It’s a Friday afternoon, and the city of Syracuse has transformed into a mecca for music lovers. With the inaugural Music Industry Conference (MIC) and the 17^th annual Syracuse Area Music Awards (Sammys) taking place the same weekend, the Syracuse music scene is on display.

MIC launched this year as a two-day networking event that brought together cutting-edge artists, ground-breaking bands, and original music of all genres alongside today’s music industry leaders. MIC was filled with panels and lectures about the music industry, as well as live performances at a variety of venues throughout the city.

A large part of the conference focused on the aspiring music scene and featured such highly-acclaimed panelists as Tommy Nast and Ellyn Solis, who shared stories and advice with up-and-coming musicians. (Nast spent time on Syracuse’s airwaves in the 70s and 80s at 94-Rock and is currently the co-owner of Rock Band Entertainment. Solis worked as Senior Director at Epic Records/500 Music/Sony Music and was a publicist at Atlantic Records.)

The conference was also a chance to “gain some help with business management,” explains Shawn Oliver from Cortland’s two-year-old rock band An Hour Within (members: Shawn Oliver, Theodore Livermore, Matt Suma, Jay Ching). Times have changed dramatically since Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi got their starts, and today’s musicians need to be savvier in their marketing. It’s apparent, though, that at least one thing hasn’t changed – the passion and heart that our local artists have. Solis believes “regional music is the wave of now” and sees a lot of potential in Syracuse.

It only makes sense that an awards ceremony recognizing achievements in local and regional music should take place during the conference. So on Friday night, over 400 attendees have gathered at Oncenter to recognize the Sammy-nominated artists for the 13th year. Awards in 10 categories are delivered, and seven local bands boost the energy with stellar performances. (Check out White Picket Fence, Silent Fury, Mark Doyle and The Maniacs, Kim Monroe, Miss E and Dovetail Joint, Chris Terra Band and Loren Barrigar.)

Bob Lefsetz, keynote speaker and author of “The Lefsetz Letter,” concludes the conference with his brutally honest take on the current state of the music business. Advises Nast, “if there is anything you do, listen to what Bob Lefsetz says, and do exactly that.”