Going Global Music Summit 2019 Report

The 2019 Going Global Music Summit held at Roundhead Studios in Auckland was a success, in both its overall outcome and its ability to draw together a community of  younger and older musos and music lovers. A great range of seminars and speakers covered a wide range of topics. Key speakers included Paul Brindley, CEO and co-founder of Music Alley (and bass player for 80s indie band The Sundays) and an interview with NZ musician Marlon Williams.

The atmosphere was friendly and relaxed, though occasionally the venues became quite crowded at times due to the capacity of the studio in comparison to the number of people that attended. However, this was not an issue as people were able to stand in common areas and network and help themselves to the free coffee (thanks to Atomic Coffee Roasters).

Friday’s agenda began with a presentation on The New Zealand Music Market Today – presented by Anthony Healey, head of New Zealand operations at APRA AMCOS; Cath Anderson, chief executive of The New Zealand Music Commission; and Damian Vaughan, chief executive of Recorded Music NZ. The trio discussed current musical trends both in NZ and abroad to a receptive and interested audience.

This was followed by a seminar by CEO and co-founder of Music Alley, Paul Brindley, who discussed future musical trends and possibilities. The topic of using Artificial Intelligence to make music was an interesting feature and Paul showed an example of a song made by using artificial intelligence, the voice and key changes all made using A.I.

The audience seemed a bit wary of the concept, however Paul said that although it may seem strange at the moment, it is something worth taking interest in.

Lunch was followed by a visit by Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern, who made a formal speech in addressing the importance of the music industry to all. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend this.

Saturday kicked off with an interview by Lydia Jenkins who interviewed New Zealand Musician Marlon Williams alongside his manager Alistair Burns. The humorous duo drew many laughs from a well-attended and interested audience.

Marlon and Alistair spoke about their journey working together and shared their perspectives on the experiences and opportunities they’ve had throughout the six years they have worked together, including Marlon featuring in the Hollywood film, ‘A Star Is Born.’ The audience seemed engaged and interested in the topics that were covered, and the interview relaxed and informative.

Later in the day, the No Ceilings, No Glass seminar was held to discuss the representation of women and non-binary artists in the music industry. The seminar was held by Jen Cloher – Musician, co-founder of Milk! Records and founder of I Manage My Music, Francisca Sandoval – general manager of the Independent Music Association of Chile, Sarah Hamilton – Ditto Music Australia’s AU/NZ regional manager, and Shannon Kurlander – head of radio promo and international strategy for Terrorbird Media, and was hosted by Nicole Gaffney – chairperson of Girls Rock! Aotearoa.

The panel discussed strategies and ways in which women and non-binary artists could be better represented in the music industry and ways in which more space and opportunities could be made for these artists.

The panel ended with a question regarding what they would like to see change in the music industry for women and non-binary musicians, to which Jen Cloher held the floor with her answer in which she spoke of the apparent amount of white men over 50  who still dominate certain areas of the industry. She then ended by bringing up an interesting point directed to them in a humorous fashion saying, ‘You’re useful. Join us!’

Overall, Going Global 2019 was successful in presenting valuable information for those who attended, offering insights and entertaining discussions that held key points and important takeaways for musicians and music minded people to help progress their future careers and enhance their knowledge. A takeout from the event for me was the No Ceilings, No Glass panel. I thought that the speakers made thought provoking and interesting points and it is exciting and encouraging to see the strong support and work going in to make it possible for both woman and non-binary artists to be represented fairly and more prominently in the industry.

From my experience at Going Global 2019, I gathered that there are a lot of positive changes in store for the music community and that now is an exciting time to be creative and to be making music.

~Charlotte Lovrin