The Atlantis Music Conference + Festival opening party on Oct. 4 kicked off the week's events at nightclub eleven50. This networking party is one of the largest industry parties of the year in Atlanta, and it allows Recording Academy members to meet with other members and music industry professionals who are in town for the conference.
The Atlantis Music Conference — specifically known as an urban and rock conference — allowed the Atlanta Chapter to produce the first country music outreach event. Mike Kraski, Mark Wills and Randy Lovelady were part of the "Country Music Panel," which was moderated by David Ross of MusicRow. Kraski and Lovelady recounted the success story of Little Big Town and paralleled it with experiences from Wills' career. Little Big Town and Wills are both signed to Equity Records, an independent label in Nashville. Wills closed the panel with music from his latest album, and after the panel, up-and-coming country music artists performed.
The Producers & Engineers Wing presented a panel titled "Conversations With Teddy Riley And Friends" on Oct. 6 in the main ballroom of the Sheraton. Approximately 400 aspiring producers, artists, music business students and others interested in the industry attended the panel discussion, which featured Teddy Riley, platinum producer and songwriter; Russ-T Cobb, producer and engineer (Avril Lavigne, Sevendust, My Chemical Romance); and Billy Hume, producer (Ying Yang Twins, Ludacris, Nelly). Hume led the discussion with topics ranging from mixing techniques to home studios to hit-making. Riley spoke of his experiences as an up-and-coming producer and gave tips for good songwriting and collaborating. He took the time to answer questions from the audience and even gave an aspiring vocalist, who waited in line to ask a question, the chance to showcase her talents to the crowd. Attendees were provided with biographies of each speaker as well as a summary of the purpose and goals of the Producers & Engineers Wing.
MusiCares paired up with local healthcare providers to present a free health fair on Oct. 6 for Recording Academy members and Atlantis Music Conference registrants. The health fair was an opportunity for participants to receive a series of general health checks at no cost, including assessments for blood pressure, body fat, cholesterol and glucose levels; hearing, vision and bone density screenings; and information on HIV prevention and testing.