Created and produced by Midtopia, a Wichita, KS-based nonprofit artist and music-worker collective striving to build new models for the music industry, Elsewhere Festival and Conference is a not-for-profit event created to facilitate the building of community around artistic and musical endeavors. The inaugural festival and conference took place in Downtown, Wichita KS just a few weeks ago.
The festival component was crafted to be a a multi-disciplinary showcase of national, regional and local artists featuring an eclectic, genre-defying collection of artists including Grammy Award-winning emcee, entrepreneur and activist Killer Mike, who not only headlined the festival’s first night on Friday June 21 but also spoke in a keynote one-on-one with Rudy Love and the Encore’s frontman Rudy Love, Jr. that afternoon. Crowd-pleasing electronic music producer Steve Aoki, JOVM mainstays A Place to Bury Strangers, TOKiMONSTA, Sunflower Bean, funk outfit The Motet, and a curated collection of local and regional acts rounded out the festival’s first day.
Acclaimed emcee and actor Vince Staples headlined the festival’s second night, Saturday June 22. Toronto-based jazz outfit BADBADNOTGOOD, the wildly talented Sudan Archives, Lane 8, punk rockers PUP, Oh He Dead, Brooklyn’s THICK and a curated collection of local and regional acts rounded out the festival’s second and final day.
The conference portion of the event welcomed music industry professionals from both around the country and internationally to help educate and form relationships with musicians and music works in the Midwest, an area that’s historically undervalued and underserved by the music industry — despite its rich musical and creative history.
The Greater Wichita Partnership hosted one-on-one speed meetings where attendees are matched with other members in the music community in a curated setting. This was followed by a two full days of programming featuring workshops and panel discussions tackling many of the biggest concerns and issues facing the music industry today, including how to find your own path in the music industry, creating a fanbase out of virality, balancing yourself in an unbalanced industry, how to utilize your platform for change, what you need to do and know to have a successful first tour, a workshop on how to talk about yourself and not feel weird while doing so, the risks and rewards of a career in music and more.
By creating a hub for like-minded music workers and artists, Elsewhere Festival and Conference emphasizes innovation and progressive ideology that will encourage experimentation, push artistic boundaries, nurture a culture of collaboration, and expose attendees to organizations that are bringing positive transformation to the community.
Now, if you had been following this site over the past couple of months, you might remember that Midtopia along with their partner Marauder invited me to be a panelist at Elsewhere Festival and Conference last month. Again, what a humbling and flattering experience to be part of the inaugural event — and to be able to talk openly and honestly about my professional experiences to Wichita’s music professionals and artists.
Unsurprisingly, I was an attendee for most of the conference’s first day — and of course, I took a ton of photos. The conference’s first day schedule, panelists and photos are below.
Conference Programming
Friday, June 21, 2024
At Norton’s Brewery:
Finding your Own Path in the Industry
With Eric McLellan (Yo Peep This), Alyse Velturo (Pronoun/The Orchard), and Gooding (independent artist) and Danielle Lande (Queersounds)
Support your Local Music Factory
With Christina Long (Create Campaign), Julia Heath (Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy, City of New Orleans), Chris Cobb (Bonafide Live/NIVA) and Carmen Davis (City of Chattanooga Office of Culture, Arts and Creative Economy)
One-on-One with Killer Mike
In conversation with Rudy Love Jr.
Creating a Fanbase out of Virality
With Blake Loggans (FLAKE) Michael Palmisano (@guitargate), Michael Hardesty (Content Creator Strategist), and Ulf Oesterle (Aux Records/@seventypoint3)
Balancing Yourself in an Unbalanced Industry
With Zach Ulrich (WAVE), Brandon Pitman (Midtopia), and Scott Strode (The Phoenix) and Audrey Fix Schaefer (I.M.P.)
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