Editor’s note: What Jodi failed to mention in this post — the reason she’s attending this conference — is that under her alter ego, “Big Mama J,” she’s one of the Twin Cities’ top DJ’s.

Music is one of the most powerful forms of expression. It can soothe a soul, mend a broken heart or perfectly capture a celebration. It has the ability to move individuals to a higher place or even move groups to take action. How often have you heard a song and become instantly transported back to a specific moment in time? The smells, sounds, tastes, become as clear to you as if you were right back there in that moment.

The 2009 Winter Music Conference is happening this week in Miami, Florida. The conference has been around for the past 24 years and is the world’s most concentrated week of dance music industry events.  Anyone who is anyone in the dance music world descends upon South Beach for a week of new music, networking and celebrating the past year’s successes. For those who work in the industry, WMC is a must-attend event. For those who are simply passionate about music or love to kick up their heels, attending is a dream come true.  There are events and parties 24 hours a day for six days at every beach, pool, night club and bar throughout South Beach featuring their favorite DJ’s and producers playing new music, amazing video, content or fashion to enhance it, and the most unbelievable sound systems and production most have ever seen and heard. 

However, the most powerful part of the conference is that it brings people of all walks of life together to share in one common love- music. Last year, over 60,000 people attended WMC representing every continent in the world. It’s not just any old spring break destination.  40% of attendees are ages 26-35, and another 36% are 36-45 years old. 65% are male, and 35% are female. The last time I attended I met people from New Zealand, Australia, Brazil, Germany and the UK. We didn’t talk about our differences or argue over what is right and wrong in the world. We just talked about how great it was to be together in Miami- and so we danced.

Big Mama J

Dance music often times gets a bad rap (pun intended). However, no one can deny the power of music. From Chuck D to Chuck Love, dance music spans age, sex, race and nationality.  As the effectiveness of traditional forms of marketing becomes more and more questioned, content or sponsorships consisting of music, fashion, or many other readily avialable forms of art should be considered.  From a brand perspective, music has the ability to make or break an idea. It is often THE thing that brings an idea to life. Music can capture the essence of brand and take it to another level with consumers. Tapping into consumer passions such as music are must haves. Especially as the doom and gloom of the economy continues to permeate the news around us, we need a little music to lighten things up and remind us that everything is going to be alright.

Tweet me if you’ll be in Miami.