Our Future in Music
Our Future in Music
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2008
CONTACT: Carmen Group
Nicole Korkolis
212-983-6100
korkolisn@carmengroup.com
OUR FUTURE IN MUSIC
St. John's to host major AFM Conference, August 15-24, 2008
Over the past four decades we have seen new technologies overwhelming musicians, changing the way music is created, performed, recorded and broadcast. The internet has brought a host of challenges and opportunities, from music downloading to self-promotion online. As the digital revolution reshapes the landscape of the music industry, waves of change are continuing to transform how music is made and shared.
We do not have many chances to discuss these issues publicly, to develop approaches and policies to help musicians cope with change. This summer, the AFM will offer such an opportunity in St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada.
St. John's is widely recognized as a music hotbed. Some writers have dubbed the music scene in Canada's easternmost province “a world in one island” because of the diversity of live music being performed there. From Irish Newfoundland folk music and Celtic fiddling to blues, jazz and songwriting, from Gypsy Jazz to West African pop music, a wide range of styles are being developed and blended. A city of only a quarter of a million, St. John's has more than thirty live music venues, from clubs to concert halls, including a lively late night scene on George Street, in the downtown core. With its stunning landscape and deep sense of cultural heritage, St. John's and Newfoundland have become a prime tourism destination.
From August 15 – 24, 2008, the Newfoundland and Labrador Musicians' Association (AFM Local 820) will host a major international conference in St. John's, offering an opportunity for musicians, music industry professionals and the public to explore how music will change and how musicians will survive in the new digital world.
Workshops, forums, concerts, showcase performances by local and Canadian musicians and a music technology and services fair will make up a week of events leading up to the annual meeting of the Canadian Locals of the AFM.
AFM members and representatives from across Canada and the United States are warmly invited to attend. Full details including events, as well as accommodation and travel options are available online at www.ourfutureinmusic.org.
Here is an overview of the events making up Our Future in Music:
Concerts and Showcases
Five high profile paid admission evening concerts and free public showcases are planned to celebrate the musical creativity to be found in Newfoundland and Labrador. Visiting artists will arrive from British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia to join their local counterparts in presenting a wide range of music. The five evening concerts will feature rock, world music, jazz, blues, classical and Celtic styles. In addition seven showcase stages will present free concerts by local and visiting artists.
Workshops
During the opening weekend of August 16 -17 event organizers will offer six workshops focused on the realities of the music industry, offering a chance for musicians to strengthen their skills and learn how the world of music is changing. Workshop presenters will include prominent, knowledgeable members of the music industry, from Canada and the United States.
Public Forums
A series of public forums will engage the public, professional musicians and members of the music industry in exploring huge changes in the way music is created, taught, recorded, performed and broadcast, brought about by new digital technologies.
These forums will be (a) open to musicians, non-musicians, professionals and amateurs of all ages and backgrounds, (b) visionary and open-ended in examining the challenges faced by musicians and (c) serious in considering and transmitting solutions and ideas generated by the participants. For a complete list of speakers, check the event website, www.ourfutureinmusic.org
Music Technology and Services Fair
During Our Future in Music event organizers will also sponsor a two-day music technology and services fair, highlighting the leading tools and services that musicians can most effectively use to create, share and earn income from their music in the new digital reality.
Organizations represented in the trade fair will include the AFM, FACTOR, MusicNL, SOCAN, Songwriters' Association of Canada, the Cultural Human Resources Council, Music Performance Fund, AFM-EPW Pension Fund, Sound Recording Special Payments Fund and Hub Insurance Service as well as local music retailers and instrument makers.
AFM Canadian Conference 2008
Canadian Conference is the annual meeting of delegates from the 27 Canadian locals of the American Federation of Musicians of the United States and Canada. This event traditionally begins with a recreational golf tournament early Friday morning, followed by meetings of the delegates and guests. The formal sessions of the Conference will begin on Friday, August 22 and continue the following day. On the evening of Saturday, August 23, a banquet hosted by Local 820 will feature a keynote speaker as well as performances by Newfoundland and Labrador artists. Sunday will focus on resolutions emerging from discussions and presentations during the preceding two days.
These meetings, attended by official delegates of the Canadian locals, are also open to musicians and members of the public who may apply to attend as observers.
Sponsors and Supporters
Organizations and groups providing support for Our Future in Music include AFM, Music Performance Fund, FACTOR, SOCAN, The SOCAN Foundation, Cultural Human Resources Council, Songwriter's Association of Canada, Molson's Canada, Staples, HUB International, The Scope, Coast 101.1, Impact Signs, Coffee and Company, Auntie Crae's Specialty Foods, The Newfoundland and Labrador Government, MusicNL, the City of St. John's, Metrobus and the Government of Canada.
