During FORUM 2016 Ottawa, Kyle Brenders chaired a number of meetings with over 20 members of the new music community, with the intention of developing a touring network.
The attendees represented a diverse spectrum of regions and stylistic genres, as well as the different roles implicated (performer, agent, producer, etc.):
- Moderator: Kyle Brenders – Composer • Performer • CNMN board – Toronto ON
- Mark Segger – Composer • Improviser • Performer – Edmonton AB
- Po Yeh – New Works Calgary • Land’s End Ensemble • CNMN board – Calgary AB
- DB Boyko – Western Front New Music – Vancouver BC
- David Pay – Music on Main • ISCM World New Music Days 2017 • CNMN board – Vancouver BC
- Elliot Britton – GroundSwell – Winnipeg MB
- Luke Nickel – Cluster Festival – Winnipeg MB
- Norm Adams – suddenlyLISTEN Music • CNMN board – Halifax NS
- Darcy Spidle — OBEY Convention – Halifax NS
- David Dacks – Music Gallery – Toronto ON
- Ben Dietschi – Spectrum Music – Toronto ON
- Andrew Kwan – Artist Manager – Toronto ON
- Monica Pearce – Toy Piano Composers – Toronto ON
- Nilan Perera – Sonic Explorer & Improviser – Toronto ON
- Tim Brady – Bradyworks • CNMN board – Montreal QC
- Isak Goldschneider – Innovations en concert – Montreal QC
- Véronique Lacroix – ECM+ – Montréal QC
- Alissa Cheung – Quatuor Bozzini – Montréal QC
- Clemens Merkel – Quatuor Bozzini – Montréal QC
- Craig Pedersen – Improviser – Montréal QC
- Jennifer Waring – CNMN board – Dundas ON
- Henk Heuvelmans – Gaudeamus Muziekweek – Utrecht NL
- Susanna Eastburn – Sound and Music – London UK
Discussions began by introducing what people around the table were doing, how they were touring (or bringing in tours), what kind of touring funding they received (directly or indirectly), their successes and their challenges.
The discussion quickly showed a real need to build a stronger facilitation for national touring for our community, with the primary goal being to create a stronger national presence for new music.
Among the group, discussions were very frank and honest, and this made the initiative even more valuable. Within the 20 people in discussion, the conversation easily split along stylistic and ideological lines.
Consequently, the discussion showed that the topic of national touring is one that needs to be discussed on a larger scale, with a larger cross section of the network involved, in order to properly take into consideration the contrasting views within our milieu.
Next Steps
The conclusion was to first work on building visibility for members of the network as they tour across the country. Brainstorming included the idea of CNMN to create a small fund, with a simple application process, that will provide a token amount of money under the condition that the tour recognized it as “sponsored by the Canadian New Music Network.” This is a simple solution that can be accomplished with little bureaucratic work and a small portion of CNMN’s budget.
In the long term, however, the project needs to grow into a larger initiative in order to address the following issues:
- How can we develop a national audience for contemporary music, through the support of a national touring network?
- How can we support a touring circuit of new music that is built around project exchanges and reciprocity instead of just “making the rounds”?
- How can we financially support national tours in order to mitigate risk due to geographical scope?
- How can we create and ensure the management of a new music touring information resource for those who are touring and those who are looking to book touring shows? (a touring database?)
- How can we create and share clearer language about what “new music” is to a broader public without diminishing the message of the music?
Direct link: Touring Network Meetings January 2016
Return to full Bulletin – June 2016