LAMP LIGHTS UP THE KNITTING FACTORY
by Jimi Yamagishi, Director, SongNet
 Once again, LAMP (Los Angeles Music Productions) brought together musicians & the music industry @ the world-famous Knitting Factory in
Hollywood. An immediate sense of community was felt the moment you entered the door, with familiar faces from members of organizations such as SongNet & Songsalive! handling
registration & check in. Those arriving on time (musicians on time? What a concept!) were then treated to an all-you-can-eat continental breakfast buffet. Ahhh, free coffee in the morning!
PHOTO: Deborah Poppink, pictured left, asks a question of the artist management panel. Gilli Moon, respected author, musician, painter & co-founder of Songsalive! started the day,
sharing the secrets of her success. Behind that cute blond cheerleader smile lives a one-person promotional machine whose sharp observations and insights into living
optimistically essentially became a pep rally for everyone in the room. A panel of some of L.A.'s most respected managers moderated by respected industry list
compiler and author Ritch Esra took the stage next, discussing when and why a manager is important to an artist's career. (panelist bios)  The lunch break was also full, with showcase performances by
Jugulur, Danielle & The Masses (pictured at right), The Color Green, and Brother
Marquis & the Shake Joint, all premier touring bands that have opened for major-name artists,
and are on the brink of becoming major names themselves.A panel of Independent Label reps right after lunch was moderated by Bobby Borg, who's "Musician's
handbook" is at #4 on the Billboard Book charts as of this writing. He will also be a guest speaker at SongNet June 11th at the Coffee Gallery. These
record label execs explained how major-label deals can often be the undoing of a successful career, and how the attention and care of a smaller label can make thing happen AND provide
an income, often better than what you'd expect.  Famous music columnist Bernard Baur (pictured
on the left) final led the final panel of booking agents representing ALL of the most respected nightclubs in town, with the dialog flying fast and
furious between attendees and panelists, as they discussed the reasons why some bands are booked more often than others, and how important a professional attitude is.
The best part of the event was left for last, when a selected group of industry reps from the panels listened to attendee's work, giving critiques, & picking up CDs for future evaluation!
Smoothly run, with a room full of Music Industry VIPs and some of the best music typical of the finest clubs around, LAMP once again provided a key stepping stone to the music
community for about the price of lunch with any 4 of the heavy hitters present. Even less for SongNet members.
All that and breakfast too! It's more than a great value, because the connections are priceless! The Next LAMP event is called "Vocal Mecca, " and will take place July 12th
, featuring the top vocal coaches in L.A.! See
www.lamusicproductions.com for more info.
Jimi Yamagishi heads up SongNet, a FREE songwriter's organization that meets the first & third Wednesdays @ the Coffee Gallery in Altadena More info @ www.songnet.org |
