SMYRNA — Music industry veteran Vinny Ribas will speak Nov. 12 (Tuesday) on the Motlow Smyrna campus as part of the ongoing “Famous Communicator Speakers Series.”
Ribas, an author and artist manager who serves as the founder of Indie Connect, will present the talk “20 Ways to Best Support Your Favorite Indie Artist.” His talk will occur from 2-3 p.m. in HSC 323. The free activity is open to students, faculty and staff with seating available on a first-come, first-serve basis.
“I will talk about the struggles of being an artist these days, then share 20 ways to help support them,” said Ribas, who developed Cartne, an e-learning platform for indie artists and songwriters.
The Nashville music industry professional will share stories, videos and a PowerPoint to help bring the reality of artist challenges and successes to life. He noted that the world of music has drastically changed since the 1990s because of the Digital Revolution. CD sales have dropped sharply from around $13 billion in 2000 to an anticipated $500 million in 2024, with streaming and downloads generating the most income.
Meanwhile, artists and songwriters face lower royalties in a profession that requires more paid performances with merchandise sales at entertainment venues. The days of knocking on record company and music publisher doors have ended. Fan followings are mostly built online through social media, including Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.
Ribas also serves as the assistant business manager for Razzy Baily Music Enterprises, managing a catalog of 1,000 songs and executive producing recording and film projects. He co-authored the books “Leverage: Achieve a Lot with the Little You’ve Got” and “CEO Secrets.” Hundreds of his business and music industry articles have been published worldwide.
In his 60 years in the music business, Ribas has also been a full-time performing artist, a booking agent, the entertainment director of the Nevada State Fair, a producer, a studio owner, a band leader, and a songwriter.
Outside of the music business, he has served as an executive coach, strategic business consultant, and business plan writer. He has advised entrepreneurs and small business owners on how to set up their businesses to grow without limits. This has included clarifying and solidifying success strategies with the writing and execution of business plans.
The "Famous Communicators Speakers Series" is staged by the Mass Communications program and sponsored by the Smyrna Entertainment, Arts & Media Club. For more information, contact Professor Charles Whiting at cwhiting@mscc.edu .
