The maddening crowds of summer won\u2019t be there yet, but several hundred performing artists and others engaged in the music business are expected to converge on the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community of Cape May, March 28-29, 2025 when the Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference resumes following a five-year hiatus. The conference had previously taken place annually from 2018-2019.<\/p>\n
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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.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
While AcousticMusicScene.com<\/em> is my labor of love, I am also a communications and public relations strategist and will participate in a panel discussion \u201c on \u201cMarketing & Branding for Independent Acts & Artists\u201d during a Friday afternoon conference session. <\/p>\n Bill Pere, a Grammy Award-winning songwriter and author of Songcrafters\u2019 Coloring Book<\/em>, will present a workshop on \u201cBuilding A Successful Career as a Songwriter\u201d and share \u201cThe 8 Keys to Success in the Music Business\u201d in another one. His wife, Kay Pere, a nationally known vocal and creativity coach, leads a workshop entitled \u201cRegenerative 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. \u201cAmong 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,\u201d they told AcousticMusicScene.com. \u201cWe always look forward to this weekend filled with the creative energy and aspirations of current and upcoming singer-songwriters.\u201d <\/p>\n 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 \u201cHey AI \u2026 What Have You Done?,\u201d 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 \u201cHarnessing AI for Music Creation: A Legal Perspective.\u201d 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 \u201cNew Copyright & IP issues in Music, Film, TV, Adverts, & Games.\u201d <\/p>\n Lou Plaia (Hot Rats Entertainment), co-founder of ReverbNation \u2013 the world\u2019s largest DIY artists services platform, moderates a panel discussion on \u201cMaximizing Your Potential as a Musician.\u201d 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 \u201cMarketing Your Music for Film & Television.\u201d There will also be a \u201cProducer Panel\u201d that will delve into the roles of producers, recording sessions, mixing & mastering recordings, production budgets, supervision, and more.<\/p>\n 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 \u2013- apart from those at Congress Hall featuring keynoters Laura Stevenson and Adam Weiner, which are ticketed \u2014 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.<\/p>\n