Today was my first day at the conference itself. I made it in for an early panel titled “Bloggers Are Now In Charge,” and heard music writers from Nashville, LA, Brooklyn, and Columbus discuss the role of blogs in today’s music scene, as trusted guides, local music enthusiasts, and among the few remaining sources of independent news. Then I made it to Quincy Jones’Keynote Speech, a funny and moving talk that ran about an hour over as he told stories, showed clips, and entertained the crowd.

I’ll expand more on these talks soon, but now I’m back out for showcases. More to come!