"Indie Buzz Bootcamp" Music Conference Features Top-Notch Speakers & Unusual Format, June 20-22, in St. Louis, MO

St. Louis, MO (Billboard Publicity Wire) May 2, 2008 -- Independent musicians and promoters from across the country and around the world are heading to St. Louis, Missouri, the weekend of June 20-22, 2008, to attend a special event called Indie Buzz Bootcamp. It's a new music conference organized by Bob Baker, a teacher, speaker and author of the "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook." A full rundown of the event can be found at http://www.IndieBuzzBootcamp.com/.

"I've attended a lot of music conferences over the years. Some great, some good, but most not so good," Baker says. "The educational part of most conferences are often a rambling side show to live music showcases and parties, not the main event itself.

"I thought there was a better way," he adds. "So I decided to present my own event in my hometown of St. Louis -- one focused on strategies, personal interaction, inspiration and action steps you can put to use right away in the real world."

Baker says Indie Buzz Bootcamp will do away with panels and the typical emphasis on parties and showcases. Instead, it will feature top-notch solo speakers with everyone staying together in the same room. There will be lots of interactivity and networking among attendees.

"This isn't a conference for people who like to sit passively in the back of the room," Baker explains. "I want this to be hands-on and meaningful for every attendee. I want people who come to truly learn and grow and transform their musical lives."

The fresh format, rare in the music conference world, is obviously appealing to a lot of people. Registered attendees are coming from New York City, San Francisco, Atlanta, Tucson, Fort Lauderdale...and as far away as France, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom.

Bootcamp speakers will include:

- Derek Sivers, founder, president, and programmer of CD Baby and HostBaby. His company is now the largest seller of independent CDs on the Web, with over $60 million in sales for over 200,000 musician clients.

- Ariel Hyatt, a New York City publicist and Web 2.0 marketing specialist who runs Ariel Publicity and Cyber PR. An aggressive cheerleader for independent musicians, Ariel built her reputation by working primarily with indie artists.

- Bob Baker, a pioneer in the indie music marketing field. For nearly 20 years he's been spreading his message of guerrilla tactics and self-empowerment for artists. He also developed and facilitates Berkleemusic's "Music Marketing 101" course.

- Tom Jackson, the music industry's premier "live music producer" for more than 20 years, renowned for his entertaining and eye-opening workshops that prepare artists of all genres for tours, events, and showcases.

- Nancy Moran, a Nashville-based singer/songwriter and co-owner of Azalea Music Group. She's a member of The Four Bitchin' Babes and regularly coaches indie artists and speaks about music marketing, songwriting and creativity.

- John Taglieri, one of the hardest working men in indie music. He's sold more than 12,000 CDs over the past several years, tours regularly, runs his own record label, publishing company, and more.

Every attendee will get a Bootcamp workbook binder filled with speaker handouts, marketing checklists, music career planning pages, and more. Performing attendees will also have a chance to play acoustically at a special Saturday night dinner that weekend, hosted by singer-songwriter RyLee Madison, with a special appearance by Nashville hit songwriter Wil Nance.

There is room for only 150 paid attendees at the Indie Buzz Bootcamp, so seating is limited. Reserve your spot now at http://www.IndieBuzzBootcamp.com/.

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