Maui is a magnet for creative types, and our own local community rallies around a lot of talented musicians. But how can our artists reach other audiences, hone their careers and be creative? One method is to exploit technology and the internet. That’s what Brain and Shoshana Zisk are doing with the Maui Music Tech Conference.
“Saturday, Dec. 10 is Maui Music Tech Day, which we are doing for the community and it’s part of the longer Maui Music Tech Conference,” says Shoshana. “Maui Tech Conference is an offshoot of the SF Music Tech Summit that we do in San Francisco. We have done that 18 times. We have also done a conference called the future of money six times. We have done a lot of conferences. We just concluded the last SF Music Tech in San Francisco in October in Japantown. There were about 1,000 people out for it.”
“It’s the top conference in the world where people around the internet and music distribution and promotion come together,” says Brian. “It’s all the big companies and all the artists. Now we have moved to Maui and we love it here. Our goal is, as things get more difficult for musicians how do we build this ecosystem where people can figure out how to keep making music and make money, too. In some ways the internet has been really bad for music and in some ways the internet has been really good for music.”
The Maui Music Tech Conference will be held over four days starting Thursday, Dec. 8 at the Royal Lahaina Resort in Ka`anapali. It kicks off Hawaiian style with a luau on Thursday, and the list of speakers has names from familiar internet players like Amazon and Pandora, as well as other startups like LyricFind, Rage On! and Massive Act. Phil Tripp, who handles recruiting from Hawaii for SXSW, will also be presenting on Saturday.
“I’m lucky to handle the creative content movers and shakers of the Pacific with over 750 attendees from my three territories heading over to SXSW’s 31st year,” says Tripp. “But here in Maui, I’ll be speaking to local artists and music technology creators about how to use international trade shows, conferences and events to jump-start your careers ‘off-islands’ through networking and media opportunities. It’s time Maui had its own major global music tech event. This first year’s series of days not only brings in the high-level overseas and mainland thought leaders for major seminars but also has a full program Saturday, Dec. 10 for a specially priced locals’ day. SXSW started as a low-key local event in 1987 and is now the world’s biggest and most dynamic set of creative content conferences and festivals. I hope that Maui Music Tech emerges to serve as a pivot for homegrown talent to transport themselves into overseas markets.”
Maui Music Tech Day features tech, business strategy and career building, online presence, networking and much more packed into the day for just $30. Other highlights will be an interview with Shep Gordon and a finale party with Kanekoa.
“It used to be if you wanted to play something for me we had to be in the same room with a disk, hopefully not scratched,” says Brian. “Now you can call it up on a device, send it to someone. Our daughter, for part of our $15/mo subscription, can hear any music any time unlimited as long as the phone is charged. There are good things and bad things. Its problematic that you cannot get signed to a label and plan to sell a million CDs. That just doesn’t happen anymore. At the same time for smaller artists you don’t have to make a thousand CDs and have 750 of them sitting in your bedroom forever. If you can make some money on the internet that is great.”
Maui Music Tech conference will feature advanced discussions, top executives and networking activities Dec. 8-11. Tickets are $999 and Kama`aina rate is $499, register at Mauimusictech.com.
Maui MusicTech Day happens on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 1-9pm. It will feature afternoon education sessions and an evening party with live music. Tickets are $30 register at Mauimusictechday.com.
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