Category: Dialogue (Page 11 of 13)

Countercultural Capital & the Creative Economy – How do 1990s DiY Music ‘Entrepreneurs’ talk about the contemporary music business?” by Charlotte Bedford 2008

June 4, 2009 /

Here is a link to “Countercultural Capital & the Creative Economy – How do 1990s DiY Music ‘Entrepreneurs’ talk about the contemporary music business?” written by Charlotte Bedford for her MA Media Enterprise – Birmingham City University (May 2008)

It makes an interesting read…..here is a brief summary:

Placing independent music at the centre of the wider creative industries, this paper captures experiences and perspectives from 1990s DiY Music in order to inform the understanding of the rapidly changing ‘business’ of music.  The research builds on Leadbetter and Oakley’s (1999) description of a ‘new’ model of work derived from cultural entrepreneurs’ characteristic ‘independence’, and Wilson and Stokes’ (2002) subsequent paper on the changing nature of small independent businesses in the music industry.  These ideas are considered in relation to cultural and popular music theory, particularly drawing on Thornton’s (1998) concept of ‘subcultural capital’ where value within a music scene relates to the lines of demarcation differentiating between underground and mainstream.  The role of the cultural entrepreneur is examined through accounts and opinions of independent music practice then and now, exploring the extent to which the current Do-it-Yourself digital music trend is new and ‘independent’.

Funding the Creative Industries by Andy Derrick 13th Feb 2009

February 13, 2009 /

Inspired by several things, I thought I would look at the funding situation for those in creative industries.

At a recent Creative Networks event in Birmingham, Mike Ryan from the LSC stood up and told us all some good news about some funding being made available for the sector as part of Train to Gain. The only condition is that your business has 5 employees or more. As the next talker put it, that excludes nearly 90% of the sector who are embryonic, micro or whatever a sole trader is called these days.

Advantage West Midlands has been putting money into supporting the sector as well through the setting up of projects like Digital Central and Music for Media. They have supported activities like research into audiences, venue development, training in music technology and lots more. Those projects ceased to be funded by AWM in March 2008. The next round of funding was advised by a document drawn up by Clare Edwards who also ran Gigbeth. The early news in Summer 2008 was that the funding was to be split between Birmingham City University (formerly UCE) and Tribal supported by Gigbeth.

To date (13/01/09) no money has been given out.

Arts Council England also support ensembles, projects and other things across the region and some of their money has been swallowed up by the London 2012 Olympics. The funding does seem random with an emphasis on Classical and World music.

So where does this leave us? Funding for a new or developing creative business exists, sometimes, if you are not a sole trader, you play Classical or World Music and you hope to never make a profit. By the way, the money doesn’t come into your account; you have to bankroll it first and claim it back at the end.

So why bother? Most of the people making the decisions don’t have an understanding let alone a grounding in the creative industries. How could they possibly understand your project?

If your creative idea isn’t commercially viable in the first place, should it be helped to survive or left to die?

We should not expect to rely on these funds – they are politically skewed, shrouded in bureaucracy, absorbed by admin costs and near impossible to obtain.

We are in the early stages of a global financial realignment. Old ways of doing business are changing, some dying, some staying. New models of working are being developed.

This is the time to take risks and try something out.

It is worth bearing in mind that in the America of the 1930’s the economy supported the popular music of the time having large touring bands – a situation that has never been repeated in better times.

People still need to eat and drink and after that, the simple things in life – friends and good times are what people want. As musicians, our audience needs us as social commentators, shoulders to cry on, people to share experiences with and for escapism. A man with £3 in his pocket doesn’t mean much, but 100 people make a paying audience.

Remember who you work for, remember you are entertainers – funding doesn’t work, it distorts the market.

This article is printed in full at: http://www.andyderrick.co.uk/

Andy Derrick is an independent freelance musician based in Birmingham, UK. He used to work for the Musicians’ Union delivering front line services and advice to musicians of all genres, experience and backgrounds. Andy’s main work is as a trombonist in many groups playing Jazz, big band, classical and other kinds of music.  He also works in studios as a session musician providing horn tracks for writers and composers. Since 1992 Andy has written and arranged music and currently has works published by Warwick Music and Andek Music.  Andy also Teaches jazz, trombone and music theory working with pupils of all ages and standards across the Midlands.

Click here for some further reading

https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/03/a-vision-for-the-music-industry-in-the-west-midlands-by-clare-edwards-june-2008/

https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/10/andy-ward-another-view-of-the-west-midlands’-music-industry-and-funding/

http://anthonyjhughes.vox.com/library/post/mad-as-a-march-hare-march-madness-beware-the-eyes-of-march.html

http://anthonyjhughes.vox.com/library/post/gbs-usp.html

Andy Ward – Another view of the West Midlands’ music industry and FUNDING

February 10, 2009 /

Andy Ward responds to the blog post

https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/03/what-is-your-view-of-the-west-midlands%E2%80%99-music-industry/

Off topic to start with I guess – it is the 1st time we (Musoplex.com) have been mentioned alongside Artisan and Magic Garden outside the phrase ‘a lot louder than….’ or ‘not as posh as…..’ but I am aware Si at Framework Studios is a more than exceptional producer but that is not why I am here (but thanks for the inclusion).

I feel I should establish my lack of credentials here….I have played for over 20 years from empty pubs to 3000 people….I love music, but not all of it – all my formal qualifications (degrees / MPhil) are outside of music – I have only been running my own business for less than two years.

Funding: It hasn’t yet been 18 months since we moved Framework Studios out of the congested basements of Hockley to bigger premises with a vision of creating a small hub of people genuinely interested in music and ALL of its associated artistic and business areas.

I have to say that after 6 months of sheer bloody-minded arguing and some truly mind-numbing blunders we received a 5k Creative Space grant – which was a massive boost for us in year 1. But this is the thing….that 5k went towards relocation, rent, building materials (we built every room ourselves),  infrastructure, security, legal and professional fees for 3 people in a 2, 500 square foot business. Now that’s value for money…

However – these types of grants are available for pretty much any start up – but here is the thing: we spent 5k and created a thriving, happy, encouraging, inclusive music playground AND business turning a small profit in year 2 from start up without the wasted hundreds of thousands thrown at most god-awful music programmes and projects in the West Midlands. So – I have to agree, though somewhat hypocritically, that I don’t hold with the principals of the funding either – or at least not under the current system anyway of chucking hundreds of thousands into a bottomless hole and hoping to fill it.

As another aside you have no idea how much bile and anger has started to come back to me just writing about this topic some 18 months after the events over funding.  A few people in the end were angels but the rest…and the system….AARGH!!

Having attended several funded and sponsored events over just the past 2 years I remain utterly dumbfounded as to where the money goes or exactly what any funding has hoped to achieve – except for watching some nepotistic, city-centric, self-promoting truly awful nonsense. I attended one with a Bristol arts writer bud and we left half way through both howling with laughter and crying that that is where our money was going – shameful really.

I have reached the point where I consider this to be fast becoming a rant and a tirade against the near-contuniuous stream of a**-holes that you have to wade through only to reach an uninhabited atomic island, stripped of ideas and bereft of a sense of reality (Lost, anybody??). It really shouldn’t be – there are some excellent bands out there, young and old, great promoters, great venues, great times ahead but all of them survive, just about.

There are no paid gigs except for those who turn to the dark side of covers and tributes, there are no easy promotions and many lazy promoters, there are venues looking and needing to make money in a tight and overcrowded market faced by closures that are reluctant to try new music for lack of new crowds or alienation of existing ones.

You do not fix these things by throwing money at them. Good bands will be listened to, good promoters will source good acts and promote them well, some venues will stick by their guns to raise themselves above the others. Sandwell needs a venue, cheap, simple for use by all – what do we get? The Public…shame on you all.

All this can be achieved by small donations and grants, spreading the money around in small packets to those with drive and commitment. Instead – all the huge amounts of money we get assigned goes to a handul of organisations to squander and fritter on self-glorification and the further promotion of expensive white elephants.

Andy ward, Musoplex.com

A Vision for the Music Industry in the West Midlands by Clare Edwards June 2008

February 3, 2009 /

This report was commissioned primarily to inform potential investment in the West Midlands music industry by Advantage West Midlands between 2008 and 2011.

In particular this report suggested options for projects to be included in the Audio and Music Programme of Activities that is outlined in the Screen, Image and Sound Cluster Plan 2008 –2011.

To do this the report included:
1) A Brief Evaluation of the Music work undertaken by Digital Central

2) An Overview of the Region

3) A Suggested Outline of Activities

The report was compiled using a number of sources of information:

1) Minutes and Documentation from the Digital Central project at Birmingham City University (BCU)

2) Reports, Strategies and Planning Documents for music and the creative industries both National and Regional.

3) Interviews with Music companies, freelancers and organisations and agencies that support the Music Industry

This approach was adopted to gain as many views as possible and to set them against the current context for music. The ambition for this report was to try to set out a  vision based on the needs of the industry as a whole to try to build consensus around a package of support for the forthcoming Audio and Music Programme of Activities.

A Brief Evaluation
This section will look at the work undertaken by Digital Central so far and look at the opportunities that arise from thefirst phase of activity (2005 –2008).

Background
Digital Central was a regional development project funded by Advantage West Midlands that worked to help the West Midlands to be nationally andinternationally recognised for its digital media and music sectors. That includes Film, Television, Animation, Interactive Media, Computer Games, Digital Imaging, Music and Radio. Digital Central developed and supported activity against three key strategic themes: networking, showcasing and innovation.

From 2008/9 the funding from AWM that was spent on Digital Central will be split into three pots.

The first will be aimed at support for Film, Television, Animation, Interactive Media, Computer Games and Digital Imaging and will be administered by Screen West Midlands.

The second will support the Business Futures programme and the final pot will be aimed at support for audio and music and will be put out to tender so that it can be delivered by the most appropriate organisation(s).

Evaluation
After reviewing the documentation from the project such as reports and minutes from meetings it is clear that Digital Central has achieved many things during its two years. It is not in the scope of this report to comment on the non-music activity of Digital Central other than to say that the screen and new media sectors do seem to have a more coherent strand of activity in the project.

The music projects that have been supported were all worthwhile and in most cases very successful. Digital Central’s role in these projects varied, sometimes simply adding a small amount of funding support to match a great deal from elsewhere
through to projects where Digital Central took the lead and funded the projects entirely.

Feedback from those in the music industry that I interviewed was mixed. Some of this was due to the high expectations placed on the Digital Central project from the outset set against the relatively small budgets that Digital Central had to implement the many ambitions people had for it. Other issues came out of the way the project progressed and some individuals’ personal experience of applying for funding through the scheme. These are addressed below.

Impact
Digital Central has had a number of successes that will leave a lasting impact on the local industry:

The Research
A significant strength of Digital Central was its ability to utilise the academic assets of Birmingham City University. As a result a number of helpful reports and studies were published during the project. Amongst the music based research there were three reports that in the end formed a box set of music reports. The first one was ‘Making Money out of Music’ by Professor Tim Wall. This was a very useful document outlining how the music industry makes money and how the international market relates to regional music activity.
The second document ’20 Things You Need To Know About Music Online’ by Andrew Dubber is equally helpful and continues to be quoted by people I meet as useful.

Simon Harper’s collection of views from members of the region’s music industry ‘Music Matters –a regional profile’ was equally useful and was a good basis for this report. This booklet concluded that the priorities for the regional music industry going forward were:

Working Together
Working with public bodies
Promoting the West Midlands
Working internationally
Capitalising on our heritage

All of these areas are considered again in this report as they came up as key themes in the interviews I conducted with music industry professionals. However, for those of us who like to read these documents they are very useful but
for the vast majority of music industry practitioners their impact is less tangible at this stage. There is a feeling now amongst those I interviewed who had engaged with Digital Central, that the focus of the next phase (i.e. the Audio and Music Programme of Activities) should focus on action leading from those report findings.

Venue Development
The venue development project was very simple: To look at what venues needed to do to improve their ability to host live music and to help a number of venues make those improvements. There was an interesting and helpful music venue survey that lead to a report that informed the funding process. Despite a reasonably small response to the survey this project was successful as it had a very clear vision behind it and garnered good support from the industry.

Projects
Digital Central was able to support a number of important and successful initiatives in
the region including:
supporting Capsule to hold the Metal Symposium and a subsequent project on music heritage
enabling music companies to go to MIDEM and to San Francisco for a games conference
Events like Birmingham Jazz Festival, Gigbeth and Rootsville were also supported

Issues for Digital Central
Letting committees get in the way
The most important issue that has arisen from my observations and from people I have spoken to on this subject is the lack of strong direction for the music work that DC undertook. This may well be in part due to a sensitivity that has arisen from the perceived ‘ in fighting’ in the sector. This led to DC holding a series of consultative meetings and forming a number of groups to try to steer the direction of the music work. This approach took in the views of a very diverse group of sector specialists and so there was no shortage of ideas and no real mechanism to prioritising them. DC should have taken a stronger lead so that the parameters of these discussions could be more clearly defined. A common observation was that many projects started and then stalled because of apparent changes of direction during the project. This lead to disengagement by many industry partners and some mistrust that was a result of a simple lack of clarity. Also from the minutes of one of the meetings there was concern raised by those on the committee about the admin spend of the project –however they also wanted those on the committees to get paid for their time. This model was obviously unsustainable but perhaps came out of frustration from those ‘consulted’ that their time was not being well spent.

Lack of joined up planning
Many of the businesses I interviewed observed that Digital Central seemed to operate in isolation to other similar projects, possibly missing out on opportunities to make the Digital Central budget go further through strategic partnerships. This is backed up by interviews undertaken with key agencies during this research that almost universally felt that they had very little involvement in Digital Central and so had not found ways to add value to the project through the work that they were
doing. Most had praise for some elements of the projects work but felt that their own lack of knowledge of the project as a whole was probably evidence of a general lack of a joined up approach.

To download and read the rest of the report click here

comments on this invited

Dominic McGonigal PPL Director of Government Relations launches blog on the copyright term directive

February 3, 2009 /

I don’t know if you are aware, but Dominic McGonigal, our Director of Government Relations just launched a blog concentrating on the progress of the copyright term directive and the surrounding debate. We have had a huge amount of interest in this subject from our performers (38,000 of them!) and there is of course wider interest in the debate. The particularities of the European process leads to an unusual unfolding of the story, one that must be told for all the performers who as I’m sure you know, are currently treated as second class creators.

Please feel free to use material from the blog. Equally, we would be very interested in any information or viewpoint you might want to contribute to this particular saga.

You can find Dominic’s blog at: http://dominicseuroblog.wordpress.com/

-Dan.

DAN MELLINS
Web Editor

PPL
1 Upper James Street, London W1F 9DE

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