Category: Dialogue (Page 6 of 13)

Mark from Iron Man Records on Birmingham, Music, The Internet, Do it yourself & Doing It properly.

Mark Sampson from Iron Man Records and Birmingham Music Network talks to Andy Ward and Pete Rhead at Musoplex about Music, Birmingham, the digital age, doing it yourself and doing it properly.

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 enjoya 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.

Musoplex film opinions on Music in the West Midlands

Musoplex, a rehearsal and recording studio based in Oldbury, is looking for opinionated creative residents of the West Midlands e.g. promoters, bands, artists and management, to have a chat on video about the state of music in the region.  They have posted a few of their pilots online, filmed and edited by Musoplex Director Andy Ward.

Andy said “Musoplex as a studio and rehearsal rooms hears a lot of opinions as to the good and bad going on in music in the area. We have decided to do something about it, we are documenting views and opinions on film. If you want to offer your own opinions or comments to camera, in no more than a 10 minute interview e-mail andy@musoplex.com.”

Watch the videos for yourself, and if you have something to say, get in touch.

Another 10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry.

Last year, Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry was asked to answer 10 Questions. In 2011 The Music Network is asking Another 10 Questions to continue the discussion. Replies by email can be sent to: info at birminghammusicnetwork.com

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

In recent weeks Emma Williamson (Group Overview and Scrutiny Manager) & Baseema Begum (Research & Policy Officer) at the Scrutiny Office of Birmingham City Council have been in touch. Emma & Baseema sent through several documents that ask a number of interesting questions. Rather than try to answer the questions on your behalf, The Music Network has decided to pass the questions on to you direct. The questions have no deadline for submission, the questions will be open to anyone to answer at any time. Your thoughts and opinions are welcome, at any time. We hope the discussion will continue. For more opinion, consultation and research we have collected together, read through our posts so far in the Strategy category.

If you want to submit your own “Ten Questions” or even just “One new question” please email them in. When we have enough, I’ll post them as “More Questions”. Completed submissions will be published at http://www.birminghammusicnetwork.com unless you state otherwise. Please include your Name, brief biography or information about who you are and what you do, and links to your website or blog. You will be credited as the author of the response. Views from all sides are sought so don’t be afraid to speak your mind. We may learn something. I will invite Emma, Baseema and their colleagues to read your published answers here on the website for themselves.

The following questions have been inspired by the contents of a letter to Birmingham Music Network from Councillor Philip Parkin, Chairman – Leisure, Sport and Culture, Overview and Scrutiny Committee, The Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham, B1 1BB. (The letter was dated 29 July 2011)

Destination Birmingham: Birmingham, A Music City Continue reading

10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry.

The Music Network invites people with an interest or active role within Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry to answer 10 questions.

There has a been a lot of discussion around these Ten questions. The questions have no deadline for submission, the questions will be open to anyone to answer at any time. You thoughts and opinions are welcome, at any time.

Ten Questions have already been answered by:

Andy Derrick, Keisha Thompson, Jon Cotton, Pam Bishop, Andy Roberts, Ben Calvert.

For more opinion, consultation and research we have collected together, read through our posts in the Strategy category.

If you want to submit your own Ten Questions or even just One new question please email them in. When we have enough, I’ll post them as “Another Ten Questions”.

Completed submissions will be published at http://www.birminghammusicnetwork.com unless you state otherwise. Please include your Name, brief biography or information about who you are and what you do, and links to your website or blog. You will be credited as the author of the response. Views from all sides are sought so don’t be afraid to speak your mind. We may learn something.

Submission by email send to: info at birminghammusicnetwork.com – Thank You.

10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry:

1. In your view, what is the current state of the region’s “Independent Music Industry?”

2. What do you think are it’s immediate needs with reference to the areas that you are most familiar with?

3. As far as the region’s “Independent Music Industry” is concerned, what do you think shows the greatest potential for the next few years?

4. In recent years, there has been a range of initiatives and projects designed to support the development of music in Birmingham. Can you list 5 projects or initiatives that you think have proved beneficial to the “Independent Music Industry?”

5. Can you list any projects or initiatives that you think have proved “of little use or benefit” to the “Independent Music Industry?”

6. With regard to your answers to questions 4 and 5, do you think Birmingham should continue to pursue the idea of more initiatives and projects designed to support the development of music in Birmingham?

7. If you could make any changes to, or include any new ideas for, any “strategy for supporting the development of music in Birmingham” what would your top priorities be?

8. If you were given the task of evaluating whether a project or initiative had been successful, what would you suggest as the best indicators of success, failure, benefit or disaster for the “Independent Music Industry?”

9. As far as your knowledge or understanding of the region’s “Independent Music Industry” is concerned, what are it’s greatest strengths, and what are it’s greatest weaknesses?

10. If you could do anything to “support the development of music in Birmingham” what would you do and why would you choose to do that?

(The term “Region” as far as these questions are concerned refers to Birmingham or the geographic area Birmingham City Council works within.)

I have also quoted a number of existing articles below. Can anyone suggest any other existing articles that the group should read and consider that may have been omitted?

A DIGITAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRIES ACTION PLAN https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2008/03/06/a-digital-and-creative-industries-action-plan/

The people who control the Funding are damaging the Creative Industries in The West Midlands by Anthony J Hughes https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2008/06/12/the-people-who-control-the-funding-are-damaging-the-creative-industries-in-the-west-midlands/

Birmingham Twinned with Your Darkest Thought? by Mark Iron Man Records https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2008/11/10/birmingham-twinned-with-your-darkest-thought/

A Year later – Perspectives on the West Midlands Music Industry – Scott Roe, Solar Creations https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2008/11/10/a-year-later-perspectives-on-the-west-midlands-music-industry-scott-roe/

What is your view of the West Midlands’ music industry? by Mark Iron Man Records https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/03/what-is-your-view-of-the-west-midlands%E2%80%99-music-industry/

A Vision for the Music Industry in the West Midlands by Clare Edwards June 2008 https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/03/a-vision-for-the-music-industry-in-the-west-midlands-by-clare-edwards-june-2008/

Another view of the West Midlands’ music industry and FUNDING by Andy Ward https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/10/andy-ward-another-view-of-the-west-midlands%E2%80%99-music-industry-and-funding/

Countercultural Capital & the Creative Economy – How do 1990s DiY Music ‘Entrepreneurs’ talk about the contemporary music business?” by Charlotte Bedford 2008 https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/06/04/countercultural-capital-the-creative-economy-how-do-1990s-diy-music-%E2%80%98entrepreneurs%E2%80%99-talk-about-the-contemporary-music-business-by-charlotte-bedford-2008/

Funding the Creative Industries by Andy Derrick 13th Feb 2009 https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/02/13/funding-the-creative-industries-by-andy-derrick-13th-feb-2009/

The Scottish Music Industry Association(SMIA) – launched at Go North conference https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/07/21/the-scottish-music-industry-associationsmia-launched-at-go-north-conference/

Redefining the Music Industry – A public consultation on the future shape, needs, direction and ambitions of the music industry. https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/09/10/redefining-the-music-industry-a-public-consultation-on-the-future-shape-needs-direction-and-ambitions-of-the-music-industry/

National Survey and Mapping Exercise assessing provision & scope of music support work across UK 2009 https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/09/22/national-survey-and-mapping-exercise-assessing-provision-scope-of-music-support-work-across-uk-2009/

How does Iron Man Records choose it’s artists and how does it promote them? https://birminghammusicnetwork.com/2009/11/28/how-does-iron-man-records-choose-its-artists-and-how-does-it-promote-them/

your comments please…..

cheers Mark – The Music Network, January 2011

‘Playing on a Level Playing Field’ – by Jim Mawdsley

The MDA is proud to publish the first in a series of campaign papers penned by its membership, with the first being an inspired discussion regarding music development in the UK.

Our aim is to raise the visibility and sector awareness of important issues affecting music business growth and sustainability. There are also campaign papers in the pipeline covering areas such as:- International events / conventions – collective logistics and economies of scale?- Bulk Visa arrangements and finance for conventions / trade ventures.?- Local / Independent Radio Support

Here is the link to download the pdf to read: ‘Playing on a Level Playing Field’ – by Jim Mawdsley

There has been some media coverage so far with more on way:

MUSICWEEK – http://www.musicweek.com/story.asp?sectioncode=2&storycode=1042070

UNSIGNED GUIDE – http://www.theunsignedguide.com/news/1174/paper-published-on-music-development/

Please contribute to the discussion by commenting below.

« Older posts Newer posts »