Healey TMS News Archives
March 2007
Healey Indie Enabled, 2007
Foundation Restaurant, Ottawa, Ontario Canada
March 2nd, 2007
The first annual Healey Indie Enabled event, in Ottawa, was a resounding success! The event was created as a gathering for the local Ottawa music community, and included a Q&A session with our panel of experts in the industry that included Jon Bartlett (Kelp records), Stephen Bleeker (CD Warehouse & www.mymusic.com), Lynn Saxberg (The Ottawa Citizen), and producer/engineer Ken Friessen (The Tragically Hip, Colin James, The Sadies). Topics of discussion that were covered included the current state of the industry, the dos and don'ts of approaching the media, preparing for studio sessions and working with producers, and the challenges associated with distributing your music at retail. The event was organized as a means for local artists to get together and to initiate discussion. Read the article by Lynn Saxberg...
Digital Revolution Reshaping Music
by Lynn Saxberg, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Tuesday, February 20, 2007
As a client rep for an Ottawa-based CD/DVD manufacturer, Kirk Ellard is in contact with a lot of hopeful young bands. It amazes him that many still have their sights set on getting scooped up by a major label. All they have to do, they think, is send in their demo and, ta da, rock stardom will come to them.
"It's staggering how many artists still feel that way," Ellard says. "They think they're going to get a phone call one day."
Time for a reality check, kids. It doesn't work that way anymore. The established music industry is crumbling, partly because of digital downloading and partly because the Internet has levelled the playing field. Oh sure, acts still get signed to major labels, but it's a rare occurrence, and all too often the deal offers short-term benefit to the label, not long-term benefit to the artist's career.
Of course, the good news is you can do it yourself, and more and more artists are, including plenty whose names you'll recognize, from Arcade Fire to Metric. Ottawa singer-songwriter Jim Bryson will release his new album on the Ottawa indie label Kelp Records, while former Warner wards Barenaked Ladies now record under their own Desperation Records label.
"(It's about) forging new relationships with our fan base," writes singer Steven Page on the band's website. "Online, in concert and on their stereos. It's the fans who make our music and the lives we lead possible, so we're trying to get the music to them in innovative ways."
Mind you, they have the advantage of a manager, Terry McBride, who's considered a visionary when it comes to reshaping the music biz.
An outspoken advocate for digital change, he's one of the founding owners of the Vancouver based Nettwerk Music Group, a label, management and publishing company.
McBride is a keynote speaker at next month's Canadian Music Week convention and festival, which takes place March 7 to 10 in Toronto. The event gives music-industry types a chance to examine the state of their business, and hear from forward-thinking people like McBride.
In the last few years, the mood at CMW has turned from major-label despondency into a celebration of the accomplishments of independent acts. This year, the big night is CMW's seventh annual Independent Music Awards on March 7, splashier than ever, featuring performances by the Stills, Wolfmother, Neverending White Lights, Priestess and DJ Champion.
Barenaked Ladies, though overlooked by the Junos, are nominated for the Indies' favourite pop artist, while Ottawa-area acts in the running in other categories include blueswoman Sue Foley and the grindcore act F--k The Facts.
"It's the triumph of the little guy," remarks CMW president Neill Dixon, hinting at a key issue that's emerging in the programming of this year's convention. "The underlying question is, 'Do bands need record companies anymore?' There's so much now that acts are able to do on their own, through sites like MySpace and YouTube. And bands are selling tickets, downloads and merchandise on their own site.
Let's go back to Ellard, who's come up with a starting point for the poor misguided little guy. Don't sit at home waiting for the phone to ring. Get out there. Set up a website. Tour. Network. Blog.
To get an idea of what it takes, Ellard and the company he works for, Healey TMS Inc., are hosting an information and networking session aimed at independent musicians. It will consist of a question-and-answer session with a panel that includes Kelp Records CEO Jon Bartlett, skilled producer Ken Friesen (who's worked with the Tragically Hip, Hawksley Workman and the Sadies) and indie retailer Stephen Bleeker (CD Warehouse and mymusic.com).
I'm also volunteering my time to sit in on the panel, so I'll be sure to get a copy of the disc they've produced to prove the strength of Ottawa's independent scene. With a tracklisting that includes Amos the Transparent, Bryson, Joshua Morin and Travel By Owl, to name a few, it sounds like a terrific compilation. Unfortunately, there are no plans to market it, though Ellard and his colleagues plan to hand out copies at CMW.
Healey's networking event, which they've dubbed "Indie Enabled," takes place March 1 at Foundation Restaurant. It's free but space is limited so you need an invitation. Call 613-228-3472 or e-mail info@healeytms.com.
