Mastering the Hustle + Career Day This Saturday

Have you always dreamed about having a career in music? It may not be as far off as you think. This Saturday, you'll have two different free opportunities to learn from local artists and industry professionals on how to succeed in an arts career. Whether you're looking for ways to become a better performer or just curious on what it means to have a job in the arts, these events will give you the foundation you need to pursue your passions.

Mastering the Hustle: Your Sound and PerformanceApril 1, 2-4 p.m. at the JBL Theatre in MoPOP

MoPOP, KEXP, and Upstream Music Fest + Summit are convening for the second installment of their Mastering the Hustle workshop series. The theme for this session is "Your Sound and Performance", exploring the dynamics necessary for builder your best live show. You'll hear from local rapper/producer Grieves, tour manager Colin Papworth, Crocodile Production Manager Shaina Foley, and KEXP Audio Engineer Julian Martlew; all moderated by Upstream Music Fest Head Curator Meli Darby.

Benjamin Laub, better known by his stage name Grieves, is an American hip hop artist based in Seattle, Washington. Grieves emerged in 2007 with his independently released album, Irreversible, which served as a platform for several years of touring with some of indie rap’s finest: Atmosphere, Macklemore, P.O.S, Brother Ali, Cunninlynguists, and more. In 2008, Grieves teamed up with multi-instrumentalist and producer, Budo, with whom he would release his next two albums: 88 Keys & Counting in 2010, and Together/Apart in 2011. Together/Apart debuted on the Rhymesayers Entertainment label and received national acclaim. It hit #1 on the Billboard Heatseeker’s Chart and #106 on the overall Billboard Top 200 chart. This marked Grieves’ first appearance in the Top 200. Grieves performed at South by Southwest in 2011 and 2015, as well as on the Van’s Warped Tour in 2011. His music has also been featured in LA Weekly, the Washington Post, Seattle Weekly and the Brooklyn Vegan. His fourth album, Winter & the Wolves, was released on March 25, 2014. It peaked at number #57 on the Billboard 200.

Colin Papworth, currently based in Seattle where, as Operations Manager for SIDY Management, he handles the day-to-day goings on at the headquarters of one of Seattle's own: Grieves. Leaving his Head Chef position in Colorado, Colin was brought on to sell merchandise for Grieves on the Van’s Warped Tour in 2011, and now works as Grieves' tour manager. A true Renaissance man – he is equally at home in a commercial kitchen or on the road with the band.  Colin handles tour logistics with the calm, cool, collected confidence of an irritable French Chef.

Shaina Foley, based out of Seattle, Washington is the current production manager at the historic venue The Crocodile. She started her career in music working as an indie record label street team member in the early 2000’s and spent her free time organizing small scale DIY style events in the Seattle area focused on urban art and music. Over the years, she explored different facets of the live music world for Seattle venues and independent promoters including but not limited to box office manager, runner, merch seller, marketing and production management - a true Jane of all trades. Her versatility and hustle quickly earned her a reputation as one of the hardest working professionals in the industry. In 2006, she joined the Reigncity team and dedicated her focus to live music Production Management. Since then, Shaina has worked thousands of shows, everywhere from 100 cap to festival size crowds. She takes pride in making each and every artist feel welcome and right at home in her venue. She longs for the sweet spot of getting the headliner on the stage and screaming “It’s all happening!” and she's only got two hard and fast rules: do it pro and don’t be a jerk, because no matter what "we're gonna do a show".

Julian Martlew is a musician, composer, audio technician and radio announcer living in Seattle.  Some of his fun projects include mixing a live radio broadcast of Sub Pop artists Mudhoney from the roof of the Space Needle at Seattle Center and composing music based on Tarot cards for choreographer Catherine Cabeen's work - "Fire!" commissioned by On The Boards theatre. He also played slide guitar for choreographer Paige Barnes' work, "Naked", and contributed sound design for Zoe Juniper's "Begin Again" and "Clear and Sweet". Alongside being an engineer here at KEXP, Julian also lends his voice for imaging and underwriting for the station.

[ RSVP HERE ]

City of Music Career DayApril 1, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. at MoPOP, KEXP, and The Vera Project

In conjunction with Mastering The Hustle, the Seattle Music Commission is hosting City of Music Career Day. The full-day event gives young people, ages 16-24, the chance to connect directly with industry professionals through workshops, performances, and networking opportunities. Keynote speakers include Seattle artists Ben Gibbard, Sassyblack, and Ahamefule J. Oluo. Attendees will be exposed to career opportunities both as performing artists and behind-the-scenes roles, such as management, concert/event production, radio, licensing, label operations, and journalism.

The breakout sessions make it easy for attendees to focus their experience on the career path they're most interested in. Our own DJ Sharlese will host an Audioasis breakout session, walking through the steps involved in building a radio show. Also featured are sessions centered on building D.I.Y. movements, making money from art, how to build cross-disciplinary skills in the music industry, and more. This event is co-sponsored by One Reel, Office of Film + Music, Office of Arts & Culture, MoPOP, The Vera Project, and KEXP.

[ REGISTER NOW ]

If you've always been curious about turning music into your full-time career, you won't want to miss these two free events. See you there.