BW&BK; has received the following:

VISIONS OF ATLANTIS, EPICA to participate in month long education program developed for high school and college students across Minnesota during their North American Tour...

For four weeks beginning September 10th, The Minnesota Shubert Center (Minnesota’s new flagship for dance and music) will hop on the tour bus with Austro-American band Visions Of Atlantis and Dutch band Epica on their North American tour to reveal how a band takes its music from idea to album to stage.

Q: What is Backstage Pass?

Backstage Pass is a mutimedia real-time online and interactive education lesson for American Students (and everybody else interested), lasting for over one month.

Backstage Pass: The Business of a Rock Band, will follow the Austro-American band Visions Of Atlantis and Dutch band Epica on their North American tour and expose the inner workings of what it takes to bring their music from concept to album to the stage.

Not only will Backstage Pass expose the bands, but it will also expose the world of music business behind the scenes! From September 10th - October 5th, interviews with record company professionals, booking agents, entertainment lawyers, sound engineers, record producers, music magazine writers and more will be posted! They will tell YOU what it takes to be a part of their world… even Napalm’s President!

Anyone interested in the rock music business will be able to access the program due to it being presented through the Minnesota Shubert Center website (www.mnshubert.org/backstagepass), completely free of cost.

Q: What are we gonna see there?

What will you see?

- Video interviews
- Backstage footage
- Blogs by the band members
- Revealing of the world behind what you see on stage
- Fun projects and prizes
- Forum where you can ask the musicians and music business pros questions and have them directly answered!
- Scheduled chat sessions

Topics that will be covered:

- Why is there a business around music?
- How do bands write music?
- What is a record label, how does it work, and how do I get my band signed?
- The changing landscape of marketing a band
- Releasing an album: The process beyond creating the music
- Booking a tour…what is involved?
- The myth of “sex, drugs & rock -n- roll”
- Entertainment law: Knowing your rights as an artist
- Distribution outlets
- Magazines, music television & radio

And SO much more

In addition, the Epica and Visions Of Atlantis concert in St. Paul, Minnesota on Wednesday, September 19th will be webcast live via the Minnesota Shubert Center website for anyone to log in and view.

Q: How can visitors/Students participate?

Three times per week, the website will be updated with interviews, blogs, and journals. Through the forum and chat sessions, participants can ask the artists and business professionals questions and have them directly answered. The program will also contain projects that if completed and sent in to the Shubert Center, will be rewarded by the bands!

In addition, the concert in St. Paul, MN on Wednesday, September 19th will be webcast live via the Minnesota Shubert Center website for anyone to log in and view.

Visit: www.mnshubert.org/backstagepass to sign up for updates after August 1st (totally free). Login starts September 10.

Q: So how does this work?

Simply visit the MN Shubert website on September 10 through October 5th. New interviews and footage will be posted every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Log into the forum anytime to ask the bands or music business pros questions or chat with other guests. Chat sessions will be announced one week prior to it being scheduled, so come back often.

Visit: www.mnshubert.org/backstagepass to sign up for updates after August 1st (totally free). Login starts September 10th!