Life as a rock star isn’t the only option for those wanting to make a career in the music industry.

That’s one of the music industry aspects Terra State Community College hopes to educate the public and its students about during its second Midwest Rhythm Summit from Friday through Sunday.

“We’re providing something that I think that very few other colleges or universities can do,” said Michael Czeczele, event organizer and the college’s director of musical arts and technology.

Music enthusiasts looking to learn about the industry itself, or for general curiosity, will find musicians like Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson, Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, drummer-producer Thomas Lang, drummer and educator Dom Famularo, and bassist Oskar Cartaya, who has worked with Celia Cruz and Jennifer Lopez, all speaking about what it takes to make it in the industry.

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Aside from performances, the summit will include question-and-answer sessions, artists meet and greets, clinics, master classes, and product demos.

Liberty DeVitto, longtime drummer for Billy Joel, will also be a part of this year’s event as he sits alongside music educator Famularo, drummer Lang, and bassist Bello during “The Sessions” panel Saturday.

The panel will focus on how to form the necessary skills for success in the business, while other topics include contract negotiations, marketing, self-promotion, entertainment law, and artist relations.

DeVitto said he plans to talk about the steps he took early in his career that ultimately secured his career as a drummer with Joel, as well as highlighting a few of the mistakes he made along the way, specifically mentioning failing to hire a lawyer for many of the contracts he signed earlier in his career, to give the public and students advice on how to avoid problems like that.

He’ll also play a jam session afterward with other musicians and those in the public who wish to perform.

“This will educate and elevate,” DeVitto said. “We’ll educate you on what it’s really like [to be in the music industry]. We’ll have industry people who work for music companies, we have roadies, tour managers, just to show that you don’t necessarily have to be that guy up there playing on the stage to be in the music business. There are so many other parts of it that you can become.”

Not only does Czeczele want the event to serve as an inspiration for people looking for a career in the music industry, he also wants the public to be educated from the professionals about the good and bad aspects within the field, whether how they got their break or coping mechanisms to keep their sanity on the road.

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“By bringing these kinds of people who have made it in the industry, the students can ask questions, relate to them, and [it] helps them in ways we can’t as teachers here at the college,” Czeczele said. “It gives them exposure to something that will help them guide their careers in the future.”

Performances will include Anthrax and Megadeth supergroup Altitudes & Attitude, as well as many of the musicians attending the event.

“This is one of those towns that has a lot of potential and people don’t realize that,” Czeczele said. “Being able to bring these artists here and visit the community is something we're benefiting from. It’s a great thing and I hope we can continue to do it and as long as we can we're going to.”

First Published April 2, 2019, 12:56 a.m.