Concrete, practical steps for journalists, presenters, publicists and artists pursuing new audiences, higher profiles and more mutual engagement: that’s the focus of Media for Audience Development,
the JJA’s third annual New York City winter mini-conference. The JJA is producing three panel discussions and a Town Hall meeting at the Association for Performing Arts Presenters convention at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Jan. 6 through 8, and the Chamber Music America conference, Jan. 14, at the Westin Hotel in Time Square. All sessions are open and free to JJA members, convention and conference attendees, and interested members of the general public.
Register now to learn how media participation is the new norm for arts and entertainment stakeholders, whatever art form or genre is under consideration. Going beyond “jazz” circles with the understanding that media knows no labels or limits, the JJA has confirmed a cast of forward-thinking panelists including Michael Geller, executive director of the American Composers Orchestra; Josh Jackson, WBGO Special Projects Producer and host of The Checkout; videographer/filmmaker Jeremy Robins; Daniel Maurer, editor of The Local East Village hyper-local online news blog; Steve Smith, music editor of Time Out New York; Monica Ellis, bassoonist of Imani Winds; pianist Vijay Iyer, a board member of Chamber Music America; eyeJAZZ videographer Susan Brink of Unexpected Venues (NY); Giovanni Russonello of CapitolBop.com, Washington DC; Mark Christman of Ars Nova Workshop, Philadelphia; Marguerite Horberg of Portuluz cultural community organization, Chicago; Scott Mehinick of JazzDiy.com/Improvised Communications and John Seroff of GreenHouse Publicity.
Besides the panels — “Revolution in Media Relations: You Are the Media” on Jan. 6; “Video to Spotlight Local Scenes, Build New Audiences” on Jan. 7; “Going Local/Getting Coverage in Local Media” on Jan. 8, and “Social Media in Practice” on Jan. 14 — the JJA will host a cocktail reception, time and place tba. JJA president Howard Mandel will serve as a panel moderator, as will JJA online administrator and consultant Jo Ann Kawell; JJA vice president Yvonne Ervin will facilitate the Town Hall meeting, “What Works? And What Obstacles?” on Jan. 7.
For this third miniconference on professional issues, all JJA sessions being producing with the assistance of APAP will be held in Conference Room E of the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, 7th Avenue at 53rd Street. The JJA’s “Social Media in Practice” session is the first being held at a Chamber Music America conference. Times for all conference sessions are available at the registration pages. Click the red box at the top left of this headline on this post to arrive at those pages.
In addition to JJA activities, JazzTimes magazine has scheduled a DIY Crash Course day for artists, journalists, presenters and students at APAP convention facilities at the New York Hilton on Jan. 5, which is also free and open to the public. APAP also has a Jazz Connect track of activities, open only to its convention registrants.
The Chamber Music America conference is also a registrant-only event, although JJA members are invited to register for free one-session passes to attend “Social Media in Practice,” 9 to 10:15 am on Saturday, Jan. 14.
The JJA is investigating audio/video documentation of the events, which could be posted in edited form after the January meetings. Volunteers to serve on an online documentation team are invited to contact president@jazzjournalists.org.
