Ruth Daniel, co-founder of Un-Convention which was established four years ago with the aim to strengthen music infrastructure all over the world from grassroots level and Sharon Dean, music publisher and founder of Respect Music discussed commercial aspects of music making with attendees which included Manoj KC of 1974 AD, Roshan Sharma, music teacher at Kathmandu Jazz Conservatory, and Garima Gurung Shah, among others.[break]
According to Daniel, they have already conducted similar workshops in 22 different countries, including Uganda, Venezuela, Colombia, Australia, and India, and this is their 44th event focusing on building sustainable career in music.
On the first day, participants discussed how they can utilize digital tools and develop entrepreneurial skills in terms of promoting music and organizing big music festivals.
“My area of expertise is music copyright, and artistes should be aware of their rights and how they can make a good living through their music,” added Dean who is a Board Member of the Association for Independent Music (AIM), Director of the London Chapter of National Association of Recording Industry Professionals (NARIP) and was previously the Director of Licensing at Performing Right Society (PRS).
One of Un-Convention’s focuses is to mobilize artistes all over the world and create a network of artistes at workshops conducted in these places.
“Apart from informing these artistes about how the music industry works and the importance of web platform in music promotion, we also plan on collaborating communities so different genres and styles can get recognition outside their place of origin,” said Daniel who is a musician herself and owns a record label in the UK.
When asked about what challenges musicians in Nepal face, participants pointed out problems like no access to good quality instruments, studios, lack of brand sponsorships and big-scale music festivals for domestic bands.
The second day of the workshop focused primarily on organizing concerts. Daniel presented five case studies of some of the world’s biggest music festivals and discussed management aspects of big-scale events.
One of the participants, Deepesh Chaudhary, 20, who is a music student at Nepal Music Centre (NMC), said, “Comparing the music scene of Nepal and elsewhere, the condition here is far from worse. While it’s possible for musicians to survive on royalty payments abroad, it’s a far-fetched dream for musicians in Nepal.”
“After attending this workshop, I’ve learnt how to promote my band, how to sell my music in the market that’s out there, and ultimately to make a career out of this line,” said Suraj Malla of the band Blue in Silence.
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