Singer-Songwriters Flock to Cape May, NJ, March 29-30

The maddening crowds of summer won’t be there yet, but several hundred performing artists and others engaged in the music business are expected to converge on the historic Victorian-lined New Jersey seaside resort community of Cape May, March 29-30, 2019 for the 12th annual Singer-Songwriter Cape May conference.

Singer-songwriters Jesse Terry and Erin McKeown will deliver keynotes and perform during the conference, while some 150 other pre-selected musical acts and artists of various genres will showcase their talents at more than a dozen local bars, restaurants and hotels on Friday and Saturday evenings.

“Jesse Terry is a gentle soul with a formidable songwriting talent and a clear artistic vision,” says John Platt, host of Sunday Supper on New York’s WFUV. A true musical journeyman, Jesse Terry has made it his mission to share his love of music fully and completely, without regard for shading his emotions or tempering his convictions. By his own definition, the Connecticut-based performing artist has never been a cautious individual, but rather one who finds inspiration and optimism in the solace and joy that making music brings him and which he can impart to others both through his recordings (five albums and an EP to date) and his live performances throughout the U.S., Europe, Greenland, and New Zealand. More information may be found online at www.jesseterrymusic.com.

Here are links to the official music videos for Jesse Terry’s “Kaleidoscope” and “Stargazer” from his album Stargazer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGW9irhdZUQ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydOal9N6jw4.

Although often referred to as a folk-rock singer-songwriter and musician, Erin McKeown’s music defies stylistic boundaries – as her 10 full-length albums over the last 20 years attest. Her first musical, Miss You Like Hell, which opened Off-Broadway at The Public Theater last year, was nominated for five Drama Desk Awards and was named as Best Musical of 2018 by The Wall Street Journal. A western Massachusetts-based international touring artist, McKeown has performed at such notable festivals as Bonnaroo, Glastonbury and the Newport Folk Festival. Her songs have been widely played on NPR, the BBC and other radio stations. She has secured song placements in numerous commercials and television shows, and she even wrote a song via text messaging with her friend Rachel Maddow. “In several distinctive ways – voice, dynamic subtlety, and sheer songwriting ability – Erin McKeown is in a class of her own,” writes a music critic for The Sunday Times (UK). For more information, visit www.erinmckeown.com.

Here’s a link to a video of Erin McKeown performing “Now I’m Here“ from Miss You Like Hell live at WFUV’s Studio A in New York City in 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qtQ9v-VxTY.

AcousticMusicScene.com Editor & Publisher, Connecticut Songwriters Association Leader and ReverbNation Co-Founder are Among the Panelists During the Singer-Songwriter Cape May Conference

Singer-Songwriter Cape May also features two afternoons of music business panel discussions, workshops and mentoring sessions at Congress Hall & Harrison Conference Center. There will be plenty of opportunities for networking with other singer-songwriters, musicians and music industry professionals.

While AcousticMusicScene.com is my labor of love, I am also a communications and public relations strategist and will be among the panelists discussing “Press, Publicity and Promotion” and “Branding, Marketing and Social Media for Independent Artists” during afternoon conference sessions. Although the media landscape is in a continual state of flux, independent singer-songwriters have many options for promotion these days. I hope to help SS Cape May attendees set the right course and navigate through the many channels available to them to reach and connect with their target audiences. Talented artists with some promotional and social media savvy, or the smarts to surround themselves with people who do, can strike a responsive chord through strategic public relations and creative communications.

Bill Pere, a former Connecticut State Troubadour who heads the Connecticut Songwriters Association, runs the CT Songwriting Academy and wrote Songcrafters’ Coloring Book, will share his “Top 5 Songwriting Tips to Triple Your Audience” and “8 Keys to Success in the Music Business.” His wife, Kay Pere, leads a vocal workshop entitled “The Performing Songwriters’ Paintbox.” Lou Plaia, co-founder of ReverbNation, will conduct a workshop on the online platform for artists that helps them to connect with venues, festivals, brands, blogs, labels, and fans — enabling them to advance their careers and grow their audiences. Plaia is also among the panelists in another workshop entitled “DIY is Not Enough! Team Building.” Other hour-long panels and workshops will delve into “Branding, Marketing and Social Media,” “Careers in the Music Industry,” “Fan-funded Music,” Getting Gigs for the Indie Musician(s),” “Protecting Your Copyrights and Maximizing Your Royalties,” and “Songwriting, Recording and Making Money with Your Music.” There will also be a “Producers Panel.”

Evening Showcases at Venues Around Cape May Are Free and Open to the Public

The conference registration desk opens at 11 a.m. on March 29, while mentoring sessions extend from noon to 5 p.m. each day, and the workshops take place between 1 and 5 p.m. on Friday and 11:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on Saturday. Showcasing artists and panelists will receive credentials for the conference, while others may register to attend the daytime events for $55. Evening showcase performances –- apart from those featuring the keynoters Jesse Terry and Erin McKeown, which are ticketed — are free and open to the public. For more information and to register for the conference, visit www.sscapemay.com.