After nearly five years in operation, the Cincinnati Music Accelerator – Ohio’s first music career accelerator focused on making Cincinnati a music city through job placement and education – is hosting its first fundraiser at the end of the month.
“The hope in launching City Sound Summit is that we’re laying the groundwork for an event that will get bigger and better every year,” said founder and Cincinnati native Kick Lee. “We have big plans, Cincinnati, and this is just the beginning.”
The summit will be a two-day event on Aug. 26-27, featuring top industry leaders and high profile music producers and artists sharing insights on how to build a successful music career. After the talks, the entertainers will perform.
Lee said the long term goal of City Sound Summit is to not only provide a fundraising vehicle for CMA’s continued growth, but to create a landmark event for the region that will help put Cincinnati on the map as a true music city and attract national talent, interest and opportunities for Tri-state musicians.
Founded in 2017 as a People’s Liberty project as part of the Haile Foundation, CMA has helped support hundreds of musical entrepreneurs within the region.
The speaker lineup features an array of top music industry marketers, producers and songwriters that will share their stories and insights on navigating and building a music career, including Friday’s keynote speaker and Cincinnati native, ClockworkDJ.
Once called “the best DJ in the world,” by the late, great Mac Miller, ClockworkDJ, will share his perspective on what it takes to be a successful industry DJ. As a music professional, he has toured, produced and worked with musical legends such as Hi-Tek, Talib Kweli, Kid Cudi, Wiz Khalifa, Thundercat, Wale and Mac Miller. Clock has also spun for massive brands like the MLS, NBA, NFL and streaming service Twitch.
“When I began planning what CMA’s annual fundraiser would look like, I knew I wanted it to benefit not only our students but would also provide a window of opportunity to struggling artists everywhere,” said Lee. “By creating an event that brings top industry talent to Cincinnati, I hope it will attract artists from around the country to explore the opportunities for music creatives in our city and region.”
At only 34 years old, Lee has already worked in music for over 18 years and had his musical works licensed and placed in advertisements with brands such as Disney, Toyota, Samsung, Puma, Xbox, and many others. In addition to being the executive director of the Cincinnati Music Accelerator, he operates KL Studios Inc. which specializes in audio recording, audio production, post-production, and music licensing for TV, film, trailers and commercials.