At the Loews Miami Beach Hotel last Thursday, Miami got down to business as the Recording Academy’s Florida Chapter hosted a special panel discussion aimed at the local music community.
The forum buzzed with enthusiasm as state representatives teamed up with some of the hottest names in the industry to take on today’s most alarming issues, including laws about piracy, music education and radio consolidation.
According to Daryl Friedman, vice president of Advocacy and Government Relations, the Academy-the organization behind the GRAMMY Awards-held this event with for a twofold purpose.
“We’re trying to educate the music community and connect them to the legislatures that affect their lives,” said Friedman. “This is also a first for the Florida chapter [where] Florida is taking the lead in dealing with advocacy.”
Coming off the hinges of the presidential election, the event, titled “The State of the Music Industry: The Art, Business and Politics,” came together after the Florida Chapter decided to give voice to its concerns about long-time worries. Hot button topics like the future of CD sales, the impact of digital radio and ups and downs of downloading were among the many issues brought up.
“The industry changes so quickly,” said Friedman. “[So] we looked to see what was the most topical and relevant.”
The diverse cast at the helm of the panel included Adam Gaynor (Matchbox Twenty), Nick Ferrara, Esq. (who works with John Mayer and Maroon 5), John Jones (VP of MusicNet’s Programming, Artist and Label Relations) and Jos