New Orleans launches free sessions for artists to learn the business of music

New Orleans officials are launching a series of free sessions meant to teach local musicians how to manage their business affairs, one of the first moves to follow a city study that found most local musicians are underpaid. 

The sessions, which cover everything from how to use social media platforms to promote music to securing grants to fund music projects, will run the last three Wednesdays in January, beginning Jan. 15. More classes will be announced later as part of a year-long teaching effort. 

The free training comes months after Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration released a study that found that most New Orleans musicians are struggling to cover essential expenses such as rent or their mortgages and are often forced to work outside of the industry to make ends meet. More than 1,500 musicians, music venue owners and other industry professionals participated in the study earlier this year. 

“New Orleans is known for its legendary music, but the question we need to ask now is this: What are we doing to ensure that the next generation of superstars can emerge from New Orleans?” Julia Heath, policy and outreach manager for the city’s Office of Nighttime Economy, said in a statement. “The Music Census Sessions are about creating an environment where every artist — whether they’re just starting or already established — has access to the tools, resources, and support they need to reach the next level.” 

Working in partnership with the Ella Project, a professional development nonprofit that works with local creatives, and the New Orleans Public Library, the city will host a year of free sessions at community centers and libraries. The sessions will be led by artists and other industry professionals.

Registration opened for the first three sessions this week. On Jan. 15, Singer-Songwriter, CASMÈ, musician Lou Hill and artist manager and journalist Amanda Mester will lead the social media session at the Sanchez Multi-Service Center in the 9th Ward.

That session will be followed on Jan. 22 by a class on securing grants and other funding to support local music projects at the Algiers Regional Library, and a Jan. 29 class at The Nora Navra Library focused on how musicians can protect their intellectual property.

Future classes will focus on creating a music business plan, maximizing the use of streaming services and protecting ear health in loud environments, to name a few.

The sessions are free but attendees must register to participate. Those interested can register for the first three sessions and find information on future sessions at www.nolamusiccensus.org/sessions.

“We want to help locals put the ‘business’ in music business,” Heath said.