The Americana Music Association has announced this year's AmericanaFest's slate of more than 50 panels and workshops with approximately 200 experts representing the best and the brightest in the music business. This year’s Conference will offer opportunities to hear from artists who have shaped musical history—including Bob Weir, Dwight Yoakam, Jody Stephens, Wanda Jackson and a special presentation by Del McCory on the legendary Woody Guthrie—and from those currently making history, like Margot Price John Paul White and Lori McKenna.
Venues and times of panels, workshops and Q&As will be announced soon. Panel and Speaker Highlights for the 2016 Americana Music Conference Include:
• Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead presents Blue Mountain, his first solo album of original material in 30 years, with playback and acoustic performance of select songs featuring producer Josh Kaufman and a Q&A moderated by Buddy Miller.
• “Songs We Love: Americana Edition” featuring Margo Price and friends, moderated by NPR Music’s Ann Powers
• An intimate interview with American music icon Dwight Yoakam highlighting songs from his new album Swimmin’ Pools, Movie Stars…which features bluegrass reinterpretations of his vast catalogue.
• Ardent Studio’s 50 Year Anniversary celebration with Jody Stephens
• “Crossing the Bridge from Americana to AAA Radio” with WXPN’s Bruce Warren and KCSN’s Sky Daniels
• A keynote address by T Bone Burnett
• “A Wealth of Songs: Americana Artists Whose Songs Get Cut Again” featuring Lori McKenna, Radney Foster and Jim Lauderdale
• “Songwriters and Scribes: Storytelling in Song and Fiction” with author Odie Lindsey
• “Finding a Way Forward in Copyright & Music Licensing,” presented by C3 Content Creators Coalition
• Del McCoury Band presents Del and Woody with show-stopping performances and accompanying videos
• “In Memoriam Allen Toussaint,” in loving memory of the extraordinary American musician as well as 2006 Americana Lifetime Achievement award-winner and producer-engineer Allen Toussaint
• Billy Bragg & Joe Henry discuss their new project Shine a Light with author and music historian Barry Mazor
• Bob Boilen converses with special guest John Paul White about his book Your Song Changed My Life…
• “The Resistance: The Fight to Save Our Culture and Democracy from the Internet Monopolies” with T Bone Burnett and Jonathan Taplin
• Change the Conversation presents a live interview with groundbreaking Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Member Wanda Jackson highlighting her life and musical career
• “Music Masters: A Conversation with Producer Jim Rooney,” including a brief performance by the producer himself followed by a book signing of his memoir In It for the Long Run
• Josh Rosenthal reads from and signs his book The Record Store of the Mind
The conference will also include the exponentially-growing daily roundtable mentor discussion groups as well as the annual Americana Music Association Town Hall Membership Meeting.
Conference registrations are currently $325 for members and $425 for non-members. Walk-up registrations will be available at the Sheraton Downtown Nashville Hotel starting on Wednesday, Sept. 21 at 12 noon and walk-up rates will be set at $475.
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For more information on AmericanaFest, visit americanamusic.org.
