What do we do?

Networking and representation: two overriding goals

• Networking — improving communication, understanding and knowledge within the community.
• Representation — improving communication, understanding and knowledge of the community and its art to the larger society.

The specific goals of the CNMN are:

1. To build a stronger sense of connection, and foster productive collaborations, between all parts of the new music community (networking and communication).
2. To give voice to a sector that is unheard, and broaden awareness of new music activity (profile and visibility).
3. To celebrate the achievements of Canadian new music artists and defend the vital contribution of new music in Canada (respect and understanding).
4. To improve the amount and kinds of support available to the new music community, in order to enhance opportunities for creation, performance, and distribution (resources).

In practical terms this means:

1. The CNMN represents everyone involved in musical creation — composers, performers, ensembles, administrators, service organisations, educators, musicologists, audience members. We need you all as members.
2. We will be able to speak for a large community with one voice.
3. The CNMN will be a fully bilingual organisation.

Networking

The CNMN has two major networking activities:

• a CNMN bilingual web site — with new music cross-referenced by region, genre and artistic practice, with links to all new music pages in Canada
• a bilingual, biennial CNMN conference — to be hosted in conjunction with a major new music event/festival in the host city

Representation

The CNMN will represent new music on several levels:

• work with the Canada Council for the Arts — Music Section and Heritage Canada to find the necessary resources so that musical creation is given its appropriate place in Canadian society
• work with the media to create a better understanding of the value of creative music in Canada
• work with elected officials in order to highlight the success of new music in Canada
• work with other arts organisations in promoting art, and in fighting for better resources for the arts, in Canada