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A panel of Wisconsin professionals will prove that living in Los Angeles or New York is not a prerequisite for a successful media career during a two-day conference at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh.

SCENE newspaper, Wisconsin Public Radio (WPR) and WRST, which broadcasts from the UW Oshkosh, are sponsoring the inaugural Music & Media Conference, Sept. 9 and 10, at Reeve Memorial Union. Panel discussions, live music and film screenings will take place in Reeve Union Theatre and Titan Underground as well as broadcast live on WRST — 90.3 FM or www.wrst.org.

The conference’s intended audience is students and young professionals interested in pursuing a career in film, TV, radio, music or print media. However, everyone is invited to attend, and there is no admission fee for any of the events.

“We don’t often think of the Fox Valley or Wisconsin as having a thriving media community, but there is a lot going on that might surprise people,” said Kiesha Dauer, WRST music director and conference coordinator. “The members of the panel will prove that you don’t have to live in a metropolitan area to have success in the media field.”

The panels and performers are comprised of media professionals from around the state, including representatives from SCENE, Topsoil Studios, UW Oshkosh, WISN-TV, WPR and WRST.

UWO communication professor Tony Palmeri and Sarah Owen, lifestyle reporter for The Northwestern, will moderate the panels and presentations, which cover such topics as “Real Life: Living and Working in Media” and “Doing What You Love … and Maybe Not Getting Paid.”

The Music & Media Conference kicks off with a screening of Jason Paul Collum’s “October Moon” at 9:30 p.m. Sept. 9.

“Jason is pretty well known for his slasher/horror films. We’re expecting a big crowd,” Dauer said.

Films created by members of the UW Oshkosh Film Society also will be featured at the conference, which closes with a three-act concert featuring musicians from Madison, Milwaukee and Oshkosh.

WPR, a network affiliate of WRST, partnered with WRST and SCENE newspaper in order to reach out to a younger audience. As the planning of the conference developed, the concept broadened and the event grew in scope.

“We just wanted to make it more fun — something students would want to attend,” said Dauer, who expects that the conference will become an annual event at UW Oshkosh.

For more information about the Music & Media Conference, visit www.wpr.org/mmc.

Schedule of events:

  • Preview Night — 9:30 p.m., Sept. 9, Reeve Union Theatre. Filmmaker Jason Paul Collum will screen his movie “October Moon” and field questions from the audience.
  • Student Showcase of Short Films — noon to 2 p.m., Sept. 10, Reeve Union Theatre. Moderated by Tony Palmeri and presented by the UW Oshkosh Film Society.
  • Real Life: Living and Working in Media — 2-3 p.m., Sept. 10, Reeve Union Theatre. Moderated by UW Oshkosh communication professor Tony Palmeri, with representatives from The Scene, WISN-TV Milwaukee, WPR and WRST.
  • Recording/Production Time: Creative Options in a Smaller Community — 3-4 p.m., Sept. 10, Reeve Union Theatre. Moderated by Tony Palmeri, with filmmakers and music industry professionals.
  • Doing What You Love … and Maybe Not Getting Paid — 4-5 p.m., Sept. 10, Reeve Union Theatre. Moderated by Sarah Owen of The Northwestern, with representatives from the film, radio and music industries.
  • Starving Artists: Life as a Local Musician — 5-6 p.m., Sept. 10, Reeve Union Theatre. Moderated by Sarah Owen, with local musicians.
  • Concert — 7-10 p.m., Sept. 10, Titan Underground. Featuring Wisconsin musicians Tony Memmel, Gabriel Reed and Northern Room.