Past Conference Vault

NXNE Music Conference
Most people got into the music business to get out of school (And, er, for personal expression, sex, money, parties, drugs, E-Talk). But skipping school or chopping years off education was always part of the draw of the sultry beast that is the sound. So why does every music conference feel like a detention? Or a bad day in science class?
Hell, even NXNE's otherwise brilliant conference sessions of the past could sometimes feel like the last five minutes before recess. Lighten up for chrissake, it's the music business, we can learn and still take the piss. We're making a music conference for people who cut class -- music people -- who aren't afraid to learn but don't make it feel like education. The NXNE conference is more like a night in the clubs than a day in the classroom - and you still learn.

All of our sessions are licensed, our servers will deliver drinks while our panelists deliver the goods on how to survive and thrive in the chaos that is the music industry today. It doesn't have to be scary but it does have to be different. Panelists like Kids in the Hall's Dave Foley, Peaches, and Rob Halford, the dude from Judas Priest will lay it on without ever lecturing. They won't tell you to sit up straight either.

We're the newest conference and we have no stake in old ideas. Come to NXNE to learn about the future, not just watch middle-aged guys swap stories about the past.

Read on for details on our awesome conference. And your conference pass also gets you priority admission to one of the greatest music festivals in the world in 40 clubs across Toronto.

Okay, and you get into our film fest too, "Where Music is the Star", read on and buy a pass for everything - unless you're just giving up!


THURSDAY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE
FRI SAT

The Tempestuous NXNE Town Hall Takes Over the MuchMusic Headquarters
2:30-4:30 | MusicMusic Headquarters | 299 Queen St W

MODERATOR: Jeff Rogers ~ Handsome Boy Records
PARTICIPANTS: Eric Alper ~ KOCH Canada, Dave Bason ~ Road Runner Records, Greg Below ~ Distort Entertainment, Steve Blair ~ Warner Music Canada, Greg Boggs ~ SONY / BMG, Kenny Bridges ~ Moneen, Cam Carpenter ~ XM Satellite Radio, Joel Carriere ~ Bedlam/Dine Alone/Scene Music Fest, Shauna de Cartier ~ Six Shooter Records, Susan de Cartier ~ Starfish Entertainment, Cristina Fernandes ~ Listen Harder Music Publicity, Jodie Ferneyhough ~ Universal Music, Brett Gaylor ~ NFB, Jason Grant ~ House of Blues, Mike Greatorex ~ Sonic Entertainment, Brian Heatherman ~ Curve Music / Cerberus Artist Management, Graham Henderson~ CRIA, David Kines ~ MuchMusic, Geoff Kulawick ~ Linus Entertainment, Grit Laskin ~ Borealis Records, Cristina Litz ~ CHUMCity, Sid McCain ~ EMI, Michael Mccarty ~ EMI Publishing, Heather Ostertag ~ FACTOR, Julien Paquin ~ Paquin Entertainment, George Pettit ~ Alexisonfire, Allan Reid ~ Universal Music Canada, Jack Ross ~ The Agency Group, Andreanne Sasseville ~ Sirius Satellite Radio, Franz Schuller ~ Grimskunk, Enrique Soissa ~ Paper Bag Records, Quinn Strassel ~ OurStage, Tony Tarleton ~ EMI Music Canada, Jane Tattersall ~ Myspace Canada

“Indies can't pay me, The Majors don't know I am alive and I have no idea how to do it myself"
You can run but you cannot hide at the NXNE Town Hall free-for-all where we serve up a volatile mix of chip-on-their-shoulder Indie label loud mouths and the heads of the major labels they battle every day. They’ll be joined by managers, artists, broadcasters and funding agencies in an Old School versus New School versus those who never went to school battle with everything laid on the line in a bid to keep the industry alive and relevant deep into the 21st Century. It’s a time for hard truths and strong words as the best old and new approaches face off for nothing less than the future of music at the second annual NXNE Town Hall.
The event, which kicks off the conference portion of this year’s festival from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Much Music Studios in the CHUM building on Queen Street West.


FRIDAY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Open Source - Not Sores - Rock Case Study Laboratory
10:30-5:30 | Regency Room D
MODERATOR: Doug Caldwell, Jim Kelly
PANELISTS: Karl Mullen, Dave Bason, Paula Danylevich, Sarah Baer, Noah Mintz, Elliott Hurst, Sandy Hurst, J Cloth, Matt Finkelstein, John Reese, James McLean
Meet us beside the big marble slab in our rock-boratory as we conduct a case study dissection of the band The Scenario. We spend the day looking at how to bring the band to market take them to the top. Experts from all parts of the music biz will weigh in on how to make these kids stars. Watch our Drs. of Rocktology mix beakers full of charisma, connections and huzzah.

Of Course I want to Play the States -- though Minden’s a Lovely Town
10:30-11:30 | Regency Room B
MODERATOR: Dave Porter
PANELISTS: Derek Dorsey, Tom Windish, Jeff Cohen
Agents and insiders share tips for working the big beast to the south, a guilty pleasure or career essential for anyone without a Green Card. U.S. club bookers and industry tipsters share how to get your share of worth it gigs in the U.S.


Is The AFM More Than Just A Bunch of Snazzy Letters?
10:30 -11:30 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Alan Willaert
PANELISTS: Liana White, Andrew Karis, Paul Sharpe, Ellen Versteeg-Lytwyn
American Federation of Musicians (AFM) reps try to justify their cut of your earnings by showing you how to make even more sweet juicy money. They’ll show you how to use your membership to get paid for more than just your gigs. Will only be of interest to musicians who want to make more delicious, irresistible money, sweet, sweet dough, glorious green. Sound like someone you know?


Same Thing We Do Every Night Pinky - Try to Take Over The World
10:30-11:30 | Regency Room A

PANELISTS: Simon Williams, Ralph Alfonso, Linda Bush, Reggie Ray, Helen Britton
NXNE contacts from around the world offer their tips for rocktopian world music domination. They deliver essential info for breaking into international markets and tell you the people and places you need to know to make it happen.


Dinosaur Jr's J Mascis Interviewed
12:00-1:00 | Regency Room B
INTERVIEWERS: Dave Bookman, Kevin Drew
J Mascis proves Dinosaurs are not extinct, just more relevant than ever, as he re-launches Dinosaur Jr. and comes to the NXNE conference to talk about it. Their hooky-punk sound unleashed hundreds of imitators over the last 20 years but the latest release from the Dinos shows they're still in charge. The legendarily bashful lead singer will speak on some issues for the first time ever at NXNE. The Edge’s Dave Bookman interviews.


Short Bus Success Secret - Lots of Sex and Great Music
12:00-1:00 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Michael Hill
PANELISTS: Alex Moulton, Avi Diamond, Amy Fritz, Gentleman Reg
The people behind the sex-soaked indie film success story, Short Bus explain how important music was in the movie’s breakthrough (Yeah, music and Sook Yin Lee’s 10 minute cum scene). Find out how to get your music into movies and TV and who the people are who can help make it happen. Attention, people in the first five rows, you may get wet.


Can't You Just Download a Producer?
12:00-1:00 | Regency Room A
MODERATOR: Byron Wong
PANELISTS: Gavin Brown, Mike Borkosky, Moe Berg, Scott Harding (Scotty Hard), Daniel Rey
With most excellent software and powerful memory-loaded computers, can’t we just download music producers? Does a band still need outside ears to make the best music they can? A hand picked crew of successful producers, including the fifth Ramone Daniel Rey pleads their case and explains how to get the most from the man or woman behind the boards when you make a disc. Rey was a key element in the Ramones unlikely success and we know they’d tell you how great he was - -except they’re all dead. Gabba-gabba RIP.

1:00-2:00 LUNCH & DRINKS


Joe Boyd - Celebrity Interview
2:00-3:00 | Regency Room B
INTERVIEWER: Ian Pearson
If it happened in 60 Brit rock, Joe Boyd was there. Same thing for the 70s. Actually producer/impresario and music machine Joe Boyd has been at the epicentre of popular music since it exploded – and still is. He oversaw Bob Dylan’s electric debut at the Newport festival; he discovered, produced and managed Nick Drake. He’s produced Eric Clapton, Pink Floyd, Sandy Denny, Toots and the Maytalls. 10,000 Maniacs, Billy Bragg, R.E.M. – and many more. He’s got a new tell-all biography White Bicycles and he’s going to take us inside his amazing tales. Not to be missed.


Can Indie Labels Save Us From the Major Label Death March?
2:00-3:00 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Tony Tarleton
PANELISTS: Michael Schuster, Jason Murray, Adam Mott, Shauna De Cartier, Tim Potocic
Did somebody at a major love your band – and then get laid of when their company was swallowed by another big boy? Are you safer with an Indie and their tender lovin, under funded care? Too many acts and not enough staff or is every act really “a priority”? Are they more creative and less cookie cutter or just a bunch of well-intentioned amateurs? Get the real deal on all the different deals available from the biggies to the babies.


Meet the Press - What the Hell is Press?
2:00-3:00 | Regency Room A
MODERATOR: Sid McCain
PANELISTS: Carl Wilson, Sarah Liss, James Keast, Chris Budd, James Booth
These used to be called “press panels” but we’re not even sure how relevant traditional press is. The Invasion of the Blog Monsters means there are millions of new ways for a band to get their messages out. But are blogs really they way or are they just a bunch of digital wank-offs from needy little geeks that no one listens to? Our panel includes key blog-ineers, groundbreaking bloggers who actually have audiences. And we’ve dusted off a few ink stained wretches from traditional media to duke it out for their right to shine the spotlight on music.


Mentor Sesions
2-5:00 | Room 204



Fuck Radio - Lets Podcast
3:15 - 4:15 | Pine Room
MODERATOR: Grant Lawrence
PANELISTS: Julien Smith, Jezz Harkin, Gregg Terrence
Radio doesn’t even know if it’s free or pay-per-lobe but franchised formatting is closing doors for new music around the world on this old school technology. Podcasting promises a brighter future but are they just the same assholes with smaller audiences? We lineup up podcast pretty boys and the guardians of the old broadcast media to map out an uncharitable future for new acts looking to break into fresh audiences.


When I Think of My Manager, I See a Train Going Into a Tunnel. What's That Mean?
3:15-4:15 | Regency Room B & C
MODERATOR: Dave Foley
PANELISTS: Peaches, Robyn Mitchell, Alex Norman (Ill Scarlett), Andy Winkler
You’d need a psychiatrist to understand the complexities of artist-manager relationships throughout history. Is your manager really just another controlling dad, a hyper-critical mom? Why do you smell pot roast every time you think of your manager? Well, we were going to get a shrink but then Dave Foley reminded us he plays one on Scrubs and, hey, that was good enough for us. So Dr. Foley will have two artist/manager sessions, one with Peaches and her main gal Robyn Mitchell and then another with Ill Scarlet manager Andy Winkler and the band. Using the finest psychiatric skills one can garner from playing a shrink on network television, Foley will analyze these intimate, artist/money hustler relationships.(PLEASE NOTE – NXNE does not accept malpractice suits directed at TV quacks).


Promo the Rock Robot vs. A&R Hacks. Let The Demo Derby Begin
3:15-4:15 | Regency Room A
PANELISTS: Justin Dumont, Mike McCready, Ted Seto, Howard Wulkan
Some of the most highly trained ears in music, A&R guys will battle rockified software in determining which demos can deliver. You’ll hear from humans and a machine what’s a suck-sess and what just sucks. . And if the machine wins, you don’t have to share your weed or let him ogle your girlfriend to get a deal.


CMRRA - Dave Basskin
4:30-5:30 | Regency Room B
MODERATOR: Dave Basskin
Royalties for online music - What you need to know!
In a recent decision, the Copyright Board of Canada determined the royalty rates that outline music companies like iTunes will have to pay publishers and songwriters for use of their songs. This important decision brings certainty to an issue which had been unresolved for years.
David Basskin, President of CMRRA - SODRAC Inc (CSI) will outline the Board's decision and tell you what you need to know to make sure you get paid for the use of your songs.


FACTOR
4:30-5:30 | Regency Room C
MODERATORS: Krista Culp, Karyn King
Putting the FACT in FACTOR!
FACTOR has upgraded in more ways than one!
With over 25 years in the music industry, FACTOR has gone through many changes. Come out and get the latest information on their programs, funding, Resource Centre, Open Mic nights and new online submissions process. Get the facts on FACTOR and see how they have helped grow Canadian talent for 25 years and counting!



SATURDAY CONFERENCE SCHEDULE


Open Source 2 Urban
10:30-5:30 | Regency Room D
MODERATOR: Sol Guy, Chin
PANELISTS: DJ Khalil, Greg Johnson
This panel is going to start with the genisis of the urban scene in this country to exactly where it is now. We will show the audience if we have made progress or not and what it takes to get it to the next level(whatever that level may be).
We will cover everything from artist development to songwriting to production to the importance of collaborating to self promotion with the use of Myspace etc.
The importance of publishing and what to look for in a publisher if that is the route, how take advantage of the very community you are from. We will use artists of different levels of success everyone from Maestro to K'naan to Zaki and many more.


Get a (Second) Life!
10:30-11:30 | Regency Room B
MODERATOR: Jay Moonah
PANELISTS: Don Affleck, Adam Broitman
Faster computer processors and lightening quick internet capabilities are bringing more than audio to an eager world. Now musicians can post performance video to the web. Garage Band may never have left the garage in systems like Second Life had been in place years ago. Thriving live music communities are becoming important parts of virtual worlds like Second Life. Second Lifers will give us a first hand look at what’s possible today – and what’s coming in the future.


If You Really Were My Friend You Wouldn't Be Made of Pixels
10:30-11:30 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Barnaby Marshall
PANELISTS: Richard Tanana, Teresa Medeira, Nigel Newton, Jessica Morris, Jane Tattersall
When your dad was a kid, and stayed in the house claiming to play with “friends”, you’re grandmother cried to her pals about it. Now you can have thousands of friends in your bedroom living in your hard drive – and they can tell people about your awesome band. But are Social networking friends really your buddies and can you count on them to help build your career? We got people, real people not the digital kind, from My Space and more to tell us how to get the most out of on-line social networking.


Plundering, er, Publishing Panel
10:30-11:30 | Regency Room A
MODERATOR: Michael Mccarty
PANELISTS: Derek Dorsey, Patrick Curley, Stacey A. Mitsopulos
No you’re not crazy to get nervous when terms like “in perpetuity”, “forever” and “till you die” show up on contracts. Music publishing deals used to be filled with words like that but like everything in music, old ways are disappearing and new, maybe even enlightened, ways are emerging in the publishing game. We talk with majors and Indies about the future of publishing, if there is one and how these guys claim they can help you cash in on the digital age.


Songwriting for Dummies - A Crash (Test) Course
12:00-1:15 | Regency Room B
MODERATOR: Dan Kershaw, Brad Roberts
Brad Roberts made a ton of money writing songs he can be proud of. And this isn’t just some promise on a pack of matches, but he can teach you how too. This front man for Crash Test Dummies has sold over 150 million songs and he has contributed to the School of Rock curriculum, the real one, not the one in the movie. This Songwriters Master Class is a must for any titular tunesmith. SOCAN’s Dan Kershaw will be Brad’s flunky in this session.


Across The Digital Universe, How to Sell Songs in the Stratosphere
12:00-1:00 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Michael Azerrad
PANELISTS: Wendy Stenzel, Bryan Bean, Dave Ullrich, Bob Kohn, Keith Porteous
Reports of clever musicians who locate fans digitally and get them to fork over cash for favourite tunes are the stuff of urban legend. But who is really doing it and how the hell are they? This panel uses case studies and the mega-minds of experts on digital music distribution to help you sell your songs to the world. There will be tips on the places to find the fans that are aching to find you.


Buddy Can You Spare a Career
12:00-1:00 | Regency Room A
PANELISTS: Chris Castle, Nikki Rowling, Geoff Kulawick
Borrowing from parents, friends and that girl who let you stay at her place can only take you through a few demos, then you’ve got to get into some real financing (unless said parents are truly loaded, then bleed them for everything they’ve got). We show you how to go after cash -- and when. Even most grant –givers will only release their dough after they so you raise some of your own, here’s how.


1:00-2:00 LUNCH & DRINKS



Don Letts Celebrity Interview
2:00-3:00 | Regency Room B
INTERVIEWER: Bruce McDonald
First he created the soundtrack for a scene as an influential 70s DJ. He DJed at NYC’s legendary Roxy Club in 1977 and turned a generation of punks onto reggae. Then he made the movie about it The Punk Rock movie, shot on super eight and one of the most astounding documentary record of the Sex Pistols, The Clash and more. Letts went on to make hundreds of music videos and many films including the three on view here at NXNE. He also started and played in Big Audio Dynamite with Mick Jones. So, of course Canada’s music-mad film director Bruce McDonald is interviewing Don Letts this year at the NXNE Conference. Hard core cool!


Real Live Artists Panel
2:00-3:00 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Steve Jordan
PANELISTS: Jason Falkner, Ian Blurton, Joe Cardamone, Brendan Canning, D.O., Jill Barber
Don’t expect the seasoned musicians on NXNE’s annual Artists Panel to play nice. These guys have seen too much to keep their mouths shut – and they plan on sharing what they know with you. Jason Falkner recorded as part of Paul McCartney’s Band – Macca even sent him a thank you note – and was an airy fairy member of Air but his awesome solo work is what excites us; producer/performer Ian Blurton is committed to showing the world Canadian music has its nasty side, first fronting Change of Heart and now C’Mon; Brendan Canning helped invent the now Canadian trend of piling the stage with musicians when he co-created Broken Social Scene; Joe from Icarus Line has been scaring Mom’s around the world for years, and D.O. made Hip-Hop history by establishing the Guinness World Record for World's Longest Freestyle Ever rapping a breathtaking 8 hours and 45 minutes.


Screw Big in Japan, I Want to Make it in Britain
2:00-3:00 | Regency Room A
MODERATOR: Brandon Freisen
PANELISTS: Charlie Kennedy, Jon Baker,
There’s more than driving on the wrong side of the road to know about touring in Britain. We’ve imported a panel of experts from British rock journalists to Indie UK promoters to help explain the land of pudding and porridge to eager acts who want to do what the French never have and conquer Great Britain. We won’t just paint a sunny picture –sun? Britain?—but will share the whys and why nots of trying to make it in Her Majesty’s Queendom.


Mentor Sesions
2-5:00 | Room 206



Metal God Rob Halford of Judas Priest
3:15-4:15 | Regency Room B & C
INTERVIEW: Sam Dunn
You better by fucking awesome to be known as the Metal God but Judas Priest front man Rob Halford earned his leathers rocking arenas around the world. He’s been the face, voice– and the kick in the ass – of mega-metal for 30 years and he tells us how he does it – and work a monster solo career too. Director Sam Dunn wasn’t able to get hold of Halford for his legendary flick Metal: A Head Bangers Journey. Dunn gets to live his dream and finally interview the larger-than-life Halford live at NXNE – just for you.


It Ain't That Hard Being Green
3:15-4:15 | Pine Room
MODERATOR: Lee Schnaiberg
PANELISTS: Samir Baijal, Andy Keen, Andrew Snowhite, Jennifer Wright
It shouldn’t take a failed U.S. presidential candidate to green light the world to green. We in the music biz can do it ourselves and there are plenty of relatively easy – and some not so easy – ways to stop ripping the earth a new asshole. Get rich, loamy ideas on how you can reduce your band’s environmental footprint without losing the beat.


UMAC
3:15-4:15 | Regency Room A
MODERATOR: Matte Babel
PANELISTS: Farley Flex, Lil' X, Beverly McKee, Jen Hyland, Will Strickland
"Urban Music Videos in Canada: Passport to The World?" Canada's government funding agencies provide countless opportunities for artists of all genres to access monies to do everything from producing albums & touring to showcasing & making their own videos. This panel will examine how young urban artists in Canada can better utilize the tools at their disposal, in particular videos, to create a unique place in the oversaturated music landscape.


Are Lawyers Just Thieves in Suits Or Do You Really Need Them
4:30-5:30 | Regency Room C
MODERATOR: Adam Ritholz
PANELISTS: Greg Stephens, Loren Chodosh, Chris Taylor
We all know lawyers are excellent punch lines for really nasty jokes – but do you actually need one to have a career? Barristers from both sides of the border plead the fifth, er, plead their case and try to convince us bands still need em. When are you just nuts not to get one and how long can you get along without one? The ambulance chasers will answer these questions and many more for a hell of lot less than their regular hourly rate.


Indie Rock's DIY Poster Boy - and New York Times Star
4:30-5:30 | Regency Room B
INTERVIEWER: Clive Thompson:
Jonathan Coulton was stuck in a dead end job dreaming of rocking fulltime. He stuck it to the man at 35 and pledged to music as his day job – and to writing a song a week and posting it on the internet. Then people started sending him money for his songs – and artwork for CDs. E-mails poured in and he said he’d go to any town where 100 people would pay him 10 bucks to show up – and they did. Now labels are calling him but the web is paying his bills nicely, he just has to answer a helluva lot of e-mails. Coulton’s amazing story was featured in a recent issue of the Sunday New York Times Magazine – that ain’t Tiger Beat baby. Come hear Coulton tell his tale to Clive Thompson, the reporter who interviewed him for the NYT and pick up tips you can definitely try at home.


MMF AGM [invite only]
4:30-5:30 | Regency Room A
The Music Managers Forum Canada is a non-profit organization operating under the umbrella organization, the International Music Managers Forum (IMMF). With over 100 members across Canada, the MMF Canada continuously works to raise the profile of the music manager through: education by hosting management workshops; lobbying on behalf of members on critical issues that effect managers and their artists; as well the MMF Canada is dedicated to providing a networking platform for its members.

NXNE is once again the meeting place for the MMF Canada Annual General meeting, open to members of the MMF Canada and IMMF members, and members of the MMF from other territories.