The Access Film Music Showcase returns to Park City during film festival week.

The live-performance event, which gives musicians opportunities to connect with filmmakers, will run Jan. 26-28, at The Cabin, 427 Main St., and founder “Chicago Mike” Beck is ready.

“This will be our 19th showcase,” Beck said. “I was inspired to do it after we came last year and did a couple of dates at The Cabin. Even though Sundacne has changed so much from 10 years ago, the creative vibe that permeates the city during film festival week is undeniable.”

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The Cabin is a 21-and-older venue, but no festival credentials or cover charge required for admission. 

As independent artists we have amazing advantages in that we own our recordings and compositions.” ‘Chicago Mike’ Beck, Access Film Music Showcase co-founder

Beck, a former Parkite and songwriter, partnered with songwriter Burton Hurner to found the Access Film Music Showcase in 2004. And for 15 years, the event, which features rock, pop, Americana, country, blues and folk musicians, was held at the Spur Bar & Grill, 352 Main St.

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“Then the pandemic hit, and the Spur decided to do something different during film festival week,” Beck said.

Enter Junior Richard, general manager of The Cabin.

“Junior, a musician himself, has been so gracious with us over the years, and he used to come down to the Spur to encourage us,” Beck said. “He always said to contact him if there was anything he could do, so he was my first call. And he opened the doors wide. I can’t express my gratitude enough.”

Access’ schedule this year will include co-founder Hurner, Nashville-based songwriter Clint Alphin, Colorado-based songwriter Mark Monroe Gibson, Bill McGinnis, a former Park City songwriter who now lives in Salt Lake City, and fellow Salt Lake-based songwriters Mel Soul and Timmi Cruz.

The schedule also features Christopher Hawley Rollers, from Venice Beach, Beck said.

“Christopher first played with us in 2005, has played with us throughout the years,” he said. “In fact, just about everyone has played for us, and there will be a couple of new folks who aren’t scheduled yet. And the fun for me is discovering new people.”

Beck is still working with other artists to fill the schedule, which can be found by visiting accessfilmmusic.net.

“We’re trying to coordinate when they can get off work and play, so we’ll have 90% of the schedule filled in the next 24 to 48 hours,” he said.

Many times after the Park City showcase, Beck invites the artists to the spring Access Film Music Showcase in Paris. 

“To be able to offer that to artists is an exciting moment,” he said. “And it’s incredibly rewarding.”

In addition to the live performances that will also feature an all-star jam — Chicago Mike’s InterGalactic Brother & Sisterhood of Big Eyed Beans From F.U.F.M.O. — the showcase will offer a free workshop presented by Beck and Gibson called “Movies, Music & Money” from 2-4 p.m. on Jan. 27, Beck said.

The workshop offers musicians, songwriters, composers, recording artists and others an in-depth understanding of the process, details, best practices and opportunities for sync licensing music to the visual media industries.

“So much of the events Sundance and Slamdance present are oriented toward the filmmaker, so I wanted this to be specifically for musicians,” Beck said. “The big term is ‘Sync Ready,’ and that means you are ready when you do find opportunities to meet filmmakers and music supervisors.”

Since the music marketplace has transformed in the past three years, Beck wanted to make sure independent musicians can get a leg up.

“As independent artists we have amazing advantages in that we own our recordings and compositions,” he said. “We can respond to requests, but we have credibility issues. Many visual-media production people don’t know that we know what we’re doing. So, this workshop will go through the things people can do to be ready for their music to be licensed.”

The workshop will also teach musicians how to set things in place to get paid fairly, Beck said.

“We also want to make sure when a show is broadcast, the artists can collect the royalties they’re owed,” he said.

Beck and Gibson have been teaching this class at the Rocky Mountain Song School.

“Mark is a songwriter who refers to himself as a reformed attorney, but while he has moved away from life as an attorney, he still has some clients,” Beck said. “His legal background gives him an understanding of copyright law and music publishing that are way above my paygrade.”

Over the years, Beck has also asked Gibson to collaborate on and participate in panels, including ones at AmericanaFest in Nashville.

“We’ve been doing this for 19 years, and we’ve never done it here in Park City,” Beck said. “So, I talked with Junior, and he said, ‘Let’s do it.'”