On Saturday, May 12th, Music Canada held its third annual international Music Cities summit The Mastering of a Music City during Canadian Music Week 2018. Conference delegates, policy-makers, urban planners, and music community members all gathered to discuss topics related to the value of music, its economic impact, and its relationship to innovative city planning and creative entrepreneurship.Click here to view more recaps of panels from the summit.
The discussion was moderated by Lynn Ross, who works as a Cultural Planner at the City of Vancouver. Panelists included: Adrian Tonon, City of Detroit; Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle; Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell, Owner/Manager of a prominent record label in Memphis, Tennessee; Omar Lozano from Visit Austin, Austin Tourism.
The conversation kicked off with a discussion of some of the major challenges facing each of the panelists’ cities. Councillor Josh Colle touched on the exciting growth of Toronto as a Music City, but highlighted how this rapid growth puts pressure on every aspect of the music industry – particularly for venue owners and artists who face barriers to affordability and livability.
Adrian Tonon went on to discuss how the economic crisis that plagued the City of Detroit for the last several decades meant that music, film, and other cultural services were delegated to lesser priorities. But the city has been making recent steps towards a strong recovery, and Tonon described how his work leading the Mayor’s Film, Music and Night Time Economy initiatives have helped contribute to the development of the city’s thriving arts and culture scene.
The panel also touched on the role celebrity artists can play in building up and promoting their city on a global stage. Lawrence “Boo” Mitchell highlighted the deep, rich musical history of Memphis that produced legendary icons like Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. Mitchell discussed the importance of not just promoting the biggest names, but to instead use that as a foundation and work towards embracing some of the newer artists whose musical catalogue could also put Memphis on the map.
Councillor Colle went on to reflect on the importance of artists like Drake and The Weeknd, who have become de-facto Toronto ambassadors, and whose success shined a light on youth hip hop scenes that were quietly thriving in cities across Canada.
Toronto Councillor @JoshColle responding to Drake/Weeknd’s impact on city. Feels there’s now kids in all corners of the city who want to break into industry, and residents need to dig beyond the surface to help grow #TOMusicCity. pic.twitter.com/T5jIBvhFp5
Another major topic of discussion was the important relationship between city government and music stakeholder groups in the journey to develop their Music City. Detroit’s Adrian Tonon highlighted how critical it was from the city side to ensure all the key players who had been previously working in silos were brought together to have a seat at the table, and in turn, collectively strive towards implementing the city’s strategic music priorities.
Omar Lozano also touched on the uniquely important role that non-profits play in Austin. Organizations like Austin Music People and the Austin Music Venue Alliance have worked with the municipal government on various initiatives, and more broadly, are continuing to make important strides towards progressive change.
Watch a video of the full discussion below, and stay tuned next week for a recap of another panel from the summit.
On Saturday May 12th, Music Canada held its third annual international Music Cities Summit The Mastering of a Music City during Canadian Music Week 2018. City professionals, policy-makers, industry executives, and music community members all gathered to discuss topics related to the value of music, its economic impact, and its relationship to innovative city planning and creative entrepreneurship. Click here to view more recaps of panels from the summit.
The morning kicked off with a panel discussion between Seattle, WA’s Kate Becker and London, ON’s Cory Crossman, two Music Officers doing exciting work to build up their Music City. The topic centered around exploring their methods of turning music strategies into concrete results, and learning about different approaches they used to address common barriers and problems.
The Music Officers began the conversation discussing the importance of developing a comprehensive music strategy that allows for flexible planning and policy-making. Cory Crossman, London’s Music Industry Development Officer, touched on the importance of branding when developing a profile as a Music City. He highlighted how the city’s path to promoting a ‘rock and roll revitalization’ in London was a key component of their approach and direction.
Kate Becker, Director of Seattle’s Office of Film and Music followed up with touching on some of Seattle’s major music accomplishments. Some of the most notable milestones include an annual City of Music Career Day (now in its seventh year) and the Sea-Tac Airport “Experience the City of Music” initiative, a public-private partnership that features local musicians playing throughout the airport and exciting overhead announcements by renowned Seattle artists, such as Macklemore.
The Music Officers also discussed the importance of ensuring an adherence to safety principles and conditions at music venues or events. Becker reflected on an example in 2015 where the city was faced with a troubling spike in incidences of drug-related issues at Electronic Dance Music (EDM) festivals and clubs. To address this, she implemented an approach that incorporated the input and participation of all the important players in this issue: promoters, venue owners, medics, harm-reduction experts, and more.
In particular, the Office of Film + Music collaborated with the city to host an annual ‘Music Safety Summit’ (now in its 4th year) that serves as a crucial public forum for key actors to work together towards progressive and effective solutions. Becker highlighted how this collaborative approach serves as a model that her office tries to utilize to address different situations that arise.
Becker and Crossman also touched on the critical importance of demonstrating the economic value of music to a city. Crossman credited the London Live Music Census as a major factor in gaining city and political support for the music strategy, and mentioned taking inspiration from Becker’s approach by ensuring that economic impact was measured and incorporated into policy-making. Becker agreed, and discussed how a 2008 economic impact study on Seattle’s music scene was the driving force behind the Office of Film + Music being established.
Prior to taking questions from audience members, Becker and Crossman ended their discussion with a reflection on the importance of audience development, and ensuring that the fans and public are properly engaged and connected.
Watch a video of the full discussion below, and stay tuned next week for a recap of another exciting panel.
Canadian Music Week has announced the first round of 2018 inductions to the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Hall of Fame, who will be honoured at the Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards Gala Dinner on Thursday, May 10, at Rebel Nightclub in Toronto.
This week, CMW announced David Farrell, who has covered the music industry for over four decades with his publications The Record and website FYI Music News, will be one of this year’s inductees. In addition to his industry coverage, Farrell is also credited as one of the founders of the festival and conference, which is now in its 36th year.
“David has always had a strong voice in the music industry, especially when it comes to delivering to the latest and most important news, says CMW President Neill Dixon. “I am very excited and honoured that David is being inducted into the 2018 Canadian Music Industry Awards Hall of Fame at CMW, the event that he helped start.”
“Being honoured by my peers in this way is beyond anything I could or would have asked for, and I’m grateful for those who have appreciated what I have done,” says Farrell. “It’s wonderful to be rewarded with an acknowledgement that my crazy life has, after all, meant something to the community that I’ve tried – for all these years – to serve in a meaningful, consistent way.”
In September, CMW announced Montreal radio DJ Robert “TooTall” Wagenaar as the first inductee for 2018, who retired from the mic after 40 years at CHOM 97.7 FM. To celebrate his career and Hall Of Fame induction, CHOM threw a retirement party for the “Made In Canada” host at Montreal’s Club Soda, featuring performances from Sam Roberts, The Pursuit Of Happiness, and video tributes from Alex Lifeson, Tom Cochrane, Blondie, Raine Maida, DMC, Gil Moore, and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Canadian Music Week (CMW) and C.A.A.M.A. (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Music & the Arts) have announced they will be creating the CMW Music Industry Market Report & Directory, transcribed by Canadian music writer Martin Melhuish.
The report was derived from CMW international delegates responses hoping for a Canadian market report to help with exporting artists. The CMW Music Industry Market Report & Directory will analyze all parts of the Canadian music industry, which includes hundreds of verified market facts and contacts within venues, live event services, promoters, publishers, recording services, studios, associations, organizations, festivals, events, media, consultants and more.
“After more than a decade of hosting international buyers and working closely on export development, we are finally bridging the gap across all music sectors to deliver a market report and directory that focuses on Canada,” said Canadian Music Week President Neill Dixon in a release. “CMW has held numerous Spotlights and Focuses, as well as an annual International Market place, to help narrow in on important international markets that should do business with Canadians. Now we can give everyone what they’ve been asking for… a guide that will support internationals executing business in Canada with up to date resources and contacts.”
Martin Melhuish, better known to many as Canada’s Literary Music Man, will be a key contributor to the CMW Music Industry Market Report & Directory. Melhuish has written several books about Canadian music over his 40 year writing career, including a history of Canadian country music, a definitive biography of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the JUNO Awards series, Oh What A Feeling: A Vital History Of Canadian Music.
More updates are excepted leading up to CMW’s 36th year, happening May 7-13, 2018 in Toronto, ON.
On April 20, 2017, JUNO and Polaris Prize winning experimental vocalist Tanya Tagaq delivered a brilliant and emotional keynote during the 2017 Global Forum at Canadian Music Week. Following her keynote, Tanya joined acclaimed Canadian musicians Susan Aglukark and Bear Witness of A Tribe Called Red, as well as Mike Downie, co-founder of the Secret Path project and the Gord Downie and Chanie Wenjack Fund, for a panel discussion moderated by John Kim Bell. The profound, honest, and moving discussion covered a wide range of topics such as culture, identity, residential schools, reconciliation, and the responsibility and pressure Indigenous artists feel to assume activist roles.
Before Tanya’s keynote, the Global Forum began with a stunning performance by Hamilton-based experimental trip-hop artist IsKwé, a welcome from Music Canada’s President and CEO Graham Henderson, and opening remarks from Arif Virani, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage (Multiculturalism) and Member of Parliament for Parkdale-High Park.
For more than a decade Music Canada has been proud to sponsor the Global Forum at Canadian Music Week, which brings together Canadian music professionals and international delegates for a networking breakfast and discussion. Over the last few years the Global Forum’s theme has been “music can help,” and in 2017 the focus shifted from a global outlook to an inward exploration of the role music has played for Indigenous musicians in Canada, bridging cultural divides and bringing national attention to Indigenous issues.
Watch the full video of the Global Forum panel discussion below.
Quoted
Susan Aglukark on the role music has played in her life:
The thing that music and art has done for me over the last twenty five years; it’s opened up this place and space where all opinions, thoughts, cultures, everything matters. Everything is a part of recovering and building bridges.
Bear Witness on visibility of Indigenous artists in mainstream culture:
We always get asked all these things about Indigenous issues, and it’s such a broad thing in trying to figure out what to talk about, and I kind of decided that in the kind of work I’m doing, the thing I can affect most is visibility and how I present myself to the world and how I want to be seen. And that’s something that goes back to how I grew up. We were actually talking before we came out about seeing a poster of you (John Kim Bell) that was up in a high school guidance office, or something like that. Seeing that poster was a huge inspiration for me. Because it was that idea of seeing an Indigenous person who was visible, who was getting recognition for excellence in their craft. I come from a long line of Indigenous artists and I’m probably the most visible out of any of them. By far not the most talented. So that idea that there’s been all of these talented Indigenous artists, generations of them, that have gone unnoticed, and to be noticed meant to give up your Indigeneity often. It’s a really new thing for us to be up here, representing the way that we all are.
Tanya Tagaq on identity in her music:
There shouldn’t be pressure culturally for us to get out of a box, stay in a box, or anything. We’re allowed to be what we want to be – cultural freedom – that’s what I want. And I don’t expect people to comprehend or even enjoy my music, because I was born and raised up there, but yeah I went to residential school for high school, and since we started touring I’m really into going to contemporary art galleries and I like applying concept to pieces. I like contemporary music. I like noise music. I love Cindy Sherman. Anish Kapoor is one of my favourite artists. So why is it that, because I’m an Inuk, what I’m doing in a contemporary sense is applied to this pan-Inuit concept? I think it’s total bullshit, and that I’m allowed to be free and do what I want and not bear the burden of people saying I’m a traditional artist, cause I’m not.
Mike Downie on Secret Path and using the platform music and fame provides to draw attention to social and political issues:
Our feeling was – maybe this can be an on-ramp for people to learn more, because the stories keep coming and they get a lot darker than a little boy by himself on the tracks. And so, I think we did feel like there was an opportunity to use this story to get it out to not just Gord’s fans, but to the country, and also I think, just come with a message too that if you’re coming to this now, it’s OK, but keep coming, don’t turn away, and keep following that path.
Bear Witness on the sense of responsibility Indigenous artists feel:
As Indigenous artists we take on a lot of responsibility to represent and speak about Indigenous issues, especially when we’re using our culture in our work. And one of the things you (John Kim Bell) said right away was that feeling of responsibility, that this isn’t a choice, this is something that we have to do. That filled me with so much confidence and so much happiness to hear you say that, because I say that all the time, to feel that there’s other artists who’ve gone through those same feelings.”
Tanya Tagaq on the way art affects collective consciousness and politics:
Our cultural climate is dictated by the individual and then by the school of fish that we are, so there’s a collective social consciousness that’s being affected by art right now, by people waking up, so I think that the way the government is going to change is by every single one of us taking the opportunity to learn and understand and cry out. I remember growing up it was still bad to be gay, and now you’re an idiot if you’re a homophobe, right? So I’m hoping that with all of us working together we’ll force the hand of the government into making it easier for us and I think it’s up to the youth to pick up the mantle and it’s up to every single one of us to bear some of the weight because it’s a little bit unfair for the people that are already hurting to have to bear the additional pressure, and that’s why I’m so appreciative of what you (Mike and Gord Downie) have done in your work.
On April 21, 2017, Music Canada President and CEO Graham Henderson delivered the opening keynote at Canadian Music Week‘s Global Creators Summit, highlighting the growing issue of the Value Gap for music creators. In “The Broken Promise of a Golden Age,” Graham urges artists and creators to stand up for what’s theirs, and use the power of democracy to generate positive change for the creative community.
Following CMW, the speech was featured on FYI Music News, and the full recording, initially live-streamed on Music Canada’s Facebook page, can be viewed below.
Canadian creators are encouraged to join the Focus On Creators initiative and sign the letter to The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, urging government to put creators at the heart of future policy.
Last Friday, policymakers, city planners and global music industry representatives took part in Music Canada’s and Canadian Music Week’s international music cities summit, “The Mastering of a Music City.”
The summit was based on Music Canada’s 2015 report of the same name, which set out a roadmap for cities to become Music Cities—by supporting the music sector and realizing the often-huge economic dividends from the creation, performance, and reception of music. The Mastering of a Music City Summit was curated and hosted by Music Canada Executive Vice President Amy Terrill.
In its second year, the event was a remarkable success, attended by a cross section of people from all over the world—from Canada and the United States to Poland, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Jamaica, Columbia, and more. While the summit was attended in person by nearly 200 entrepreneurs, city planners, music industry executives, artists, and musicians, over 5,000 people from around the world tuned in to watch the livestream of the event.
One of the many highlights of the day was an opening address from Toronto Mayor John Tory which functioned as a ‘state of the music industry’ for the Music City. The mayor highlighted the strength of the music scene and the progress the city has made so far, including: creating the music in parks permit, changes to musician loading/unloading zones, the mayor’s evening for the arts, and attaching local music to city services like 311.
The city will aim to lead more live music events, including showcases, abroad and at home, and will create over 200 city-led opportunities for artists over the next year.
The city will make music part of the planning process at city hall by putting a motion to council that would notify new developments of existing nearby music venues. The mayor will also classify music as an eligible activity in the city’s employment lands.
The city will support music tourism by bringing local musicians to the city’s airports, and programming a Winterlicious-style music event to boost activity in the off-season.
“The creativity, the joy, the talent that music brings to a big city lies at the heart of what makes Toronto dynamic and innovative,” Tory said. “I am absolutely committed to the music industry and playing the part city hall is meant to play.”
The Role of Advocates
Helen Marcou, owner of Bakehouse Studio in Melbourne, Australia, delivered the opening keynote presentation on The Role of Advocates: A Story of Successfully Fighting for Your Music City.
When stringent and high cost regulations forced a storied punk rock venue in Melbourne to close, and another 126 venues to reduce their programming, Marcou began a movement called Save Live Australia’s Music, or SLAM.
The campaign had a simple but effective message, “don’t kill live music,” was inclusive and non-partisan, and brought over 20,000 supporters out to the steps of the legislature. When the campaign was over, laws were amended and a permanent voice for the music community created in the form of a music advisory body.
Marcou continues to advocate for live music, but spoke about her more recent efforts to combat sexual assault and harassment of women in live music venues and at music festivals. When Marcou penned a letter to government calling for action, the state created a taskforce to combat sexual harassment at live music venues.
Music City Leaders
The Music City Leaders Panel asked key questions of elected officials who have identified music as a key strategy or economic sector in their cities. Panelists included Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville; John Tory, Mayor of Toronto; Filippo del Corno, Assessore alla Cultura, City of Milan; Maria Claudia Lopez Sorzano, Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports, City of Bogota; Delroy Williams, Mayor of Kingston, Jamaica; and Manon Gauthier, Member of the City of Montreal Executive Committee, City of Montreal.
The panelists gave critical advice to would-be Music City advocates, and industry cooperation and collaboration emerged as a key theme. Tory said that advocates must focus on the issue, and speak with one voice if they want to be heard. This sentiment was echoed by Gauthier and del Corno.
Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville, remarked upon his work establishing affordable housing specifically for artists. Music Cities, according to Dean, are strong and thrive because of the creative people that they attract. He pointed to music education and raising creative audiences and creative people as key principles.
Music Ecosystem
Following a presentation on the need for restoration and protection of Detroit’s music venues, moderator Vel Omazic, Executive Director of Canada’s Music Incubator, led the Music Ecosystem Panel. The panel discussed how cities should go about identifying and solving gaps in their Music City ecosystems.
Omazic was joined by Andreas Kalogiannides, a business entertainment lawyer and co-chair of the Toronto Music Advisory Council (TMAC); Christina Fitzgerald, CIND-FM (Indie 88); Didier Zerath, Artist Mgmt & Music Industry Consultant; Dino Lupelli, CEO of Linecheck Music Meeting & Festival; and Jesse Elliot, Director of The Music District.
One of the key themes that emerged from this panel was the importance of the grassroots music community driving change. According to Elliot, community engagement for The Music District—a Fort Collins music hub for musicians and music related businesses—lasted over one and a half years and was a key reason for the success of the program.
Andreas spoke to the results of the widely responded to survey that TMAC used to identify issues when formulating the Toronto Music Strategy. The survey, which was answered by over 6,000 individuals, emphasized the city’s need for livability and affordability for its creative class and a need for accessible rehearsal and performance spaces.
The Music Ecosystem Panel was followed by a series of presentations on the value of the UNESCO Cities of Music. The presentations were delivered by representatives of member cities, Kingston, Jamaica, Bogota, Columbia, and Katowice, Poland.
Music Tourism
The Mastering of a Music City report touted music tourism as a key part of the equation for cities looking to generate economic benefits from live music. Erin Benjamin, Executive Director of Music Canada Live, led the Music Tourism Panel along with:
Andras Berta, International Relations Director, Sziget Festival, Hungary
Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism, Canada
The panel talked about how music can be a powerful motivator for travel, especially when associated with powerful and memorable experiences. Rollo spoke to the opportunities that music provides. Artists and musicians are able to create experiences for their fans that no other sector can provide, and it can be a significant draw for visitors. Furthermore, music tourists spend significantly more on travel and associated expenses than other types of tourists, according to Beukema’s experience.
A presentation from Molly Neuman, Head of Music at Kickstarter, followed the panel. Neuman spoke to the crowd-funding company’s desire to support the creative independence of artists and music communities.
The conference closed with a panel moderated by Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle which asked panelists to investigate the competition for space between developers and music venues—an issue that developing cities around the world, including Toronto, are dealing with. The panel included members of the music industry, city officials, and a representative of a US development company.
Shain Shapiro, Managing Director of Sound Diplomacy, and Jocelyn Kane, Executive Director of San Francisco’s Entertainment Commission, told the conference about their cities’ experiences with the ‘Agent of Change’ policy. In San Francisco, this means that new developments must do acoustic tests and implement sound mitigation if they are built within 300 ft. of a music venue. The Entertainment Commission also ensures that new tenants cannot sue nearby venues for noise issues.
Shapiro put forward that many developers want to support music and that the industry and government’s role is to facilitate that. As new developments in London are mandated to have cultural space components, Shapiro’s organization has created guides for developers on how to make those components music-related.
Watch the live recording of the How to Work with the Development Community panel (part 1 and part 2).
Today at the opening to the Music Summit at Canadian Music Week, the Hon. Eleanor McMahon, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, announced the 2017 Ontario Music Fund grant recipients. The province is investing $15 million through 190 new grants that will help music businesses and artists across the province increase music production and attract new audiences.
The release highlights that the Ontario Music Fund has supported the sale of over 5.6 million recordings domestically and more than seven million recordings internationally since the program was created in 2013 and made permanent two years later. Almost four million people have attended live music events supported by the fund, featuring more than 4,000 performances by Ontario artists.
“Ontario is home to a diverse music industry that draws people from all over to take advantage of our world class recording facilities and to experience our vibrant live music scene,” said McMahon in the release. “Ontario is the best place to record and perform music in Canada, and through the Ontario Music Fund our government continues to invest in this dynamic sector.”
McMahon made the announcement during Canadian Music Week, which receives funding from the OMF that supports its many initiatives, including summits, an international marketplace, industry awards, and live music events. The Canadian Music Week Festival will showcase over 800 artists at more than 40 venues over five nights in downtown Toronto.
Joining McMahon on stage was Karen Thorne-Stone, President & CEO of the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC), the organization that administers the fund.
“Ontario’s music is enjoyed across Canada and on the world stage,” said Thorne-Stone in the release. “Through the Ontario Music Fund, OMDC is proud to support the growth of this vibrant industry where strong companies and emerging artists alike contribute to Ontario’s employment, economy and quality of life.”
“As a recipient, Canadian Music Week can attest to the effectiveness of the Ontario Music Fund,” added Neill Dixon, President of Canadian Music Week. “The investment we’ve received bolsters our ability to attract international companies and our status as ‘ground zero’ for global interest in Ontario artists. The Government of Ontario can rightfully take a bow for amping up interest in Canadian artists around the world with this initiative. And we applaud them for it.”
The full list of 2017 Ontario Music Fund recipients is now available on the OMDC website.
This Thursday, April 20, 2017, celebrated experimental vocalist and artist Tanya Tagaq will provide a keynote address at the Canadian Music Week (CMW) Global Forum Networking Breakfast. This year’s Global Forum shines the spotlight on Indigenous musicians and those using music to bring attention to issued faced by Indigenous communities in Canada. Music’s ability to connect people, heal communities and bridge historic divides will be the focus of discussion.
Following her keynote, the JUNO and Polaris Prize-winning artist will join a panel discussion that will also include:
John Kim Bell – Moderator | Musician, Conductor, Officer of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario
Susan Aglukark | JUNO Award-winning recording artist, educator, Officer of the Order of Canada and recipient of The Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts
Bear Witness | JUNO and Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award-winning recording artist from A Tribe Called Red
Mike Downie | Producer, Director, and co-founder of the Gord Downie – Chanie Wenjack Fund, as well as co-creator and co-producer of the Secret Path project
Sponsored by Music Canada for more than a decade, the Global Forum is an invite-only event that brings Canadian and international music professionals together. In recent years, the Global Forum has celebrated and recognized individuals and organizations in the music community who are using music to make the world a better place.
Last year’s Global Forum featured a keynote by Laura Hassler, Founder and Director of Musicians without Borders, whose terrific presentation covered the topic “War Divides, Music Connects: Using Rock for Reconciliation.” This year’s Global Forum, titled “The Power of Music: Indigenous Artists Discuss Music’s Ability to Unite, Inspire, and Heal,” follows a similar theme of music’s power to connect, with a focus on bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada together following decades of historic mistreatment.
The Global Forum will open with a performance by Winnipeg-bred Hamilton-based singer-songwriter IsKwé.
Once again, global city planners and the music industry will take part in Music Canada’s and Canadian Music Week’s international creative-economy summit “The Mastering of a Music City.” The day-long summit will take place during Canadian Music Week on Friday, April 21, 2017.
This will be the second year of the summit which last year brought close to 200 entrepreneurs, industry executives, tourism experts, artists, and musicians from all over the world together to talk about Music Cities—the shared realization that cities across the globe enjoy an often-huge economic dividend from the creation, performance, and reception of music.
The summit will begin with opening remarks from Neill Dixon, President of Canadian Music Week, and Amy Terrill, EVP, Music Canada, and author of “The Mastering of a Music City” report, and Mayor of Toronto John Tory.
Helen Marcou, owner of Bakehouse Studio in Melbourne Australia, will deliver the opening keynote on The Role of Advocates: A Story of Successfully Fighting for Your Music City. When an iconic Melbourne venue was threatened with closure, Helen started a movement called Save Live Australia’s Music, or SLAM. Before she was done, 20,000 had marched on the steps of the legislature, laws were amended, and a permanent voice for music was created. Helen continues to be one of Melbourne’s strongest music advocates. Helen will share her story of fighting for her Music City.
Other notable events include:
A keynote presentation by Molly Neuman, Head of Music at Kickstarter How to Prevent Monoculture from Killing Our Music Cities. Neuman will speak to the future of culture sustainability.
A presentation and panel session on UNESCO Cities of Music that asks whether it is time for a North American member.
And four panel discussions:
The Music City Leaders Panel will ask key questions of elected officials who have identified music as a key strategy or economic sector in their cities. Panelists include Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville; John Tory, Mayor of Toronto; Filippo del Corno, Assessore alla Cultura, City of Milan; Maria Claudia Lopez Sorzano, Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports, City of Bogota; and Manon Gauthier, Member of the City of Montreal Executive Committee, City of Montreal.
The Music Ecosystem Panel will discuss how to identify gaps in a city’s music ecosystem—which supports the development of artists—which gaps are critical and what to do to address them.
The Music Tourism Panel will talk about how music is a powerful motivator for travel. Attendees will hear from some of the most successful properties that incorporate music into their offerings, and how it attracts music tourists.
The How to Work with the Development Community panel will be moderated by Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle, and will include Shain Shapiro, Managing Director of Sound Diplomacy and Co-Founder of the Music Cities Convention. The panel will investigate the competition for space between development and cultural spaces.
Music Canada will livestream the opening remarks and the following panels: The Role of Advocates: A Story of Successfully Fighting For Your Music City, The Music City Leader’s Panel, and How To Work With The Development Community. You can watch these discussions live on Music Canada’s Facebook feed.
Canadian Music Week
Last Friday, policymakers, city planners and global music industry representatives took part in Music Canada’s and Canadian Music Week’s international music cities summit, “The Mastering of a Music City.”
Music Canada