Music Industry Live Show - Oct 2009
Show report
What is the Music Industry Live Show?
The show brings together music and media students and exhibitors from music industry companies and organisations. There are workshops, advice sessions, demonstrations and performances.
The show is free to all visitors, many of whom will be graduates or students from some of London’s foremost and largest music education colleges and vocational training organisations. Hundreds of visitors attended the 2009 show, all of whom have passion for our industry.
Where and when?
The 2009 show took place at The Space, Havering College in Essex
Exhibitors
Music industry organisations, education establishments. manufactures, media etc. Find them here
Post 2009 show report
by Carl Marsh - Musician and music industry advisor
Arriving at Havering College on a Wednesday morning in October, it’s clear that something big is going on – the spacious car park is already filled beyond capacity and attempts at double-parking are already becoming rather, well, creative, to say the least. We’re all here for the first Music Industry Live event, a flagship for the MIL project jointly conceived by the Creative Way, Havering College and the Institute of Music & Technology to bring together educators, music technology and instrument manufacturers, representatives from various areas of the music industry and a sprinkling of media. MIL’s intention is to create and nurture a network of partnerships to encourage and develop progression in music, music technology and other creative industries through education and on into employment: the live event is the first practical manifestation of that intent.
My mission here is to represent IMT’s range of music and media courses – music technology and sound engineering, multimedia, film and the Music Industry Provision, a mentoring program for people entering the music business or seeking to progress further within it. My colleague Tim Palmer and I set up shop in the main hall of The Space, between neighbours from Lewisham College, Access To Music and the Creative Way. Representatives from Steinberg, Studio Spares, Roland and others have also set up and started to make a noise as a large and enthusiastic crowd waits impatiently for the 11am start.
Once the doors open the room fills quickly, with a bottleneck near the entrance as visitors sign up for the competition – not surprisingly, as the first prize is a highly desirable MacBook Pro with substantial musical accessories. (As exhibitors, Tim and I are excluded from the competition; for a moment we seriously consider entering under false names before honour and professionalism win out. Just.)
After a welcome speech by Havering’s Principal, Noel Otley, the first live music is provided by college band Running On Faith; their spirited rock is well received and sets the day off to a good start. From here on in, the keen and inquisitive crowd flows around the exhibitors. Havering students come and go between their regular college activities, mixing with the coach party of visitors from Lewisham College, MIP students from IMT and a good cross-section of students from other schools and colleges. Other visitors have found out about the event from publicity in Jobcentres and community centres. Throughout the day we deal with a wide range of enquiries, many from potential clients and students who had not previously been aware of the provisions on offer (or how to access them). My feeling, which is reflected in the comments from the other educator’s stands, is that this is a valuable and productive exchange, allowing visitors an insight into options within the music industry that they may not have previously considered.
The tech stands are also proving very popular. Roland in particular have a constant throng around their bass and electronic drum set-up, with participants playing along with interactive displays. Throughout the day there is praise for these stands, with much appreciation noted for the clear and patient help they offer on technical questions. They’re noisy, though, sometimes competing with the next live act The Chav Town Band. Singer/guitarist Matt Hall has been a participant on IMT’s MIP program and the band deliver a feisty set of their distinctive skiffle-flavoured ‘hard folk’. The band are enthusiastic about the event – “a bit different to the spit-and-sawdust boozers we usually play”, notes Matt wryly – and set off to sample the various stands and workshop events.
Unfortunately, my duties on the IMT stand prevent me from seeing as many of the workshop and panel events as I’d like. I catch the end of a workshop on “Performance careers in the music industry” by my IMT colleague Dan Maitland. The workshop was full and successful, with Dan remarking that the audience was “very engaged and interacted positively”. Although initially concerned that he “could have had some more flashy videos”, a good constructive debate soon started and he didn’t actually use all of those prepared. Teachers from Lewisham College also gave very positive responses.
Another colleague from IMT, Doug Sturrock, had arranged to meet some of his MIP clients at the event. When I catch up with him he’s just been to a couple of the panel discussions. Unfortunately, the PRS representative has been unable to attend, which has affected the panel’s balance between educators and industry professionals, but there has nonetheless been a good level of lively and useful debate covering many subjects up to and including The X-Factor. Doug’s MIP clients also give a thumbs-up to the event as a whole.
Back in the main hall, Lewisham College band 4 Runner are playing a loud DnB set combining loops and samples, synths, vocals and live sax. And bass. Very low bass. This provides a more club-oriented soundtrack for the crowd alternating between watching the band and cruising the stands.
Over the next couple of hours things quieten down a little as the college’s day-to-day activities wind down, which makes it easier for Billie Selwyn to deliver her acoustic singer/songwriter set. Even the Roland stand goes quiet for the first and only time in the day, so she must be on to something. After this, we continue to field enquiries for a while longer as exhibitors gradually start to pack away. Tim and I call it a day shortly before the competition prizewinners are announced– it’s not going to be us, after all, we sulk. On the way back to the car park, which is now more reasonably populated, I say goodbye to Dave Wood. We agree it’s been a good day. He’s slightly frazzled but already thinking about next year. I take that as a good sign.
