Nashville, Tennessee-based singer-songwriters Pete Mroz (who performed on NBC’s The Voice) and Maya DeVitry (formerly a founding member of the roots trio The Stray Birds) will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 130 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at 15 local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Now in its 13th year, Singer-Songwriter Cape May launched in 2008, continued through 2019, and resumed in last year following a five-year hiatus. The conference also features two days of hour-long music business panel discussions and workshops, as well as mentoring sessions, at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

While AcousticMusicScene.com is my labor of love, I am also a seasoned public relations and strategic communications professional and will moderate a panel discussion entitled “Story to Strategy: Marketing & Branding for Independent Acts & Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session similar to one that I participated in last year.

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has many implications for the music industry and is rapidly changing how music is written, recorded and shared. Aspects of AI will be explored in three workshops. Professor Emeritus Jeff Snyder, who spent 25 years in higher education and chaired a music department, will lead ones on “AI … What Have You Done?” and “AI for Musicians: From Creation to Promotion,” while Dr. Michael Harrington, a frequent speaker at SS Cape May and other music conferences, will explain how to leverage AI as a creative tool while safeguarding your intellectual property in “Harnessing AI for Music Creation: A Legal Perspective.” Harrington, who created a popular Berklee College of Music course on copyright law in the music business, has served as an expert witness and co-authored amicus briefs on behalf of big-name artists and as a consultant in hundreds of music copyright and intellectual property matters.

Bill Pere, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and author of Songcrafters’ Coloring Book, returns to the conference to again present a workshop on “Building A Successful Career as a Songwriter” and share “The 8 Keys to Success in the Music Business” in another one. His wife, Kay Pere, a nationally known vocal and creativity coach, again leads a workshop entitled “Regenerative Creativity: Making a Musical Life that Matters. The Peres have been sharing their decades of experience and knowledge on the craft and business of songwriting at SS Cape May every year since its inception and are glad to be returning. “Among the dozens of music conferences we have presented at over the last 30 years, SS Cape May is clearly one of the best for both new and experienced singer-songwriters to learn, network, and enhance their career goals,” they told AcousticMusicScene.com last year. “We always look forward to this weekend filled with the creative energy and aspirations of current and upcoming singer-songwriters.”

Lou Plaia (Hot Rats Entertainment), co-founder of ReverbNation – the world’s largest DIY artists services platform, moderates a panel discussion on “Maximizing Your Potential as a Musician,” Fellow music industry veteran Les Scott (Source Q Boutique), who specializes in music placement in film & television and has represented hundreds of writers and artists, speaks on “Marketing Your Music for Film & Television,” as well as “Breaking Down the Doors” of gatekeepers/decision makers. Other workshops and panel discussions will delve into “From Songs to Stages: Building a Sustainable Career as a Singer-Songwriter,”  “Recording and Releasing New Music in 2026,” “The Independent Advantage: Shaping the Future of the Music Industry,” “Redefining the Modern Musician: The Shift from ‘Artist Only’ to Creative Entrepreneur,” and “Maximizing Your Potential As a Musician.”

The conference registration desk opens at 10 a.m. on March 27, while panel discussions and workshops take place between 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while a limited number of others may still register to attend the daytime events for $135. Evening showcase performances  — apart from those at Congress Hall featuring keynoters Laura Stevenson and Adam Weiner, which are ticketed — are free and open to the public. The venues hosting them are all within walking distance of Congress Hall.

For more information, to register for the conference, and to view the evening showcase schedules, visit www.sscapemay.com.

Laura Stevenson (a Long Island, New York-based singer-songwriter) and Adam Weiner (who fronts the Philadelphia-based band Low Cut Connie) will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 130 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at 15 local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

Singer-Songwriter Cape May also features two afternoons of hour-long music business panel discussions and workshops, as well as mentoring sessions, at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

While AcousticMusicScene.com is my labor of love, I am also a communications and public relations strategist and will participate in a panel discussion “ on “Marketing & Branding for Independent Acts & Artists” during a Friday afternoon conference session.

Bill Pere, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and author of Songcrafters’ Coloring Book, will present a workshop on “Building A Successful Career as a Songwriter” and share “The 8 Keys to Success in the Music Business” in another one. His wife, Kay Pere, a nationally known vocal and creativity coach, leads a workshop entitled “Regenerative Creativity: Making a Musical Life that Matters.” The Peres said that they are glad to be returning to SS Cape May for the 12th time to share their decades of experience and knowledge on the craft and business of songwriting. “Among the dozens of music conferences we have presented at over the last 30 years, SS Cape May is clearly one of the best for both new and experienced singer-songwriters to learn, network, and enhance their career goals,” they told AcousticMusicScene.com. “We always look forward to this weekend filled with the creative energy and aspirations of current and upcoming singer-songwriters.”

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has many implications for the music industry. Aspects of these will be explored in two workshops. Jeff Snyder, a professor emeritus who spent 25 years in higher education and chaired a music department, will share examples of the many uses of AI that are already happening during a workshop entitled “Hey AI … What Have You Done?,” while Dr. Michael Harrington, a frequent speaker at SS Cape May and other music conferences, will explain how to leverage AI as a creative tool while safeguarding your intellectual property in “Harnessing AI for Music Creation: A Legal Perspective.” Harrington — who created a popular Berklee College of Music course on copyright law in the music business, has served as an expert witness and co-authored amicus briefs on behalf of big-name artists and as a consultant in hundreds of music copyright and intellectual property matters — will also present a workshop on “New Copyright & IP issues in Music, Film, TV, Adverts, & Games.”

Lou Plaia (Hot Rats Entertainment), co-founder of ReverbNation – the world’s largest DIY artists services platform, moderates a panel discussion on “Maximizing Your Potential as a Musician.” Fellow music industry veteran Les Scott (Source Q Boutique), who specializes in music placement in film & television and currently represents more than 400 writers and artists, speaks on “Marketing Your Music for Film & Television.” There will also be a “Producer Panel” that will delve into the roles of producers, recording sessions, mixing & mastering recordings, production budgets, supervision, and more.

The conference registration desk opens at 11 a.m. on March 28, while panel discussions and workshops take place between 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday and 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events for a small fee. Evening showcase performances –- apart from those at Congress Hall featuring keynoters Laura Stevenson and Adam Weiner, which are ticketed — are free and open to the public. The venues hosting them are all within walking distance of Congress Hall. In addition, Behr Brewing on Seashore Road in Cape May hosts a SS Cape May Kick-Off Party featuring live music on Thursday, March 27, from 6-9 p.m.

For more information, to register for the conference, and to view the evening showcase schedules, visit www.sscapemay.com.