North Park Music Thing: Lafayette Hotel, San Diego, CA 8/13 – 8/14/10

San Diego wasn’t as far as a drive for me as Austin, TX would have been.  The North Park Music Thing, formally known as North By North Park, brought me back to my favorite Southern California city.  I learned later on that in order to separate itself from Austin’s famous South by Southwest, the name change was necessary.

Held during the weekend of August 13-14, 2010, the two-day festival featured 16 panels, 14 stages and over 150 musical acts.   Hosted by Lafayette Hotel, the panels covered everything from music industry basics, to legal issues, tour budgets, and the resurgence of independent labels.  Panelists came from a variety of backgrounds and attendants participated in the sessions, with the hopes of learning how to make it in the exciting, yet competitive industry of music.

The sessions themselves were informative for the most part; however, I would have liked to see a little more of “how-to” instead of “what-is.”  I am not saying that the entire conference portion needed improvement, but from what I witnessed, the agendas of the panelists could have used a slight tweaking.  There is more to offering expertise than just stating that hard work pays off.  These musicians already do work hard; let them know how you, as a featured panelist, got to where you are now.

On the flip side, the sessions were general and broad enough to introduce the newer and less-experienced musicians to the industry.  The majority of the sessions allowed newcomers to get their feet wet and develop ideas on how to begin their careers.  Networking with the panelists after the sessions was possible, and that allowed for more specific questions to be answered.  
After the first half of each day, the crowds emerged and music was heard on 14 different stages.  The festival featured acts from the local San Diego scene, as well as a few out of the area.  As a preview and promotion for the upcoming San Diego Music Awards on Sunday, September 12, 2010, nominees such as Gregory Page, Cathryn Beeks and The Silent Comedy performed and drew support from fans old and new.  The music portion was fantastic and the support and encouragement between the artists of San Diego is something that I’ve always admired.

All proceeds from the festival will benefit the San Diego Music Foundation.  The North Park Music Thing strives to enhance this community by recognizing independent artists.  By educating the public about the music industry and enriching their minds with the varieties of talent and skill, it offers a great deal to the City of San Diego.