News & Announcements

September 8, 2025 | From City of New Orleans

City of New Orleans Office of Nighttime Economy Announces Block 3 of Music Census Sessions in Partnership with The Ella Project and New Orleans Public Library

NEW ORLEANS — The City of New Orleans Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy, in partnership with The Ella Project and the New Orleans Public Library, today announced details for Block 3 of the Music Census Sessions, a free public education series designed to provide musicians and music industry professionals with the tools and knowledge to strengthen their careers. 

Block 3 will take place in September and October and will cover essential topics including long-term career sustainability, building and managing professional teams, and leveraging licensing opportunities. All sessions are free and open to the public. This block will be virtually to allow for participation by experts across the country. 

Upcoming Sessions: 

  • Thursday, September 11, 2:00 PM Career Sustainability in the Music Industry Focus: Building sustainable careers, exploring alternative revenue streams, and balancing creative work with financial planning.  Presenters: Shamarr Allen, Raney Antoine, Sarah Quintana 
  • Wednesday, September 24, 2:00 PM Building and Managing Your Music Team Focus: Identifying, hiring, and collaborating with managers, agents, publicists, and attorneys while maintaining professional relationships and contracts.  Presenters: Lou Hill, Mike Kappus, Bri Whetstone 
  • Wednesday, October 1, 2:00 PM Leveraging Licensing and Sync Opportunities Focus: Understanding sync licensing, building relationships with music supervisors, and creating music libraries for placement in film, TV, and more.  Presenters: Blake Leyh, Lou Hill 

“New Orleans has always been defined by its music, and our office is committed to making sure that musicians and industry workers here have every opportunity to build lasting careers,” said Julia E. Heath, Policy & Outreach Manager for the Office of Nighttime Economy. “These sessions are a step toward long-term growth for our local music industry.” 

“Our musicians should have the resources they need to feel confident that they can transact in a way that maximizes their opportunities to earn without losing control of their creative content, which is the legacy of New Orleans,” said Ashlye Keaton Esq., co-founder of The Ella Project. 

Block 3 builds on the success of earlier sessions that provided New Orleans musicians with professional development resources, career guidance, and networking opportunities. Resources and archived videos of past sessions are available online at www.nolamusiccensus.org/sessions. 

For more information, email Julia Heath, Mayor’s Office of Nighttime Economy at julia.heath@nola.gov. 

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