Editor’s note: I had wanted Alex Horowitz to start writing for SoundCtrl for a couple months, but it wasn’t until I got the invite to a music industry networking event/panel at Brooklyn’s Knitting Factory that I found a good article with which he could start. Hope you folks enjoy!
It’s sort of a strange scene at first if you haven’t attended a music industry panel before. You can’t shake the feeling that everyone else already knows each other. That’s because almost everyone at the Knitting Factory for the “This Is Music: Social Media Secrets” panel on Wednesday, February 16th was either a veteran of the scene, or a complete rookie.
In a dimly lit concert venue with a stage set up for a rock show, three music industry veterans sat expectantly – a mic in hand, rocking half smiles while exuding a distinct aura of confidence and pride, ready to preach to the moderator sitting beside them and the audience at their feet.
The three individuals who constituted the panel clearly did not coordinate their outfits in advance. One panel member was dressed in jeans and looked like he’d just dropped his kid off at soccer practice; one dressed like he was selected from central casting for “generic metal music fan;” the third, dressed in a nice jacket and buttoned shirt, could practically pass for
a body double for the “I’m A PC” guy from the apple commercials when compared to metal maniac sitting to his left.
To clarify, I mention their dress only to underscore the strangeness of the setting. In a way, the diverse fashion choices on stage served as a reminder of one of the best things about the music industry — wear what you want, be who you are, just be good at what you do and know what you’re talking about. And that they did. All three held respected positions in the industry, and
spoke with the air of men for whom this was far from their first rodeo. If you closed our eyes and listened to them talk, you would never guess who was the metal fan and who was dressed a bit more conservatively.
I’d also like to add that the mood of the room may have felt a bit like a preformed clique, but it also felt distinctly welcoming; not to mention downright reverential towards the panelists on stage. That night, the panelists were playing rockstar. The outfits were just another reminder that all were welcome if they had something to contribute to the larger conversation.
The discussion began. The moderator started asking questions. I started checking the time almost immediately.
From my post in the back of the dimly lit venue, I was advised by the panel that there’s too much digital noise on twitter for any one tweet to necessarily be seen by enough people to be particularly effective. It was noted that people no longer live on band websites, they live in their own social networks (so perhaps you should be more worried about your Facebook page than
your homepage.) Shameless plugs for ReberbNation abounded. An obligatory “Friendster” joke followed by humorous shrugs of “I’m getting old” were all delivered with painful enthusiasm.
Getting the theme here? For the veterans, it was nothing new.
Of course, as with any live performance you’ve seen too many times, there are bound to be a few new and entertaining moments sprinkled in with your old favorites. The aforementioned “metal guy” argued that old media and social media are more similar than you’d think, which made yours truly quite happy to hear (I couldn’t agree more.) He also mentioned that he reads Mashable and Tech-Crunch every day in addition to being up on the music rags, which I also feel is extremely important advice in this day and age in an industry where tech and business are married in every way.
Still, for those of us that have “been there” before, it was a long way to go for a few useful pointers, most of which we really already knew. I found myself repeatedly muttering, “was this intended for people who already know social media, or not?” I literally didn’t get it.
And yet there was a palpable energy to the room. The audience ate up every word and laughed at every joke. The mood was light, encouraging, and vaguely celebratory.
That’s because everyone was there for the exact same thing, and it had nothing to do with the over-asked questions being answered to death on stage. They were there to network.
I walked around the room after the panel concluded, and finally, I “got it.” I spoke with each of the panelists. They were great. They were friendly, approachable, knowledgeable, and eager to talk about their craft (at the modest expense of a shameless plug or two – a sin we’ve all been guilty of at one time or another.) Everyone in attendance that night had an insight to offer and
a business card to trade. There were veterans shaking hands with old acquaintances, and young music industry hopefuls begging for pointers. You could turn in any direction and hold out a hand, and expect to make a new contact; and you could bet the conversation would be as friendly on the surface as you could possibly ask for.
I’m glad I attended the event, and I advise everyone with any desire to find their way in the industry to seek out as many similar events as you can find, especially if you’re new to the scene. There was a reason lots of those people seemed to know each other – they did know each other. The industry is all about leveraging relationships, so get on your grind and go make some. Panels like this are the perfect place to do it. Just remember – come for the networking, stay for the networking, and suffer through the panel. Trust me, the panelists are probably doing the same thing.
Alex Horowitz is a Music Community Manager at Big Fuel working on Chevy’s Cruze-arati campaign.
