Music Foward's All Access Fest in LA wants to give young people a leg up in the music industry

On Wednesday (April 10), the Music Forward Foundation's All Access Fest expects approximately 1,200 students and young adults to enter the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles to learn all about the music industry.

Launched in 2018, the music and live entertainment conference gives young people aged 16–24 the opportunity to meet professionals working in the business and provides resources for those looking to pursue a career in it.

This year's day-long event will feature panels, networking sessions, roundtables and exhibit booths with more than 100 industry professionals from entertainment companies including BMG, Snap Inc., Downtown Music, Live Nation, Concord, Ticketmaster, EMPIRE and many more.

Exhibitors for the 2024 edition will include AEG, Girls Make Beats, Universal Music Group, Los Angeles Film School, Lux Lighting, Inner City Arts and Belmont University. In addition to high school students, hundreds of post-secondary students from colleges such as Cal State Fullerton, Cal State Northridge, Carnegie Mellon University, Loyola Marymount University, NYU, Pepperdine University, UCLA, UC Irvine, UNLV, USC, Santa Monica College, and more are expected to attend.

The wide range of partners and industry experts at All Access is designed to give students – many of whom come from the Los Angeles, Compton, Inglewood and Centinela school districts – and other young people a greater understanding of all of possible job opportunities in the music business, from artist to record label executive, lighting tech and costume operator.

“A lot of the kids, especially in the demographics we're reaching, don't know about these opportunities,” he says. Nurit Smith, executive director at the Music Forward Foundation. “They don't know the ecosystem. So when we talk about live entertainment, we look at touring from all different angles.”

Live entertainment is just one of the many areas of expertise covered by All Access. The event can help attendees understand what it takes to be a touring musician or someone who makes those touring dreams come true with a number of different qualities. To that end, promoters Insomniac Events and C3 Presents—which organize festivals like EDC and Austin City Limits, respectively—will have activations at the event, helping to pave the way for participation in this aspect of the industry.

After several years of virtual or hybrid events, the Music Forward Foundation — a national nonprofit in the Live Nation family — returned last year to an all-in-person conference, which Smith says has had a huge impact from the pandemic. Young people were much more eager for face-to-face connections than panels, so this year, the format is “inverted,” he explains.

“We're gamifying this whole thing” with a scavenger hunt, Smith says. During the hunt, participants can revise their resumes and will also have the opportunity to meet three new people, take a new photo and participate in additional activities that will help them experience different aspects of the music industry and where their interests may align with a future career. “We really want to help them navigate this exciting and dynamic space that we're creating and be very active in their learning,” adds Smith.

Additional events at the conference include an artist lounge for open mic sessions, artist wellness activities, an appearance by artist Blu DeTiger, A&R listening sessions and direct access to industry mentors.

While the All Access Fest is only in its sixth year, the Music Forward Foundation has been helping young people for more than three decades. The organization was founded in 1993 as the International House of Blues Foundation in partnership with the renowned House of Blues franchise. Following Live Nation's acquisition of House of Blues in 2006, the foundation became Music Forward as it expanded its reach and partnered with musical entities far beyond the scope of its parent company. In its more than 30 years of operation, the foundation has invested more than $42 million back into the music community and placed hundreds of young adults in gainful employment.

While those numbers speak to the foundation's continued efforts, Smith insists that All Access's success is, in other ways, immeasurable. “The success of supporting this next-generation pathway will be the connective tissue in the partnerships we're all building together,” he says.

Sign up for All Access Fest is free and open to young adults regardless of school enrollment. In September, Music Forward will also host a virtual All Access Fest to reach more people worldwide.