How do you nurture and grow a local music community as a musician, as a business and as a practicing fan of the scene? What’s the social media secret to transforming all your myriad Facebook friends into bonafide fans who actively support your music? How can you use the internet as both a marketing and publicity tool?

These questions and so many others are addressed at the third annual Homemade Music Symposium, a multi-day event that opens up the dialogue between musicians, music professionals, music advocates and music fans via nearly 20 hours worth of free workshops and panel discussions on anything from how we can make the Bay area a destination for music, to DIY recording techniques, to maximizing your use of social media. The discussions are augmented by a range of live music offerings — Saturday night showcases by New Granada Records and Brokenmold Entertainment, a singer/songwriters presentation paired with tasty barbeque, and more.

Homemade is one of several programs facilitated by the well-established Artists and Writers Group. Headed up by cultural crusaders/co-directors David Audet and T. Hampton Dohrman, the Tampa nonprofit strives to cultivate and grow the area’s rich creative community by taking on projects that provide learning and performance opportunities for artists, writers and musicians. “Basically, someone comes to us with a creative idea and we have the infrastructure, experience, business status and connections to make the idea a reality,” Dohrman told me when we met over coffee to chat about the group and its programs, which also include the award-winning Ybor Festival of the Moving Image and the literary Deep Carnivale.

Homemade is not just about helping musicians learn how to market and promote their work, but creating a synthesis of local industry knowledge and encouraging the community to nurture, sustain and support the local music scene, or in some cases, to change the perspective of the scene or expose it to those who may not even know it exists. “‘Local’ seems to be a euphemism for ‘bad,’ but there are bands here that sound just as good here as anywhere else,” Hampton pointed out.

Homemade was born in 2008 and is funded via a grant offered by the Ybor City Development Corporation. And Homemade has managed to expand and gain support over the past three years even though they’re still working within the grant’s shoestring budget.

Neither Audet and Dohrman are professional or practicing musicians trying to push their own agendas, and Dohrman says he thinks that’s part of the reason why so many

people are willing to take part and volunteer their time. The other part is the genuine effort of Homemade and the Artists & Writers’ Group as a whole make Ybor City not only a destination for the arts, but a place where creative types can thrive. Changing the prevailing image of Ybor as a debauched place with limitless get-down-and-get-wasted potential is just one step; offering positive cultural events like Homemade is another.

Hampton’s favorite part of what he does comes when, in the midst of all the craziness, he gets the chance to “take a moment to stop and realize that something really awesome is happening.” Last year’s performance by the late Rosa Rio [pictured above left with Paul Wilborn] was a particular highlight. “I felt so good about what we did with that. We were able to expose a few hundred people to what Rosa did and what Rosa was, and that’s something that, especially after she’s passed, you can’t get again and was meaningful for the people who got to see it. It’s always nice to know that what we’re doing is making a difference in how people think.”

HOMEMADE MUSIC SYMPOSIUM 2010 Complete Schedule

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 9

Demo Listening Party Have you recorded a song and now want some feedback on what you did right and/or what you should do differently? Bring your demo and submit it for a chance to be included in a live, interactive listening and feedback session with myself and some the area’s other leading music professionals. Read more about previous demo listening parties here and here. 7-9 p.m., Tre Amici, 1907 N. 19th St., free and open to the public.

THURSDAY, JUNE 10

Tips on Recording Live Performance Theater manager and recording engineer Keith Arsenault offers advice on how to maximize the quality of your live digital recording; featuring live performances by Bunko Squad, Cosmic Gospel Hour, Ronny Elliott, Christie Lenee, and John Stephan. 7:30-10 p.m., Mainstage Theatre-HCC Ybor, 2112 N 15th St., free.

FRIDAY, JUNE 11

INTERSECTION Arts Networking Event “Listen Local” Campaign Launch Homemade kicks off a new networking series designed to spur collaboration amid the Bay area’s creative industries (local musicians, music professionals, artists, writers, business owners and more) with the launch of “Listen Local,” a campaign by Urban Charette and members of the Tampa Independent Business Alliance aimed at creating a platform for local businesses to use local music. 6-9 p.m., Don Vicente Inn, 1915 N. Avenue Republica De Cuba, free.

SATURDAY, JUNE 12

Saturday Morning Cartoons Nosh on tasty pastries and sip fresh-brewed coffee from Tre Amici while enjoying a screening of SOBE project cartoons paired with recordings by the New World Symphony. 9 a.m., Ybor Room-HCC Ybor Campus, free.

Breakfast with Bob Boilen A live teleconference with the creator and director of NPR’s All Songs Considered, Bob Boilen [pictured left, photo courtesy NPR] who reflects on the new curatorial role of the blog network. 10 a.m., Ybor Room.

Saturday Music Market The WMNF Saturday Folk Show hosts performances by folkified artists Parson Brown, Juniper, Mark Carufel, Bob Anthony, Darlin’ & Rockwell, Pam & Danny Rubenstein, Steve Vaclavik and Maggie DiPietra. 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Ybor Courtyard-HCC Ybor Campus, free.

Meet the Press: Music Critics and Bloggers Sound Off Myself and my comrades-at-arms working both online and in print media — Ryan Bauer (Tampa Tribune), Julie Garisto (TBT/St. Petersburg Times), Bryan Childs (ninebullets.net), REAX, and Jason Green (Wednesday-Music.com) — engage in lively discussion on various media-related topics. 11 a.m., Ybor Room, free.

Broadcast or Bust: Radio and TV Panel With Mark Thorn (Studio 10), 97X, Lee Courtney (WMNF), Alastair St. Hill (REAX Podcast). Noon, Ybor Room, free.

Building Tampa as a Music Community Keynote Panel What does it take to grow your locale into a bonafide music destination ala Austin or Atlanta or Chicago? Find out from those in the know — Linda Saul-Sena of the Tampa City Council, CL's Joran Oppelt, Joel Cook of REAX, Lee Courtney (WMNF, BAAMO), and Ryan Murphy, Harvest of Hope co-founder and No Idea Records rep. Peter Kageyama of Creative Cities Productions moderates. 1 p.m., Ybor Room, free.

How to Get the Most Out of a Studio Session Learn how to squeeze as much usefulness out of your studio session as possible with tips from Brian Merrill (Studio B), John Stephan (Springs Theatre), Mark Prator (Red Room Recorders) and Tom Morris (Morrisound Studios). 2 p.m., Ybor Room, free.

Friendbase to Fanbase: Making the Most of Social Media Making 1,000 Myspace friends is easy — drawing them out of their caves is the hard part. Find out how to change friends into fans at this discussion with CL’s own webonator Stephen Hammill, Chandra Lee (Hanger 1 Media), Amanda Allwood (CBS Radio), Amber Osborne (missdestructo.com) and Tony Weinbender (Southern Lovin’ PR, No Idea Records). 3 p.m., CL Space @ Creative Loafing, free.

In Vogue: Taking Publicity Photos Featuring Jessie Stehlik (Stehlik Photography), Carrie Waite (Carrie Waite Photography), Nicole Kibert (elawgrrl.com). 3 p.m., Ybor Room, free.

DIY Recording Learn how to do it at home, on your own; featuring Stephen Hammill (Creative Loafing), Shawn Kyle (Speakeasy Recording Studio, The Beauvilles), Alastair St. Hill, Mudd Buddha. 4 p.m., CL Space, free.

Record Labels and Promoters Panel Hear from the behind-the-scenes folks — the ones who bring the music to you in a live setting, and those who bring it to you on record; with Joe D’Acunto (THX MGMT), Matt E Lee (BrokenMold Entertainment), Keith Ulrey (New Granada Records), and Tony Weinbender (The FEST, No Idea Records). 4 p.m., Ybor Room, free.

Beyond the Backpack: TampaHipHop.com Workshop Moderated by Durium Jones aka Young Deacon. 5 p.m., CL SPACE, free.

Music Law and Licensing in the Digital Age With Julee Milham (EMusicLaw.com) and Tom Stottlar (Good Dog Records). 5 p.m., Ybor Room, free.

HOMEMADE SATURDAY NIGHT SHOWCASE CONCERTS

For those who want to venue hop, $12 all-access passes are also available.

BrokenMold Entertainment Showcase Four bands repped by BrokenMold offer up a range of styles: acoustic duo-ness by Cosmic Gospel Hour, driving funk rock by Florida Night Heat, rollicking NOLA-flavored jazz fusion by Jim Morey Band [Jim Morey pictured left, photo by Phil Bardi], and conga and vibraphone-tasty garage rawk by November Foxtrot Whiskey. 8 p.m.-1 a.m., CL Space, $5.

Beat-Off Original mixes based on the Homemade 2010 Compilation Album by The Basiqs, ElliotNess, Dj Loki, and Dj Shard. 8 p.m.-1 a.m., The Roosevelt, $5.

Artists and Writers Group Sonic Departures: Avant Garde Interludes 8 p.m.-1 a.m., Ybor Square Courtyard, free.

New Granada Records Showcase Everyone, get excited: our favorite popadelic chamber rock outfit, Candy Bars [pictured right], has emerged from their creative cocoon to play Homemade and they’ve been working on a new album, which means new songs, people. Can’t wait to see more dates by this band. Rounding out the sounds is the nicely-textured melodic alt rock of Zillionaire, laptop experimental rock of King of Spain, and pretty pop-sensible folk rock of Rec Center. 8 p.m.-1 a.m., New World Brewery, $8.

SUNDAY, JUNE 13

Music and Meat Tasty barbecue eats paired with a Homemade Sunday afternoon singer-songwriters’ showcase with Blake Masters & David Kirby (noon), Emily Roff (12:30 p.m.), Rebekah Pulley (pictured left, 1 p.m.), Acho Brother (1:30 p.m.), Papos Frasica (2 p.m.), Aleshea Harris (2:30 p.m.), John Clark (3 p.m.), Ronny Elliott (3:30 p.m.), and Bunko Squad (4 p.m.). Noon-5 p.m., Ybor Square Courtyard, free.

Electronic Press Kit and Media Design With Hangar 1 Media's Darrin Guilbeau and Joel Cook of REAX. Noon, CL Space, free.

Getting Out of the Garage: DIY Tour Management Featuring Jesse Rosoff (Monster Nature Agency) and Shawn Kyle (The Beauvilles). 1 p.m., CL Space, free.

Talking to the Sound Guy Ever wonder what it takes to get the sound going at your favorite local venue? Find out from Mark Bustin (New World Brewery) and Fraggle (Crowbar). 2 p.m., CL Space, free.

State of the Scene Take part in a town hall-style meeting regarding issues relevant to the Tampa Bay music scene. 3 p.m., CL Space, free.

ADDRESSES:

Ybor Room and Ybor Courtyard, HCC-Ybor Campus, 2001 N. 14th St., Ybor City; CL Space @ Creative Loafing and Ybor Square Courtyard, 1911 N. 13th St., Ybor City; New World Brewery, 1313 E. 8th Ave., Ybor City; and The Roosevelt, 1812 N. 15th St., Ybor City