Music Industry Workshops and 2x4s

The Music Industry Workshop series, organized by Cleveland Rocks: Past, Present, Future, launched in 2022 to offer resources for artists to help move them forward in their career. Workshop topics include music technology, business, networking, and professional development. We have invited guest speakers and panelists to lead these workshops, as well as offer demos and interactive experiences to attendees. In our first year, we hosted 4 workshops on Sunday afternoons in the Beachland Tavern.

In 2023, we expanded these events to include 2×4 songwriter showcases (4 artists performing 2 songs each), hosting 8 workshops on a new night in a new space – Mondays in the Cleveland Rocks Shop. In 2024, we broadened our reach even further by incorporating mental health centered workshops on Wednesday nights, in addition to our Monday workshops. In total, we hosted 12 free workshops in 2024.

Workshops

2×4 Songwriter Showcases

The 2×4 Songwriter showcase directly follow our Monday workshops and features 4 artists performing 2 songs each. Our Cleveland Rocks Shop stage is small and our listening room is intimate.  Acts will primarily be solo artists, with the occasional duo or trio. To watch past 2×4 showcase performances, visit our Video page.

2026 Schedule

Upcoming Workshops

Workshops will focus on a different music-related topic presented by a guest speaker or panel of industry experts. We host our popular 2×4 Songwriter Showcase in conjunction with our workshops which feature 4 artists performing 2 songs each.

Save The Date!

Mon, November 16, 2026  |  7pm
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)
ClevelandRockShop-recreated

Past Workshops

Budgeting for the Working Musician

Join us as we talk through an annual budget for a solo musician and a band. 
  • How much money do you need to make to live? 
  • How many shows and streams and t-shirts do you have to sell to cover your needs? 
  • What expenses do you expect?  What about the unexpected?

Let’s be practical while discussing the various revenue streams available to a musician and strategize how to take advantage of them to meet our annual budgets.  A budget building fill in form will be available to attendees to plug in their own numbers and start working on their own annual budgets.

Led by David Kennedy
2x4 Artists: James Nemecek, Britney Redpath, Marie McCausland, Mike Mesteller
Mon, October 19, 2026  |  7pm
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

Orchestration in the Scene: Working With a Variety of Instruments and Musicians

Join us for an educational session on the logistics behind incorporating unique instrumentation in various genres. Topics discussed include:
  • Ensemble and Acoustics – How to balance the volume of differing instruments, What technology is needed
  • Expectations Between Differing Genres – Payment and Arrangements
  • How to Find Musicians
  • Synthetic MIDI or Real Instruments – Live vs Recording, What is your sound?
Curated by: Jessica Jonczyk (Rustic Skies)
Guest Panelists: Kristopher Morron, Brandon Hoff, Alex McPherson, Kasey Moore
2x4 artists: Kasey Moore, Alex McPherson, Judy June De Angelis, Alexis Julia
Wed, October 7, 2026  |  6pm
Visible Voice Books
(4601 Lorain Ave.)
VV-Logo-Web-PNG-Color

Building It Yourself: DIY Organizing, Underrepresented Voices, and What Comes Next

Three Cleveland organizers — Robin “Hyperius” Blake (Creation Fest), Avery London (Mx. Juneteenth), and Lea Marra (Love Fest) take on what it really takes to run DIY events: the money (or lack thereof), dealing with burnout, the access, and the advice they wish they’d gotten first. Creation Festival’s return. Hear the story of how 5 successful events were thrown with a shoestring budget, why it matters for marginalized artists in Cleveland, how it builds real community instead of another networking room, where it stands now, and how you can get involved.

Curated by: Robin "Hyperius" Blake
Guest Speakers: Avery London (Mx. Juneteenth) and Lea Marra (Love Fest)
Wed, September 30, 2026  |  6pm
The Sixty6
(1966 E 66th St, Cleveland)
sixty6

From EPK to the Stage: Booking Festivals and Venues

We’ve invited local musicians you’ll recognize who also help book for some of the best stages in town. Our guest speakers will share best practices and recommendations for artists on what makes a strong EPK and how to make your application stand out when applying for festivals, community series, and gigs at local venues.
Guest Speakers: Brent Kirby, Maura Rogers and Meganne Stepka
2x4 artists: Miss Dreadful, Dan Holt, Maura Rogers, Brent Kirby
Mon, September 14, 2026 
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

Why Writing More Matters

Elijah Bisbee will discuss the importance of writing consistently and constantly. Bisbee is the founder of Terra Songwriting – a community for songwriters.
https://www.terrasongwriting.com/

Guest Speaker: Elijah Bisbee (Terra Songwriting)
2x4 artists: Nate Saggio, Emily Lindberg, Elijah Bisbee, Colleen Welsch
Mon, August 17, 2026 
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

The Hunt For Harmonies: How to Find Your Line

Do you want to sing harmony, but aren’t sure where to start? Join us for a practical workshop on how to find harmony parts to any song. We’ll cover a few simple strategies, and practice them together- you’ll be finding your own parts before you know it!

Led by Meganne Stepka and Kate Hart of Moon Echo Garden
2x4 artists: Risha Shine, Kitty Novakova, Crimson Grace, Meganne Stepka with Kate Hart
Wed, August 5, 2026
Visible Voice Books
(4601 Lorain Ave, Cleveland)
VV-Logo-Web-PNG-Color

How to Use the Recording Studio at The Sixty6

Join us for an exciting workshop and demonstration showcasing a live recording session with renowned artist Fox Ears and recording engineer David Kennedy at the Sixty 6 in Cleveland. This event offers a behind-the-scenes look at the music production process within a professional studio environment. Attendees will gain valuable insights into the recording techniques, equipment, and collaborative dynamics involved in creating polished tracks. Learn about what you can do in the studio, too.

Led by David Kennedy with Musical Guests Fox Ears
Wed, July 22, 2026 
The Sixty6
(1966 East 66th St.)
sixty6

Music Supervision and Sync Licensing

Abraham Bradshaw will be speaking and doing a Q&A on the subjects of Music Supervision and Sync Licensing. This will be a useful information session for anyone who works or is interested in working in the music and or film industries. Abe has worked as a Music Supervisor for feature films, documentaries, television shows, and commercials for over 20 years, and he will explain the ins and outs of sync licensing and how the process works for both musicians/songwriters and film directors/producers. Joining Abe will be the very talented and accomplished composer Silas Hite, who will also be answering your questions on how composers work hand in hand with Music Supervisors in order to create a film’s soundtrack.

Guest Speakers: Abraham Bradshaw and Silas Hite
2x4 Artists: Mike Rellick (Rellick), Susan Carson, Sam Poetry, PXVBS
Mon, July 20, 2026
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

Artist Perspectives: A Peer to Peer Open Discussion

Sitting down with 4 singer/songwriters of various genre who all also front bands or are educators. How they approach and balance the two sides of their music careers, their individual experiences, best practices and challenges.
Led and Curated by: Rachel Shortt
2x4 Artists: Morgan aka Trill, loud NES, Noah Gittell, Daisypusher
Mon, June 15, 2026
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

Music Business Basics with Trent Thomas

Royalties, Credits and Copyrights. A discussion about how to collect music royalties, where to sign up and register, and why credits on an album are still important. If you make music or want to get started, this is a great introduction to some music business basics.
Guest Speaker: Trent Thomas
Wed, May 27, 2026
The Sixty6
(1966 E.66th St., Cleveland)
sixty6

Stairway to Success: Gig More, Earn More

Want to get better at booking gigs? Here is a workshop about using practical marketing strategies to perform more and earn more.
Guest Speaker: Rick Iacoboni
2x4 Artists: Grace Oddo, Marcus Waine, Ves Frank, Prince Tucker
Mon, May 18, 2026
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

Panel: Discussing Cleveland's Rock & Roll History

Moderator: Cindy Barber
Panelists: Carlo Wolff, Anastasia Pantsios, Steve Traina
Wed, April 29, 2026
Visible Voice Books
(4601 Lorain Ave., Cleveland)
VV-Logo-Web-PNG-Color

Instrument and Vocal Microphones

Speaker: David Kennedy
2x4 Artists: Nate “Ace” Eberhardt (Nature Nvoke), Craig Rich, Tyler Winfield (The Modern Kollective), Abby Riley 
Mon, April 20, 2026
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd., Cleveland)

Networking Panel & Mixer

Led by: David Kennedy
Panelists: Robin "Hyperius" Blake, Jenna Fournier, Nuke Franklin, Tracy Marie
2x4 Artists: Matt Moody, Colleen Welsch, Michael Bruner, Liz Bullock
Mon, March 16, 2026
The Treelawn
(15335 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

The Important of Growing An Incubator

Led by: David Kennedy
Panelists: Robin "Hyperius" Blake, Jenna Fournier, Javier Davis
Tues, March 10, 2026
The Sixty6
(1966 E 66th St, Cleveland)
sixty6

Master Your Process: Bridging Imagination and Reality

A practical music industry workshop on turning ideas into finished work, sustainable habits and real-world execution.

Guest Speaker: Nathan-Paul
2×4 Artists: Tommy Link, Gregory Garwood, Tad Fry, and Adam Horvath
Mon, February 16, 2026
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd)

Accounting and Record Keeping for Musicians and Small Music Businesses

Guest Speaker: Brian E Shriefer, CPA
2×4 Artists: The Mars Express, Corissa Bragg, Rick Sockel, Peter Ray
Mon, November 17, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd)

The Importance of College and Community Radio

With the recent elimination of CSU’s college radio station WCSB, October’s workshop will feature a panel discussion with staff from local radio stations to discuss the importance of college and community radio.
Led by: David Kennedy
Guest Panelists: Alison Bomgardner (XCSB), Liam Main (XCSB), Jasen Sokol (WJCU), Rachel Hunt (WRUW)
2×4 Artists: Nicole Otero, Jessica Jonczyk, Moon Cactus, and Josee McGee
Mon, October 20, 2025
Beachland Ballroom
(15711 Waterloo Rd)

Artist Management

Guest Speaker: David Spero
2×4 Artists: Van Arlo, Greg Thompson, Lex Moda, The Berrys
Mon, September 15, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop (15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Breaking the Mold: Building DIY Scenes and Spaces

This panel explores the power and complexity of DIY culture as a tool for community-building, artistic autonomy, and resistance. We’ll dive into the challenges of throwing your own shows, managing logistics with limited resources, amplifying marginalized voices, and creating art when the industry and status quo are working against you. Whether you’re booking your first gig or dreaming of building your own scene, this conversation centers real-world strategies and hard-won wisdom.

Curated by: Robin "Hyperius" Blake
Panelists include: Dave Ziggy, Navy Jayde and Robin "Hyperius" Blake
2×4 Artists: Dave Ziggy, Jinari Kemet, Theresa May, and Black Voltron (unplugged)
Mon, August 18, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Keeping the Band Together: Being an Effective Band Leader

Successful bandleaders share their strategies and stories about managing their own music business and working well with musicians, booking agents, technicians, venues, etc.

Guest Speakers: Anthony Taddeo and Robert Hubbard
2×4 Artists include Ashley Gulla, Jeffrey Cruz, Nostalgic Amnesia Jp Hamm
Mon, July 21, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Performing Rights Organizations (PROs)

Presenter: David Kennedy
2×4 Artists: Kari Ann Rutushin (Bent String), Joe Brown, Caramel, and Beezy Douglas
Mon, June 16, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Marketing Your Music

Guest Speaker: Donald Malloy
2×4 Artists include Ceci Taylor, Warren Bendler, Guy Randall, Ruby Rose Weston
Mon, May 19, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Getting the Gig

Guest Speaker: Brent Kirby
2×4 Artists include Andrea Nicole King, Rick Szekelyi, Fragments of Speech, and Glass Aeros
Mon, April 21, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Stuck in Cleveland? Weekly Support Group

Dr. Will wants to offer a space for artists of all mediums that might be feeling stuck in their creative process, and possibly burnt out from not feeling the progress they need. Many times as artists, we are faced with barriers that we never talk about, and it blocks how we want to feel and be as artists. Take this brief moment to exhale and unwind, and know that you are not the only one feeling “stuck” in Cleveland. 
Tuesdays in March
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Grief Support Group For Artists

There have been many stories of artists losing people they love, and it is felt all over the city. Dr. Will Washington is dedicating the month of February to creating a space for artists experiencing grief to be heard and begin the journey to healing. Come explore the spectrum of grief with Dr. Will. Learn about the value of living through loss past, present, and future.
Tuesdays in February
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Artist Bios and EPKs

This is a working session. Bring your laptop or notebook. Get feedback on your artist bio and EPK from other artists and music professionals.

Presenter: David Kennedy
2x4 Artists: The Kodachrome Babies, Wreck Like Me, Skye Burkett and Bethany Joy
Mon, March 10, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

Music Production & The Modern Music Industry

Sammy’s lecture aims to make creatives aware of the landscape of the modern music industry as it relates to popular music production. Sammy breaks down exactly how charting music is getting made today, and how anyone can work towards becoming a part of that process.

Guest Speaker: Sammy Haig
2x4 Artists: The Baker's Basement, Jean Brandt with John McGrail, Dustin Mayle, Rachel Crozier
Mon, February 17, 2025
Cleveland Rocks Shop
(15801 Waterloo Rd, Cleveland)

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