Tag: andy roberts (Page 2 of 2)

March 2010 Music Network Meeting Minutes

The Music Network Meeting Minutes 25th March 2010

Chaired by Andy Derrick

Simon Howes – self employed sound engineer in tv and film

Andy Ward – Musoplex, video, cd and live and merchandise

Katie Southall – WCR – DJ playing music to unsigned bands and musicians regardless of genre – send stuff to katy@wcrfm.com – Facebook – search for ‘katyjay’. Also a what’s on guide is being setup – contact Katie for more info about when and who. Business Development Consultant – making radio stations sustainable with a mixture of private and public funding.

Andy Roberts – Blue Whale @ Custard Factory and writes for The Fly magazine. Blog and a show on Rhubarb Radio. www.rhubarbradio.com – a mix of cutting touring acts playing in Birmingham plus artists from Blue Whale.  Podcast on Speech Fewapy network – 1500 subscribers it’s a feed of different podcasts from around the world.  Promoting gigs at The Rainbow.  Also running Intro to Logic and FInal Cut courses. andrew-roberts at hotmail.co.uk

Alex – BCU Architect Student looking at pathways beyond degree.  Just here to absorb and be inspired. Interested in voluntereering talk2alex@gmail.com @alex_john

Rich – here out of curiosity – guitarist – interested in using media to promote music here and beyond – Post Grad at Aston Business School, former President of Birmingham Uni Students’ Union and promoted many nights. – rj.walker87 at gmail.com

Vince and Colin from Musical Excahnges – Sunday 18th April The Bridge FM 102.2 FM – 2-4pm. Also issuing invites for test pilots for the web site.  Give email for an invite. enquiries at musicialexchanges.com
Also played Newcastle Guitar Show – record signups.  New collaborative diary service.  MX Recruit – musicians and tech recruitment section launching this weekend.

Spence – songwriter and looking for other songwriters with which to collaborate – ones with studios a bonus.  Also a photographer for live music and studio based.  http://www.myspace.com/themackenziefriend
Also a tutor a Access To Music. ATM band playing at the O2 – 3 Joyous performing tonight.

Sam – ATM student – sing semi pro doing a vocal course – also singing teaching – into singer/songwriter.  Looking to collaborate with other artists. myspace.com/samstarrmusic

Sarah – singer, songwriter and pianist at ATM.  Also a tutor at Yamaha Music School.

Jay – form Hinckley – freelance audio engineer – starting a new shared creative studio, space – shared resource centre – large footprint building 4 – 6,000 sq ft. spaces.  secretlabproductions at hotmail.com

Adrian – Exit Recording – songwriter and producer working with a variety of artists. New website www.adriankimberlin.com – Also looking for contacts experienced in placing dance tracks.

Anthony – musician, co-founder of BMN, video production company with proven track record of videos for musicians

Jenny – pa to Dusky Violet Sky Management –  getting exposure for bands. – present Saturday Rocks on Rhubarb Radio – info at violet-sky.com jennytaterocks at gmail.com saturdayrocks at rhubarbradio.com

Dusky Edwards – Violet Sky Management – artist management, managing talent generally.  Keen on fairly managing and developing talent.  www.violet-sky.com – happy for new talent to get in touch. myspace.com/hopeorthetruth – HOT are a band managed Violet Sky – rock with an electric undertone – American Rock

Keisha Thomson – Action for Haiti – feedback – event really well, 500 people, £3000 raised.  Keisha performed her own track Who Loved Themselves – reggae jazz vibe – looking to develop it as a charity single – @keisha_thompson – twitter

Mark Malone – ATM student – songwriter/musician – released on soundclick – amateur internet store website – good ratings – broad genre – rock/acoustic/folk/indie – also working with Crisis Homeless Charity – looking for vocalists (gravelly preferred). – maloneproductions at live.co.uk – available for session guitar/bass/producer/song writer.

February 2010 Music Network Meeting Minutes

The Music Network Meeting Minutes 25th February 2010

Chaired by Andy Derrick

Andy Roberts – Blue whale studios based at the Custard Factory in Digbeth – looking to connect with potential customers – they offer live location recording, filming plus lots more – blog: http://bluewhalestudios.wordpress.com – also running training courses in music production, final cut, logic etc.

Vince – MX – guitar tech – update on MX
Colin – MX –

Keisha Thompson – singer, songwriter and poet – looking to network with other musicians.

Abi Seabrook – freelance singer and community musician

Katie Southall – Wolverhampton Community Radio (WCR) – community development role – only community station in Wolvo – 280,000 listeners 20-55 age group – volunteer dj’s production training plus courses – http://wcrfm.com

Andy Ward – Musoplex – company of creative enterprise in Oldbury – Framework recording studio, video production and editing, live sound, sound stage, green screen and rehearsal rooms

Tom – local assistant – recently did the sound for amateur film ‘Killing Me Softly’ – student at BCU music technology – electric blues player also

Adrian Kimberline – Exit recording – songwriter and producer – always looking for interesting collaborations.

Paul Linton / Mark Horton – Punch taverns – looking to recruit a partner for a large pub/music venue in the Black Country

Nicola – Oxjam festival – interested in bands, engineers and others in Oct 2010 – 16th April The Victoria, raise money and awareness  – showcasing four acts with female lead –

Caroline Bevan – ex-Kerrang journalist now working as an independent blogger/journo, run the blog for Wolvo Civic Hall

Darren – Birmingham Uni – research in music

Simon Howes – professional live and studio sound engineer with experience in live music and TV.

Gary Seeney – Yamaha music school and melting ice

Robert Lane – singer songwriter – recorded and self released an EP – interested in festivals
www.robertlanemusic.blogspot.com

Minutes

Keisha Action for Haiti – 7/3/10 – charity event for survivors of Haiti earthquake @actionforhaiti – twitter evening gig and afternoon education session. £5 ticket

Andy Ward – looking for publishers interested in licensing a band Discotheque Wreck

Tom – The Camp – open mic night – Thursday nights £9 – Free – Pershore Road – Stirchley – jam/open mic night – looking to expand the night for a broader night – sound assistant looking for work – hard worker – looking for gigs for a blues band (A Boy Named Sue – gigging already in Aylesbury). Teched The Old FOlkers – worth a look – very
entertaining

Paul and Mark – publicans – Punch Taverns – A site in Kidderminster – think it could become a live music venue (with outdoor license and covered area).  Hosting an open day 10th March and have a look. Looking for a pub manager to rent it – no criminal record!, investment required, no experience required – but pub knowledge obviously a bonus.

Nicola – Oxjam – looking for a female compere. Also looking for people interested in putting on smaller satellite Oxjam events.

Carolinecarolinebevan.com – former presenter and newsreader at Kerrang – interested in opportunities in music journalism online/video suggestions: Katie FItzgeralds, City TV, Balcony TV. ELT Records launching a music show in the midlands. Also offers media training for musicians.

Musical Exchanges – week 53 – live! – musicalexchanges.com – 3 parts – networking – 1-facebook-esque  2-auction site like ebay but without traders 3-recuitment(find a muso, crew, arrangers, art work etc.). New: coming soon a diary system.

Carlo – Birmingham Promoters – signed touring bands and local groups

Gary Seeney – Birmingham Yamaha Music School – 350 students – lots of activity for Childline – Beatles Tribute band – gary at byms.co.uk New course – Yamaha – junior play for keys Key stage 1

Blue Whale Studios, Birmingham

Here’s the latest information from Blue Whale Studios, Birmingham

Blue Whale Studios is celebrating it’s relaunch by offering three days recording for the price of two.
Blue Whale is based at The Custard Factory and boasts a TL Audio VTC 24 track console. This valve desk gives an unparalleled analogue warmth which when combined with the digital based recording system, Blue Whale is able to create one of the best value and highest calibre recording, mixing and mastering packages found anywhere.

We relentlessly promote artists that we work with through our online channels and regularly updated blog page at www.bluewhalestudios.wordpress.com

For more information check out the Blue Whale Blog here:

http://bluewhalestudios.wordpress.com/2010/01/05/new-year-offer-at-blue-whale-studios-3-days-for-the-price-of-2/

Blue Whale Studios
Custard Factory
Birmingham
0121 247 1680
www.facebook.com/BlueWhaleStudios
www.twitter.com/BlueWhaleBrum
www.youtube.com/BlueWhaleTV
www.facebook.com/AndyRobertsBham
www.twitter.com/AndyRobertsBham
www.linkedin.com/AndyRobertsBham
www.myspace.com/MediaAssassinBrum

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

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

Great pool of talent with extremely creative people working very hard to make amazing music and projects with little recognition from outside of their small pockets.

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

Record labels that have competent distribution and marketing / advertising / plugging support.

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?

Hopefully labels such as Bigger Than Barry Records, Ondryland, Speech Fewapy Records, and any other small labels that are nurturing local talent and managing to sustain themselves

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?”

Not sure if these count but the work of:

Bigger Than Barry for bringing cutting edge, fashionable acts to the city and taking Birmingham on tour. Also packing out every event they promote.

This is Tommorrow for putting on shows for alternative acts that are touring nationally and billing local artists with them to help nurture audiences

The Rainbow Pub for giving Birmingham a quality small and mid size independent venue and cultural hub.?Capsule for offering a vibrant, left field alternative brand of events and Supersonic.

Moseley Folk Festival for being generally ace and offering local acts a channel to perform on the same bill as mainstream artists, especially Ben Calvert’s Bohemian Jukebox Stage.

Also Oxjam Festival, Cold Rice and Chicks Dig Jerks deserve mentions.

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

Gigbeth – poorly curated. For something as ambitious and potentially amazing, it falls flat due to weak line ups. Does not give a good impression of Birmingham to the outside looking in, especially when Camden Crawl, Nottingham’s Dot to Dot, Brighton’s Great Escape and Manchester’s In The City are widely commended.?Give Bigger Than Barry, Chicks Dig Jerks, This is Tomorrow, Moseley Folk, Cold Rice and Capsule a budget to put on the festival – they are all experienced and have kudos.?(I realise that there are more promoters / events companies doing fine work in other genres, but these are the ones I am familiar with)

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?

Yes, but re: point 5 give it to people who can make the city desirable, dare I say ‘cool’?

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?

Support for small independent record labels in the form of advice from experienced and respected mentors from their respective genres.

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?”

Whether an event is well attended or not is a signal of success or failure and whether a record label could sustain itself would be a measure.

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 artists are the greatest strength we have.
Perhaps weaknesses are a lack of direction or focus from these talented individuals due to a lack of support from a local ‘industry’.

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?

Plug alert: I try to by shouting about the bands and promoters that I love in national press (The Fly) and my local Blue

Whale music blog. So anything involving writing.

Andy Roberts 

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 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 may learn something.

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