Go HEAD2HEAD with the Music Industry!

Music industry experts will be coming together in Barrow-in-Furness to share their collective knowledge in Head2Head an event produced by Generator and the Barrow-in-Furness Music Cooperative, which will aim to connect the regional unsigned bands and musicians with the music industry frontline.

Taking place at The Canteen in Barrow-in-Furness, Head2Head is a free one-day regional music industry conference which offers opportunities for students, musicians and music entrepreneurs of all stripes and categories to interact in an optimistic and constructive atmosphere.

The event will provide a fantastic networking opportunity that encourages and facilitates interaction between the music communities in Cumbria and the wider national music industry.

As part of this programme, Generator is offering spaces to an exclusive songwriting master-class between 3-5.00pm with Jon Byrne. With a musician whose influences are so diverse, expect this session to draw in all kinds of music and be concerned with quality work, both in songwriting and composition.

This session will not look at rules in songwriting, but identify the basic principles which determine how songs communicate effectively to listeners.

Generator have also invited record company A&R to take part in a panel session between 6-7.30pm that will investigate ways of creating positive links between the local, regional and national music industry. They will offer their views on who is being signed, what record companies are looking for and what they expect to see from a band before taking them seriously.

Confirmed panel members to date include:

Caroline Elleray: Head of A&R Universal Publishing

Debs Wild: Music industry Consultant, Coldplay - various

Craig Pennington: Dead Young Records

Bands and musicians are invited to bring in demos for inclusion in the demo jury where aforementioned A&R will be using their wide-ranging experiences to offer some instant feedback on the music. There are limited spaces available for these play-backs and CD's will be selected randomly on the day.

Head2Head's goal is to provide a forum for ideas, strategies and original concepts in music development to meet the professional challenges of the 21st century and the demands of the industry.

The day's conference will be followed by an evening gig with Jon Byrne headlining supported by The Lucid Dream and Dropping Point. This is open to people aged 14 and upwards and costs £4 in advance or £5 on the door.

For more information on Head2Head's schedule contact:

Joe Frankland on 0191 245 0099 (extension 4) or joe@generator.org.uk

Demos should be brought along on the day.