Sometimes Nashville is a funny city. Entire communities can coexist within it’s boundaries and never cross paths. No matter how much one may need the other.

It seems to me the music and technology folks here are pretty well segregated. There are however some notable exceptions to this rule. Leadership Music’s Digital Summit (which now is tied in with Next Big Nashville) is one example of where both these factions cross pollinate.

I think the PodCamp and BarCamp Nashville events have the potential to be other such points of congregation. I know there are even some musician types amongst the typical tech demographic that attend these un-conferences. The sessions are free, informal and relatively easy to absorb if you have some interest in the topics at hand.

Here is my handy dandy guide to a musician, artist or songwriter making the most of PodCamp Nashville, March 2011.

First go to http://www.podcampnashville.org and register for free. Make sure you submit your correct shirt size so as to not miss out on the fun swag. Choose the sessions you think you may want to attend and get that all squared away in advance. You can even see who else is attending the same session. Avoid any last minute confusion and stress. Do this now!

The key I think to attending any of these events especially if you feel like you’re a bird not of the same feather is to try and not get overwhelmed. Preparation is key.

Remember to bring your business cards and a 15-20 second elevator pitch about what it is that you do. Don’t bring any CDs or music. It ain’t that kind of conference. You can always point folks to a link.

Start the day off right, figure out where you are gonna park ahead of time. I always find the Nashville Public Library’s parking garage off Church St is the best value if you will be attending an all day (or night) event in downtown Nashville. The Pinnacle building’s parking facility is another option. Both of these structures are a 10-15 minute walk to/from Cadillac Ranch (CR) on Broadway Ave.

If you happen to score an on street parking meter (not monitored after 12 pm) close to CR, I would consider buying a lottery ticket. You’re obviously rolling behind some serious mojo.

Once you get to CR, consider buying the lunch option. It’s inexpensive. It’s not typically Top Chef cuisine. In fact, usually it’s not even very healthy. But it is reasonably tasty. More importantly, it gives you the chance to network with your fellow PodCampers. And you normally get one (adult?) beverage thrown in for free.

If you choose not to get the lunch at CR, there are some good dining options nearby. Me loves me some Jacks BBQ. But you can normally find something decent within 5 mins of CR.

So on to the sessions themselves. They’re held in different rooms and sections of CR which is a pretty spacious bar. Pick out the sessions you want to attend ahead of time. Each session is assigned a specific room, plan out your trek at PodCamp based around those sessions and rooms.

If you’re a musician, songwriter, artist or in some kind of music allied field (say artist management), here are some sessions that may tickle your fancy:

1) I think Kenny Silva’s Just Create It: Overcoming the Resistance could be just the motivation you need if you’ve been thinking about delving into digital or new media. Kenny is a good guy. And from what I hear a good speaker.

2) I also recommend Kate O’Neill’s Cathartic Content: How building a blog helped me grow, forgive, and become a better leader. Kate is a one of Nashville’s tech rockstars. She’s an engaging speaker and loads of fun. And believe or not – a songwriter! I’d circle this in ink.

3) Mitch Canter is a very animated speaker and a WordPress guru. His session on The Ultimate WordPress Experience should be something to behold. Especially if you’ve been thinking about using WP as part of your web infrastructure.

4) I also humbly recommend you attend my session, Music Marketing Platforms – A Quick Hit Comparison. If you’ve been thinking about what kinds of tools to use to get the word out about your music, this is the session for you. We’ll get into the pros and cons of using platforms like BandCamp, Reverbnation and TopSpin. We might even dissect RootMusic. As always, we’ll leave time for questions and discussion.

5) I’m all about John Pisciotta’s MusicRow 2.0 – How Nashville keeps the title of "Music City" In the New Entertainment World. I’m really looking forward to John’s presentation. I may be naive. But I honestly believe Nashville will be the future of the music business. I can’t wait to hear John’s thoughts on the matter.

6) Finally, as a musician I know that YouTube is one the biggest music discovery and consumption platforms out there. My friend, Jake Jorgovan, is one of the bestest and brightest young video producers in Nashville. He recently helped develop some of the media incorporated into Paramore’s World Tour. Let him walk you through How to Effectively Utilize Youtube.

So there’s some sessions where I think music and technology happily intersect. There are obviously more that you could attend. But I thought those might be the ones where you could indulge your artistic appetite and not feel like you’re drowning in geek speak.

Don’t forget to attend the free post event social. Come up and say "Hi" at the conference. Maybe next time you too can present a session at PodCamp or at one of the other tech un-conferences.

Feel free to comment or make suggestions below. Peace.