NoMad Jazz Festival 2026 Events

Free – Registration Link

Presented by the NoMad Jazz Festival and Happy Media at Chelsea Studios, a state-of-the-art recording and immersive audio space built for contemporary music creation, listening, and cultural exchange, the event reflects a shared commitment to discovery as a living, relational process rooted in trust, taste, and community.

This panel is produced as part of New York Music Month – an initiative of the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment

About the Event

WHO IS DECIDING WHAT WE LISTEN TO? IS DISCOVERY STILL REAL? “The Evolution of the Mixtape” panel offers a practical, industry-facing look at how music discovery works today, who holds influence, and how trust, curation, and independence operate beyond a label-first model. Blending cultural history with current marketing and discovery platforms, it explores what artists and managers need to understand about visibility, validation, and long-term value in 2026, brought to life through curated aural snippets tracing decades of discovery. Moderated by Rose M. Crichton-White (Emmy Winner; Hot97, KissFM) to be held at Chelsea Studios, the panel features Dr. Chelsey Green, Chair of the Recording Academy Board of Trustees and Berklee professor, on stewardship and institutional support without gatekeeping; Steve “Rhythm” Clarke, A&R and producer, on early crate-digging and street-level discovery in New York; and The Mixtape Queens, representing the next generation of tastemakers shaping artist discovery through intentional curation and community. Music + sound clips will be woven throughout the panel to contextualize each era of discovery.