Where it happens
110 Orr Street, Columbia
The Summit takes over the Balsamo Warehouse on Orr Street - the same building that's home to Soundcheck Practice Studios and Villageco.work. Sessions run in the studios; the coworking lounge hosts the meals, the mingling, and everything in between.
The Villageco.work lounge
The big picture
Columbia is a music city that never taught the business.
Columbia punches above its weight. The Blue Note has hosted R.E.M., Dave Matthews Band, and the Arctic Monkeys; Rose Music Hall caught Arcade Fire and Spoon before anyone else did. MU delivers a constant stream of talented, motivated musicians. But strong on craft doesn't mean strong on career.
Nobody here is teaching the music business - how to find management, book tours, get on Spotify, collect royalties, or the hundred other things that decide whether a music career actually goes somewhere. MO Music Summit fills that gap: Season 1 is a single full day with six sessions across two tracks, taught by practitioners who are actively doing this work.
The demand
What people actually told us they want
A community survey ran across Soundcheck members, local musicians, and supporters while we shaped Season 1. The answers were consistent: the demand isn't for inspiration - it's for practical knowledge. People know they want a career. They need to know how.
- Music business & contracts
- Recording
- Songwriting
- Home recording & DIY production
- Publishing, royalties & sync
- Live performance & stage presence
- Pre-production
The program
Six sessions, two tracks, one day
The Business Track runs in the morning and the Artistry Track in the afternoon - three ninety-minute sessions each, sequenced beginner to advanced. Buy a single session, one full track, or the whole day.
The Business Track
Morning · 3 sessions
How the industry works and how to make it work for you.
Sessions build beginner to advanced, each ending with hands-on breakout work after the Q&A.
The Artistry Track
Afternoon · 3 sessions
The craft - how music gets made, from the first idea to the stage.
Sessions build beginner to advanced, each ending with hands-on breakout work after the Q&A.
The day
A full day, not just sessions
The goal is that you leave having learned something, met people, and had a genuinely good time.
Morning
Breakfast meetup
Attendees arrive, connect, and eat before the first track begins.
Late morning
Business Track - 3 sessions
Ninety-minute blocks on how the industry works, with a video note from a Berklee professor and a discussion of the Artist Bible.
Midday
Lunch & Soundcheck jam sessions
A break to eat, plus open studio time at Soundcheck between the two tracks.
Afternoon
Artistry Track - 3 sessions
Ninety-minute blocks on the craft - from songwriting and pre-production to the stage - with hands-on breakouts after Q&A.
Evening
Cocktail & appetizer hour
A relaxed close to the day to keep the conversations going. Venue TBD.
Pricing
Three ways in
Come for a single session, commit to one track, or take the whole day - whatever fits where you are right now.
À la carte
Any single session from either track. The easy way to get curious and get in the room.
- One session, your pick
- Either track
- Hands-on breakout included
Track Pass
All three sessions in one track - saves $98. The natural fit if you know which side you're on.
- All 3 sessions in one track
- Business or Artistry
- Saves $98 vs. à la carte
Flagship Pass
The full day, both tracks - saves $245. Roughly $58 a session. Payment plans available.
- Both tracks, all 6 sessions
- Breakfast, lunch & cocktail hour
- Payment plans available
The people
Who's behind it
Jason Schrick
Partner · JPS Productions
Books acts in 11 US markets and records at Universal Music Group Studios in Nashville. Had two acts on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Indicator simultaneously in 2020 - from Columbia. Built the Mid-MO scene intentionally.
Kagan Williams
Partner · Lonely Mountain Music
Berklee College of Music (Music Business). Producer, engineer, consultant, and teacher. The curriculum is his career - he leads the hands-on materials.
Shea Spence
Partner · Left on Red
Drummer of Left on Red (Rock Fest Wisconsin, 2025 full-length). Previously The Many Colored Death - No. 16 on Billboard Mainstream Rock, produced by Jason. A decade of working-artist experience.
The longer vision
Season 1 is the seed.
Columbia already hosts some of the most interesting community-built events in the Midwest - Startup Weekend, Main Street Summit, True/False Film Fest, the legacy of Roots N Blues. What it doesn't have yet is a music-industry conference. This is one full day now; Season 2 grows it into a weekend, and from there it puts Missouri on the national music map.
Be first in line
Get early access
Tickets open to the public soon. Tell us a little about yourself and we'll reach out the moment early access is available.