Grammy-winning music producer Timbaland was the special guest at the third Music Industry Career Conference, drawing nearly 500 attendees from March 28 to 29.
MICC aimed at ensuring that its participants made connections within the music industry. The lineup included many more guests and speakers such as Grammy-nominated producer Tuo Clark, songwriter and content creator SEIDS, and many more contributors to the music industry.
"When you really do a deep dive and see who is here, you have people who have been in the music industry for decades and have been making an amazing impact in their respective fields," said Soleil Acree, who acted as a producer and media representative for the conference.
The conference began on Friday, March 28, with a kickoff party featuring several local artists. It continued into Saturday, March 29, with a full day of panels, workshops and networking opportunities at the Fusion on First building on the Downtown Phoenix campus.
"We're in a band together, so I think this is a place for us to learn about the actual music industry," said Abigail Bare, a sophomore studying criminology and criminal justice. "I got Alex Silverman's contact info now, so that should be pretty cool."
Sessions and parties were not the only networking opportunities for attendees of the conference; Sponsors and other companies such as IDEAlab and Sweetwater tabled on the first floor of the Fusion on First building.
Timbaland also addressed the attendees, sharing his own experience working within the music industry along with his insights about producing and the technicalities of the industry. He also emphasized the importance of staying true to oneself and surrounding yourself with people who believe in you.
"I didn't know my joy would come in this phase of my life by just giving back knowledge to people that's up and coming," Timbaland said. "I'm the OG and you are the future."
Timbaland also said if he were starting again, he would approach the music industry with more understanding and be more outspoken.
Acree shared this sentiment, saying that the conference was intended for its participants to make as many connections as possible, and take those with them in their journey through the industry.
"People can really take advantage of what's in front of them, right?" Acree said. "Go to the things that you wouldn't usually explore."
According to Acree, the origin of the conference itself was based on the connections of the faculty.
Sabrina Seidman, known professionally as SEIDS, attended the conference as a speaker due to her connection with ASU pop music program director Erin Barra-Jean. Her session also highlighted the relevance of social media in the post-pandemic world for artists, and how she uses it as a medium to communicate with potential clients.
"Everybody's on social media, so the distribution channels are just there," Seidman said. "It's a great way for musicians to network and to meet others, and I always invest in going to as many conferences as I can."
Some sessions of the conference were intended for a smaller group of attendees. While the seats to these sessions booked up fast, the students who attended them were beyond happy to be there.
"There's a saying, don't meet your heroes," said Blake Manke, a junior studying pop music. "But luckily, they've been honest about the industry and all our questions."
The conference ended with a closing party, wrapping up the weekend with a blast.
"This is an incredible event for year three, and we're grateful for everyone who's a part of making this happen," Acree said.
Edited by Andrew Dirst, Sophia Ramirez and Alysa Horton.
Reach the reporter at ktale@asu.edu and follow @KasturiTale on X.
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Kasturi is a sophomore studying journalism. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has her own blog and has worked in creative writing.
