My curiosity got the best of me. I’m “not a rapper,” but I had to check out my first Made in the DMV event this past Monday, Aug. 15 at the Blind Whino. DMV Track Stars is an event for artists and producers to gain exposure and feedback in front of a panel of music industry professionals and their peers. As the night progressed, the space filled with music-lovers, friends, and family to support the up and coming artists showcasing their latest material. Definitely a dope event, keep an eye out for the next one!
1. All the big players in (social) media, technology and entertainment were there
Just to name a few: Buzzfeed’s CEO Jonah Peretti, 300 Co-founder Kevin Liles, Rap Radar’s Elliott Wilson and President of Lava Records Jason Flom, all made an appearance. SMW doing it big!
Jason, who currently serves as Lorde’s manager, during my favorite interview from SMW. (Photo by @feistyfrank)
2. The scope of the seminars, events and vendors
PR, marketing, technology, nonprofit, music, writing, television, art — basically, SMW touched on everything I’ve ever loved. And because the scheduled events were so diverse, so was the crowd!
Despite the trek to Dumbo from the SMW campus, I had thee best time at the Revolt event. Jake Katz, Revolt TV’s VP of Audience Insights and Strategy, provided some insightful commentary on the development of Revolt that led to a great discussion surrounding the fate of music television. The open bar was the icing on the cake.
Jake interviewed by Huge Inc’s Joe McCaffrey. (Photo by @christinaaa28)
4. Morning Yoga, hosted by Under Armour & Breathe Repeat
How many conferences do you know that incorporate a workout into the day? After only a few hours of sleep it was a struggle to get up at 7 a.m., but I was determined to make it to my first ever yoga class (late)!
5. Networking
Though I was only able to make it to SMW events 3 out of the 5 days, I still met so many other creatives! We were all so excited to connect, collaborate, and share events.
I was featured on themusicdiary.com after meeting site owner Vic-E at the Revolt event.
6. Free Stuff!
In addition to my free Under Armour yoga mat and sweatbands, I went home with a bottle of wine, tote bag, dry shampoo, morning glory muffin, two new journals, a headshot and a free Chipotle burrito! Whoop!
(My bottle of wine is nestled in my new Pubslush tote.)
