MEIEA Summit 2025

• Open City, 2331 Calvert St NW, Washington, DC 20008,
• GETTING HERE
  By train, the restaurant is right around the corner of the Woodley Park-Zoo/Adams Morgan subway station stop
• Leave the hotel at 8:30 to arrive at Open City for 9:00am breakfast

Pick up your name badget and swag for the Summit!

Official Welcome

David Levin is BMI’s Senior Vice President, Licensing. He is responsible for all of BMI’s domestic licensing and revenue generation, encompassing radio, television, digital media, cable, satellite and general licensing. Levin, who oversees teams in New York and Nashville, reports directly to Mike Steinberg, BMI’s EVP, Chief Revenue & Creative Officer, and is based in New York.
Under Levin’s direction as Vice President, Digital Licensing, BMI’s digital revenues grew from $50 million in 2012 to more than $250 million in 2018. He helped secure the company’s first licensing deals with Netflix, Amazon’s Music and Video Services, Apple Music, Hulu and Facebook, and also established new licensing structures with Spotify, YouTube and Pandora.
Prior to BMI, Levin spent 12 years at Sony Music Entertainment where he held various positions throughout his tenure including Senior Vice President, Digital Sales, and Vice President, New Media. While at Sony, Levin established the digital and mobile business channels which started as a small, nontraditional segment, but soon became much of the company’s core business. Before joining Sony, he ran the marketing department for Getmusic.com, a joint venture between BMG and Universal.
In addition to being a sought-after speaker at conferences such as SXSW, Music Biz, RAIN and MONDO, Levin made Billboard’s Digital Power Players list in 2015 and 2017, 2018 and 2019. He holds an MBA from Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Management and a BA in Sociology, also from Rutgers University.

                  Benom Plumb, Moderator
1:30 - Popular Music, Political Marketing, and Pedagogy
2:00 - Rock Stars: We Teach ABOUT Them, So Should We Teach LIKE Them?

Popular Music, Political Marketing, and Pedagogy
  David Allan, Saint Joseph's University
Popular music has been successfully integrated into curriculum in numerous settings for decades (Kelstrom, 1998). It is being used in the marketing classroom as an “anchor point” (Tomkovick, 2004, p. 111); in the management classroom to “enhance the dynamism and excitement” (Wheatley, 1998, p. 342); and in the sociology classroom for teaching interactive courses (Ahlkvist, 1999). Politics can be a challenge in the classroom (McAvoy, 2024), even though some believe that’s where it belongs (Hess and Gatti, 2010). Popular music and politics have enjoyed a long history together (Dunaway, 1987). From a political marketing perspective, two ways popular music can be used are campaign anthems (rallies and advertising) and artist endorsement. The 2024 U.S. presidential election, especially in Pennsylvania, has provided the perfect case study for the classroom. “Music has played a galvanizing role on the Pennsylvania campaign trail in 2024, providing a soundtrack to the candidates’ rallies, offering high-profile endorsements, and creating spaces to encourage and mobilize civic engagement, including registering young people to vote at recent Philadelphia concerts.”

Rock Stars: We Teach ABOUT Them, So Should We Teach LIKE Them?
  Storm Gloor, University of Colorado Denver
We live in a world of decreasing attention spans where entertainment media pervades our culture more and more. Amidst all of the “noise” of social media, tech devices, and other distractions that our students experience throughout their day. Within their world, and in the classroom specifically, we as teachers are challenged to not only maintain their attention, given all those distractions, but to also assure that the material we deliver in real time is retained and thoughtfully contemplated. Traditional means of presenting learning materials might not be as useful as they once were. Understanding student expectations of what constitutes “good teaching” is key to an adoption of new practices.
One possible approach to consider, especially among music business educators, could involve what we know about a subject we already teach. In many ways, what music fans expect from musicians and artists, particularly those that are successful, relate to what they expect from educators. In their performances, these stars have demonstrated how to engage (or not) audiences effectively. How could those practices also be applied in a classroom?
This research takes into account student observations and expectations of pedagogical practices, generally understood best practices of teaching, and an understanding of current trends within academia. A comparison is then made to the practices of popular music artists to develop practices that might be adapted by classroom instructors of any discipline. For instructors, an understanding of how artists perform, how they are marketed, their fan interactions, and even how they create their content, might have application in their own work. Could success as a “rock star” in the music industry relate to a teacher’s success as a “rock star” in the classroom and within their academic environment?

              Greg Smith, Moderator
1:30 - Compilation Conundrum: The Federal Courts’ Split Views On What Constitutes a “Work” When Calculating Copyright Infringement Damages
2:00 - Collecting International Mechanical Royalties

Compilation Conundrum: The Federal Courts’ Split Views On What Constitutes a “Work” When Calculating Copyright Infringement Damages
  Stan Soocher, University of Colorado Denver
Section 504(c)(1) of the U.S. Copyright Act states that a “copyright owner may elect” to receive “an award of statutory damages for all infringements involved in the action, with respect to any one work.” In determining the amount of a statutory award—which is based on the number of works infringed, rather than the number of times those works were infringed—“all parts of a compilation or derivative work constitute one work,” the statute adds.
Most federal appeals courts that have addressed the issue of what qualifies as a “compilation” or a single creative work have applied an “independent economic value” analysis that looks at the market worth of the single creation as of the time when an infringement occurred. However, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals—which encompasses the music-history-rich jurisdictions of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas—has recently rejected the “independent economic value” test in determining which individual sound recordings are §504(c)(1) “works” eligible for their own statutory awards and which are part of a compilation. The Fifth Circuit’s break with the judicial majority view aligns it with the minority position of the Second Circuit, which includes New York. This MEIEA presentation will delve into the federal appeals courts’ split on what amounts to a “work” for purposes of assessing copyright infringement damages, as well as into the enormous recovery implications in copyright cases involving the music industry and creative content owners.

Collecting International Mechanical Royalties
  Serona Elton, Frost School of Music at the University of Miami
Mechanical royalties are generated when a musical work (also known as a musical composition or song) is performed and recorded, and the resulting sound recording is reproduced and distributed as a physical record (e.g., vinyl, CD), a digital download, or an interactive stream. The term “mechanical” dates to the late 1890s and early 1900s when musical works were reproduced and distributed in the first mechanical devices such as piano rolls and music boxes and is still used when describing the digital files that most consumers access in order to enjoy music today. The U.S. Copyright Act of 1909 established both a copyright owner’s exclusive right to control mechanical uses of their music, and a limitation on the exclusive right referred to as a compulsory license. The Music Modernization Act (MMA) of 2018 amended the law with respect to the compulsory license, modernizing it to meet the needs of today. One key component of the MMA was the creation of a mechanical licensing collective, now known as The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC). Since it began operating in 2021, The MLC has collected and distributed over $2.5 billion dollars in digital mechanical royalties. These royalties have been collected from the U.S. operations of digital service providers operating under the newly modified blanket compulsory license. The MLC is prohibited by law from collecting digital mechanical royalties generated outside of the U.S., so its members (music publishers, publishing administrators, and self-administered songwriters, composers, and lyricists) must pursue alternate means of collecting their international mechanical royalties. This paper will explore what options exist for U.S.-based rightsholders when it comes to collecting this revenue, including the pros and cons of each.

Join us for refreshments between sessions!

                 Morgan Bryant, Moderator
2:45 - Contributing Elements in the Decline of a Music City or Music Business Cluster
3:15 - The Economic Impact of Music Zones on Local Businesses in the U.S.: A Venue Concentration, Tourism, Economic, and Business Index Approach

Contributing Elements in the Decline of a Music City or Music Business Cluster
  Dan Galen Hodges, Jr., University of Colorado Denver
  Jonas Bjälesjö, University ot Inland Norway
The phenomenon of Business Clustering where businesses locate in a certain geographical area to achieve competitive advantages is displayed in many industries around the world including the sectors of manufacturing and technology. The creative industries also have shown a tendency to congregate in geographical areas to take part in the competitive advantages of their proximity to a hub business, which could be major record labels or prominent festivals. The hubs create opportunities for many facets of the music industry to locate their businesses in the same area to take advantage of the opportunities that the label or festival provides. The benefits gained by cluster membership are not only experienced by the members but also in the local community as a whole. These benefits gained by clustering are not a static phenomenon, however. Business clusters have been shown to have life cycles and they slowly evolve from one life cycle to the other over time until eventually, the cluster enters the decline stage where it loses the competitive advantages it previously embodied. This study discusses creative business clusters as they enter the decline stage by looking at the music clusters of Hultsfred, Sweden, and Nashville, Tennessee. Both display the characteristics of entering the decline stage of their life cycle. Specifically examined are the factors that contributed to each music city entering the final stage of its life cycle with the purpose of providing music business clusters with a view of what cluster elements to protect in order to keep the cluster’s core competencies and competitive advantages intact.

The Economic Impact of Music Zones on Local Businesses in the U.S.: A Venue Concentration, Tourism, Economic, and Business Index Approach
  Stan Renard, The University of Oklahoma
  Storm Gloor, University of Colorado Denver
This study investigates the impact of 108 music zones on 4,190 local businesses across the United States, using agglomeration theory to explain how the concentration of independent music venues creates a vibrant ecosystem that attracts tourists and locals, thereby boosting nearby businesses. Utilizing a concentration, tourism, economic, and business impact index approach, the study ranks the nation’s most significant live music zones by cities and analyzes their economic contributions. The methodology incorporates data from 1,423 independent music venues forming 108 music zones, each with at least five venues within walking distance, and builds on preexisting research by the authors. The findings highlight the symbiotic relationship between music venues and nearby businesses, revealing how live music hubs in cities such as Nashville, New Orleans, Oklahoma City, and Austin drive economic growth and community identity. This relationship is further supported by aggregated calculations based on the National Independent Venue Association Music Venue Economic Impact Calculator developed by Dr. Michael Seman. The results provide valuable insights for policymakers, tourism boards, and the music industry to support and promote these vibrant cultural centers.

         Jan-Olof Gullö, Moderator
2:45 - The Capstone Challenge: Re-evaluating Senior Project
3:15 - Navigating Barriers: Enhancing Visibility and Opportunities for Latin Canadian Artists in the Music Industry

The Capstone Challenge: Re-evaluating Senior Project
  Paul Linden, University of Southern Mississippi
This presentation re-evaluates presuppositions surrounding senior project, often called capstone or capstone experience. In particular, the one-semester model warrants closer inspection, given the expectations it is designed to satisfy. As a structured, culminating experience, capstones tend to synthesize all relevant coursework within the major, providing evidence of acquired skills, highlighted portfolio material and in some cases assessment material informing program evaluation and orientation. The challenge of successfully responding to these items in a single semester is compounded by the fact that students may start off without a clear idea of what they want their capstone project to be, with about ninety days to deliver it. This presentation opens the question of how a two-semester model can more adequately respond to the capstone challenge by splitting the project into two major phases of research and production. Topics will include formulating and defending a proposal, student intentionality and values, as well as resource management.

Navigating Barriers: Enhancing Visibility and Opportunities for Latin Canadian Artists in the Music Industry
  Charlie Wall-Andrews, The Creative School at Toronto Metropolitan University
      This research project was funded in part by a MEIEA Research Grant.
Latin music has had a global economic and cultural impact, but Latin Canadian artists still struggle in the Canadian music industry. This study examines the main barriers to Latin music’s growth and visibility in Canada, how identity and categorization affect Latin Canadian artists’ opportunities and recognition, and how to improve their representation and inclusion. To gather insights from Latin artists and industry members across Canada, we used a mixed-methods survey and focus groups. Despite Latin music’s global popularity, Latin Canadian artists face identity, categorization, and opportunity issues that hinder their domestic and international success. The study emphasizes the need for targeted strategies to overcome these barriers, promote inclusion, and help Latin Canadian artists succeed. Key recommendations include raising industry awareness, building supportive networks, and implementing policies that celebrate Canada’s diverse Latin music community.

Join us for refreshments between sessions!

Kris Ahrend is the Chief Executive Officer of The MLC, where he leads the organization in its mission to ensure songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers receive their mechanical royalties from streaming and download services in the U.S. accurately and on time. Under his direction, The MLC has achieved total royalties distributed of more than $2.7 billion and grown membership to over 50,000 Members to date.
Before joining The MLC, Kris served as the President of U.S. Shared Services for Warner Music Group (WMG), where he led the development and launch of WMG’s Center of Excellence for Shared Services in Nashville and oversaw the operations of fifteen different functional teams providing a variety of administrative, financial, and legal services to WMG’s U.S.-based publishing teams, record labels, and corporate divisions. Prior to launching the Center of Excellence, Ahrend served as the Head of Business & Legal Affairs for WMG’s catalog label, Rhino Records, in Los Angeles, and then led a large legal, financial, and administrative shared services organization within WMG that he helped to create.

Kris started working in the music industry in New York City, where he held positions in the Law Department at Sony Music and then the Business and Legal Affairs Department at Sony BMG Music Entertainment.
A graduate of Binghamton University in New York and the Washington & Lee School of Law, Kris began his legal career as a law clerk in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He then spent several years in private practice, working in the New York office of the international law firm, Simpson Thacher.

The Mechanical Licensing Collective (The MLC) is a nonprofit organization designated by the U.S. Copyright Office pursuant to the historic Music Modernization Act of 2018.
In January 2021, The MLC began administering blanket mechanical licenses to eligible streaming and download services (digital service providers or DSPs) in the United States. The MLC collects the royalties due under those licenses from the DSPs and pays songwriters, composers, lyricists, and music publishers. 
The MLC has built a publicly accessible musical works database, as well as a portal that creators and music publishers can use to submit and maintain their musical works data. These tools help ensure that creators and music publishers are paid properly. work to level up any artists’ journey
together.
Before building 24/7 Artists, she co-founded House Studios – an influential recording space in
the DC, Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) music scenes that contributed to the success of artists
like Logic, Ari Lennox, Wale, VicBlends, and Mannywellz.

Mitch Glazier is Chairman and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In his nearly 20 years at RIAA, Glazier has played a vital role in the music industry’s transition to streaming and “anywhere, anytime” access to music. Before joining RIAA, Glazier served as Chief Counsel for Intellectual Property to the Judiciary Committee in the U.S. House of Representatives under Chairman Henry Hyde. In his career in and out of government, Glazier has worked on every major copyright bill considered in the past three decades from the Digital Performance Right in Sound Recordings Act of 1995 to the Music Modernization Act of 2018, laying the foundation for the modern streaming economy that has strengthened and remade the music business for the 21st Century. A native of Illinois, Glazier served as law clerk to the Honorable Wayne R. Andersen, United States District Judge for the Northern District of Illinois, and practiced law at the Chicago firm Neal, Gerber & Eisenberg as an associate in commercial litigation. He graduated from Northwestern University and Vanderbilt Law School. Named to Billboard’s Power 100 list of top music executives, Glazier serves as Chairman of the Board of RIAA, Chairman of the Board of Musicians on Call, the charity that brings the healing power of music to the bedsides of patients in hospitals and health care facilities around the country, and serves on the Boards of IFPI, SoundExchange, Leadership Music and the Lutheran Church of St. Andrew in Silver Spring, Maryland. As a teenager in the 80s, Glazier’s room posters included Simple Minds and INXS. A fan of Chicago Blues, he was privileged to see Koko Taylor live several times before she passed. He and his wife, Carly, have two sons, ages 21 and 18 – one of them a songwriter, producer and musician himself – who constantly keep their parents in check with new music discoveries. Glazier’s goal: to foster respect for the power of music.