Canadian Music Now
Ten years ago I graduated from McGill University with a degree in comparative religions and an uncertain future. My degree was by no means an instant ticket to a job and I didn't want to go to law school or hole up in an ashram in India. At the time my brother was living in New York, and his band Stars had just released their first record, Nightsongs. I volunteered to help them promote shows, manage tours, and pretty much do anything I could to get their career going. I basically became their de facto manager. I accompanied them to CMJ, CMW, NXNE, SXSW, and on tours across North America.
A few years later I started a music festival called POP Montreal with some friends. Our festival would be different from the events that existed in Canada at the time – industry showcases that seemed like mere musical meat markets. We asked our friends to perform, applied for grants, and did our best to find sponsors. In a short period of time, POP Montreal, which recently saw its eighth edition, has become a world class event. We've done this by working hard, being creative, and being different, featuring bands from around the world, and local talent, too.
In keeping with the work I did with my brother’s band a decade ago, Pop Montreal puts Canadian music in its rightful place alongside the best of the world. As such, it makes sense that much of what we do is supported by government. We are lucky in Canada that art is encouraged and supported by our government institutions, even if that funding remains ever precarious. Of course, as with any pursuit in the arts, funding is not enough. You need to be original, heartfelt, and relevant if you are going to make a mark on the world stage. To create a music industry that breeds these qualities, and one that successfully defends against the constant threats to arts funding, it's important to have a strong and vocal arts community. It’s essential that we constantly discuss and re-evaluate the state of Canadian music – the successes and failures of Canadian artists, governments, and listeners, all of whom have an important role to play in the cultural future of our country.
Tips on Touring Abroad
by Shain Shapiro
UK/EU Manager, Canadian Independent Music Association (CIMA).
- First Posted: Dec 07 2009 08:59 AM
- Updated: 6 months ago
There is no easy road to overseas success in music, but there are a few things a band can do to make things easier for itself.
As the UK/EU manager for the Canadian Independent Music Association, there are two questions I get asked over and over. The first (and one I can’t answer of course) is: what is the greatest Canadian band of the moment? The second is: what is it that makes a band ready to leave Canada and expand abroad? This second question, like the first, is nearly impossible to answer. I have seen bands come over, tour, and succeed or fail for many different reasons. It can depend on what style of music they play, how much they tour, if a foreign label is involved, or one of a slew of other factors. Some bands pop up randomly in an Austrian club, while others meticulously plan their entrance, knowing full well where they want to strike first. Others put records out months or even years before touring, while some find anchor dates (usually festivals) and plot a route around them.
My job is to help Canadians in any of these situations. It doesn’t matter how a band wants to enter the overseas market, it simply matters that they are ready. The boxes have been ticked at home, bags packed, and MySpace pages updated. Through doing this over and over, I have developed a few guidelines that I feel help engender international exposure, which could then increase the chances of finding foreign partners to buy and subsequently work your music. These guidelines probably raise more questions than answers, but in an effort to help, as goes my job description, here’s a loose list of what I’ve found thus far:
- *Conquer home before you think of going abroad*. I know there are lots of bands that succeed elsewhere before succeeding in Canada, but those artists are rare. There needs to be a level of comfort built up so that when you return home, it’s significantly easier than what you experienced away. Having a strong, forceful infrastructure on home turf helps.
- *Work on your brand*. To me, bands are as much of a business as any company, and every aspect of it must be managed. If a magazine in Croatia needs a high-res logo, it should be easily downloadable. All social networks must be updated regularly. Album art must represent the music. You have to think about *everything*.
- *Understand your market*. First off, it is very difficult to “conquer Europe,” if such a thing can even be done. Every region in Europe is different. The key is researching and picking the territory your music will do best in, and focusing on it. It’s not always the UK. I know bands that made a fortune in France, only to lose it when they crossed the Channel.
- *If you like a band or company, make friends with them*. Seriously, reaching out to people does wonders. This is essentially how I ended up in my position. Maintaining strong links in everything you do will help when it comes to asking for favours abroad.
- *Understand the funding system, government’s involvement in music, and what it can do for you*. It’s all well and good to employ a grant writer to fill out applications, but it’s even better to learn to do it yourself. Understanding and appreciating what our funding system can do, especially when it comes to international touring and business development, is well worth the time it’ll take to learn about it.
So there are a few tips that will hopefully help you develop your off-stage brand into something as good as your onstage one, at home and abroad.
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