Festival Review: LAMC Comes To New York For Its 20th Anniversary (Part 1)
The Latin Alternative Music Conference (LAMC) has come to New York for twenty years. In this twenty years, it has beautifully represented Latinx, our music, and shelled advice on how to be a Latinx artist in the music industry. It is, sincerely, one of the best festivals for up and coming artists, of any ethnicity or genre, because it gets real on the odds against an artist, whether it be prejudice or the greed for profit.
At any level and, for every person, it is not easy to be an artist because money, seemingly, moves the earth. With panels such as, From Dive Bars to Superstars: Latin Music On the Road or Analytics & You: Music Strategies For Success in the Playlist Age, every panel was filled with top artists and executives from across the music business. From the head of Livenation to key players of record labels like, Sony and Universal Music, what I liked about the panels, especially offsite ones, were their usefulness.
Held at the Stewart Hotel, it was pretty easy flow from panel to panel for goers, and even the ones held at Spotify or Anomaly, felt fluid and inclusive. They were not discussions where its member preached about how much they had accomplished, as some forums become. When you ask “successful”to speak on their successes the lines between “preaching” and “sharing” can be blurred. Yet, LAMC succeeded by making you feel like the top names wanted yours by their side. Hence, they warned of the prejudices and tough production logistics when mounting tours in the U.S. versus Latin America or sifting through the importance of social media and branding yourself, the latter becoming a consistent topic throughout.
If there is one thing nearly every panel I attended mentioned it is that social media is vital, but, if not used correctly, it can be destructive. Think of it like scissors; it helps you cut through wrappings, ribbons, and layers to reach the prize, your fans. Yet, if you are not careful, you might end up cutting yourself. Such a balancing act is not easy for human beings, but it might be harder for artists whom literally have to make their art a shareable post. Does it degrade the music or prove its value? This question will pop up in the series of LAMC interviews publishing throughout the month, with hopes of opening listeners to Latin Music and helping artists to maneuver the game. For More Information On LAMC Click Here.
