June is New York Music Month, which features a series of events sponsored by the City of New York, and on the 7th I’m leading a talk titled, The Intersection of Madison Avenue and New York’s Music Scene. There are free passes to attend.
My panel will feature distinguished peers adding unique, high-level perspective on brand partnerships in music. Guests will include Jennifer Frommer, Head of Brand Partnerships at Columbia Records (Rosalía, Harry Styles, Tyler The Creator, et al); Mike Ladman, who runs music for Droga5 and is one of the top licensing curators for big brands; and Travis Montaque, the fearless leader of Group Black, the org on a mission for diversity, inclusion, and black media ownership.
Frommer is a legend. Mike is a producer at heart and Travis is a Madison Avenue darling who’s been racking up awards and was named Adweek’s 2022 Executive Of The Year. This talk is going to have it all.
Take a deep look into my vision for the State of Music and Brands talk on my Linkedin.
A couple other things I’m looking forward to this week are the annual Resolve Gala and the start of Indie Week. The former is the brainchild of Resolution Project, an organization that I’ve mentioned in the past and I actively contribute to and advise for. It helps find and elevate under-represented entrepreneurs and was founded by Oliver Libby, one of the top up-and-coming VC’s in New York with his studio H/L Ventures and CityRock Capital. Their annual event offers a powerful potpourri of people and takes place on Thursday, June 8th at The Altman Building. I’m bringing Questlove in to DJ, so if you care about supporting entrepreneurs, come party with a purpose.
On the indie side, we all know how hard it is out here, especially in the streaming era and post-pandemic. Next Monday is the Music Managers Forum, which provides an opportunity to trade insights with managers and the larger music community about the tools available to musicians right now. The event is at Reed Smith and should be a well orchestrated and professionally produced day. I’m talking Music & Brands at 4pm. Sign up if you are interested. It will be packed.
That’s just the tip of the iceberg. There’s also Governor’s Ball, Tribeca Film Festival, and countless other chances to connect with friends, fam, and New York’s music scene.
Also published on Medium.