The Los Angeles College of Music (LACM) is excited to announce that for the first time, and in collaboration with the DISCO music management platform, it is hosting the prestigious West Coast Songwriters Conference, a landmark event that will bring together aspiring songwriters and music industry professionals for an inspiring weekend of education, creativity, and networking. The conference is open to the public and will take place September 27-29, 2024 at the LACM campus located at 300 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena, CA.
Tickets to the event are available HERE.
This premiere event offers a unique opportunity for attendees to ignite their creativity and connect with the talent behind some of the biggest names in the music industry. During the conference, attendees will learn directly from LACM’s Grammy Award-winning Songwriting and Music Business faculty, including:
- Jud Friedman has Multiple Oscar, Grammy and Golden Globe nominations for songs such as “Run to You” by Whitney Houston from The Bodyguard film and musical, “For the First Time” by Kenny Loggins from the film One Fine Day and “The Color of the Night” by Lauren Christy. Other hits include “I Don’t Have the Heart” by James Ingram, “I Just Had to Hear Your Voice” by Oleta Adams and numerous songs recorded by various other major artists. Jud is faculty at LACM, teaching Songwriting, Collaboration and Music Business Law and Contracts.
- Kasia Livingston is a singer/songwriter who broke into the scene with her Grammy-nominated, worldwide #1 single “StickWitU” by the Pussycat Dolls. She is a frequent Britney Spears collaborator with multiple songs on Britney’s #1 albums Circus and Femme Fatale. She began writing songs at age 10, was discovered by record producer David Foster, and has continued to have releases with Flo Rida, Chris Brown, Jessie J, Cheryl Cole, Gloria Trevi and more. Kasia joined the Los Angeles College of Music faculty in 2010 as a songwriting instructor.
- Erin Workman is LACM’s Executive Vice President and the Department Head and Faculty for Songwriting and Music Business. Erin has a combined expertise in areas of Songwriting, Music Publishing, A&R, Artist Development, Vocal Coaching, Entertainment Education and Industry Relations. She entered the industry as a signed staff songwriter and recording artist in Nashville, TN, which led to writing for Film/TV projects and various publishing/licensing ventures. Erin later was recruited to Los Angeles to write for Disney (Suite Life of Zack & Cody) and work with such artists as Miley Cyrus (Disney), Zac Efron (Disney), Selena Gomez (Disney), Ashley Tisdayle (Disney), Emma Roberts (Sony/Columbia) and many more.
· Jennifer Smith is the founder of the LA-based Music Supervision company Rat Dance Party. She began her career on the music teams for Dancing With The Stars and The Ellen Show and then joined the Kobalt Music synchronization team to creatively pitch and clear music with networks, studios, music supervisors, production companies, and new media companies. After seven years at Kobalt, Jennifer joined the music team on ABC’s reboot of American Idol. After season 1, Rat Dance Party was born. Jennifer has worked on projects produced by Showtime, Netflix, Viacom, Shorts TV, Amazon, Pluto TV, NBC, Voltage Pictures, Indican Productions, and many more. She is also part of the LACM Songwriting and Music Business Faculty.
- Geoff Mayfield is a former Billboard and Universal Music writer, and currently is a contributing writer for Variety and Billboard. Geoff is a part of the LACM Music Business Faculty.
“We are thrilled to host the West Coast Songwriters Conference and bring together such an exceptional lineup of talent,” said Erin Workman, LACM Executive Vice President and Department Head, Songwriting & Music Business. “This event embodies our commitment to nurturing the next generation of songwriters, offering them access to the knowledge, skills, and connections needed to succeed in today’s music industry.”
“Since 1979, WCS has provided a vibrant community and numerous resources for songwriters through workshops, contests, and networking events,” said Jen Adan, President, West Coast Songwriters. “We’re honored to have such an incredible lineup of Grammy Award-winning songwriters and industry veterans at our conference hosted this year in collaboration with the Los Angeles College of Music sponsored by DISCO. This event is a unique opportunity for aspiring songwriters to learn from the best in the business and gain the tools and inspiration they need to elevate their craft to the next level.”
Event highlights include interactive workshops by industry experts covering songwriting techniques, music production, and music business essentials; Song critique sessions with valuable feedback on songs from experienced songwriters and producers, including insights on lyric writing, melody development, and arrangement; Keynote presentations offering insights from keynote speakers on the latest trends in the music industry and strategies for advancing your career as a songwriter; Performance opportunities to showcase talent during live performances and open mic sessions; Connecting with fellow musicians and industry professionals; Networking and collaboration to engage with DISCO and LACM representatives and other attendees to explore collaboration opportunities, discover new music, and expand your professional network.
The West Coast Songwriters Conference is open to songwriters of all levels and genres. Early registration is encouraged, as space is limited. For more information and to register and purchase tickets for the conference, please visit westcoastsongwriters.org/conference.