The CNMN Regional Meetings have been ongoing since December 2012. All in all, a total of 7 meetings make up this initiative, whose setup is run by the CNMN board member(s) of the region. A high priority is to make sure regional concerns and regional realities are a big part of these meetings.
The Quebec, Alberta, Atlantic and Ontario meetings have already taken place, and some initial responses are available further below.
The Manitoba Region takes its turn on March 10th, while British Columbia and Saskatchewan are still in the planning stages. Check back here as we continue to update and add to the information to each region’s event page.
Your region is still to come? We look forward to seeing you there. We also warmly welcome your colleagues — feel free to speak with them or forward these links to further information:
The Atlantic Regional Meeting took place Jan 12, 2013 in Halifax at the Dalhousie Arts Centre, during Upstream’s vibrant Open Waters Festival of new and improvised music. In an age where so much communication takes place virtually, Paul Cram, CNMN board member who attended the meeting, emphasizes how the basic act of simply coming together in-person was key: “Overall and as usual, the Atlantic Regional Meeting was a small gathering moderated by Norman Adams that brought together several distinct new music stakeholders, from here and away, to think, talk and exchange ideas. It would be fine even if no one spoke. In the words of Woody Allen, ‘Half of life is showing up.’”
The Alberta regional meeting, also on January 12, attracted a lively mix of Alberta’s new music community, with many representatives of organizations and initiatives such as: New Music Edmonton, Epcor Centre for the Performing Arts, Soundasaurus Festival, Land’s End Chamber Ensemble, Rubbing Stone Ensemble, Verisimo, New Works Calgary, Honens, Canada Music Week (CFMTA), the Canadian Association for Sound Ecology, among others.
Each organization gave an overview and update of its mandate and current programs. John Reid and Laurie Radford informed those present of plans to hold the 2014 CNMN Forum in Calgary at the University of Calgary in conjunction with its annual Happening New Music Festival.
Over lunch, delegates shared plans for upcoming seasons and discussed matters of potential future collaborations. Considerable aesthetic discussions also ensued. A good time was had by all, which augurs well for future regional planning discussions.
The Quebec Regional Meeting on December 9, 2012 brought together some very strong voices in Quebec’s new music community, hailing from a great cross-section of organisations, initiatives and ensembles such as Quasar, Le Vivier, DAME, Les Poules, Supermusique, Fiolûtröniq, SOCAN Foundation, DIM, In Extensio, among others.
Cléo Palacio-Quintin, CNMN board member in QC, chaired the meeting, with fellow board member Stacey Brown. The meeting began with a discussion centered around the “100 moments” project proposed by Sandeep Bhagwati and Karen Sunabacka during FORUM 2012. “The proposal definitely generated interest, inspiring generous and detailed input from those in attendance,” says Brown. Participants engaged in animated discussion of the project and its potential as a showcase of Canadian New Music both during and after a brief presentation by Palacio-Quintin that summarized some of the key elements of the proposal.
What followed was an energizing brainstorming session around long-term strategies for improving the dissemination and accessibility of new music, touching on such issues as Canadian Content, the development of our Canadian musical heritage, the ever-important question of funding, and the importance of Art for Art’s sake. The meeting closed with a short exchange of ideas and comments focussed on the upcoming CNMN FORUMs: Calgary in 2014 and Ottawa in 2016. All in all, an invigorating and inspiring afternoon, with fruitful discussions thanks to everyone’s thoughtful and energetic participation.
Parallel to the QC strategy meeting, CNMN and Bradyworks co-hosted a workshop on career development for young artists. The guest speakers were Tim Brady (composer, guitarist, artistic director), Jean Derome (saxophonist, composer, musique actuelle and film music), Véronique Lacroix (conductor, ECM+) and Barbara Scales (agent, Latitude 45).
“We had 23 participants, mostly CEGEP and university students, with a few young professionals as well,” says Brady. “The event was extremely successful — for 3 hours, the sense of community and communication in the room was fantastic as we all discussed a huge range of practical and philosophical issues around making new music in Canada in 2012.”
Afterwards there was an informal get-together for both CNMN and BW participants, which continued for another two hours. “In the end, the security guard had to kick us out; we were having so much fun!” says Brady.
Direct article link: CNMN Regional Meetings 2012–2013
15th edition CNMN Bulletin — Winter 2013