Make It Live!

Delve into the workings of booking in NYC, the live music capital. Led by Drom talent buyer and educator Mehmet Dede, this online presentation is an essential primer for independent artists and performers who will be introduced to tools, tactics and insider tips on how the independent booking world operates. The presentation will cover an introduction to booking NYC venues, crafting the perfect pitch email and an overview of setting up virtual shows in the age of a pandemic.


Date: Thursday, February 11, 2021, 5:00 – 6:15 PM

Remote Recording for the Modern Creative

The ways in which we live and work have transformed over the last year, especially in the music industry. Social distancing has placed new restrictions on travel and studio operations, leading many engineers and producers to completely transform their workflow and explore effective solutions for remote collaboration. A number of digital tools have been discovered by creatives looking to quickly pivot from in-person collaboration to a remote workflow. Nevertheless, there have been a number of technical challenges that have impeded the efficiency and effectiveness of this. 

During the Remote Recording for the Modern Creative, Audio Engineer and Producer Ebonie Smith will explore the different applications that allow creatives to collaborate remotely and analyze the problems and potential solutions that come with them.


Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM

Distribution Derby

Self-releasing, independent artists have many choices when it comes to choosing a distributor. Our Distribution Derby will showcase different distribution models. Learn what distributors do and which one is right for you. This program is part of New York Music Month Extended Play, an initiative of the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment.


Date: Tuesday, March 2, 2021, 5:00 – 6:00 PM

Grow It Live!

A companion to the “Make it Live! A Practical Approach to Getting Gigs in NYC” presentation, this session will go deeper into promoting booked events and building your live audience and community. This presentation will cover marketing concerts, identifying your fanbase and grassroots promotion tools.


Date: Saturday, March 6, 2021, 1:00 – 2:15 PM

Creating Electronic Music with Everyday Sounds

In this introductory hands-on workshop with instructor Izzi Ramkissoon, Electronic Music Program at the College of Staten Island, participants will learn about how to create music using everyday sound in the style of musique concrete.  In the workshop attendees will learn about this history of musique concrete, listen to examples, record sounds using a computer or phone, edit and process sounds using free software (audacity), create a piece of music that can be shared after the workshop.


Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2021, 6:30 – 7:30 PM

The Art of Podcasting

Everyone has a story to tell.

Explore the ever-growing medium of podcasting from generating ideas & conducting interviews to marketing & getting sponsored. These 8 workshops will give you the tools and inspiration to create podcasts that captivate and engage. The technical aspect of the workshops will be taught using Soundtrap, a free cloud-based podcasting & audio editing platform, though the concepts and practices taught in these workshops will be applicable no matter which editing platform you choose to use.

No experience is necessary and all stories welcome.


Date: January – February, March – April 2021

Explore the Beat

Jump into the world of beat-making and digital music production.

Workshops are open to all, whether you are a curious beginner with limited resources looking to to hone in on foundational skills or a seasoned professional hoping to expand your creative toolbox and find new workflows. Dive into a variety of practices and techniques used to create unique digital productions from ideation to release and performance.

Each of 8 workshops will inspire you to be innovative with the resources that surround you and challenge you to think outside the box.


Date: January – February, March – April 2021

Michael Mwenso: Hope, Resist & Heal in association with MOME

Musician, artist and social commentator Michael Mwenso offers his unique and ancestral perspective on Black music and its power to heal us. As an African born queer man growing up in London and New York, Mwenso and an acclaimed journalist dive into a wide range of his own discoveries while shedding light on the Black experience through interludes of his own music.  This live studio recording with Mwenso and the Shakes and commentary will take us on a ride through the continuum and power of Black roots music. 


Date: Thursday, February 25, 2021

Cross Cultural Collaboration: How Blending Cultures Leads to Innovation

In an era when music has become global and songs are made with rhythms and sounds from different areas of the world, we often hear that some of the biggest songs on the market are the product of a collaboration between creators with different cultural backgrounds. 

During the Cross-Cultural collaboration master class, students will learn how to use technology to seamlessly combine elements from different cultures into a commercially successful recording through the use of music production software (ProTools, Logic, FL Studio, etc.), loops, samples and much more. Attendees will also learn about the importance of embracing their cultural background through their music creative process to find their own unique sound and cultural integration leads to innovation.


Date: Wednesday, March 17, 2021, 12:00 – 1:00 PM