Tag: 10 answers (Page 2 of 2)

10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry answered by Rob Horrocks

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

Good. When I recall my gig going of ten years ago compared to what it is now a broad grin creeps across my face. People are talking about the music in this city more than ever and the talent is there.

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

Live booking agents.

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?

I have a lot of time for Marketing Birmingham. They should focus on Marketing Birmingham Music – past and present.

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?”

The Birmingham Music Network

Barry Tomes sessions at the library

UKTI/Business link projects (Sonar visit)

Gigbeth – although not perfect I hate being negative about this and prefer to look at what was good about it. Learning lessons is beneficial.

BCU media and communications course offering a music industry option and the music research climate at BCU generally.

The rise of the Supersonic festival. I do a lot of business at that event as it brings people to the city – agents, journalists, potential fans etc

A quick mention to the Birmingham Music section in Central Library and the excellent resources at the library generally. I spend a lot of time there.

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

http://www.Birminghamusic.com

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?

Having benefited from some of these initiatives my initial answer is yes. Support for the music industry is a developing thing. We have to try new approaches and I give my thoughts on what those approaches might be in answers to later questions.

My alternative answer is that music industries have developed outside of initiatives and funding through the tenacity of the highly motivated and talented individuals who are able to learn, adapt and fight for every success they attain. Sometimes you have to remember that the music industry and the rewards it has brought came about via a messy process of greed, hard work, shady deals, more hard work, broken dreams, unrewarded hard work, nervous breakdowns, bankruptcy, excess and benefit fraud.

I don’t know how helpful this point is but the punk in me wants to be sure someone makes it.

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?

I would focus on projects with tangible outputs.

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?”

Income generation, product, hours of delivery/skills attained, jobs created. If you are evaluating an industry then the indicators must surely be the tangible outputs of that industry.

The intangible outputs – the aspirations raised, the creative climate fostered and the planted seeds are difficult to evaluate and so we must assume that they follow from the outputs which not only can be measured but are the purpose of the 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?

Strengths
Heritage
The diverse population
Geographical location
Talent

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?

Grants for venues, individuals, and businesses. Small amounts of money that help people get things set up. I would favour that over projects which try to be high profile. I think the legacy of a small amount of money to someone who works hard and needs a small break could be greater than a big project.

National bodies run initiatives far better than anything that has come from BCC. I have often thought how helpful it would be to get help accessing those schemes. Rather than setting up a new scheme getting help from BCC consultants to access an existing scheme might be a better route.

Tour support grants – record labels support their artists to get out there. Having spent a great deal of my time trying to get my band out of this city I would love to be supported in that endeavour – both getting the gigs in the first place and covering the short fall in the budget.

Rob Horrocks

The Music Network was contacted in January 2010 by a group drawn from Birmingham City Council and the Arts Council England to begin to determine an overview of the current state, needs and potential of the “Independent Music Industry” in Birmingham.

The Music Network invites people with an interest or active role within Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry to answer 10 questions. If you wish to get involved read 10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry and send your completed responses by email to: info at birminghammusicnetwork.com – Thank You.

Simon Howes has also created an easy to use google survey for these questions here too.

All completed questions will be published here unless you state otherwise. Please be sure to include your full Name and any links to your website or blog so you can be credited in full as the author of the response. Views from all sides are sought so don’t be afraid to speak your mind. We all may learn something.

10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry answered by Andy Derrick

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

The people that work hard, network effectively and know the value of helping others are doing well by diversifying into other areas and applying their skills and knowledge to allied industries.

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

There is an element of cronyism, especially in the areas of Jazz where certain cliques have evolved and only seem to help others from within that clique.  An emphasis on reaching out to others beyond your normal circle of contacts and perhaps in other styles of music and other parts of the region will help build and share the knowledge that people have battled to build up.

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?

Small businesses that are able to capitalise on their skills bank to offer a wider range of services to their customers.

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?”

No

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

Gigbeth – too ambitious and too wide in genres to effectively pull in an audience.  It was trying to become the Edinburgh Festivals from the start without any evolutionary period. Was it a conference, education project, live music festival or what?

Digital Central – hamstrung from the start by the obligatory waste of time mapping the regions industry.  Some initiatives worked well like the venue development scheme, but it needed to be bigger and longer.

Creative Launchpad – I both referred clients to this project and used it myself.  The information is public domain and not particularly well explained or collated.  It seemed an expensive way to provide advice – a well put together website and helpline would have worked better.

Arts Fest – sold to performers as well worth the opportunity to perform (for free) because of the profile it would lend to their live music product.  I’ve yet to hear of anyone securing any useful opportunities as a result of appearing at this festival.

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?

The projects all fail in one particular regard – the lack of industry expertise involved at the initial planning stages.  Other problems include too much rushing to complete the project as it usually starts late.  Lastly, there is never any criteria for success built into these projects.

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?

Convene a panel of serious music industry individuals with a track record of activity and success from across the genre and skill spectrum to develop a series of objectives for a long term plan (10-15 years) and a series of projects that can initially support these objectives over the next five years.  Then develop a rigourous success criteria and accountability system to ensure that the objectives are met and that the projects deliver what is asked of them.

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?”

An industry mentor should be assigned to ensure that the objectives of a project were being met and that any benefit occurring can be effectively measured.  In the case of failure, an investigation as to why and how best to learn from mistakes, support future action and castigate individuals when failures can be attributed.

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?

The legacy of skills and knowledge from decades of music making and production is our greatest strength and these are not being used.  The weaknesses are that academics and individuals with a lack of real world experience, second hand knowledge and entrenched positions have the ears of the funders.

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?

I would establish a committee of music industry local experts to judge who should be awarded direct financial support for music business activity in the region in the form of small grants (£100, £500 and £1000).

Andy Derrick – Independent Music Industry Professional and Blogger
www.andyderrick.co.uk

The Music Network was contacted in January 2010 by a group drawn from Birmingham City Council and the Arts Council England to begin to determine an overview of the current state, needs and potential of the “Independent Music Industry” in Birmingham.

The Music Network invites people with an interest or active role within Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry to answer 10 questions. If you wish to get involved read 10 Questions for Birmingham’s Independent Music Industry and send your completed responses by January 24th 2010 by email to: info at birminghammusicnetwork.com – Thank You.

Simon Howes has also created an easy to use google survey for these questions here too.

All completed questions will be published here unless you state otherwise. Please be sure to include your full Name and any links to your website or blog so you can be credited in full as the author of the response. Views from all sides are sought so don’t be afraid to speak your mind. We all may learn something.

Newer posts »