.