RAP Symposium 2026

Please join the Harvard Law School Recording Artists Project for our 2026 Symposium, an all-day event full of speakers at the intersection of music, entertainment, and law: musicians, entertainment/music lawyers, managers, and record label founders.

Starting at 6:00 PM, we invite you to join us for a cocktail reception.

Current Schedule:

9 AM – 10 AM:From Nirvana to MGMT: Managing Alternative Music’s Evolution

Speaker:

• Mark Kates

From working with Nirvana, Sonic Youth, Hole, and Siouxsie and the Banshees, to signing and developing artists like Beck and Elastica, and now managing acts like MGMT, Mark Kates has been a central figure in alternative music since before it even had a name.

In this conversation, Kates will reflect on decades at the forefront of artist development, offering insight into the relationships, deal structures, and strategic decisions that shape enduring music careers—and how the role of the manager has evolved alongside the industry.

10 AM – 11 AM: Solidarity in the Streaming Era: How an Influential Indie Rock Musician Became the Leader of Music’s Labor Movement 

Speaker:

• Damon Krukowski

From Galaxie 500 (an influential indie rock band with music featured in the film The Perks of Being a Wallflower) to the forefront of today’s fight for musicians’ rights, Damon Krukowski has lived through the music industry’s most dramatic transformation. In the decades since his work helped shape the sound of indie music, the way artists get paid has been fundamentally upended, replaced by a streaming economy where millions of plays can translate into only pennies.

Now, as a co-founder of the Union of Musicians and Allied Workers (UMAW) and a leading advocate behind the proposed Living Wages for Musicians Act, Krukowski is helping lead one of the most significant efforts to reform the economics of music in the digital age. This conversation will examine the realities of streaming, the legal frameworks that sustain it, and what it would take to build a system that fairly compensates the artists behind the music.

11 AM – 12 PM: The Voice of a Movement: Patrick Flynn on Becoming a Pillar of Punk

Speaker:

• Patrick Flynn

As the frontman of Have Heart (one of the most influential bands in modern hardcore), Fiddlehead, and How Much Art, Patrick Flynn has become a defining voice in the hardcore scene and beyond. From early 2000s basement shows to a 2019 reunion performance that drew over 8,000 fans (widely considered one of the largest hardcore shows in U.S. history), his work has helped shape both the sound and ethos of the genre.

In this conversation, Flynn reflects on the evolution of the scene, the values that sustain it, and the challenge of balancing life as a musician, educator, and community leader.

12:30 – 1:15 PM: The Lawyers Behind the Music

Speakers:

• Matt Cuttler (Ethel Cain, 100 gecs, Animal Collective, and more)
• Adam Rich
• Joseph Anderson
• Lexi Todd

Behind artists like Ethel Cain, 100 gecs, Animal Collective, and major media companies navigating high-stakes copyright disputes are the lawyers who structure deals, protect rights, and shape the legal contours of the music industry. From negotiating recording and publishing agreements to litigating cases involving copyright, defamation, and emerging technologies, their work touches every part of the business.

This panel brings together leading practitioners to discuss the realities of music law today, including dealmaking, litigation, and the challenges posed by streaming, digital media, and new technologies.

1:15 – 2 PM: The Manager Behind Mitski, Lucy Dacus, Father John Misty, & More

Speaker:

• Dalton Sim

From guiding the careers of artists like Mitski, Lucy Dacus, Father John Misty, and Guster to building globally recognized acts from the ground up, Dalton Sim has spent decades shaping what sustainable success looks like in the music industry. His Boston-based management company has helped artists move from self-released projects to worldwide audiences while maintaining a strong sense of identity and independence.

In this conversation, Sim will discuss how artists build careers that last: navigating the pressures of the streaming era, fostering direct relationships with fans, and making strategic decisions that extend far beyond the initial breakout moment.

2 – 3 PM: Writing the Music We Hear Everywhere: Creativity, Rights, and Revenue in Songwriting

Speakers:

• Rodney Alejandro
• Dave Herlihy

From Grammy-nominated projects and collaborations with artists like Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, and will.i.am to Billboard-charting songwriting and compositions for film and television, this panel brings together creators who have worked at the highest levels of the industry. Their careers span genres, mediums, and decades of music-making.

This discussion will explore the craft of songwriting alongside the legal and business frameworks that shape it, including authorship, publishing, collaboration, and the realities of writing music across industries from pop to film and television.

3:00 – 4:00 PM: The Label Behind Your Favorite Bands: How Run for Cover Records Defined a Generation

Speakers:

• Tom Chiari
• Jeff Casazza

From launching the early careers of bands like Modern Baseball, Tigers Jaw, Title Fight, Turnover, Citizen, Basement, and Pinegrove to working with artists like Alex G, mewithoutYou, Balance and Composure, Superheaven, and MJ Lenderman, Run For Cover Records (RFC) has become known for signing artists before they break and supporting them long after. The Boston-based label has developed a global following and a reputation as a true tastemaker.

Join the founder and label manager for a conversation on discovering talent, structuring artist-friendly deals, and building a label that balances credibility, community, and long-term success in today’s music industry.

4:00 – 5:00 PM: From HLS to the Music Industry: Alumni Perspectives

Speakers:

• Dallin Earl
• Kike Aluko Wahutu

From negotiating music licensing deals for major streaming platforms and film/TV projects to advising on transactions involving emerging technologies like AI, NFTs, and digital media, RAP alums are working at the cutting edge of the music and entertainment industries. Their work spans law firms, in-house roles, and complex, high-value deals across the creative economy.

This panel will offer an inside look at careers in music law, with speakers reflecting on their paths from Harvard Law School to practice, the realities of their day-to-day work, and practical advice for students seeking to break into the field.

5:00 – 6:00 PM: Building an Indie Powerhouse Label: From Phoebe Bridgers to Bon Iver

Speaker:

• Darius Van Arman

As co-founder of Secretly Group—the independent powerhouse behind labels like Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans, and Saddest Factory Records—Darius Van Arman has helped build the infrastructure supporting artists such as Bon Iver, Mitski, Phoebe Bridgers, Japanese Breakfast, Sharon Van Etten, Faye Webster, MUNA, and more. For over three decades, his work has helped define what independent music can achieve at a global scale.

In this conversation, Van Arman will discuss the evolution of the indie label model, from artist development to global distribution and digital licensing, and the ongoing effort to secure fairer deals and greater transparency for independent artists in the modern music economy.