Tag: robin valk (Page 6 of 7)

Birmingham Music Heritage – Untold Stories revisits Birmingham 1965 – 1985 when the city dominated the world’s music scene.

In partnership with Radio To Go, Birmingham Music Heritage – Untold Stories revisits Birmingham during the period of 1965 – 1985 when the city dominated the world’s music scene. Capturing memories and stories from some of the actual people who helped pioneer Birmingham’s music industry, the venues key to its success, and an insight into the musicians and music they produced with the influence from the city’s culture on their sound. Over the next two years the project will be filming a series of interviews for a documentary about Birmingham’s popular music story.

It will also be recording a number of radio interviews & podcasts for free download from the project’s website which will include stories, information and photographs relating to the artists themselves. A heritage trail will also be published with the release of the project DVD for free distribution across Birmingham at a number of exhibitions also during 2010.

The team’s consultants included local pop legend Bob Lamb, who has had a colourful career since the 60’s, including successes in bands such as, ‘Locomotive’ and the ‘Steve Gibbons Band’. He also produced UB40’s debut album ‘Signing off’, recorded Duran Duran’s first material, The Lilac Times (Steven ‘Tin Tin’ Duffy) and Ruby Turner to name a few.

http://www.birminghammusicheritage.org.uk/

Birmingham Music Heritage

May 2010 Music Network Meeting Minutes

The Music Network Meeting Minutes 27th May 2010

Chaired by Mark Badger

Present:

Mark Badger (Iron Man Records, The Music Network), Robin Valk (RadioTogo.com), Jenny Tate (Violet Sky Music Management, Saturday Rock on Rhubarb Radio), Saurabh Thomas (Student at BCU,) Rich Mitton (Mitton Audio, Audio Engineer, front of House, Vinnie and the curse),  Darren Roberts (University of Birmingham), Bernadette Markantonakis, Olivia Markantonakis (at University in Lincoln and doing drama, also singer & actress), Colin Tippin (Musicalexchanges.com), Rob Heaton (Pathway productions, music production and video production), Andy Watt (Base Studios, rehearsal studios and venue with streaming internet) Spence Cater (Writer photographer, musician, mentor),

Apologies: Dusky edwards, Clare Edwards, Anthony Hughes, Andy Derrick.

Rich Mitten:
One man operation, he’s a front of house and monitor engineer, also does studio production.
He can offer advice and guidance from putting on an event to any element of production.
Rich is working as an engineer for Vinnie and the Curse.
mittonaudio@gmail.com

Rob Heaton:
Looking to get into music and video production. Recently been doing some training on music creation software. Interested in doing some remixing work. Currently doing a documentary for a competition “two weeks to make it” its the first time the competition has been run. the idea is take two weeks to make a music video.
07858 520318 bert@wonderful.plus.com
looking for musicians and others to get in touch.

Darren Roberts

From University Of Birmingham. Writing a project focused on power relations in birmingham, how music works in the west midlands. wants to hear from people about their views in the music industry. There are a series of quesions

“Your experiences of both the commercial world of music and the public world (as in public funding bodies), and the different challenges to be faced or benefits to be gained, the impact on creativity, and the relationship/contrasts that exist between both spheres””Where do you see different forms of unity (stability, hierarchy, power) and division (exclusion, illegitimacy, segregation) within Birmingham’s music industry”

If anyone is interested in contributing: Dxr827@bham.ac.ukThere is also a small piece “musicism in birmingham” to be posted on the blue whale blog.

Robin Valk:

Is talking about local radio and its relationship with local music.
Focus is where radio has been, where it is going and where the new opportunities lie and some of the things you can do with radio. Also looking at audio with pictures. Its not a positive picture for radio but it is positive for creativity.

Robin is involved with Project x presents: a multi media event, with music, dance, performance artists, builds to a climax of mark wreck dj set. next event will be informal possibly in november and wants to make it more music based.

wants to get musicians collaborating and getting ideas together.

Robin is pushing to get people djing

suggestions welcome, expenses will be paid but thats about it. if you want to get involved please get in touch: robin@radiotogo.com

Jenny:

(Violet Sky management launching a band “Hope Order truth”)
duskyedwards@live.co.uk
band looking for support slots, band have new stuff in production, website, facebook, looking for sponsorhsip for the album launch and also collaboration from anyone who can help the launch go sucessfully
looking for any platform to help the band. Looking for people to come in for the show on saturdayrocks@rhubarbradio.com
www.rhubarbradio.com

Olivia:

A singer who is looking to work with bands, producers, studios, anyone who is making pop music and requires a good female singer. oliviamarkantonakis@hotmail.com 07958 225864

Colin:
www.musicalexchanges.com
It is a website resource for musicians, still under construction. Site has networking section, recruitment section, mini traders section for people to sell to each other, also shop section for people to find good deals.

Trying to build an ebay style or facebook style dating.com and an online shopping center

Should be launched very soon. Website has been two years in the making
Colin is inviting people to get involved, register with the website and take part in testing still taking place.

Colin is looking for two more web developers enquiries@musicalexchanges.com

Andy:

Base Studios
Near Stourbridge Railway Station, 200 capacity live venue, basic lighting rig, 5k rig, good sound desk, bar and six rehearsal rooms.
Theres a green screen behind the stage backdrop
Get a Gig: Warren@basestudios1.co.uk if you want a gig
website: myspace.com/basestudios
basestudios1.co.uk

Andy looking for people that would be interested in employing someone who can source and sell merchandise, experience working with label, licensing and running the label, interested in finding out more about online and digital sales.
Andy Watt: andy.watt@ssp.uk.com

Saurabh Thomas

Is aiming at being a composer, wants to get into television and advertising, wants to know how to get into the business
discussion followed, do your research, find people already successful, find out how they operate, try and approach some independent filmakers, perhaps look at screenwestmidlands,
myspace.com/saurabhft

saurabhft@hotmail.com

07914176963

Spence cater:

Moseley in bloom is a few weeks away. the garden area is open to the public. Looking for a jazz trio
anyone who is interested get in touch with spence cater
oakland road, up past the patrick kavanagh
spencecater@hotmail.com

The Music Network – 4pm Thursday 27th May 2010, Birmingham T.E.E, Millennium Point, Birmingham, B4 7XG. All Invited

The Music Network is open to all on Thursday 27th May 2010 4pm til 6pm at Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG. The Meeting will be lead this month by Mark Badger

The Music Network, Birmingham, 2008

The Music Network organises a NETWORKING EVENT on the last Thursday of each month, for the benefit of music related businesses in the West Midlands region. If you have any involvement in music, come and talk about what you’re up to and meet some new people.These Networking events are about all things music in the region. They’re about helping you to teach yourself how to do it, by yourself, for yourself and encourages you to share the knowledge with others so they can do the same.  If you are a musician, a student, someone who works with musicians, represents musicians, has involvement with the music industry, or are looking to make new contacts…..the meeting will be useful.

If you have news to report, a presentation to give, an event to promote, any new points for discussion, a pitch to make, business cards or flyers to hand round, an appeal for help, advice or guidance or even if you just want the free tea and biscuits and some serious discussion…you are invited.

You can also post in by email any news or gig dates or press release information for inclusion on the website and for distribution through the mailing list and RSS feed. More details on the website.

There will be luxury chocolate biscuits and good coffee for all. There’s food and drink afterwards supplied by the creative networks too. Please pass this invite on to Musicians you know or anyone else who you think may benefit.

https://birminghammusicnetwork.com Come and Join us.

About Mark Badger:

Mark runs Iron Man Records, based in Birmingham England. The record label has been running since 1996 and in 2000 he set up Birmingham Music Network which is also known as just The Music Network.

Mark has organised more than 1000 gigs in and around Birmingham since 1994 using many different identities but most of them used the name Badger Promotions until 2002.

Mark plays in a band called Last Under The Sun and another called Police Bastard. He works as a tour manager and driver helping bands out on the live circuit and when he finds time he writes and maintains several music related blogs. Mark has assembled simple online strategies for established bands, like the The Orb, and countless other new bands who have asked for help.

Mark has done some lecturing at Birmingham City University as part of their Music Business degree course, and bits and pieces for the Musicians Union, Birmingham City Council, Learning and Skills Council and Advantage West Midlands.

Mark also operates a shop on ebay selling all sorts of good alternative music on cd or vinyl.

Midlands Calling?…the new opps and apps for audio broadcast
Speaker – Robin Valk           www.radiotogo.co.uk

Robin Valk is a broadcast and software consultant whose career started in the 60s at the very first Student radio station in the UK. In the 70s he worked in US Rock Radio before becoming the first DJ hired at BRMB, and in the 90s at BBC Radio 2 at Pebble Mill.

When not consulting in the UK and Europe, teaching, podcasting or blogging, Robin works on radio and music projects. He is currently working on a documentary project about the music and musicians of Handsworth, Birmingham, as well as leading a pilot project for the British Library. He is one of the most experienced Selector music programming software operators in Europe and has a ten year association with RCS New York as help author for their flagship products.

A Panel Discussion will follow Robin’s keynote presentation. We’ll be looking at the status of Radio today, where the talent that’s needed is to be found and how the digital age affects production yet offers new opportunities. We’ll examine the expanded horizons for audio broadcast platforms and how to capitalise on the perfect synergy of local music with local radio.

To join us for this FREE event, please call Dave Taylor on 0121 331 5400. Alternatively, register online at www.creativenetworksonline.com

How can Government help creative entrepreneurs? What questions would you ask Policy Advisors on this issue?

Clare Edwards would like you to send her YOUR views, opinions and questions to put to some senior civil servants at Downing Street on the subject of How can Government help creative entrepreneurs?”

Clare says on her blog: “Well the latest opportunity is a chance to go to Downing Street next week to talk with senior civil servants (and possibly the odd policy advisor or Minister) in a 90 minute session to tell Government how they can better help creative entrepreneurs and where things are working and where are they failing.

I thought it would be interesting to see what questions you think I should be asking and in general what sort of constructive messages you think this group of policy makers and shapers should hear from creative businesses.

I’m not the only person who has been asked by the British Council to do this but I’m probably the only person from the the West Midlands so if you have ideas of how the government could help creative businesses in the future – leave me some comments and I’ll let you know which points I take with me and how I get on…

I have my own ideas on this but I’d love to go along with a broader understanding of the ideas, struggles and questions that others in the sector have. As you know I go with a music hat on personally but I think some of the issues for music are the same for other ‘creative industries‘. So if you run a creative business and think there is a burning issue I need to be aware of when I walk into Number 10 – let me know!

I’m going next Wednesday so you can suggest ideas right up to that time so…. I can take them with me!”

I’ve been reading with interest some of the comments already submitted including comments from Stef Lewandowski, Sarah Habgee, Nick Dunn, Ed King, Nick Booth, Dave Harte,  Norman Perrin, Robin Valk, and others. You can add your own comments, ideas or submit your questions to Clare Edwards here

Clare Edwards is a freelance music consultant and event organiser – she has run Gigbeth over the past few years, works with Soweto Kinch Productions, conducts Notorious and is a Chair of Sound It Out. Clare is involved with the board of Arts Council England WM, Moby Duck and is a Chair of Governors at a local primary school. In between Clare has found time to lead The Music Network monthly meeting and she sings with Ex Cathedra.

The people who control the Funding are damaging the Creative Industries in The West Midlands

Read the full article by Anthony J. Hughes here.

Funding procedures and practice and the funding and economic redevelopment projects aimed at supporting ‘creative industries’ has actually become a system supporting government ‘intervention[1]’ and policy. That policy has either intentionally or inadvertently become a controlling factor in the human act of creativity and now acts in a legislative, often excluding manner and is often damaging for the industries it claims to ‘support’[2].

The funding system has led to: –

1               A skewed artificial view of the creative industries in both nature, practice, shape, scope and for the purposes of counting economic value attached to it.

2               A new industry[3] which originated as a parasite on the back of creativity – and has now been extremely manipulative in reversing the role. This new ‘industry’ is policed by civil servants, accountants, admin paper pushers and is predominantly made up of those who are not from a creative background and have little or no understanding of the nature of either creativity or indeed commercial practice.

3               This layer of industry has a workforce skilled only in administrative practice and procedure.

4               This industry began to recognize its lack of credibility and sought to legitimize its position of ‘superiority’ over the creative industry by creating often unnecessary layers of beaurocracy and or statistical data analysis which bares no resemblance to the nature shape or practice of the business. In more recent years it has transcended this feeling of inadequacy and in a process of self promotion and sheer ignorance now largely believes in it’s own myth.

5               Because of this the funding system[4] is often flawed in it’s remit and misunderstands the nature of the industry. It has done two things: –
a)     Imposed artificial rules on creativity and therefore the creative process.
b)    Generated a need to either alter the course of original concept in order to gain financial support or cause the creative practitioner to give false indication as to the intention to meet those inappropriate requirements and outcomes.

6               The result is that the new industry of bid writers have taken up a very old industry mantle which solicits money under false pretenses – this used to be called extortion.

With this in mind we are currently at an important time for the creative accounting. The mad dash to spend spend spend which inevitably results in Shit Shit Shit!

If only there was a way to be…well…thrifty or selective in these times of tax-payer-benefactor[5]. If only there was a recognition for spending on the worthwhile and handing back if there weren’t enough interesting and culturally engaging things to ‘buy’. If only the decision was made by those who actually know something of the business and arts they are  ‘supporting’ If only they had ever run a business themselves – or even worked in the sector – or even worked in the commercial world.

But no, the directive engineered from policy (Government[6]) is ‘If you haven’t spent it this year then you don’t get it next year’[7] – which is basically saying creativity is a constant state and never deviates in volume. If you have set the bench mark at the start of the process then it remains the bench mark.

In fact – what we are talking about is imposing mechanical economic and fiscal practice on creativity.

It’s odd that to value creativity we need to align it with financial value and business terminology.

Are you creative? Come and see our business advisor…Have you got a good idea? Come and help us spend some money to provide us with an unnecessary position.

When the government foisted the ‘creative industries’ banner on us they were both insightful and manipulative. They also, without fail, get it spectacularly wrong. Where they are clever is in instilling plans through the route to everyone’s heart in these sorry times of economic downfall – CASH.

But only a little bit and never enough to create true independence from the hand that feeds.

5 – 10 years ago if I would ask any designer, musician, writer sculptor or painter if they see themselves as industry? The answer would be largely ‘No I am an artist’.

Well here’s the thing, ask the new generation of ‘creatives’ if they are industry and the answer is invariably ‘yes – I work in the creative industries’ so entrenched is this idea and terminology that within 5 years we have lost the right to be creative for the sake of it. Oh Thatcher you did wonders stamping out individuality.

The first to go were the independent art colleges – swallowed up by the dash to become a University by capacity rather than by design or accomplishment – not so much red brick as breeze block. There is no place for creativity in the traditional sense, free thinking, political insightful and dangerous. Does society really see creatives as lazy near-do-well’s or has government driven media created this notion? Was the lottery ever set up to subsidize Mrs. Jones’s hip op? Why have we consistently had the notion of a conflict between arts funding and health? And why do we have a whole layer of bureaucracy, civil servants, accountants, and now university teachers who perpetuate this nonsense because it makes for more interesting paperwork?

We have been assimilated by buzz words and business strategy and slowly grown dependant on funding in order to even create. What we have now is creativity by committee. If you want to create you have to follow the prescribed rules of engagement. You have to create by government design and in their own image. In short we have replaced the disproportionate scale of the once wealthy patrons alongside the slightly smaller religious figures with the same design albeit without the lapis Lazuli emblazoned clothes. Those writing the cheques are now the larger of the saints.

Where once we found the Catholic church peddling it’s own visual propaganda, we find a new religion peddling spending power.

Where once collectors were benefactors or there to be harbingers of good taste, we have a whole new industry of bid writers[8]

Creativity if it is an industry SIC code based business is in decline due exactly to those who purport to help and ‘advise’ it.
Businesses are closing daily and being replaced with funded projects who occupy the market sector with ‘free’ services. Free web design, Free video, Free marketing, Free business advice and free representation to governments and think tanks – but at what cost?

Ask any client whether they would like to buy a service or have it for nothing and guess what the answer is?

Ask any SME if they can offer a service cheaper than free? and well…

Real business with overheads are either propped up by funding themselves – usually distracted from core activity or being replaced with funded trading arms of universities and other education establishments who masquerade as profit making. RDA funded initiatives who have a finite life-span on the life support of the funding whims of those ‘in the know’. And we have the cartels who sit at every panel, discussion group and decision making board carving up  the spoils of the governments lame attempts to benefit the arts and emerging imaginary ‘digital revolution’. Those who write the opportunities and publish them reluctantly in the most obscure sites and papers so as to be ‘transparent’ in complying with the rules – but leaving little or no opportunity for anyone to bid for or win the funds which are already allocated to the usual suspects.

The system is corrupt, ineffective and manipulative. The system is not supporting creative industries – it is killing it!

[1] Intervention (Pr;- in-ter-feer-ing) – slang passed into popular parlance by repeated use in answer to criticism from the creative businesses about the one way didactic maner of knowledge transfer partnerships and other legitimizing tactics employed to gain some industry credibility by those with non.

[2] Support in this context meaning benefit by association with.

[3] RDA’s, Arts Funding Agencies, Socio-political and cultural agenda groups, associated and off-spring satellite groups both public and private sector. Professional and non professional bid writers and cultural ambassador groups with no remit perpetuating the ‘creative class’ theory of richard florida – Oh yes we’ve all read him so stop pretending you are so clever.

[4] Funding system has now become synonymous with the industry it uses as hostage.

[5] Term first coined by Anthony J Hughes 2008 all copyright reserved

[6] The self serving self perpetuating media elected business that offers a lip-service democracy to pacify the masses and avoid scenes of revolution and public execution.

[7] Approximation of the funding regime imposed by government/s summarized to a one-liner for the purpose of those who need help reading.

[8] This was formerly known as extortion – the gaining of moneys under false pretenses

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