Cranium Arts Project is excited to announce the Cranium Conference and Showcase 2024.

The 3-day music event will connect active industry professionals with musicians, artists and people making moves in the arts and entertainment business. The weekend will feature networking sessions, information panels with music professionals, and a showcase featuring some great emerging talent. ADMISSION IS FREE!

Programming schedule: Saturday, May 4

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm
Community Engaged Arts: Hip-Hop & Resistance Panel

Peter A. Herrndorf Place | REGISTER FOR FREE TICKET

Hip-hop is rooted in anti-oppression, self-expression and resistance. How does an artist or arts professional balance out their social/political stance while staying true to their values? What are some approaches that professional musicians and artist-activists use to bring their messages of resistance into their work?

Join this important panel discussion as we curate a conversation about balancing activism, resistance and artistic expression with a career path in music.

Moderator: Cheko7even

Expert panel: Jesse Ohtake, Mazyn, Rose-Ingrid Benjamin

4:10 pm - 5:00 pm
Navigating Your Career as an Independent Artist

Peter A. Herrndorf Place | REGISTER FOR FREE TICKET

There are many options when approaching a career as an independent musician. This panel discussion will dig into the fundamentals of establishing a career as an independent music artist. While there is no one-size-fits-all approach or method, during this session we will discuss various approaches to success and longevity.

Moderator: J Morris

Expert Panel: David “Click” Cox, Dan-e-o, Nambi, Jessie Simmons

5:15 pm - 6:30 pm
Navigating the Music Grant Landscape

Atelier Belle Shenkman & Desmond Smith | REGISTER FOR FREE TICKET

Join Emma Lamontagne in a dynamic music grant writing workshop tailored for artists, managers, and creative music professionals. Learn invaluable insights from an artist's perspective and come prepared with questions to ensure personalized guidance and support. Emma has procured over 100K in funding for herself and her clients as a professional grant writer so basically come get some free game!

Facilitated by: Emma Lamontange

5:10 pm - 6:15 pm
Success in Sync

Peter A. Herrndorf Place | REGISTER FOR FREE TICKET

This session will take a look at the opportunities for music artists and producers to get into licensing their music for sync placements, giving you an overview of the different rights involved in sync and discussing some of the entry points. The panel is made up of artists with recent success in sync, with placements in major brand TV commercials, popular video games and more. It also includes a professional sync licensing agent with a wealth of knowledge about the whats and hows of sync licensing. Now is a great time for music creators to get into the sync landscape, there are great opportunities to build revenue streams. Don’t miss this session.

Moderator: Kwende Kefentse

Expert Panel: Michelle Allman-Esdaille, Rochester, Goldstripes

8:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Cranium Live Music Showcase, Part 2

Fourth Stage | REGISTER FOR FREE TICKET 

Featuring: Tianna Lee, Baebe Ruth, Fame Holiday, Nambi, Melo Griffith, NTHN

Part 2 of The Cranium Live Music Showcase will feature performances from emerging acts in the genres of R&B, Hip-Hop, Soul and more.

Music by: CircaBeatz, Hosted by: Vlad