College students from around the country gathered last week to attend the music industry seminar Music Biz 101 at Club Pacha in New York.
The 25 students were selected from 500 applicants for their academic achievements and outstanding essays.
Rapper MC Lyte, Timbaland, the Roots’ Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, Mimi Valdés (Vibe), Will Griffin (Def On Demand), Mona Scott (Violator) and others spent the day meeting and speaking with students about the music business.
“It was a great event, a good opportunity for them to get inside information,” Mona Scott told AllHipHop.com. “It was a great time for interaction for them, especially for me, [and] a great way to hear from the ‘horses’ mouth and learn from our experiences.”
The event, which was sponsored by Motorola, Boost Mobile and Live Nation, was divided into three different panels allowing students to get perspectives from different aspects of the music industry.
Students also learned how many of the panelists got started and what steps they took to achieve their goals.
“The event was very effective. I like the idea of an intimate atmosphere,” said ?uestlove. I usually speak for a thousand people, but it was definitely better speaking to twenty-five people, but it sucks for the twenty-sixth person who didn’t get in.”
MC Lyte added to the jam-packed day by treating the 25 winners to her new book Back to Lyte.
The rapper also revealed plans for a new album and announced a recently launched Web site that connects fans and bands.