The Artist’s Stake

​When the metronome arrived, artists worried it would make music robotic. When the phonograph landed in living rooms, critics warned it would destroy human musicianship. When the synthesizer hit the studios, many tried to ban it. Every new machine in music ignites similar concerns: is this the death of artistry, or the evolution of a new kind.

​While those arguments flare, many artists just lock the door and start experimenting with the new tools.

​AI is no different. The technology is already in the studios and in the workflows, raising the familiar, difficult questions. What happens when anyone can create without a studio budget, when traditional norms no longer apply, and when courts and businesses renegotiate the ground rules for who owns what?

​We’re gathering a room of folks who build the tools, represent the creators, and shape the industry, to work through what’s real, what’s next, and where the boundaries are being drawn. No hype or no doom-mongering, just genuine exploration.

​The Conversation:

• ​Ruby Marchand, Chief Awards & Global Industry Officer @ Recording Academy

• ​Sabrina Kartzman, Head of Music Partnerships @ OpenAI

• ​Elmo Lovano, Founder & CEO @ Jammcard

• ​Moderated by Dr. John Hardin, Senior Fellow @ Abundance Institute

​Thursday, September 17, 2026. Lower East Side location shared upon approval. Doors and bar open at 7pm, conversation at 8pm, drinks and hangs after until 10pm.