Winter Art and Culture Wonderland
Ok folks, sorry for the slight disappearance; last week was moving week and I'm sure everyone knows how annoying that can be. But I'm back! I haven't had much time lately to attend any local events, but with the weather turning to bearable, people are popping their heads out of their Air Conditioned hiding places and Miami is holding up a big sign that says, "Come out and play!"
In the next 3 month there are three enormous events that, if continue their yearly regularity (along with Winter Music Conference), could define Miami as a hot Winter Time art and music focal point - like SXSW for Austin, Lolapalooza for Chicago, or Bonaroo for Hippies.
Sleepless Night (November 7)
From a Letter to the City Commission, "Sleepless Nights was... developed as a result of the Cultural Arts Council's desire to create a signature, annual cultural event to celebrate Miami Beach's commitment to the arts." -- Sept 4, 2008
And boy does it ever! Coming right before internationally renowned Art Basel, Sleepless Night is a 13-hour long cramfest of all things Miami Beach.
Go to their website, www.sleeplessnight.org, for the official maps and event listings. There are acrobats, performances, lectures, and who knows what else. But this is a great opportunity to explore, arguably, the most significant cultural area of Miami.
Bring sneakers, Pepcid AC for all the coffee stands, take an afternoon nap, and whatever it takes to stay up for as long as you can.
Art Basel (December 3-6)
I have a lot of really important memories associated with Art Basel; the launching of REVMiami coincided with last year's Art Basel. Art Basel is our unofficial anniversary party.
Also, it was the first year that I really went out and immersed myself in a major Miami event. I went up and down the Wynwood Art District as often as I could, went to the Miami Beach Convention Center, went to MidTown Mall for Scope Miami and Art Asia, and spent as much time as I could with my artsy friends who explained as much as they could to me.
The official event website, www.artbaselmiamibeach.com, focuses mainly on the Miami Beach Convention Center event, plus various lectures arond town. But, really, what's so great about Art Basel is that the entire city finds different ways to take part. Usually Miami New Times puts out a comprehensive guide, so look for that in the coming months.
Miami Music Festival (December 10-12)
Joining the other staples is newcomer Miami-Dade Office of Film and Entertainment (Filmiami)'s Miami Music Festival.
Normally I would roll my eyes at an event that promises "600 performances over 25 stages," but I want to have faith in this event. Not to mention, several months ago, I attended a meeting of "Music Professionals", arranged by Filmiami at the Miami Museum of Science's Planetarium to discuss the local music communities impact on the city and how better to focus it as part of Miami's growing Art market - and this was one of the ideas that was proposed, so it's good to see that it actually came together.
Their list of sponsors includes music industry heavyweights Yamaha, SESAC, ASCAP, and BMI. Their most recent Press Release announced a lineup, and their 25 stages include known Miami venues: Transit Lounge, Tobacco Road, The Hard Rock Cafe, The Olympia Theater at the Gusman Center, and Ecco Lounge. It is a little odd not to include underground favorite's along Downtown's 14th Street Corridor, and everyone's favorite shithole, Churchill's Pub.
But, the true strength is in the Panels and Forums. The Press Release can be found at www.miamimusicfestival.org, under Press. Speakers include an amazing list of Music Professionals, whose names may not be known, but they are top dogs in the music industry.
Beyond that, the discussions are focused 100% on how to make a living off your music. This reminds me of something a friend of mine told me when I used to work in a bookstore. We were talking about running a business and how the success rate of independent business people has a really high failure rate. He pointed to the "Business" section in the store, and he said, "you see how many hundreds of books are there? How many people that own their own business do you think go to that section to learn about Business?"
Musicians are typically the same way. Putting aside basic things like learning their craft (something like scales, modes, arpeggios, or general music theory), how many musicians actually take the time to learn the business part of music business? I'll never forget during the Town Hall Meeting one artist said to a venue owner, "why should I have to learn the business side of things, isn't that your job?"
Every single musician (at least the ones who want to make this their career) should attend as many of these panels as they can. From "The 10 Most Important Questions to Ask Your Music Publisher" to "How to Talk to an A&R Exec" to "Making a 'Ready-For-Primetime' Demo" to "Sound Adventures: Putting Together the Live Show", this could be the most important 3 days of any professional musician's life. This may be the equivalent of getting your BA in Music Business, all for $50! Stick that in your ear Frost School of Music.
If You Enjoyed This Post, You May Also Like:
- Follow Up on the Closing of Black Sheep Bar
- Miami Downtown Development Authority (DDA): DWNTWN Concert Series - Chana with Afrobeta
- Allison's Art Basel Reflections Parts 1 and 2
- Rooster Gets His Day In Court
- 5 Questions with Jackie Tufford
NOTE FOR COMMENTS: Do not flame or leave obnoxious comments, THEY WILL NOT BE APPROVED. Constructive criticism should always be welcomed by any artist, but don't be a d-bag, show some class. Thanks. - REVMiami Staff
