Attend the West Coast Songwriters 41st Annual Conference virtually

SATURDAY WORKSHOPS / PANELS

10:00am
WELCOME
from Managing Director Poppy Peach-Nichols

11:00am-12:00pm PRE RECORDED
Special Guest Interview Larry Batiste interviews Kev Choice
Larry Batiste | Kev Choice

Larry Batiste’s exclusive interview with composer, hip hop/classical recording artist, MC, producer, educator, and activist, Kev Choice (Michael Franti & Spearhead, Lauryn Hill, Ledisi, Too Short, Wiz Khalifa). Kev Choice will offer valuable insight into his multifaceted musical world. He will discuss how to build a career as a musical director, bandleader, songwriter, producer, remote, studio, and live recording artist. He will also discuss touring, collaboration, creativity and work-flow during the pandemic, relevance, genre diversity, and navigation through the ever evolving trends of the music industry.

12:00-1:00pm
Songcraft.io Online songwriting platform Demo
Gabe G’Sell | Jenn Leung

As a songwriter, are you still wrangling voice memos, digital documents, notepads, dictionaries, and collaborators? Meet Songcraft (https://songcraft.io),a powerful collaborative songwriting platform. In this session, the Songcraft team will demonstrate how Songcraft simplifies and improves your writing and co-writing processes. Create and organize your lyrics, chords, tabs, and recordings, all in one place, all online. From rhyming dictionaries to chord suggestions to songwriting exercises, Songcraft will take your songs to the next level while saving you time. Best of all, Songcraft is completely collaborative. Co-write in real-time with integrated video chat or leave a comment for later. We’ll discuss how Songcraft makes co-writing easy, whether or not you’re in the same room, state, or hemisphere as your collaborators. We’ll also answer any questions you have about Songcraft, and we’ll be sharing an exclusive discount for West Coast Songwriters.

1:00-2:00pm
Composer Panel Salgado Productions
Vatrena King (Moderator) | Jaime Lozano | Jesse Sanchez | Marina Pires

Jaime Lozano, Jesse Sanchez and Marina Pires with moderator Vatrena King discuss the important roles that their works play in bringing their cultures to the forefront of current conversations. They’ll share their process and projects which will bring you into the world of Salgado Productions, Broadway and beyond.

1:00-2:00pm
Engaging Your Fans For A Lifetime Q&A with Dan Navarro
Ruth Gerson | Dan Navarro

Dan Navarro - Songwriter “We Belong”, Understanding the DANFAM and how to create a family of
your own.

1:00-2:00pm
Young Adults Panel
Chloe Cullen | Anthony Arya | Emma Gerson | Nalani Quintello

2:15-3:30pm
Music Production Panel Recording and Producing songs Now and in the Future
Kenny Schick (Producer/Artist/Moderator) | Martha Groves Perry (Artist) | Emiliano Caballero (Producer/Artist)

This panel can help artists/singer songwriters prepare for future recording sessions. Producer Kenny Schick will moderate a panel of 3 producers and 3 artists to answer questions about recording and producing now and in the future. How has recording changed since Covid-19, lockdowns, stay at home orders, and the inability to record in studios easily or at all? How are producers recording/producing differently now? How has this global shutdown changed artists’ approach to song writing and creating content? How do producers see recording and producing being done in the future, the next 5 years and beyond? How will artists approach live performance, creating content and delivering music to their audience? What do producers & artists recommend singer songwriters know or learn in the context of the way recording and production has changed?

2:15-3:30pm
The MLC: Who We Are, How We Serve Songwriters and Help them Get Paid!
Serona Elton | Erika Nuri Taylor

Serona Elton of The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) will provide a “crash course” on The MLC and outline how the organization helps self-administered (also known as independent or self-published) songwriters get the digital audio mechanical royalties they are owed, with ample time for questions and answers. Topics covered will include:
• A brief history of mechanical licensing and breakdown of key terminology and concepts.
• How and why The MLC was created as a result of the Music Modernization Act of 2018.
• The scope of The MLC’s work, including the collection and distribution of digital audio mechanical royalties and maintaining a publicly accessible database of musical works.
• A detailed walk-through of the process of becoming an MLC member (which is free) and the resources and tools The MLC makes available to songwriters to assist them with that process.
Additionally, GRAMMY^®-nominated and ASCAP Award-winning songwriter Erika Nuri Taylor, who is also an MLC Advisory Committee member, will join Elton to share her unique perspective on The MLC’s work with songwriters and take additional questions from participants.

2:15-3:30pm
Young Adult Songwriting Workshop
Rachel Efron | Andre Pessis

Submit a song and get feedback from Rachel, Andre, and your peers!

3:30-4:30pm
Panel For Folks Sake
Justin Farren | Andrew Delaney | Kora Feder

“Folk Music” means a lot of different things to a lot of different people. In this panel, a group of touring songwriters discuss what it means to them to be folk singers and how their own music and experiences compare with traditional and modern definitions of that genre. They will also share their hopes and concerns for the future of folk music and the community that has grown up around it.

3:30-4:30pm
Workshop The 4 Steps to Successfully License Your Music to TV & Film
Michael Elsner

“4 Step Plan to Licensing Success” is a highly effective process that gives independent musicians world-wide the ability to generate sync placements on a consistent basis.

3:30-4:30pm PRE RECORDED
Sync Panel
Ryan Gaines | Jerome Rossen

3:30-6:00pm
Performance
Melissa Harding

4:45-5:30pm
Online Collaboration How to get the most out of writing together online during Covid and post pandemic
Steve Seskin

How to get the most out of writing together online during Covid and post pandemic. I wrote 50 songs in the last 16 months with approx 10 different co-writers. Doing it online was an adjustment for sure but along the way I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do, how to have fun and produce great results. In this workshop I’ll share some of the songs, talk about how they came about and discuss what in my opinion is the best way to go about it. I still love getting together with people up close and personal but I’ve become a fan of Zoom writing and will continue doing it long after the pandemic is over. I will also talk about co-writing in general and how to find a good match for you to work with.

4:45-5:30pm
4 Women Making Music
Jane Bach (Moderator) | Nancy Peacock | Maddie Walker | Judy Rodman

Women have been making an impact in the music business for decades, but now they are doing it out in the open!!! Come and listen to how a New Yorker moved to Nashville, and became an award winning hit songwriter. A chart topping artist/writer has become one of Nashville's premier vocal coaches and authors. The founder and CEO of a multi-genre publishing company with a focus on indie music for Film, TV & Advertising, is making an impact in the world of sync. And last, but most certainly not least, meet a young American Idol finalist, as she launches her career as a major artist/writer. This is a panel you don't want to miss!!

4:45-5:30pmPRE RECORDED
Legal Panel What's Happening With Songwriter and Artist Royalties/What You Should Know and What You Can Do About it
Ned Hearn | Al Evers | Jeff Brabec | Todd Brabec

With Music Publishing Revenues in excess of 4 billion dollars, SoundExchange artist and record company collections surpassing 1 billion dollars and ASCAP, BMI, SESAC and GMR collections at 3 billion dollars, the current state of the industry is healthy. But what are the sources of this revenue and how are royalty rates being determined and most importantly, where do you fit in and what can you do about getting what you are due. This panel will cover the main sources of songwriter/music publisher income-Performance, Sync and Mechanicals-as well as the world of artist interactive streaming royalties and discuss where its all going and what you can do about it.

Our Grand Finals Winners perform alongside our distinguished guests in this not to be missed concert.

For tickets visit: www.westcoastsongwriters.org/2021-virtual-conference