Category Archives: Partners

SAVE THE DATE: NOLA MusiCon Returns to New Orleans Oct. 28-30

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For the past two years, we’ve concluded October — and the year’s tour schedule — by taking a trip to New Orleans for NOLA MusiCon, a platform for artists and industry professionals to connect, learn, and inspire during three days of informative panels, inspiring interviews, and unparalleled networking.

This October 28-30, we’ll make it three in a row. NOLA MusiCon is BACK for 2026!

We hope you’ll join us once again in The Big Easy, and we’re excited to be a part of this incredible community once again. Details on conference and live music programming are sure to come in the weeks and months ahead. In the meantime, keep an eye out, because early bird badges will soon be made available for just $99 until July 1.

Want an inside look at our experience at NOLA MusiCon 2025? Relive the magic with our official vlogumentary, produced by our friends and fellow UnderDogs at NuRenaissance.

You Asked, We Listened: Music Business Accelerator Virtual Applicants are Now Welcome!

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A number of folks asked if we would be offering The A&R Foundation’s Music Business Accelerator program virtually, for those who are unable to attend weekly on Saturdays in Nashville this spring.

So, we got together… and we decided to open this thing up. Now, virtual attendees — UnderDog or not — are eligible to join us for this 12-week program!

The Music Business Accelerator is a 12-week program tailored for performing musicians and creative arts businesses within the music ecosystem who are looking to strengthen business acumen and build sustainable, long-term creative ventures.

The program is divided into two core tracks:

  • Entrepreneurial Fundamentals: Covering the foundations of starting, structuring, and operating a creative business.
  • Music Business Essentials: Diving into industry specific topics, real world application, and developing a healthier, more intentional relationship with money.

Throughout the program, you will gain practical tools, frameworks, and guidance you can immediately apply to your careers, whether you are just getting started or looking to level up an existing project.

With this news comes another update: we’re extending our application deadline one final time to Tuesday, March 24! This is an opportunity to receive FREE access to the information you need to structure your creative business – no matter where your journey takes you this spring!

APPLY NOW

This March, the Underground Revolution Heads to Austin!

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Last year, we made our way to Austin for our first ever trip to SXSW. It was an epic week — one which altered the course of UMC history, and gave rise to the era of the UnderDogs.

Such a life-changing experience was bound to have a sequel, and you had to know that we’d be running it back in the Live Music Capital of the World in 2026!

We’re teaming up with our friends at New York-based Rhythm & Soul Radio — who we met at another one of our favorite conferences, NOLA MusiCon — on two showcase events in Austin during SXSW week. The first one — titled Music, Art, Life — takes place on Saturday, March 14 at Kenny Dorham’s Backyard (1106 E. 11th St.) beginning at 12 p.m. This one features UnderDogs Yonna Jones and Jazzy the Uncontrolled Goddess as part of a full day of music. You can RSVP and find full lineup info here!

Then, join us on Monday, March 16 for The Rendezvous in ATX, taking place at Sahara Lounge (1413 Webberville Rd.) beginning at 5 p.m. That’s where you’ll catch UnderDogs Kelsey Muse and T.R.A.N.E. Spitta in their element as part of another full lineup.

Want to hang with us before the live music kicks off? We’ll also be at The Long Play Lounge (704 W. St. John’s Ave.) on Friday, March 13 between 8-11:30 p.m. for The Array Party. This special evening will feature the opportunity to network with creatives from around the world, while you listen and dance to tunes spanning multiple genres and decades.

Of course, we’ll be in town from March 11 all the way through the 16th, so there will be plenty of opportunities to connect throughout the city of Austin. Follow along here at The Blog, as well as on Instagram and YouTube, for updates before and during the big week!

Going Further Together (ft. Austin Breckenridge)

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Austin Breckenridge is the Executive Director of The A&R Foundation, a 501(c)(3) Texas nonprofit entity dedicated to transforming creative passions into sustainable businesses, by providing independent musicians and creative arts businesses with tools, resources, and education on entrepreneurship.

The A&R Foundation offers the Music Business Accelerator cohort, a 12-week program which teaches musicians and creative entrepreneurs the fundamentals of building their businesses. Austin joins us on The Quinn Spinn to discuss the program, which is coming to Nashville for the first time this spring, alongside details on how to apply.

This episode of The Quinn Spinn was recorded at The Russell: https://russellnashville.com

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

Join our mailing list or become an UnderDog to apply!

Learn more about the Music Business Accelerator
Learn more about The Quinn Spinn

Da’ Healerz Added to Music to Life’s Juried Artist Roster

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The Heal Hop Movement just reached new heights.

Da’ Healerz — fronted by Nashville-based emcees Lord Goldie and Foundation Mecca — have just been accepted into Music to Life‘s Juried Artist program, a nationwide program “dedicated to cultivating and empowering a network of musician change agents.”

A national non-profit founded by 60’s civil rights icon Noel Paul Stookey (Peter, Paul & Mary), Music to Life provides Juried Artists with opportunities to promote their work, train as a change agent through their Musician Changemaker Accelerator program, and engage in their National Changemaker Network of like-minded artists and collaborators.

The news comes on the heels of a successful 2025 for Da’ Healerz — one which saw the duo celebrate the release of their Heal Talk EP by hosting live Heal Talk Experience performance and talkback sessions, launching Da’ Healerz Circle podcast, and performing across the Southeast, with notable stops at the National Museum of African American Music (NMAAM) and NOLA MusiCon.

Learn more about Da’ Healerz — Music to Life’s newest Juried Artist — at musictolife.org.

A ‘Human-First’ Approach to AI (ft. Joel Kaiser)

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Over the course of his career, Joel Kaiser has worn a number of creative hats: songwriter, performer, graphic designer, brand expert, festival organizer, and more. Now, he steps into the music tech space as the co-founder of First Rule, a ‘human-first’ company that employs AI to give artists control over how their Musical Essence is used throughout the ecosystem.

Joel joins us for an in-depth conversation on the state of art, creativity, and technology, while previewing the first annual Music City Make-a-Thon, taking place in Nashville from March 23-28.

Learn more about the Music City Make-a-Thon: https://www.firstrule.ai/musicCityMakeAThon

Opening theme: REVEL 9 – All I’ve Become

This episode of The Quinn Spinn was recorded and produced at The Russell, a historic East Nashville church converted into a boutique hotel: https://russellnashville.com

Learn more about the show: https://umcworldwide.com/thequinnspinn

A Message from A&R Foundation Executive Director Austin Breckenridge

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We met Austin Breckenridge of The A&R Foundation last year during SXSW. We loved their mission, and we knew we had to work together.

Just about a year later, we’re bringing their Music Business Accelerator program to Nashville for the first time — and it’s an exclusive offering for the UnderDogs!

Ready to apply? Join now!

NASHVILLE: FREE Music Business Accelerator Applications Now Open

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For independent creatives, producing art is just one piece of the puzzle. To build a fully functioning creative ecosystem — and turn it into a viable career — there comes a time when we must all get down to business.

That means leaning into a world that may be entirely new, and learning a whole bunch of things that you don’t yet know. Once it becomes business, things get serious. The pitfalls in this strange wilderness seem to multiply. The question of “what if I fail?” becomes more prevalent.

Scary, isn’t it?

It doesn’t have to be. In fact, we’re teaming up with The A&R Foundation based out of Austin, TX to make it feel like a breeze. We’re excited to offer their Music Business Accelerator cohort for the first time ever in Nashville — and it’s free to all current UnderDogs members!

Music Business Accelerator is a 12-week program tailored for performing musicians and creative arts businesses within the music ecosystem who are looking to strengthen business acumen and build sustainable, long-term creative ventures.

The program is divided into two core tracks:

  • Entrepreneurial Fundamentals: Covering the foundations of starting, structuring, and operating a creative business.
  • Music Business Essentials: Diving into industry specific topics, real world application, and developing a healthier, more intentional relationship with money.

Throughout the program, you will gain practical tools, frameworks, and guidance you can immediately apply to your careers, whether you are just getting started or looking to level up an existing project.

The Music Business Accelerator is offered for FREE. The only two requirements to apply are that 1) you live in the greater Nashville area (because sessions take place in-person) and 2) you are a current UnderDogs member. You can learn more about how to join here.

Once you become an UnderDog, you can apply to be considered any time between now and Friday, March 6 at 11:59 p.m. CT. Selected applicants will be notified no later than March 11, 2026, and the program is scheduled to begin on April 4, 2026 for orientation and end on June 27, 2026. A tentative graduation celebration is scheduled for July 18, 2026.

About The A&R Foundation
The A&R Foundation is a 501(c)(3) Texas nonprofit entity dedicated to transforming creative passions into sustainable businesses, by providing independent musicians and creative arts businesses with tools, resources, and education on entrepreneurship.

Want to Play Gussapolooza 2026? It’s Your Last Chance!

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Pictured: You, possibly.

You already know that we’re planning to make a return trip to the beautiful Canadian province of Ontario for this year’s Gussapolooza. Canada’s premier indie music festival will take place this year August 21-23 at the Georgian Bay Steam Show Grounds in Cookstown, just an hour or so north of Toronto. Three days of camping, community, arts, culture, and incredible live music will ensue.

About that “incredible live music” part: you still have a chance to be a part of this year’s Gussapolooza lineup — but only if you apply by this Saturday, January 31 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

After that, submissions will be closed, and the festival braintrust will begin crafting this year’s lineup. If you want to be a part of the magic with us and the whole Gussapolooza family, we encourage you to apply here!

Unveiling UMC Academy 2.0: Meet the Faculty!

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More instructors. More subjects. More opportunities to learn, grow, and connect with the music industry.

We’ve had the opportunity to travel all over the world, learning from independent artists and industry professionals alike. A common thread in these conversations? While there are countless people with talent across the musical landscape, talent is only part of the equation.

The modern creative landscape makes being an independent artist so much more complex than write-record-release-perform-succeed-repeat. Embarking upon a career in the music industry requires us to challenge ourselves in new and evolving ways. We must learn how to communicate our messages, foster genuine relationships, and create opportunities. Building a career as an independent creative means keeping an open mind to possibility, a willingness to learn new skills, and the ability work in community with others moving in a similar fashion.

We’ve built that community — and it’s full of professionals who are ready to equip you with everything you need, as you scale the mountain toward your creative destiny!

Introducing UMC Academy 2.0

Our revamped UMC Academy gives you the power to build your own curriculum, based on your needs at this point of your creative journey. Our Faculty is skilled, well-versed, and successful in a variety of disciplines across the entertainment landscape — and they’re here to pay their knowledge forward!

Each UMC Academy Faculty member gives you the option to join them on a free discovery call, giving you the opportunity to share what you’re working on, while helping them understand how they can best serve you. From there, you and your Faculty member work together to decide your best path forward, developing a roadmap for greater success and visibility in the greater creative landscape.

Click the image below to meet our new UMC Academy Faculty!

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