Canadian Heritage committee  We recently conducted a nationwide survey. We got 900 responses, and 79.7% considered themselves professional musicians and aspired to make a living making music. So about 20% consider themselves hobbyists.

Canadian Heritage committee  It's the cost-benefit analysis for one. There's the time to apply, to be registered, to have a marketing plan, so that maybe you get $1,000 that you're likely not going to get, on a program that really only encourages the recording of demos and nothing innovative, and so on. The programs are stale and are not connected with the current needs of this community.

Canadian Heritage committee  I spent my entire adult life in this field, and I own a company called Indie Pool with 15,000 of these people. I am in direct communication with them. We, the association, survey them. We speak to them. They call us.

Canadian Heritage committee  We suggest that one third be divided among artist-entrepreneurs, independent artists; that one third be set to FACTOR labels, managers, publishers for picking and shining fruit; and that one third be there for MEC, the Music Entrepreneur Component and collective initiatives, in order to make sure that the foundations of the industry and the businesses of the industry are strong as well.

Canadian Heritage committee  Digital.

Canadian Heritage committee  Not only in the different genres, other than pop commercial hits, but also in communities coast to coast.

Canadian Heritage committee  With regards to the early education elements, we believe strongly that.... We aren't sure what can be done, either through the CMF or federally. We're unaware, politically, of what the opportunities are. It seems very often to be a provincial issue like the work done in Alberta.

Canadian Heritage committee  —or of the federal government or the music industry generally. However, it is an important priority to make sure there are lots of seeds.

Canadian Heritage committee  If I may, may I add a small comment? It's important to know that it is possible to make a living making music. However, part of our education programs should include dissuading many from doing so, as well, because not everyone can be a musician. Not everyone is talented enough.

Canadian Heritage committee  We are not necessarily saying additional money.

Canadian Heritage committee  We are not saying additional money, and we are not saying that—

Canadian Heritage committee  Instead of assigning all of the money to FACTOR, with their specialty being in shining apples, we believe that some of those funds should be assigned to a new organization that specializes in and has an understanding regionally and so on about independent artists and entrepreneurs, yes.

Canadian Heritage committee  From the same CMF, yes. Correct. It would be nice if there was more money, of course. We think that it would certainly create fewer waves if there was more money; however, there needs to be a transition there. There needs to be a proper division of funds in order to fund the ecosystem.

Canadian Heritage committee  If we run a good orchard, it's all of these pieces. You cannot ignore the fact that we need to polish apples and prepare them for the international marketplace, but there's no doubt there are many seeds created by educators and by schools and young people, and these seeds need to be watered, and these saplings need to be taken care of.

Canadian Heritage committee  Not entirely. We believe that FACTOR does a wonderful job at funding established artists, at picking fruit from the tree, shining them, bringing them to market. They know how to do that very well. The board is radio people looking for hits and the board is large music companies, and we believe in what they do and that it is a fundamentally important element of what they do.