Category: Dialogue (Page 5 of 13)

John Mostyn – Managing Music Workshop, Birmingham

A few words from John Mostyn who will be running the Managing Music Workshop

“In 2006 Geoff Pearce and I ran a project called Managing Music. It had European Regional Development funding and ran for 18 months. It was for managers in the music industry or self managed artists. Each applicant joined us for 6 months attending a workshop on a weekly basis with individual mentoring in between. It was a great success. It was a joy to deliver because we were able to work with some of the best up-and-coming artists and managers in the area at the time. We even had a budget to spend on recording and promotion; delightfully Geoff and I were paid for delivering the project.

Everyone who came on the project agreed that it was more than worthwhile and I suppose the ultimate accolade was when Scott Matthews won the most prestigious Ivor Novello award for his song ‘Elusive’, the recording of which was partly funded by the project as both his manager and record label were participants in Managing Music. One of the strangest aspects of European Funding is that even if something is going really well it has to end and cannot be repeated.

As I look around the ever-changing music industry scene today I am recognising that there is absolutely nothing like what we did available in the area and should an aspiring manager or self managed artist wish to seek advice or mentoring there is nowhere for them to go (please tell me if I’m wrong). There may be University courses that teach certain aspects of the music industry but who has 3 years to spare and who can afford it?

I am currently being trained to be a professional mentor and I’m starting to wonder if the time has come for me to offer my skills and experience via paid one-to-one mentoring. Although the industry is changing so quickly there is still a lot to be learned from someone who has seen it go right lots of times, and of course wonderfully wrong and from someone who frankly isn’t too bad at sharing his knowledge and experiences.

I am going to hold a free workshop on Tuesday 3rd July 2012 to take a look at how people in Birmingham’s music history have made a successful living, and how those aspiring to do that now might also be able to achieve similar successes. I will share some of my stories and I would like aspiring managers and self-managed artists to come and share with me what they feel are the gaps in their knowledge that they are facing today. This initial workshop will help direct future Managing Music seminars.

If you would like to be part of this free Managing Music workshop held at Highbury Studio, please get in touch by emailing managingmusic@gmail.com with the subject ‘Workshop’.

If you would like to be kept informed or find out more about my mentoring services, email me at managingmusic@gmail.com with the subject ‘Mentoring’.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Onwards and upwards.”John Mostyn

You are invited to the Birmingham Music Network Meeting – 4pm Thursday 31st May 2012

The Music Network meeting will be on Thursday 31st May 2012.

The Meeting starts at 4pm and will finish at 5.30pm at Birmingham City University, Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham, B4 7XG.

Anyone involved in Music in the region is welcome to attend, its free and there will be tea and coffee provided.

Birmingham Music Network 2011 Logo

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 press release information for inclusion on the website and for distribution through the mailing list and RSS feed. More details on the website.

Please pass this invite on to Musicians you know or anyone else who you think may benefit.

Read the minutes from previous meetings here: https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/category/minutes/

Website: https://birminghammusicnetwork.com   Facebook   Twitter

Creative Networks 31st May 2012 Flyer
Creative Networks 31st May 2012 Flyer

Destination Birmingham. Birmingham A Music City Scrutiny Report

In 2010 Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry was asked to answer 10 Questions.

In May 2011 UK Music published “Destination: Music” the first study of its kind to scope the economic contribution of music festivals and major concerts to tourism throughout the UK. You can read all about it at http://www.ukmusic.org/news/post/147-music-tourists-contribute-at-least-864m-a-year-to-the-uk-economy

After May 2011 Emma Williamson (Group Overview and Scrutiny Manager) & Baseema Begum (Research & Policy Officer) at the Scrutiny Office of Birmingham City Council got in touch. Emma & Baseema sent through several documents that asked a number of interesting questions. Rather than try to answer the questions on your behalf, The Music Network decided to pass the questions on to you direct.

In October 2011 The Music Network asked Another 10 Questions.

The Music Network hope the discussion will continue. We have collected together your opinions, consultation and research here in the Strategy category.

In February 2012 An email and Scrutiny Report Document was sent to us by Baseema Begum, Research & Policy Officer, Scrutiny Office, Birmingham City Council. The email read as follows: Continue reading

Mark from Iron Man Records on Funding Creativity, Birmingham and A Thousand Envelopes

Mark Sampson from Iron Man Records and Birmingham Music Network talks to Andy Ward and Pete Rhead at Musoplex about Funding Creativity, Birmingham and A Thousand Envelopes.

Mark is based in Birmingham, England and runs an independent record label called Iron Man Records. He set up the Birmingham Music Network in 2000, and organised gigs in Birmingham as Badger Promotions between 1992 and 2002. Mark spends much of his time helping musicians, and music based organisations, to deploy a more effective online strategy, and sometimes he gets asked to speak about social media and its use in promoting new music. Mark is a musician and currently plays in a band called Last Under The Sun, and another one called Police Bastard. Mark offers Tour Management and Driving for touring bands and has spent many hours driving musicians all over Europe. He has also done some lecturing at Birmingham City University as part of their Music Industry Skills degree course. Mark enjoys a good game of mental chess with local funding organisations who try and pocket most of the money intended for struggling local musicians and creatives and spends his time complaining about everything else. If something happens and you need help, you know where to find him.

Mark has worked with Seasick Steve, Anthrax, Mika, Killing Joke, House of Pain, Talib Kweli, Little Barrie, Congo Natty, Gorillaz, Brand New Heavies, The Enemy, Friendly Fires, Okkervil River, The Wild Mercury Sound, Sierra Maestra, Jay Reatard, The Nightingales, Ivo Papasov, Endbutt Lane, The Rakes, Crystal Castles, The Magistrates, Bullet for my Valentine, The Orb, Barry Adamson, Soulsavers, As I lay Dying, Roisin Murphy, Police Bastard, Dufus, Arrows, Taio Cruz, Ladytron, Son de la Frontera, Jeffrey Daniel, Johnny Foreigner, Xova, Johnny 2 Bad, The Moons, The Lines, Phantom Limb, and many others…..

If you have an opinion you want to share please email Andy Ward at Musoplex (mail@musoplex.com), He would be interested to film your thoughts and ideas too.

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