For as much as everyone in New Orleans complains (including yours truly) about how nothing seems to happen in local music industry, I was astounded to see that there was a relative low turnout at the New Orleans Music Office’s Town Hall Meeting held on Tuesday, September 16 at Municipal Auditorium’s Mask Room.

Last year’s meeting was at the Rock ‘n’ Bowl Café, and it was jam-packed with crowds of musicians and interested parties that wanted to hear what the current administration had to offer. That gathering was less than productive, as many people took the audience Q&A as an opportunity to either bitch or ask reps of the office what could be done for them individually (it will be refreshing when local musicians—and local citizens, for that matter—stop looking at city government as a “grant trough” from which to feed).

I admit I was a bit skeptical at the onset, given last year’s brouhaha. But the presentation by Music Office Director Scott Aiges and the City Arts & Entertainment czar Ernest Collins was thoughtful, organized, well-presented and demonstrated that the Music Office had accomplished many of the goals it had set last year. In fact, it’s pretty obvious to me that the Music Office has achieved more in 18 months than the last Music and Entertainment Commission head achieved in eight years. So, in my humble opinion, anyway—that’s progress.

The Music Office and Tipitina’s recently announced a joint venture for a Music Business Co-op that will allow musicians and fledgling music businesses to have resources that struggling entrepreneurs need—like computers, computer training and high-speed internet access; faxes and telephones. The Co-op, located at 4040 Tulane Avenue, will allow musicians the ability to use the office to help promote their careers for $10 a month. The co-op is set to open in October.

The co-op will help musicians follow through on the lessons they learn at a series of professional development workshops. Last year, the office held six free monthly workshops that were sponsored by OffBeat, which also sponsors this year’s events. A new series of professional development workshops will cover such topics as “The Major Label Experience,” and “Booking Your Own Tour,” beginning this year on October 7 at 621 Carondelet Street.

Mayor Nagin’s Music Office also touted its accomplishments with the hospitality suite at the 2003 Jazz Fest; Mo’ Fest; the Mo’ Tunes series (at the Howlin’ Wolf this year); a “Fresh” music series at the New Orleans French Market geared to showcase “hip, young traditional jazz bands;” hosting of traditional drumming African drumming circles in Congo Square; a partnership with XM Radio to promote Louisiana music; plans to prevent piracy of music by illegal CD sales in New Orleans; and the launch of a new web site, http://www.RealNewOrleansMusic.com/.

This seems like real progress to me. If you want things to change for the better, then check out the city’s web site, get involved with your city representatives, realize that the Music Office is there for the common good (not your own personal project)—and kwitchyerbitchin’.

MUSIC ANNIVERSARIES

The dates for the 35th anniversary of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival were recently announced (for you readers who don’t live here). They are Friday, April 23 through Sunday, May 2, 2004. Sorry, y’all, looks like the grand relatively uncrowded eight-day festival we enjoyed last year is, regrettably, once again a thing of the past.

Both the Howlin’ Wolf and Mid-City Lanes Rock ’n’ Bowl will celebrate their respective venues’ 15th anniversaries in November…seems like only yesterday.

MUSIC AND MEDIA CONVERGENCES

The New Orleans Media Experience (NOME) is set to kick off a week-long extravaganza from October 26-November 1.Experts in the fields of film, music, video games and advertising headline participants in the panel discussions focusing on the intertwined future of those four industries.

Highlighting the first-of-its-kind convergence festival will be such trailblazers as blockbuster producer Neal Moritz (SWAT, The Fast and The Furious), Microsoft Xbox’s J Allard, G4 Network’s CEO, Charles Hirschhorn, and Lava Records president Jason Flom (Sugar Ray, Kid Rock, Matchbox 20) . These panel discussions will take place over two days, October 27-28 at the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel (500 Canal Street). The University of New Orleans will present a symposium on Entertainment in the Digital Age: Creating, Promoting, and Distributing Content at the New Orleans Hilton on October 29.

NOME will bring together an audience of cross-industry executives and consumers in a “comprehensive vision of where film, music, advertising and videogames converge” and will explore the resulting new business and creative possibilities. Confirmed speakers also include such filmmakers as writer/director/producer Allison Anders (Things Behind The Sun, Gas Food Lodging); music video and commercial director Benny Boom; music video and commercial director Little x, award winning music video, commercial and film director Paul Hunter (Bulletproof Monk); visual effects artist, filmmaker and co-founder of The Orphanage, Scott Stewart and Visual Effects Supervisor Bruce Jones.

Music industry insiders such as EMI Music Publishing’s Budd Carr, Intercope Records’ Randy Sosin, Atlantic Records’ Mike Caren and many more will join the panel discussions on such relevant topics as how to repair the music industry in the face of decreasing sales in the digital age.

This looks like a great opportunity for experts from outside New Orleans’ insular world to get a gander at the talent and resources we have in the city, while giving both consumers and industry folk alike the opportunity to experience the cutting edge in media development.

The festival will include many music events at local venues and will culminate on Halloween night with a masquerade ball. For a complete schedule of panel discussions, event registration information on submissions of films videos, commercials and videogames, and for complete information about the festival, visit http://www.neworleansmediaexperience.com/.

ONE FOR THE LADIES

One of my favorite local talents, Theresa Andersson, now has a regular gig at Carrollton Station every Tuesday at 10 p.m., with no cover. And Rebecca Barry, known around town as one of the city’s very few female sax players (along with Paula Rangell) is set to release a new CD, New Hope, with her band Bust in early November. This time Rebecca sings too. Wait ’til you hear her wail…