2011 Florida Music Festival

Don't miss your LAST CHANCEThe Florida Music Festival, showcasing more than 250 bands on 15 different stages. Confirmed acts for this year include Minus the Bear, Easy Star All Stars, Better Than Ezra and more.

FMF has reserved 150 slots for Sonicbids artists, and 2 artists who submit by February 28 will both get $1,000, a mainstage performance slot, and VIP passes for all band members.

Artists based in Florida and Puerto Rico will also be considered for the Florida GRAMMY® Showcase. 6 artists will perform in front of industry executives and be eligible for prizes like studio time, gear, and more./n/nFlorida Music Festival is reserving 150 slots for Sonicbids members, and two artists who submit by February 28 will both get $1,000, a mainstage performance slot, and VIP passes for all band members. Congratulations to Our Future Glory and The Weeks who were both selected for these giveaways in December and January.



**Please Note: artists based in Florida and Puerto Rico will also be considered for the Florida GRAMMY® Showcase. Scroll down to find out more.

The Festival: A Decade of Making Music History:

The 2011 Florida Music Festival welcomes musicians of all genres to submit for a chance to perform at the 10th Anniversary of the Florida Music Festival. Coming April 6-9th, FMF Showcases more than 250 bands on 15 different stages, including past headliners like Flogging Molly, Anberlin, Buckcherry, Third Eye Blind, Less Than Jake, Pras, Rusted Root, Everclear, Yellowman, members of Matchbox Twenty, Creed and many more. Artists can now submit to perform on the same stages as national artists at FMF2011. If you can't attend as a performing artist, FMF is releasing a limited supply of 3-day passes on Friday, February 18th for $25 via Ticketfly.com.

The 10th edition opens on Thursday, April 7th welcoming back for a third appearance, Jacksonville based funk and soul of JJ Grey & Mofro at the Beacham Theatre, and across Orange Ave the indie prog sounds of Minus the Bear at Wall Street Plaza, and more than 50 other unsigned and independent acts. FMF2011’s second night goes dub, with the Hawaiian Reggae of the Easy Star All Stars (covering classics like Dark Side of the Moon, Sgt Peppers and OK Computer), Cas Haley, The Green and others at Wall St Plaza, along with Nashville indie throwbacks The Ettes on the FedEx Undergound Music Stage at The Backbooth Lot and more than 50 other unsigned and independent acts throughout Downtown on Friday, April 8th. The now legendary closing night party at Wall St Plaza covers the past two decades of modern rock radio with New Orleans favorite sons, Better Than Ezra and more than 50 other unsigned and independent acts throughout Downtown on Saturday, April 9th.



The Conference: VIP List of Music Industry Speakers:

A decade of highlights featuring a 'Who's Who' list of Music Industry Attendees, Guest Speakers and Keynote Interviews at the Florida Music Festival & Conference Seminars. Everyone on this list was made available as an artist, music company or aspiring music industry student, to network with, drop a demo or hand off a resume. FMF2011 is a chance to further careers as an artist or industry representative. All submitting artists will receive passes to the Industry Conference (performing artists receive one pass per member/Non-Performing artists receive two passes total). Some past Keynote speakers and Industry Attendees include: Monte & Avery Lipman • Universal Republic Founders • Owl City/Taylor Swift/Godsmack/Jack Johnson/3 Doors Down, Steve Robertson • Atlantic Records VP of A&R • Shinedown/Paramore, Keynote: John Janick • Fueled By Ramen Founder • Fallout Boy/Gym Class Heroes/Paramore, Richard Reines • Drive Thru Records Founder • Dashboard Confessional/New Found Glory, Rodney Jerkins • Producer • Michael Jackson/Beyonce/Alicia Keys/Lady GaGa/Kanye West, Jeff Fenster • Jive/Zomba Records • Tribe Called Quest / Britney Spears / HedPE, James Wisner • Producer • Dashboard Confessional/Underoath/New Found Glory, Ryan Murphy • No Idea Records • Against Me!/Hot Water Music, Dave Siegel • Producer • TI/Soulja Boy/Christina Aquilera/Enrique Iglesias and many more!

The Showcases: Past success stories of showcasing artists:

Over a span of a last decade, the Florida Music Festival helped gain industry exposure for then unsigned artists like Taylor Swift, Flyleaf, Manchester Orchestra, Black Tide, The Academy Is, There For Tomorrow to the who’s who of the music industry, and thousands of music fans in Downtown Orlando. Submit now to showcase at the 10th Anniversary of FMF. Please send any questions to artistrelations@floridamusicfestival.com

The Film: Indie Film Jam Music Video screenings:

Artists can screen their music inspired docs, videos and shorts for thousands of music, art and film fanatics at FMF2011. Past screenings and speakers include Screaming Masterpiece featuring Sigur Ros and Bjork, Whiskey on a Sunday featuring Flogging Molly and Skid Row featuring Pras of the Fugees.

---

Florida GRAMMY® Showcase



The Seventh edition of the Florida GRAMMY® Showcase will take place on Wednesday, April 6, 2011, as opening night of the Florida Music Festival (FMF2011). This event is open to all unsigned artists who reside in Florida or Puerto Rico and will reward six finalists with an opportunity to perform live on opening night of Florida Music Festival 2011 in front of an audience of music industry executives and fellow music community. In addition to performing before this influential audience, Florida GRAMMY Showcase finalists will compete for artist development prize packages consisting of recording time, music gear and more. Florida GRAMMY Showcase entrants will also be automatically considered for a showcase spot in FMF2011, which runs from April 6-9 and features over 250 artists.

GRAMMY Showcases throughout various cities have built a successful track record of helping to expose new and emerging talent. Acts that have gone on to major label record deals include Saliva and the North Mississippi Allstars, who appeared in a past Mid-South GRAMMY Showcase. Jessi Alexander was signed to MCA Nashville and Matt Jenkins to Universal South Records after becoming Nashville GRAMMY Showcase finalists. Florida’s 2008 runner-up Johnny Bulford won the $100,000 first place prize in the Colgate Country Showdown in Nashville and 2005 finalist Francesca Battistelli was signed to Fervent/Word-Curb and was also a GRAMMY nominee at the 52nd Annual GRAMMY Awards in 2010.

Florida Chapter members will also receive a discount to attend all shows, conference panels, and industry receptions at FMF2011 for only $50 (reg. $100) that they can access by emailing florida@grammy.com.

---

The Testimonials:

• "Black Tide's ear seering showcase at FMF06 go them attention from A&R (Interscope) and the Prince of Darkness himself (Ozzfest 07 Tour)!"
  - SPIN Magazine/Feb Issue
  



• "That was Taylor Swift's first industry showcase, it was impressive to see a 14 year old perform with such confidence for more than 150 industry reps!"
  - David McKenna/Bonded Records
  




• "Festivals like this are necessity to bring the music fans together with great unknown and unsigned bands that they might otherwise never take a chance on..."
  - Stephen