Americana Music Festival & Conference

Visit with the folks at Compass Records in their historic Music Row office, the former home of Glaser Brothers Productions (aka ‘Hillbilly Central’). See the place where the “Outlaw” movement in country music was born and legendary albums such as Waylon Jennings’ Dreaming My Dreams, John Hartford’s Aereo-Plain, and Kinky Friedman’s Sold American were recorded, and where WANTED! THE OUTLAWS (the first million-selling album in country music) was conceptualized. Run your hand over Waylon’s knife marks in the back wall, have a drink on Willie’s smokin’ porch, soak in Tompall’s vibe and speak to the ghosts of the studio’s heyday (if you’re lucky!).

Open to badge holders only.

Presented in partnership with the Muscle Shoals Music Foundation

Please Be With Me: A Song For My Father is a deeply personal, revealing, and lyrical portrait of Duane Allman, founder of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, written by his daughter. Rolling Stone says, “Galadrielle Allman offers a moving and poetic portrait of her late father.” Please join Galadrielle to experience her compelling stories and hear music from some special guests.

Co-produced and co-directed by Todd Kwait and Rob Stegman, this documentary explores the history of Club 47 in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Narrated by Peter Coyote, the film features interviews with such folk music legends as Joan Baez, Taj Mahal, Judy Collins, Tom Rush, Maria Muldaur, Jim Kweskin, Jackie Washington, Jim Rooney, Peter Rowan, and many more. Previously unreleased material featuring Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and Eric Von Schmidt is interspersed with newly filmed performances by Club 47 luminaries performing with today’s emerging folk performers and insightful commentary by music historians Elijah Wald and Scott Alarik to contextualize the story of Club 47 within broader historical and cultural contexts. (105 minutes)

This popular annual panel will offer indie musicians, publishers and serious fans inside knowledge on what makes the music industry tick; especially how it’s changed and what to expect in light of digital progress. In addition to straight business talk, we’ll add some career coaching/marketing speak to our discussion. Covered topics will include information for: the touring artist, singer-songwriter, self-publishers and those interested in international business deals. What should I be doing to promote myself? What options are available to me - the artist?

Mississippi is the cradle from which many American music forms have grown to maturity and become an indelible part of the nation’s cultural identity. Beginning with the blues, the bedrock of nearly all American popular music, Mississippi has also provided the sounds and styles, the artists and history, behind numerous other music forms, including gospel, rhythm & blues, rock & roll, soul, country and even hip-hop. Jimmie Rodgers, Elvis

Presley, Muddy Waters, and B.B. King are just some of the American music legends that were born in Mississippi and began their careers there. This panel will explore the roots of these music forms and those artists and contextualize their place in the American music treasury. It will also look at how Mississippi continues to inform popular music and how the state has made its music legacy an important part of cultural tourism.

Programming a radio station these days is tough enough with competition from satellite, internet radio, podcasts, and music streaming sites. How do you program a non-mainstream format? This insightful panel of Americana PDs will give you tips on how they deal day to day with the challenges of programming a niche format.

Whether you currently program an Americana station or have been thinking about adding Americana music to your current format, this panel will share some of the secrets that make them successful in their markets and could work for yours!

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

For the past decade consumers have been moving from a physical ownership model to a digital access model. During this period, artists and music labels have had to go from a primary revenue model concentrated on selling CDs to a wider physical/digital platform where they need to get revenues from 10-12 sources, with less funds for support. 2013 was a tipping point for recorded music sales as digital sales decreased for the first time. Digital album sales were flat but digital track sales dropped 6%. So far in 2014 digital albums and tracks are down double digit percentages and it’s not just the release schedule. The good news is that U.S. monitored streaming revenues were way up in 2013. The other good news is that a number of these revenue sources are also providing music discovery and promotional support as they reach consumers.

We’re going to explore the growth of streaming both in the United States and internationally – and how to get access for both promotion and monetization!

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

It’s closing time and your band is ready to collect your pay. When you finally locate the manager on duty, not only does he offer you less than the guarantee, but he insists that bands are paid by check, which is mailed weeks later. From gigs, to album sales, to royalties, musicians face unique challenges when it comes to being compensated for their work. This panel will examine the realities of chasing down money and strategies for ensuring timely payment.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hallhttp://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know forAMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

You know the GRAMMYs, music’s biggest night. But do you know how the Recording Academy engages the music community year-round? From advocacy at the state and federal level on behalf of creators, to professional development programs, to the music education, archiving and preservation programs of the GRAMMY Foundation, to the human service activities of MusiCares, to the remarkable curatorial and public programs series at the GRAMMY Museum, the mission of the Recording Academy goes well beyond awards. We invite you to hear the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s Jeff Hanna in conversation with: Christine Albert, Chair of the Recording Academy Board of Trustees, Debbie Carroll, Executive Director of MusiCares, Lynne Sheridan, Director of Public Programs at the GRAMMY Museum, and Scott Goldman, Vice President of the GRAMMY Foundation and MusiCares. They’ll discuss the work of an organization committed to the betterment of our music community.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

It’s a big world out there, with opportunities in surprising places. Why, when and how should you take your music and music business global? This panel of international experts will discuss artist development, touring, festivals, logistics and negotiating diverse cultures. And who knows? You might have some adventures while opening up new markets.

This is an opportunity for radio show hosts to improve their game. These will be one-on-one sessions with a professional programmer with years of radio experience. You will have an opportunity to play your aircheck and get constructive feedback on what you’re doing right and what could use improvement. Whether you are currently on terrestrial radio, hosting a podcast, or working in internet radio, here’s your chance to get an honest evaluation of your work.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

The always popular mentoring sessions will allow delegates to sit down for individual conversations with music industry professionals to discuss current key business topics and learn hands-on skills. Each mentor will have a table and a topic such as licensing, management agreements, publishing and more. Delegates will rotate tables, giving them the opportunity to ask detailed questions and learn tangible take-aways that might not be possible in a large panel setting.

Whether it’s non-com or commercial radio, at the end of the day, the light bill has to be paid and payroll still has to be met. How do we generate revenue while programming Americana music, a non-mainstream format? How do successful

Americana stations pay the bills? How do they train sales and underwriting staff to sell something outside the norm? How do they tap nontraditional revenue resources? Do non-comms approach on-air fundraising differently from their news and information counterparts? What tricks of the trade do commercial stations use to keep revenue flowing without sounding like the Top 40 competitor down the street?

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

In October, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum will be honoring The Everly Brothers in the annual Music Masters Series. This panel, a discussion between coproducers Lauren Onkey and Jason Hanley and Music Director Rodney Crowell, will explore the impact and legacy of the Everlys who were inducted in the Rock Hall’s inaugural class in 1986 on rock and roll history and Americana music. They will share archival performance clips and discuss the brothers’ unique sound, which made them so essential to the development of rock and roll.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

The power party duo of Starfish Entertainment and Six Shooter Records joins forces again to present the 2014 Outlaws & Gunslingers Luncheon. Mosey over to Soulshine Pizza (new venue!) for another year of back-to-back performances from some of Canada’s most exciting and progressive roots, folk and country artists. With fine tunes, tasty morsels and, of course, Outlaws & Gunslingers-style hospitality (read: free shots), lunch never sounded so good!

The internationally syndicated radio program Acoustic Café is thrilled to present an interview and performance with Joe Henry at this year’s AmericanaFest. Rob Reinhart will talk with Joe about his latest album Invisible Hour, as well as Mr. Henry’s 28-year career, which began with his first album in 1986. Joe will also perform a few choice song selections. The interview and performance will run on a September edition of Acoustic Café, heard on 90+ stations and Voice of America worldwide.

Open to conference badge holders. Limited seating available.

Please note: Buses leave PROMPTLY at 12:15 for the Hall of Fame. If you have a reservation for the program and choose not to ride the bus, you must be at the Hall of Fame 15 minutes prior to the start of the event or you will surrender your reservation.

Carlene Carter, the granddaughter of Mother Maybelle Carter and the daughter of June Carter Cash, will keep the circle unbroken along with 2014 Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Mac Wiseman. They will perform songs from their respective albums Carter Girl and Songs from My Mother’s Hand, with help from their extended family and friends.

Open to conference badge holders and SiriusXM subscribers. Limited seating available.

A radio programmer receives hundreds of CDs each week and has limited time to listen. How do you get your music heard and subsequently PLAYED on his or her station? This annual favorite, The Call Day Etiquette panel, will show you the ins and outs, dos and don’ts of Radio Call Days. Featuring the best of the best of Americana radio promoters and programmers, you will hear actual calls and learn the secrets of success to get YOUR record on the TOP of the listening pile.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

The internationally syndicated radio program Acoustic Café is thrilled to present an interview and performance with Lee Ann Womack. Rob Reinhart will talk with Lee Ann about her latest album The Way I’m Livin’, as well as her career, which began with his first album in 1997. The interview & performance will run on a September edition of Acoustic Café, heard on 90+ stations and Voice of America worldwide.

Open to conference badge holders. Limited seating available.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

This popular session allows attendees to participate in a simulated Music Meeting where we’ll listen to a dozen great, mostly yet-to-be-released new songs that the room will score and discuss in detail. Find out why programmers (radio, TV, internet, music bloggers) make the choices they do and how we all hear music in different ways. It’s always fun, informative, good natured and packed, so get there early!

Five-time GRAMMY winning multi-instrumentalist, singer, songwriter, photographer and historian and his crack hillbilly combo perform selections from new double album Saturday Night & Sunday Morning LIVE on-air with host Mojo Nixon, “The Loon in the Afternoon.”

Open to conference badgeholders and SiriusXM subscribers. Limited seating available.

Western Canada is known for cold winters and hot music. But we’re no strangers to the joys of a summer afternoon backyard BBQ party. BreakOut West brings a stellar showcase of new music plus beer, food trucks and a dose of East Nashville attitude to the backyard at The Groove. Performers include JUNO Award-nominated country-roots singer-songwriter Del Barber, alt-country crooners The Bros. Landreth, prairie balladeer Zachary Lucky and folk-pop husband wife duo The Royal Foundry. The second annual BreakOut West Americanafest party is presented by Alberta Music, Manitoba Music, and Sask Music.

Plowboy Records is proud to host our first-ever Americanafest event! Join us in Nashville at Soulshine Pizza as we present Plowboy artists Chuck Mead & his Grassy Knoll Boys, J.D. Wilkes & the Dirt Daubers, Paul Burch, Buzz Cason and more!

In conjunction with the recently published biography, A Man Called Destruction: The Life and Music of Alex Chilton, from Box Tops to Big Star to Backdoor Man, author Holly George-Warren will be joined by such Chilton colleagues, friends, and acolytes as Big Star drummer Jody Stephens, music business veterans/longtime Chilton pals Dan & Adele Tyler, guitarist Will Kimbrough, and other special guests for discussion, music, and a reading/signing.

Connect with other business professionals at this cocktail hour event brought to you by our friends at The Music Business Association. Network, brainstorm, mingle.

Open to all badge holders. Cash bar.

A party in East Nashville’s cool and breezy pavilion. Featuring Buffalo Clover, Anne McCue, Hannah Aldridge, Lily Hiatt, and more. Visit www.thepavilioneast.com

Music City Roots is a nation-spanning weekly radio show and webcast featuring the finest roots and Americana music from and passing through Nashville. Hosted by Jim Lauderdale, Keith Bilbrey and Craig Havighurst, the show has become a beloved institution among fans and artists alike. Yes, it spent four years at the Loveless Barn, but Roots is now in a cool new home, Liberty Hall in the easy-to-access Factory at Franklin. Come experience old-school presentation at this official AMA showcase with the original lineup of BR5-49, Chris Smither, The Duhks and Ruthie Foster.

This is an opportunity for radio show hosts to improve their game. These will be one-on-one sessions with professional programmers with years of radio experience. You will have an opportunity to play your aircheck and get constructive feedback on what you’re doing right and what could use improvement. Whether you are currently on terrestrial radio, hosting a podcast, or working in internet radio here’s your chance to get an honest evaluation of your work.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

You’ve probably noticed a surge of articles and books in recent years about music and the brain. Emerging research shows that music perception, appreciation, and practice affect the mind. Music can influence learning, memory, stress and emotion. Why does music help us learn our ABC’s? Why do we have that one song that can bring us joy or make us weep? These are questions that researchers are currently investigating. In addition, music may be used as therapy for treatment of a range of brain disorders from PTSD to Alzheimer’s. The panel will survey the current understanding of the connection between music and the mind and foster communication between musicians, clinicians and neuroscientists to help this fascinating and exciting new field reach its full potential.

Off The Record, a nationally syndicated weekly music interview show on Triple R FM in Melbourne, Australia, which goes to air every Saturday morning. The program is also broadcast to more than 45 stations on the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia's satellite network (the equivalent of National Public Radio) in Australia. You can read about it at: http://www.rrr.org.au/program/off-the-record/

Off The Record has won Best Music Program Award from the CBAA four times and in 2012 was a finalist in the Excellence In Music Programming category.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

In this day and age there is no shortage of people doing great work for their fellow man. Often times, an alignment with a movement can be very beneficial to all parties involved. This panel will dissect the kinds of partnerships in the marketplace today, what cause partners look for, what the ask is of artist and fans and how to make the most of the “good deed” without losing the spirit of why you’re committed to lending a helping hand.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert.

Eight years in, the success of Record Store Day has been felt by over 2000 record stores internationally and has spilled over to impact artists, management and all aspects of physical music production. Hear about this impact from all sides, and learn how Americana Music Association members can get further involved with this celebration of the culture of the indie record store.

Over the past few years the Americana radio format has seen some of its artists cross over to AAA and in some cases onto top 40 radio creating “homeruns” by bands like The Avett Brothers, The Lumineers, and Mumford & Sons. Other

Americana based acts like Lake Street Dive and John Fulbright are setting up to cross that bridge as well. What are the factors that prompt AAA and pop radio to make room for Americana music? How can the Americana music community make it happen more often? Do these left-field hits offer hints at how Americana radio can reach a wider audience? And how do you maintain the integrity of the format when some listeners regard Phillip Phillips and Mumford & Sons as similar acts? How do we turn our happy accidents into a plan?

Hosted by SOUNDS AUSTRALIA representative Dobe Newton, “A Taste Of Australia” has become a must-attend event for Americana delegates as we showcase Australia’s five official artists at Americana 2014. You’ll need to buy your own drinks, but lunch is on us. Plus the usual prizes of course. Be early to avoid disappointment AND bring your laminate.This year’s line-up includes Falls, Immigrant Union, Brooke Russell & The Mean Reds, The Mae Trio, and The Audreys.

For more information on all the Australian artists performing and industry doing business during Americana download the SOUNDS AUSTRALIA APP (Android and iPhone).

Jim Rooney, GRAMMY Award-winning producer of Nanci Griffith, John Prine and Iris DeMent and recipient of an Americana Music Association Lifetime Achievement Award, will be reading from his classic Bossmen: Bill Monroe & Muddy Waters and his recently published memoir In It For The Long Run: A Musical Odyssey. A born storyteller, he’ll tell of how he came to know both Monroe and Muddy and came to the startling conclusion that they were very much alike as men and in the way that they created two classic forms of American music: Bluegrass and Chicago Blues.

First in Los Angeles in the 1980s and later in Nashville, Billy Block galvanized a community of free-thinking but like-minded, country-rooted, songwriter-oriented musicians and became a central figure in scenes that helped create what we now recognize as Americana music. Lucinda Williams, Buddy Miller, Jim Lauderdale,

Rodney Crowell, Robbie Fulks, Duane Jarvis, Walter Hyatt, Allison Moorer, Kenny Vaughan and hundreds of others played Block’s stages, performing to rooms full of peers, industry shakers, and fans. Block was Americana’s first impresario, bringing the music to new ears with his radio shows and with his “Western Beat” television program, which aired nationally on CMT. Without Block, the story of Americana would be a different one. This is an invaluable chance to hear Block’s thoughts on Americana’s past, present and future, and to hear him uncover hidden history.

A panel of Americana PDs will discuss how they sift through the myriad of new releases each week to determine what goes on the air and what does not. Despite rumors of the demise of the record business, there are more new releases each week than ever before. During this panel programmers will share their tips with other programmers on how they get through those stacks of CDs. How do they balance the workload between programming the music and their other job responsibilities? What outside indicators do they use to determine their music choices: chart position, press buzz, Internet activity, record sales, record reps hyperbole, internal staff feedback, all or none of the above?

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

Please join the world’s leading independent talent booking agency, The Agency Group, for an afternoon of intimate live performances and cocktails. The Agency Group is responsible for driving the successful careers of many of the most recognizable and trailblazing names in the entertainment industry. Come see some of their best up and coming Americana artists from all over North America.

Featuring: Lindi Ortega, Jamestown Revival, Leroy Virgil of Hellbound Glory, The Harpoonist & The Axe Murder, Adam Faucett and Meghann Wright.

Open to badge holders only.

Who are Americana music fans? How do they discover new music? Do they go to live shows? Have they ever bought your merchandise? Are they listening to radio or paying for online services? Who are their favorite artists? Are they even in town this week? Jason Samuel surveyed 1,500 people as part of the most comprehensive study ever conducted on Americana music fans. He will answer these questions and share demographic and psychographic data of the Americana music fan base.

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

This interactive session will feature web experts offering live critiques of musician websites submitted by members of the audience. They’ll look at the design, organization, content, and functionality of the sites. They’ll evaluate how the site fits with the artist’s overall online strategy. Our reviewers are extremely knowledgeable about best practices and deeply allergic to bad design. Reviews will be candid and thorough; don’t come with thin skin! The goal is for everyone to leave the room with tangible information on how to improve their websites.

VIEW PANELS FROM HOME OR AT THE HUTTON: Live streaming will be available for Select panel sessions located in Palmer Plaza Main Hall and Palmer Plaza Room 300. Popular panels from these rooms will be available for viewing in our Live Streaming room located in the Hutton Hotel. You may also watch them from your laptop, iPad, or smartphone. 

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-main-hall

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/americanafest-palmer-300

A password is required. Please see your "What you need to know for AMERICANAFEST 2014” email or Program Guide insert. 

They may have a different word for it, but Canadians love Americana music. Canada has a long history of love for singer-songwriters, roots music, outlaw country and acoustic folk. This panel will discuss the opportunities and challenges of the Canadian music market including immigration, routing tours, booking festivals, pitching radio and releasing and marketing albums. The panel will compare and contrast the American and Canadian markets from an artist development point of view, providing valuable info for Americans, internationals, and Canadians alike. Canada’s proximity to the U.S. makes it a natural market for American and international touring artists to explore. But with a relatively small population and a huge geographic area, Canada needs to be approached strategically.

“The Loon in the Afternoon” Mojo Nixon hosts a LIVE “Guitar Pull” style radio broadcast featuring acoustic performances and storytelling with Lee Ann Womack, Hayes Carll, Bobby Bare Jr. and Country Music Hall of Fame songwriter Bobby Braddock.

Open to conference badgeholders and SiriusXM subscribers. Limited seating available.

SXSW is coming to the Americana Music Festival & Conference! Join members of the SXSW Music staff for a bit of networking, drinks, food and fun before you head out for an evening of showcases. A special Americana playlist curated by SXSWfm, the online radio channel of SXSW, will be broadcasted during the event. Please RSVP to musicrsvp@sxsw.com.

Thacker Mountain Radio is a live radio show featuring weekly author readings and a wide array of musical performances from the Square in Oxford, Mississippi. The free show is taped and broadcast every Thursday at 6:00 p.m. during the fall and spring and rebroadcast every Saturday night on Mississippi Public Radio. Thacker hosts an eclectic mix of local and national writers and musicians, performing before a live and loyal audience. Thacker will be taping live at Americanafest 2014.

If there is one thing that we Texans know how to do, it’s throw one hell of a party with some great live music! We’ll be serving up a good ole time at The Groove’s backyard stage with performances from John Moreland, Courtney Patton, Cory Branan, David Ramirez, The Howlin’ Brothers and Matt the Electrician (along with some very special guests!). We’ll be bringing some of the finest Texan spirits along with us, as well as East Nashville’s best taco truck!

What better place to listen to great Americana music than sitting around a fire under the influence of the Moon Shining down! We’ll try not to burn down the Blue Bar but we might blow the roof off! Don’t miss this Moonshine Music Showcase featuring the great talents of Cole Washburn (from TN), Mark Crawford Williams and Erin McLendon (both from NC) and Kathy Von (from Johannesburg, South Africa.) The first 50 attendees get a GIFT BAG provided by the party sponsors: Short Mountain Distillery, LogJam, Magenta Records and Gravity Nashville. Open to the Public.

BBC Introducing was created in 2007 to support unsigned, undiscovered and under the radar musicians. Join host Bob Harris at The Stone Fox where BBC Introducing will present three of the hottest and freshest new acts on the scene.

SoundExchange, the independent nonprofit performance rights organization that collects and distributes digital performance royalties to featured artists and copyright holders, is proud to support the 2014 Americana Music Festival and Conference. Come network and socialize with the SoundExchange team and its Nashville partners. Enjoy food, drink and music. Join SoundExchange in celebrating Americana artists’ musical heritage and wishing them ongoing success in the digital radio space.

Join singer-songwriter and guitarist Tim Carroll and an all-star musician-studded band for an event that is an absolute don’t miss. Listen, drink, enjoy.