After a short introduction from me (Amy SoapBox) about how this project/idea came about and why I feel its important (see previous blogs), I handed over to the wonderfully talented Joe from Toon Teen Industries, who kindly offered to host the event.
Joe spoke about his background in music, how he started running gigs at 15 years old (crazy man) and found he had a natural affinity with branding, marketing and PR. After running gigs he naturally gravitated into artist management, alongside event management, building up bands/songerwriters online presence and fanbase. I first encountered Joe through his prolific digital footprint; his logo & artists are always well supported & very visible. Throughout his very relaxed talk, Joe clutched a glass of whiskey (super cool). I thought he was being debonair, turns out he hasn't done much public speaking before! (Never would have guessed) His career in Music is a most inspiring (ongoing) story, filled with self motivation, so I urge anyone out there wanting a career in Music to chat with this man. You will be inspired and enthused by his graft & dedication. I salute you sir!
First up to speak was Adrian Cooke from Norwich Sound & Vision Convention. He told us about how the conference came about, what you can expect and how to get involved. The event started 4 years ago now & has tempted the biggest & brightest names from the international music industry to visit the East for inspiration. He describes NS&V as the SXSW of the UK, a fantastic mix of serious industry talks from companies like Spotify, PRS, PPL, alongside a furiously fast-paced festival of original music. The line-up is around one third local acts (and they accepting applications now) with some established/famous bands joining the bill. Its multi-genre too, they have had showcases from people like indie stalwarts 'Artrocker' to electronic pioneers 'Tru thoughts'. Its a cutting edge weekend of Music for those who love, live and breathe its every note. There have been some great success stories too, Royal Blood played last year and left the festival with a record contract (and are now being played by Radio One). They attract synchronise agents from US shows like The Walking Dead and hold an annual 'listening panel' where you can play your music to a panel of experts and get some feedback/exposure. Advance tickets onsale now. Check it out.
Second up we welcomed Claire Lowe from the Bury Fringe to the stage. With a background as a gigging musician, a mother of four (high five) and then programming & producing festivals; I wonder when she manages to sleep? Comcentrating on comedy & visuals arts, Claires role is to organise, curate & juggle the whole event. She works with local promoters who take on other areas of the Fringe, and gave us an overview of the upcoming activity for the fringe. They are currently holding monthly events (check out Chortle Factory for more information) in the lead up to the festival, which will take place in late July, early August.
Thirdly, Neil Rayson from Bury Songwriters spoke about his experiences and love of music. Coming from a gigging musicians background, he now runs a pub which nutures original music. His abundant love for the music community clearly motivates his work and it was encouraging to hear how this joy propels and informs him. The songwriters competition runs annually and accepts applications from absolutely anywhere, across all genres. The competition has previously been very 'guitar' heavy but Neil was very keen to hear from anyone who writes original music, on any instrument. They have had the odd electrronic act in the past and would welcome more to the fold, should interest be shown. Its less of a 'profile raising' endeavour and more of a community celebration of original songwriting & composition. The prizes are very practical, recording time at at top notch studio (The Shrubbery) with assistance from skilled producers, something I know many artists need & crave. So, artists, check out the Bury Songwriters competition & put an application in, whatever the result I can gurantee you will love Neil, the vibe and its ethos.
Fourth to take the mic was the formidable Jane Dyball from the Mechanical Copyright Protection Society. With an impresssive career in the music industry, a background in law and a genuine passion for great songwriting she inspired many questions & provoked much debate around the licensing process of music. Her career started as a law graduate (trying feverently to avoid working in law) she told us how she chased a job in the music world, applying for in excess of 200 jobs at a time, until she ended up in the legal department at a record company. She worked at Warner for over 20 years & was part of the team who launched the Radiohead album 'In Rainbows' in 2007 which went straight in the charts (US & UK) at number one. This was a groundbreaking process, downloaded digitally in a 'pay what you want' format it embraced the digital revolution and took the industry by storm. (Incidentally Jane is the first person EVER to download that album and has the plaque to prove it). Her indepth knowledge of music licensing was shared with the audience and provoked the MOST debate over the possible future of the music industry. It was a real pleasure to hear her talk about her work and sadly I had to cut the Q&A short due to time constraints. I hope very much to invite her back to Suffolk Music Matters in the future so extract more of the huge mass of expert knowledge from her brain.
Last to speak was Andy Corrigan from Petta Fiesta; a new, niche music & arts festival in Suffolk that celebrates the local community, develops young songwriters & knows how to throw a party. Andy's background in music started when he graduated from art school and fell into the Punk scene. He has teched, toured, managed, produced and support thousands of gigs & artists. His extraordinary career involved working with so many amazing bands & artists that there simply isn't space to name them all. (Billy Bragg, Lorde, Nick Cave, Jimmy Cliff, Paramore, Django Django, the list goes on). Over time he his work began to focus on obtaining Visa's for international artists as he found there was a demand in the industry and his skills meant he could fill that need. (A lesson for us all). Petta Fiesta was born out of a desire to work closer with artists, as the higher up in the industry you get, the further away from the artists you work. The festival features original music, poetry, comedy, art and good food, at an affordable price, bucking against the commerciality of festivals it sounds like a joy filled weekend in great company. Check it out.
When the featured guests had finished speaking, Joe had concocted an 'open' session, aka 'the 60 second plug' where we opened the mic to the floor and invited anyone to speak about their work. This fast paced addition to SMM was great fun and it will be firmly in place at all future events.
Thank you to every who spoke, hosted, listened, laughed, drunk, nattered, networked, giggled, questioned and debated. It was a fantastic evening that really embraced and celebrated the burgeoning Suffolk Music Industry. You are my inspiration.
Find me on Twitter @getonthesoapbox
Got a Suffolk Music event coming up? Hashtag #SuffolkMusicMatters
Next SMM (should) be on Monday 23rd June at the John Peel Centre, Stowmarket, 7-10pm. Just awaiting final confirmation.
Watch this space...
Love & Boxes.
