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Symposium aimed at helping local musicians grow and network is back

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CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Music lovers listen up! Your presence and talent are requested at an upcoming symposium. Does that invitation strike a chord with you?

The third annual Coastal Bend Music Industry Symposium is back and put together by The House of Rock and The Corpus Christi Music Commission, an initiative of Visit Corpus Christi. Movers and shakers of the local music scene are getting together to discuss ways to turn their passion into a symphony of success for others.

Symposium aimed at helping local musicians grow and network is back

“I think everybody remembers their first concert, the first show they went to, their favorite band,” The House of Rock owner Casey Lain said.

That statement holds true for music enthusiasts like Taylor Thorne.

“Corpus has so much talent. I've been going to shows since I was 12. I’ve loved music since birth,” Thorne said.

Even though she's not a musician, Throne adds her voice to the chorus of local music aficionados. She interviews bands and promotes shows on her own and even professionally, running the Space Magazine.

“I learned so much about how musicians can make money, how they can market themselves, how they can get signed to a record deal,” Thorne said.

Thorne said she learned all that and more at the symposium.

“This serves as a vital gathering for musicians, industry professionals and local businesses to collaborate, learn and network,” Visit Corpus Christi Director of Communications America Segura said.

The music scene in the city is thriving and growing. After last year’s symposium, Corpus Christi became a Texas Music Friendly Community, recognized by the state. The networking from the symposium also benefits neighbors who enjoy the live music scene, as Music Walk is now partnered with Art Walk.

“There’s a lot of young, aspiring, awesome musicians in Corpus Christi. There’s a desire to help them understand ways they can make money, ways they can save money, kind of how the music industry works. There’s no real guidebook for it,” Lain said.

This is the third year for the symposium and it has its success stories. Lain said he has seen several musicians license their music and now get paid to perform. And for musicians still waiting to catch someone's ear, the symposium offers a variety of resources like speakers and panels that teach marketing, scoring film, licensing and more.

“You can come for the entire day which we encourage everyone to do. Some sessions might be more important to you than others and so pick and choose the ones you want to come to. It’s free for all musicians and all in the music industry,” Lain said.

For those interested in attending, the event is free, but they do have to register. They can do that at texashouseofrock.com or https://www.visitcorpuschristi.com/music-commission/cbmis/

And even if you're not an artist or performer, the symposium also benefits those that just want to lose themselves in the music.

“It attracts more musicians to come here for concerts at the American Bank Center or Brewster Street because then we also have the talent to implement that into the larger ecosystem as a whole,” Segura said.

The symposium is from 8:30 a.m. - 7 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 13 at the House of Rock and The Bay Jewel.

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