Music marathon showcases hundreds of bands, plus a film fest

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For the 29th year, the College Music Journal, the trade paper of the independent music scene, holds the CMJ Music Marathon and Film Festival from Tuesday to Sunday, October 20-24, in New York Greenwich Village and clubs throughout the city.

More than 120,000 fans, musicians, industry professionals, and filmmakers are expected to attend the 2009 event. Access to live music showcases, film premieres, parties, panels and discussions, mentoring sessions, and special events are programmed during the five-day event. The exhibit hall presents the latest gadgets, fashions, and other products.

Dozens of music venues from the Knitting Factory to B.B. King's Blues Club and the Highline Ballroom are involved with hundreds of artists playing and up to 200 acts performing in any one day. Up to five different shows are booked each night featuring local and international emerging acts.

Hundreds of acts will perform with several shows happening simultaneously at different clubs. Bands appearing at the festival in previous years include Eminem, Green Day, REM, LL Cool J, Daft Punk, and David Bowie.

Panels and workshops are scheduled at New York University's Kimmel Center with topics covering aspects of the quickly evolving new era in the music business from publishing to publicity strategies, as well as a series of seminars about digital music.

On the music side of the conference, panels and workshops include: "How Will I Get Paid?: Reimbursement in the digital world," "Graphically Challenged" (about the lost art of the album cover), "The Future of Intellectual Property," "The Landscape of the International Music Industry, Being Your Own Label."

As part of the event for the 15th year, CMJ has programmed a film festival, including US and world premieres. In addition to music films, there will be documentaries, shorts, and dramas screened.

Film panels include "Déjà Vu All Again," about illegal downloads, piracy, and self-distribution affecting the film industry today, the way it impacted the music business a decade ago. Also: "Breaking into Film Scoring."

Other special events include musician Andrew W.K. turning the traditional lecture around with a multi-platform "happening" for the audience.

http://www.cmj.com/musicfest/

RC