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Quarantine Diaries: KEM Is Making An Album, Making Breakfast & Being A Dad

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As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors
GRAMMYs
May 14, 2020 - 8:45 am
As the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic continues to rock the music industry, the Recording Academy reached out to a few musicians to see how they were spending their days indoors. Today, R&B singer/songwriter Kem shares his Quarantine Diary. His single "Lie To Me" is out now. 
 
[6 a.m.] Get On Up: I get up with my 3-year-old son Kristoffer and we watch Harry Potter or "Blippi" on YouTube. It depends on what kind of mood he’s in. Today, it was a Harry Potter kind of a day. Then we did what most dads do with 3-year olds except more than most, our playtime may involve a little more singing. We play with his toy mic and I try to teach him the proper way to hold a mic. That went exactly the way one would expect things to go. We’ll try again later. It’s not uncommon for us to tussle and roll around on the floor and play with whatever toys grab his attention every few minutes and then it’s time to clean up our mess, get dressed and go see what the rest of the family is up to by now. It’s just before 8 a.m. which means, it’s time to eat.
 
[8 a.m.] Make Breakfast: I love to cook and breakfast is one of my specialties so I make my way into the kitchen to see what’s for breakfast. Sometimes breakfast is light: oatmeal, a banana and a glass of juice. Sometimes it’s all the things you’d expect from a good southern breakfast: sausage or bacon, scrambled eggs, grits and toast or a biscuit. Today is one of the lighter days. I have a lot to do so oatmeal or cereal and toast it is.
 
[9 a.m.] Family Walk Through The Neighborhood: After breakfast, it’s time to take our family walk through the neighborhood. I enjoy this time because it gives us a chance to be together and get some exercise at the same time. 
I love taking in all of the sounds of nature and seeing all of the beautiful Georgia pines. We live in a lake community and there’s something really peaceful about living on the water. Anytime is usually the perfect time to look out on the water and see the reflection of the sun off the water. It reminds me, even in times like this, how beautiful life can be and how great God is.
 
[10 a.m.] Make Calls, Answer Emails, Run Errands: Lately, there are a lot of calls going out and coming in. I just released my first single in six years so we’re in the middle of promotion. I had a conference with my management team. We talk about how to promote a record when there is no travel. I call my business manager; We talk for a few minutes and as I’m talking, I look in my inbox and see hundreds of emails. I answer the ones that seem most urgent. The others … I’ll get to … eventually.  I forgot we needed a couple of things from the store. I make a quick run to the store and I’m back just in time to get into the lab and work on some more music.
 
[10:45 a.m.-6:30 p.m.] In The Studio: Playtime with the kids, check. Breakfast, check. Family walk and exercise, check. Important calls and emails returned, half check. Paper towels and snacks replenished, check. Now it’s time for me to get down to business. I’m working on my upcoming album and this is when I spend time working on polishing the pieces. I already have some great tunes for this album but with everything that’s going on in my life and in the world right now, there’s more to be said. I’m in my groove. I’m getting it done. When I’m writing and making music time just seems to fly by. Being confined to the house has given me the time and space to create.  
I’m grateful, but sometimes it’s more challenging than others because at home even though I’m down in the basement in my studio, I’m still daddy and husband first. From time to time duty calls, a diaper needs to be changed or a kid needs to be fed and creating has to be put on hold. Today was a good day creatively. I feel like I put some good work in and now it’s time for dinner.
 
[6:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m.]  Dinner Time. Enjoyed a wonderful dinner prepared by my beautiful wife Erica and caught up with the family. A lot happened while I was down in the studio and I love hearing about what everyone has been up to. I also get my “Honey Do” list for tomorrow from Mrs. Owens. Cool.
 
[7:30 p.m -8 p.m.] Bedtime for The Kids. It’s time to get the kids in bed. They’ve already left the table; baths have been had and everybody is clean and sort of happy. Not everyone is happy it’s time to go to sleep, but my wife and I work together to put the kids to sleep. I wish I could go to sleep too but I’ve still got work to do.
 
[8 p.m. -10 p.m.] Back To The Studio (overdubs/editing.) All is quiet on the home front and it’s time for me to get back in the lab. I’ve got some overdubs and editing I want to get done tonight while I’m still in the groove. I put a couple more hours in and now it’s time to call it a night.

If you wish to support our efforts to assist music professionals in need, learn more about the Recording Academy's and MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund.

If you are a member of the music industry in need of assistance, visit the MusiCares website.

Shirley Manson (L) and Richard James Burgess (R) speak at SXSW 2019

Shirley Manson (L) and Richard James Burgess (R) speak at SXSW 2019

 

Photo: Mike Jordan/Getty Images for SXSW

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Learning In Quarantine: 5 Virtual Music Industry Conferences To Enhance Your Career

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The Recording Academy has compiled some of the free and low-cost online music industry conferences worth attending to help elevate your career and craft in 2020
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 24, 2020 - 2:19 pm

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to halt the global live music industry, the concert business and artist community have shifted toward a novel online business model via livestreaming and digital concerts. Music industry conferences, too, have had to rethink their approach in the era of quarantine and stay-at-home orders. 

Luckily for aspiring music industry heads and artists alike, many conferences are going fully digital this year. 

Below, we've compiled some of the free and low-cost virtual music industry conferences worth attending to enhance your career and craft in 2020.

ASCAP Experience: Home Edition

When: Beginning May 28, every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. EST through the end of July

Cost: Registration is free and open to the public

Where: ASCAP Experience: Home Edition website

ASCAP, one of the leading performance-rights organizations (PRO) in the U.S., this month launches ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, a virtual version of their premier music industry conference, ASCAP Experience. The newly announced long-term digital initiative brings the best of ASCAP Experience—industry insight and firsthand know-how from executives and thought-leaders across all sectors of the music biz—directly to your home. Each week, the digital conference will tackle real-time industry topics, including monetization, music publishing and mental and physical wellness, and will feature leading songwriters, producers, music publishers and members of the ASCAP team.

Read: Performing Rights Organizations ASCAP, BMI & SESAC Join In Support Of MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

The inaugural ASCAP Experience: Home Edition kicks off next week (May 28) with a stacked guest lineup featuring: two-time GRAMMY winner Shaggy alongside his manager and Cherrytree Records founder Martin Kierszenbaum; songwriters Whitney Phillips and Gian Stone, who will discuss "Stuck With U," the chart-topping super-collaboration from Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber; hit songwriter Priscilla Renea; and others.

Most programming will be available on-demand after each session for those unavailable to attend the live webcast.

Success With Music Virtual Music Conference 

When: May 29-31

Cost: Free

Where: Modern Musician website

Presented by music industry resource website Modern Musician, this three-day online conference is inviting 15 experts who'll discuss a wide range of topics geared toward artists looking to attract and grow their fan base and make a sustainable living out of their art.

Billed as "the biggest online music conference in the world," the 2020 Success With Music Virtual Music Conference will feature Taylor Swift's former manager Rick Barker and Bandsintown CEO Fabrice Sergent, as well as multiplatinum songwriters, producers and more. 

Topics will include music licensing, content marketing, social media, email marketing, brand marketing and more. 

Virtual Music Conference

When: June 4

Cost: £20 per ticket (approximately $24)

Where: Virtual Music Conference website

Billed as the "world's first online dance music conference," the aptly titled Virtual Music Conference is a brand-new online event focusing on the issues and topics affecting the global electronic and dance music world. Geared toward music biz newcomers and those looking to advance their careers, the one-day interactive event will comprise live and archived keynote speeches, panels and discussions with some of the leading artists and industry figures within the genre. 

Topics at the inaugural Virtual Music Conference will include live touring, monetization, social media, music rights, promotion, record labels and more. Confirmed speakers and guests include artists like Louie Vega, Mark Knight, Sacha Robotti and Judge Jules, as well as representatives from labels and companies like SoundCloud, Mixcloud, Beatport, Toolroom, Anjunabeats, BBC Radio 1 and Defected, among many others. 

Read: How Will Coronavirus Shift Electronic Music? Maceo Plex, Paul Van Dyk, Luttrell, Mikey Lion & DJ Manager Max Leader Weigh In

Virtual Music Conference, presented by house and techno imprint Toolroom Records and digital label services company Label Worx, will donate all profits from ticket sales to charities supporting the music industry during the COVID-19 pandemic.

All sessions will be recorded and made available for online viewing for those unable to attend the live webcast. 

Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC)

When: June 9-13

Cost: Free

Where: LAMC website

As the leading music conference specializing in Latin music and culture, Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) has helped elevate the genre from a once-alternative scene to a global mainstream movement. Originally scheduled for July, LAMC 2020, which marks the conference's 21st annual installment, is going fully digital next month due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

This year's panel discussions will explore a number of pressing topics impacting the Latin music industry and artist community, including mental health for artists and creators, playlisting, music publishing, finance for musicians and entertainment companies and more. LAMC 2020 will also feature a special conversation with and celebration of the women making a difference in the Latin music industry.

Read: WATCH LIST: Online Concerts From BTS To COASTCITY To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

In addition to the panels, LAMC 2020 will also feature workshops, showcases and networking opportunities. While no artists have been announced yet, past performers include Julieta Venegas, Natalia Lafourcade, Ana Tijoux, Mon Laferte and others. 

International Music Education Summit

When: June 11-13

Cost: $97

Where: International Music Education Summit website

This three-day online conference and clinic is geared toward practical learning and applicable professional development for music educators and K-12 teachers. International Music Education Summit (IMES) livestreams workshops, clinics, performances, presentations and product demonstrations from music education experts from around the world. 

Read: How The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation Has Been Quietly Helping Schools By Donating Musical Instruments

Topics will include copyright, adaptive music instruction for learners with disabilities, educational and music technology, ensemble recording and much more. The conference will also include livestreamed performances, including student performances and student ensembles.

IMES offers on-demand viewing of all the 2020 sessions for at least one year after the event as well as networking opportunities with other attendees via a private Facebook group. All attendees will also receive a professional development completion certificate after finishing the conference. 

Making Music In Quarantine: The Best Online Tools To Learn & Develop Your Sonic Skills

LISTEN TO WOMXN Logo

 

 

Courtesy Photo: Audio Assemble

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LISTEN TO WOMXN Virtual Music Festival Is Now Accepting Artist Submissions

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The two-day online event, taking place June 26-27, is providing a platform for female and non-binary artists
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 23, 2020 - 1:56 pm

LISTEN TO WOMXN Virtual Music Festival, an online event providing a "platform for womxn and non-binary artists to be seen, heard and celebrated," according to its website, has announced that it is accepting artist submissions for its 2020 edition now through May 29.

The festival is inviting women and gender non conforming (GNC) artists to apply for the chance to perform in the forthcoming two-day online event, which takes place June 26-27. Each artist confirmed to perform at the festival will receive $250 and opportunities to win prizes. 

Artists who are interested in applying to perform at the virtual festival must meet multiple criteria, including: all applicants must be women or GNC artists; their livelihood depends on gig income from public live performances; their music career has been directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic; and they have the ability to livestream and record a 20-30-minute set. 

Following the submission phase, the festival organizers will select a group of regional semifinalists, who will then go through a voting round that's open to the public. 

The festival will announce the 2020 lineup, based on the public voting, June 16, 10 days before the event launches. The ultimate winner will be announced July 1.

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

LISTEN TO WOMXN comes as the coronavirus pandemic has decimated the festival and live music industry since mid-March, essentially shutting down the global concert business.

"For artists, this is a paid performance opportunity amidst a time in which live performances (and their income stream) have come to a halt," the event's website states.

The digital event is a direct response to the widely reported gender inequality at musical festivals. A 2018 report from Pitchfork, which analyzed 19 major festivals, found that 19 percent of festival lineups featured women artists. 

"LISTEN TO WOMXN is tipping the scales and advancing gender equality - highlighting womxn and gnc artists to level the playing field of opportunities in the male dominated music industry," the event's website states. 

The event is also accepting sponsorship opportunities, which will go directly toward women and GNC artists. Sponsorship funds will be allocated to facilitating the online event itself, compensating the artists performing and providing relief during the COVID-19 crisis, according to the LISTEN TO WOMXN website. 

LISTEN TO WOMXN is presented by Women That Rock, Illumin Records and Audio Assemble.

Head to the LISTEN TO WOMXN website to learn more and to apply.

#WomenInTheMix Is Gaining Support In Light Of New Study On Gender Gap In Music

Carlos Santana performs at the 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons

Carlos Santana performs at the 2020 Pre-GRAMMY Gala and GRAMMY Salute to Industry Icons

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

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Carlos Santana, Jane Fonda, Herbie Hancock, Kali Uchis And More Confirmed For "Artists United For Amazonia" Livestream Benefit

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Taking place Thursday, May 28, the online event will benefit the Amazon Emergency Fund, which supports indigenous communities and organizations in the Amazon basin who are facing threats from the COVID-19 pandemic
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 23, 2020 - 12:02 pm

The creative, entertainment and music worlds are banding together to raise donations for the Amazon Emergency Fund, which supports indigenous communities and organizations in the Amazon basin who are facing threats from the COVID-19 pandemic, via a star-studded global livestream event. 

Taking place Thursday, May 28, at 5 p.m. PST/8 p.m. EST, the online benefit, dubbed the Artists United For Amazonia: Protecting The Protectors, will feature celebrities, activists and scientists from across various industries, including Carlos Santana, Peter Gabriel, Jane Fonda, Morgan Freeman, famed primatologist and anthropologist Jane Goodall and Brazilian environmental and indigenous activist and politician Sônia Guajajara, among many others. 

Hosted by "Game Of Thrones" actress Oona Chaplin, the livestream benefit will also feature "living-room musical performances, interviews, and calls to action," with confirmed performers including Herbie Hancock, Rocky Dawuni, Butterscotch Clinton, Brazilian GRAMMY nominee Ivan Lins and Brazilian GRAMMY winner Luciana Souza, Deadline reports. Other guests and participants include Kali Uchis, Chloe Smith from Rising Appalachia, Wade Davis and many others.

The livestream will be available via the event's website and Facebook page.

Launched last month, according to Deadline, the Amazon Emergency Fund raises and channels "resources to indigenous communities and grassroots organizations who face the COVID-19 emergency in the entire Amazon basin," according to a press release.

The fund's website states that "100% of each donation will go directly to Indigenous and Forest Communities and Organizations facing COVID-19 in the Amazon Rainforest." The fund will support Rapid Response Grants to provide services including: urgent COVID-19 prevention and care, food and medical supplies, emergency communications and evacuation, and more. 

The Amazon Emergency Fund is accepting donations now.

Read: Recording Academy And MusiCares Establish COVID-19 Relief Fund

As the coronavirus pandemic spreads across the Amazon Basin, the virus has killed 25 indigenous people in the rainforest and surrounding remote villages and more than 100 people in urban areas, according to The New York Times.

"As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the Amazon Basin, it threatens the lives and the future of indigenous peoples and traditional forest communities, the Guardians of the Forest," the Amazon Emergency Fund website states. "These populations are disproportionately vulnerable to contracting the illness due to the persistent lack of access to equal and adequate public services, such as housing and health care, and the consequences of centuries of colonization and racism.

"For over 500 years, indigenous peoples of the Amazon and across the Americas have faced invasions and loss of their ancestral territories, ethnic and socioeconomic discrimination, and the constant threat of physical and cultural extermination resulting in displacement, disease, and genocide. Now, indigenous peoples – particularly the elders, wisdomkeepers and those living in voluntary isolation – are gravely at risk by the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditional forest communities are similarly threatened, including  riverine, quilombola, rubber-tappers, and other extractive populations, who have been defending the forest with their lives."

Dave Matthews, The Avett Brothers, Brandi Carlile, The Lumineers And More Confirmed For Colorado Music Relief Fund Virtual Benefit Concert

ASCAP Experience: Home Edition logo

ASCAP Experience: Home Edition logo

Courtesy Photo: ASCAP

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ASCAP Announces ASCAP Experience: Home Edition Virtual Conference: Shaggy, Whitney Phillips, Gian Stone, Priscilla Renea And More Confirmed

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The free, weekly online series, which will take place every Thursday starting May 28 through the end of July, will focus on real-time music industry topics and will feature hit songwriters, producers and special guests
John Ochoa
GRAMMYs
May 22, 2020 - 12:03 pm

Performance-rights organization (PRO) ASCAP is taking the ASCAP Experience, its premier music industry conference, online this year. Rebranded as the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition, the annual conference will be reformatted as a free virtual event beginning May 28 and continuing weekly as a long-term initiative.

The online series, which will take place every Thursday from 3-6 p.m. EST through the end of July, launches next week with conversations and sessions featuring: two-time GRAMMY winner Shaggy alongside his manager and Cherrytree Records founder Martin Kierszenbaum; songwriters Whitney Phillips and Gian Stone, who will discuss "Stuck With U," the chart-topping super-collaboration from Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber; hit songwriter Priscilla Renea; and others. ASCAP Chairman and President Paul Williams will kick off the event with a special welcome message. 

Future programming—which will focus on real-time topics including monetization, music publishing and mental and physical wellness and will feature songwriters, producers, music publishers and members of the ASCAP team, among other issues and special guests—will be announced in the coming weeks. Most programming will be available on-demand after each session for those unavailable to attend the live webcast.

Read: WATCH LIST: Online Concerts From BTS To COASTCITY To Catch During Coronavirus Quarantine

ASCAP Experience 2020, which was to mark the event's 15th installment, was originally scheduled to take place last month (April 1-3) in Los Angeles. The event was canceled in March due to the spread of the coronavirus.

Previously known as the ASCAP "I Create Music" EXPO, the conference rebranded as ASCAP Experience last September; the 2020 installment was to be the first edition under the new ASCAP Experience banner.

Head to the ASCAP Experience: Home Edition website to view the full programming for each week and to register for the ongoing event. Registration is free and open to the public, "regardless of which performing rights organization they belong to," according to a press release announcing the event. 

Performing Rights Organizations ASCAP, BMI & SESAC Join In Support Of MusiCares COVID-19 Relief Fund