Evidence of meeting #30 for Canadian Heritage in the 40th Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was artists.
A recording is available from Parliament.
12:40 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Gary Schellenberger
Thank you very much.
We'll move on now to Mr. Angus, please.
12:40 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Thank you.
I want to thank all presenters for really hammering home the point that the role of this fund is contrary to the minister's assertion when he said it was a fund that existed for people who had “no interest in developing any kind of commercial opportunities”. I'm seeing from what you're saying that it's a clear jump-off point.
Then we have the issue of consultation. Now, I've read the summative evaluation of the Canada music fund, and there certainly was consultation. What surprised me was the direction they took out of that, of taking the money and giving it to FACTOR, because I didn't really see that recommendation anywhere in there. The summative evaluation was done in October 2007. It's available on the Heritage Canada website. On page 155, they identify the expert panel that made the recommendations. It includes Rob Braide, vice-president of CHOM FM, which is Astral Media; David Kusek, Berklee Media, from Boston, Massachusetts; Pierre Rodrigue, from Astral Media Radio, Montreal.
So two of the three represent Astral Media in one media market. Do any of you work with them on a regular basis? Do you know why they would have such a primary role, 66% of the evaluation advice being given by two men representing the same company in the same city?
12:40 p.m.
Musician, Borealis Recording Company Ltd.
I certainly don't, but I find there's an interesting connection between Astral Media Radio and the people who fund FACTOR—because there is a connection. Maybe it's just a coincidence.
12:45 p.m.
Musician, Borealis Recording Company Ltd.
Well, FACTOR is partially funded by the private broadcasters in this country, and Astral Media is one of those private broadcasters that fund FACTOR.
12:45 p.m.
NDP
Charlie Angus NDP Timmins—James Bay, ON
Oh, that's interesting.
I was also wondering because I was looking into it and Astral Media's presence on the Hill is being represented by Geoff Norquay, who was Stephen Harper's director of communications. I was wondering why someone who was so closely tied to the Prime Minister is representing Astral Media, and then we see two out of the three reviewers who are being asked for their views on the current state of the Canadian music industry and for their suggestions on ways to improve the Canada Music Fund, including alternatives in light of the current environment.
It seems to be a pretty incestuous little group there. Were you surprised that, of this expert panel, two people would be from the same company and that we wouldn't have any other voices there?
12:45 p.m.
Musician, Borealis Recording Company Ltd.
I want to be, but I guess I'm not. I guess I'm too old and cynical.
The music business in this country is a small group of people. The other people who provided input into the study were CIRPA, or the Canadian Independent Record Production Association, of which I'm a member; and FACTOR.
I think probably the commercial side of this argument was pretty much loaded from the get-go. I have no proof, but that's the appearance that one has.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I appreciate all the testimony from the witnesses today. You'll have to forgive me if I tend to spend most of my time inquiring about Ms. Menard. I'm actually from Manitoba and Métis, so I am a bit of a fan, I guess you could say. But I'll attempt to accomplish some business as well, so my questions won't all be softballs.
First, in relation to your play, The Velvet Devil, could you tell me a bit about the impetus for wanting to produce the play and how that all started?
12:45 p.m.
Artist, As an Individual
I was haunted by a character. The character is a young Métis woman from 1930s Batoche who hears jazz on the radio for the first time and discovers that she's connected to the outside world. Dreaming beyond her community, dreaming beyond her family, she wants to connect.
It was a story that came through me, songs first, and I had no idea that it was going to become a play. I'd never written a song before; I'd never written a play before. It was something that came from deep inside me that had to be written.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
When the play first broke, how big an event was this in Saskatchewan?
12:45 p.m.
Artist, As an Individual
In my world, it changed my life. I can't speak for the province, but it was my launching. The Velvet Devil was something that put me on the map.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
12:45 p.m.
Artist, As an Individual
Oh, yes. It started at the Globe Theatre in Regina, and it came here to Ottawa to the National Arts Centre. It became a radio play for CBC, and then it became a made-for-television movie for CBC television's Opening Night, which has also been cut. Then it went on another cross-country tour.
12:45 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
I know your play was very successful. Being an aboriginal artist myself, I look back to some of the things that got me started. Typically they were events that one poured a lot of effort into, which clearly you did with your play.
I would just go back to your earlier statements, your claim that this grant was essentially the most important thing. You and your play really were destined for greatness before you got the grant, so I want you to give me more testimony on how you think the grant was the most essential part.
12:50 p.m.
Artist, As an Individual
A play is not recorded. It is something in Regina. If you had showed up to my play, it would have changed your life, let's say. But if you lived in Winnipeg and didn't see my play in Regina, you would not have been able to be affected by it. The only reason The Velvet Devil went out there was that something could be passed around. When you record a play, it's archived only. You cannot record a play. It cannot be passed from person to person. You can talk about it, but you can't pass it.
A CD, which absolutely.... I'm a person from the bush. I had no idea what a mechanical royalty was. I had no idea about ownership of a play. I had no idea what a grant was. I had some work to do. And I went looking at how to bring my music to the world, how to bring The Velvet Devil, this idea, out there to the world. How do I do that? The music did it. The CD did it.
You didn't see the play in Winnipeg. The only reason it got here to the NAC was probably because I had a CD to back it up. People said, “Oh, I like her. Now let's have a look. I like the CD cover. I like this. Let's have a listen. Let's have a look.” The CD was essential, absolutely essential.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
You're saying that you wouldn't have achieved success without the grant.
12:50 p.m.
Artist, As an Individual
Honestly, the very first budget terrified me. I had no idea what it cost. I had no idea that doing it, paying musicians and their union fees, all of that, which musicians are worthy of being paid.... I had no idea how much it cost.
My first budget, when I was just making my own little thing, was $15,000. And I cried every time it had to go up by $5,000. It ended up costing $67,000.
What was your question? I lost my train of thought.
12:50 p.m.
Conservative
Rod Bruinooge Conservative Winnipeg South, MB
My question is more linked to how the existing fund we have, which is well over $9 million for the specialized music fund.... I'm making the argument that you would be able to access it.
12:50 p.m.
Artist, As an Individual
Oh, right. I remember.
It was the fact that it was a grant. I was terrified of that amount of money. I'd never dealt with that kind of money before. Knowing that I might never sell a CD, I had no idea how I would pay something back. It was a grant. It was something I could actually count on. It was a place I could go.
