Tune in tonight THURSDAY, MARCH 22 @ 7:00pm (EST) for the keynote live coverage “powered by watchitoo” of the EMP’s 2012 POP Conference featuring:

OPENING KEYNOTE: THE ARTIST IN THE CITY

• ANGÉLIQUE KIDJO (Grammy Winning global pop music icon) @angeliquekidjo
• ESPERANZA SPALDING (Grammy Winner for Best New Artist 2010 @EspeSpalding
• SANTIGOLD (Roc Nation and Jay-Z, Kanye and Major Lazer collaborator) @Santigold
• HEEMS of DAS RACIST (critically-praised Hip Hop group.) @DasRacist
• moderated by ANN POWERS (NPR Pop Critic) @annkpowers

…Viewers can engage live tweets, post to facebook, and submit live questions for the Q & A segment that may be selected artists themselves to answer on the panel.

…Don’t miss this great live coverage, be part of the conversation provided by watchitoo, in partnership with Raine Magazine!

…Live playback coverage will be available next week.

powered by:

For EMP Pop Conference 2012 “Sounds of the City” LIVE STREAMING, click HERE!

From Folk to Rock: How America’s Young Became a Mass Underground

WHEN: Thursday, March 22, 11:15AM-12:15PM
WHERE: Bobst Library, LL151 (lower level, room 151 @ 70 Washington Square South) 

ABOUT THE EVENT:

This talk, drawn from a course that surveys American pop music, looks closely at the transition from the Newport Folk Festival to Woodstock, from acoustic to electric Dylan, and from rock and roll to rock. How did it happen that, by the end of the 1960s, the single largest consumer public for American music, principally white and middle class, came to think of itself as an oppositional counterculture? What changed to position rock and roll, the music of Elvis Presley and Little Richard, as rock, the music of the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin? This quick history of a pivotal transition, hinged around two Dylan songs and two Dylan cover versions, makes a few key arguments. First, the New Left folk music of the early 1960s was a nonconformist critique of “Little Boxes” and celebration of outsider roots genres, rather than a “Which Side Are You On?” workers’ folk. Second, Top 40, in its ability to make America a land of 1000 dances and multiple kinds of people dancing together, incorporated folk easily, because Top 40 was innately more populist than the new folk. Third, rock synthesized the nonconformity and outsider rhetoric of folk with the populism of Top 40, creating a short-lived but culturally enduring revolution. Too often, that revolution is treated as a utopia betrayed afterwards–this lecture is an attempt to explore why rock’s self-definition was problematic from the onset.  

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Eric Weisbard teaches American Studies at the University of Alabama. A former Village Voice music editor and Spin senior editor, his edited books include the Spin Alternative Record Guide, This is Pop, Listen Again, and Pop When the World Falls Apart, he authored a monograph on the Guns N’ Roses albums Use Your Illusion for the Continuum 33 and 1/3 series, and he has also written for The New York Times, Slate, and GQ. He is Vice-President of the popular music organization IASPM-US, associate editor of The Journal of Popular Music Studies, and the organizer since its founding in 2002 of the annual Experience Music Project Pop Conference.

RSVP is required. This event is open to all NYU students, faculty, staff & alumni.
A valid NYU ID is required for entrance to the building.

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music
Tisch School of the Arts
New York University

presents

The Rise of the Artist/Mogul: 
How Hip-Hop Artists Turned the Tables on the Music Business

WHEN: Tuesday, March 6, 12:45-1:45 pm
WHERE: 721 Broadway, Room 006

ABOUT THE EVENT:

For most of music business history, artists remained serfs; suffering financially until they sold at a superstar-level. In the 1990s and 2000s, hip-hop artists and industry advocates transformed the relationship between master and servant. In this lecture, we’ll explore the roles of four key players in this transformation: the Wu-Tang Clan, Cash Money Records, Roc-A-Fella (Jay-Z and Damon Dash), and a little-known activist and artist advocate named Wendy Day.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:

Dan Charnas is the author of The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop (New American Library/Penguin) and the coauthor of Def Jam: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label (Rizzoli). Charnas was one of the first writers for The Source and part of a generation of young writers who helped create hip-hop journalism; he also served as VP of A&R for Rick Rubin’s American Recordings. Charnas is currently Editorial Director for InteractiveOne and an adjunct professor at Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.

RSVP is required. This event is open to all New York University students, faculty, staff, & alumni. A valid NYU ID is required for entrance to the building. Seating is first-come, first-served.

RSVP: http://clivedavisinst.tisch.nyu.edu/object/dancharnas

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music
Tisch School of the Arts
New York University

presents

Patrick Derivaz on Music and Sound Design

Friday, March 9th from 4:00PM – 5:30PM
194 Mercer Street, Dennis Riese Family Recording Studio 510

Sound and music influence, enrich and are an integral part of most aspects of our daily life.  They are almost always part of a visual experience.  During this workshop, we will take a short video and add to it sonic elements from musical instruments, voices, various natural or industrial sources.  These sounds will then be manipulated to create different “soundtracks” conveying various moods to the visual depending on their arrangements and juxtaposition to it.  We will also make sure during the entire process that we are getting proper audio levels.  Students will be encouraged to participate and express their creativity.

Patrick composes, produces, performs, records and mixes a wide range of innovative and cross-cultural styles of music.  He has worked with many artists, including Erikah Badu, Jeff Buckley, De La Soul, Barry Manilow, and Charles Mingus Band to name a few, and his music has been featured in films, TV (Discovery and Travel Channels) and jingles (Burger King, McDonald’s).  In addition to teaching and chairing multiple committees, Patrick also works as the FOH engineer if major US clubs, including Summerstage (Central Park, NYC).

This event is ONLY open to NYU students, faculty, staff and alumni.
A valid NYU ID is required to enter the building.
This is a FREE event, but an RSVP is required. Seats are limited. First-come first-served.

RSVP: http://clivedavisinst.tisch.nyu.edu/object/marchevents

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music
Tisch School of the Arts
New York University

presents

Music & Visuals: A Special Screening and Discussion with Kenzo Digital

Tuesday, March 6th from 6:00PM – 8:00PM
721 Broadway, Room 006

In this Q&A discussion event with Recorded Music Artistic Director Jason King, KENZO DIGITAL will present his work and talk about his creative process.

KENZO DIGITAL is an innovative director and artist based in New York who is noted for creating eye-popping visuals for music icons like BEYONCÉ and KANYE WEST and sports stars like DWAYNE WADE and the NIKE/JORDAN BRAND. He recently received acclaim in 2011 for creating Beyoncé’s much-discussed interactive BillboardAwards live performance, and for developing Kanye West’s Heineken video art concert series. He has recently had a string of successful viral video art projects that have gained him notoriety: including “Vote Obama”, “Super Ultra Karatay” and “City of God’s Son,” a revolutionary new audio driven cinematic experience with ‘sampled’ appearances by NAS and JAY-Z that has received accolades from the Huffington Post, Kanye West, Complex Magazine, Fader Magazine, Nahright.com and others.KENZO DIGITAL is the video director of world famous video artist NAM JUNE PAIK’s studio (the father of video art), and has done video art installations for him at the Guggenheim, Tate Museum, and National Gallery of Art.  He has had films in the Tribeca Film Festival and Mill Valley Film Festival, and was a nominee for the Rockefeller Film Fellowship. He has several film and new media projects currently in development.

This event is ONLY open to NYU students, faculty, staff and alumni.
A valid NYU ID is required to enter the building.
This is a FREE event, but an RSVP is required. Seats are limited. First-come first-served.

RSVP: http://clivedavisinst.tisch.nyu.edu/object/marchevents

Featuring Keynote with Grammy Winner Esperanza Spalding, Jay-Z Collaborator Santigold, and MC Heems of Das Racist, Plus Closing Keynote by Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots.

EMP Museum is proud to present the 2012 Pop Conference, “Sounds of the City,” at New York University on March 22–25, 2012. EMP’s 11th annual Pop Conference is presented by NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, and jointly held with the annual conference of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music (IASPM) U.S. Branch.

Now in its 11th year, the EMP Pop Conference is traditionally presented at EMP Museum in Seattle. This year, for the first time, the conference will be staged in New York. With six or seven simultaneous panels, from 9:00am to 6:00pm, Friday through Sunday, the 2012 Pop Conference promises to be one of the largest and most diverse gatherings of popular music intellectuals ever assembled.

More than 300 journalists, academics, and artists are scheduled to present topics ranging from panels on Berlin, Detroit, New Orleans, and Los Angeles, to Korean, Egyptian, and Latin American pop, and sessions on New York City music from ragtime to hip-hop to Warhol’s New York. Presenters will pay particular attention to what urban environments have meant for race, gender, and sexuality. Jazz, rock, indie, country, metal, electronic dance music, roots, disco, and Broadway music are but some of the sounds that will be the subject of panel discussions.

The conference kicks off Thursday, March 22 with an exciting keynote discussion featuring three of the most distinct young voices in popular music: Esperanza Spalding, last year’s Grammy winner for best new artist, and whose new album Radio Music Society is scheduled for release the week of the conference;  Trailblazer, and singer-songwriter-producer Santigold, now managed by Jay-Z’s Roc Nation; and MC Heems of critically praised hip-hop trio Das Racist. The panel will be moderated by NPR music critic Ann Powers.  The conference will close on March 25 with a keynote by acclaimed musician and producer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson of The Roots in conversation with Grammy-winning music executive Harry Weinger.  Many other celebrated musicians will be prominently featured at the conference, including Wu-Tang Clan rapper GZA, pioneer Kool DJ Red Alert, folk legend Peter Stampfel, jazz genius Vijay Lyer, punk pioneer Alice Bag, a Spanish language production of composer Robert Ashley’s Perfect Lives, experimentalists DJ/rupture and Ben Neill, and young guitar slingers from the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls.

The Pop Conference is FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, however pre-registration is highly recommended as space is limited.

For a complete schedule of sessions, or to register now, participants should go to:

www.empmuseum.org/popconference

ABOUT EMP’S POP CONFERENCE

Launched in Seattle in 2002, EMP’s Pop Conference, provides a platform for academics, critics, performers, and dedicated fans to join in a rare discussion. The 2012 EMP Pop Conference is presented by NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music and the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. Additional support is provided by the University of Alabama College of Arts and Sciences, on behalf of the American Studies Department. Pop Conference originated with support from the American Music Partnership of Seattle (EMP Museum, the University of Washington, and KEXP 90.3 FM), through a grant from the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. This year’s program committee members are: Daphne Brooks (Princeton), Anthony Kwame Harrison (Virginia Tech), Hua Hsu (Vassar), Patricia Costa Kim (EMP), Jason King (NYU Clive Davis Institute), Karl Hagstrom Miller (University of Texas), Evie Nagy (Rolling Stone), Tavia Nyong’o (NYU), Caroline Polk O’Meara (University of Texas), Ann Powers (NPR Music), Greg Tate (Village Voice, Burnt Sugar, and Coon Bidness) and  Eric Weisbard (Conference Organizer, University of Alabama).

ABOUT EMP MUSEUM

EMP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the exploration of creativity and innovation in music, science fiction, and popular culture. EMP combines interpretative, interactive exhibitions with state-of-the-art technologies, and educational programming to offer visitors of all ages a first-hand, multi-dimensional experience of the creative and artistic process. EMP is housed in a 140,000 square foot Frank O. Gehry designed building. This spectacular, prominently visible structure has the presence of a monumental sculpture set against the backdrop of the Seattle Center.  For more information, visit EMPmuseum.org.

ABOUT THE CLIVE DAVIS INSTITUTE OF RECORDED MUSIC

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music is the first of its kind to provide professional business and artistic training toward a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. The undergraduate program is designed to provide professional training for students who aspire to succeed as creative entrepreneurs in the music industry.  Since it opened its doors in 2003, the program has been a leader in training aspiring music entrepreneurs.  It has been on the cutting edge of music education, offering innovative courses like “The History of Def Jam,” “Emerging Music Trends,” and “Branding.”  The program bears the name of its chief patron and advisor, Clive Davis.

ABOUT THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE STUDY OF POPULAR MUSIC (IASPM) U.S. BRANCH

IASPM-US represents the United States branch of the International Association for the Study of Popular Music. IASPM-US has been an important part of the popular music landscape since the early 1980s and serves as a forum for a range of scholarly and other approaches to popular music. IASPM-US publishes the quarterly Journal of Popular Music Studies.  Its democratic, inclusive outlook extends not only across different academic disciplines but also to critics, journalists, industry workers, and cultural administrators.

VIEW THE FULL SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:

www.empmuseum.org/popconference

ALSO:

www.clivedavisinst.tisch.nyu.edu

http://iaspm-us.net

www.esperanzaspalding.com

www.santigold.com

www.dasracist.com

The Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music would like to express its deepest sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Ms. Whitney Houston. She was a brilliant talent whose legendary voice will be missed.

jointly present
DEF JAM @ 25

A conversation event with
BILL ADLER, Def Jam’s founding publicist
CEY ADAMS, Def Jam’s founding creative director and graphic designer, and
DAN CHARNAS, author of “The Big Payback: The History of the Business of Hip-Hop”

Celebrating the release of their new Rizzoli New York book

DEF JAM RECORDINGS: THE FIRST 25 YEARS OF THE LAST GREAT RECORD LABEL

ABOUT DEF JAM
Def Jam Recordings was started by young entrepreneurs Russell Simmons and Rick Rubin in the early 1980s, out of Rubin’s Weinstein Hall dorm room. 25 years later, the once-independent label has launched the careers of some of music’s greatest superstars (L.L. Cool J, Run D.M.C., Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Ludacris, Ja Rule, Rihanna, Ashanti, and Kanye West, etc) and changed the face of global youth culture.

ABOUT THE BOOK
Celebrating the company’s 25th Anniversary, the just-released book Def Jam Recordings (Rizzoli New York) is a stunning oral history of Def Jam in the words of its artists and top executives, taken from interviews and seamlessly told as a narrative of no-holds barred recollections and anecdotes.

ABOUT THE EVENT
During this rare conversation event, authors Bill Adler, Cey Adams and Dan Charnas will present a video/slide lecture and Q&A about their new book. The discussion will be moderated by Tisch Photography and Imaging Chair, Deborah Willis and Recorded Music Artistic Director, Jason King.

WHEN: Monday October 17, 2011, 7:00PM-9:00PM
HOW MUCH: Free for NYU students, faculty and staff
WHERE: TSOA Dean’s Conference Room, 721 Broadway, 12th floor

RSVP is REQUIRED: http://clivedavisinst.tisch.nyu.edu/object/defjam25

Seating for this event is very limited; first-come, first-served.
A valid NYU ID is required for entrance to the building.

presents

the ASCAP SONGWRITING SERIES with BENNY BLANCO

Benny “Blanco” Levin is an American Writer/Producer. Raised in Reston, Virginia and currently living in Manhattan, Benny is responsible for such Top 40 Hits as Tik Tok, California Gurls, Teenage Dream Dynamite, We R Who We R, Stereo Hearts, Moves Like Jagger and many more.  After getting his start in music as a rapper, Benny has developed into one of the top producers of today…all by the age 23.

Benny will visit Recorded Music for three different sessions.  In this first session, Benny will share his journey in the industry, and also discuss proper Music Business Etiquette and the tools you need to succeed as a producer and songwriter.  In the following two sessions, Benny will deconstruct some of his most popular songs and explain his songwriting techniques, processes, and some tricks of the trade so that you can write the next big hit!

Friday, October 7th @ 4:00pm
19 University Place, Room 102

This event is OPEN TO ALL NYU STUDENTS. RSVP is required.
Seating is limited; first-come, first-served. There are no plus ones for this event.
A valid NYU ID is required for entrance to the building.

This event is graciously underwritten by the ASCAP Foundation Bart Howard Fund.

To RSVP: http://clivedavisdept.tisch.nyu.edu/object/bennyblanco