Artists, Managers and Politicians Convene at Rethink Music

Artists, Managers and Politicians Convene at Rethink Music

BOSTON and PARIS, March 31, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Some of the most creative artists and managers who are reshaping the music business scene will come together with key politicians who are redefining government policy and legislation of the future, at the first "Rethink Music: Creativity, Commerce and Policy in the 21st Century" conference.

The new event is presented by Berklee and MIDEM, in association with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society and Harvard Business School, and will be held in Boston, April 25-27, 2011.

Rethink Music, the three day, Boston-based event, will bring together a unique mix of experts, who are actively shaping the future of the music industry. Discussions will cover a wide range of topics including the business and rights challenges facing the music industry in the digital era and formulate solutions to promote the creation and distribution of new music and other creative works.

On April 26, numerous artists and managers will give their perspectives on the current state of the music industry and their forecasts for the future. Participating artists include: Ben Folds, Damian Kulash (OK Go), Metric,Mike Mills (REM) and Amanda Palmer (formerly Dresden Dolls). Artist managers taking part in the discussions will be: Paul McGuinness (U2), Bertis Downs (REM), Mathieu Drouin (Metric), Mark Kates (MGMT) and Michael McDonald (John Mayer). The day will close with a private concert for delegates at the Berklee Performance Center featuring Basia Bulat and Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears.

Ben Folds, Damian Kulash and Amanda Palmer will give an exclusive performance of original compositions created the previous day in the Berklee studio by the trio and Neil Gaiman. The historic collaboration will also be broadcast online and be released during Rethink Music.

Amanda Palmer comments, "The four of us are creative internet addicts with our own huge twitter circles. This project is exciting as it will give us the opportunity to collide our circles. I think the Rethink Music conference is going to be a groundbreaking event, and I'm hoping to engage in a dialogue about things that are very close to my heart lately, namely the importance of audiences and artists creating a new society of patronage and virtual busking."

On April 27, the focus will shift onto more political issues. Rethink Music will examine potential changes to existing government policy and legislation. Two key personalities of copyright law will deliver their vision of the topic. United States congressman John Conyers, Jr. will speak in a session entitled "The future of copyright law - Enforcement, graduated response, and COICA." Congressman Conyers is responsible for the HR 848 bill which proposed record labels and performers receive a share of ad revenue that radio stations collect from playing their songs. Marybeth Peters, the former United States Register of Copyrights, for her part, will consider the best ways to protect content under current law in her panel "The current state of copyright law."

Rethink Music will also headline numerous speakers from CEO-level music industry executives including Lyor Cohen, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Recorded Music Americas and the United Kingdom, Warner Music Group, as well as noted academics. A highlight of the event will be a presentation forum at which entrepreneurs will present their original business model concepts in ten minute intervals; separately, $50,000 will be awarded to the winners of a business model competition.

To see the complete and final conference program at Rethink Music, please click on www.rethink-music.com.

To register online, visit www.rethink-music.com/en/Registration.

Press registration: www.rethink-music.com/en/Press/Press-Registration-Form

Berklee College of Music: www.berklee.edu
MIDEM: www.midem.com
The Berkman Center for Internet & Society: http://cyber.law.harvard.edu
Harvard Business School: www.hbs.edu

SOURCE Reed Midem

Reed Midem

CONTACT: Mike WILLIAMS, Director of Press & Public Relations, Reed MIDEM, +33 (0) 1 41 90 49 33, Cell: +33 (0) 6 24 19 36 57, mike.williams@reedmidem.com

Web Site: http://www.midem.com

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