Ladybug Festival gets educational with J.A.M. Sessions

There is no doubt that the music industry has been heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as mass gatherings such as concerts have been virtually restricted out of existence for the past year.

Gable Music Ventures, the Wilmington company behind The Ladybug Festival, lost 80% of its business when the March 2020 lockdown happened and is still recovering, in an economy where creatives aren’t always valued.

“The state and city need to find more ways to support the creative economy,” said Gable cofounder Gail Dillman. “All businesses were affected, but hospitality and entertainment will take the longest to recover. The creative economy fuels so much of any economy, we need to shift our thinking to understand this is the economic driver.”

Gable, which received an emergency PPP loan in each of the program’s two rounds, has turned to virtual content, including a new and improved YouTube channel that features streamed concerts, interviews and music industry tips.

On Monday, March 22, in partnership with Newport-based Maverick Class, Gable will launch a new educational Zoom series called Ladybug Festival J.A.M. Sessions. The free one-hour sessions will feature panels discussing the business side of the music industry and will feature a short live performance. Like the live festival itself, J.A.M. Sessions focus on women in music.

The first session, “Setting Yourself Up for Success in the Music Industry,” will be moderated by Christianna LaBuz, talent buyer for City Winery in Philadelphia. It’ll feature panelists Angela Sheik, Joy Ike and Rachael Sage. Alyssa Garcia will perform live from Philadelphia.

The first Ladybug Festival J.A.M Session is around the corner on 3/22. Introducing one of our the panelist @joyike ! Joy is a folk, indie rock, pop singer songwriter with over a decade as an entertainer she has lots of music business insight to share! https://t.co/Etjw8lSU9E pic.twitter.com/qTlEFW3QOa

— The Ladybug Music Festival (@ladybugfest) March 16, 2021

If you’re ready to get back to in-person live music, Gable is currently booking small-venue outdoor concerts at venues including Blue Earl Brewing in Smyrna, which will host Native Tongue on April 3 and James Dean Spalding on April 16. To keep up with the live and virtual event schedule, follow Gable on Twitter or Facebook.