Thank you.
Music BC is an non-profit music industry association dedicated to the development and growth of the music and music-writer companies in British Columbia. Our mandate is to act as a non-profit society that supports the spirit, development, and growth of the B.C. music community provincially, nationally, and internationally. Music BC provides education, resources, advocacy, opportunities for funding, networking, and a forum for communication. We have over 800 paid members and 4,000 active subscribers to our weekly e-news. Membership covers all genres of music and extends from artists to studios to labels to managers and all other industry personnel. Music BC is also the FACTOR-affiliated office for British Columbia.
As far as my background is concerned, I'm the executive director of Music BC and I'm a practising music lawyer. I've been in the business for 20 years and acted in many capacities, from artist to lawyer to label executive. As an artist, I've been nominated for two Juno awards and won two western Canadian music awards. I'm on the FACTOR national advisory board and on the executive of CIMA, formerly CIRPA, the Canadian Independent Music Association. I'm a member in good standing of SOCAN and the American Federation of Musicians.
On behalf of Music BC and the board of CIMA, I applaud the government for renewing the Canada music fund for five years at full funding levels. This commitment to stability and growth of Canadian music regionally, nationally, and internationally is exactly what the music industry needs. Many in the industry were consulted on the need to renew the Canada music fund and this message was received and acted upon. Making the renewal for five years will allow the industry to plan for the future in order to make real progress in the continuing growth of the music industry.
Renewing the Canada Music Fund will ensure that funds such as FACTOR, MUSICACTION, and the collective initiatives and music entrepreneur components stay fully funded. This is also welcome news to the Canadian provincial music associations, which access funding through FACTOR to create needed programs for Canadian musicians and the music industry personnel that we support.
As far as Canada Council and the musical diversity program are concerned, this has served the non-commercial genres well for many years, and many wonderful recordings of Canadian classical, jazz, folk, and rural genres have been funded by the program. Notable B.C. artists include the Vancouver Chamber Choir, Veda Hille, and Amanda Tosoff Quartet. While FACTOR does do a great deal of diverse music, the Canada Council has been able to fund additional projects that were not meant for commercial use. This funding of the arts for art's sake has been an important part of the fabric of our society and has enriched Canadian cultural landscape.
Also, distribution assistance through the program has served such organizations as the Canadian Music Centre, which presently has been distributing the CBC classical catalogue. Cutting these funds will affect that greatly.
In terms of what the music industry needs, the music industry was greatly affected by the cancellation of the Trade Routes cultural export program. Those cuts, along with cuts to the Canadian cultural representatives at Canadian consulates around the world, left a huge void in the music business.
For example, before these cuts, Music BC was able to bring a number of music supervisors up to Los Angeles to meet with local artists. Within one week, a local artist, Kelly Brock, placed three songs in the popular CSI series and was able to finance her entire tour that year.
Since that time, local artists and companies have placed dozens of songs in U.S. television series and movies. Also by way of example, the Western Canadian Music Awards has been able to bring in buyers from all over the world, including the Glastonbury Festival and South by Southwest in Austin. The benefits would be greatly diminished in terms of this international representation.
Prior to the renewal of the Canada Music Fund, the music industry was consulted on our specific needs in this new music paradigm. With the Internet playing such a large role in artistic development and marketing, a digital sales and marketing program was requested. Also, with the cancellation of the federal Trade Routes export program, the music industry isolated the need for music export marketing. The export of music outside of Canada accounts for 40% of the revenues of larger Canadian independent music companies. The Department of Canadian Heritage listened to this request and tabled both digital sales marketing programs and an export marketing program.
While these programs have been announced with the renewal, the details and administration of these programs have not yet been determined.
A lot of blame has recently been allocated to FACTOR in the press and by some lobbying groups about the reinstatement of the program. While an agency is undoubtedly needed to administer programs, it's my understanding that neither FACTOR nor MUSICACTION requested to be the administrator of any reallocated funds. And if they do become the administrator, it will be at the request of the Department of Canadian Heritage.
It's also very important to know that at no time did the music industry ever request a reallocation of funds from the Canada Council for these new programs. The music industry values the work of the Canada Council and did not ever suggest that these programs be funded by elimination of Canada's music diversity program. The decision is that of the Department of Canadian Heritage, not the music industry.
In conclusion, it is very unfortunate that the Department of Canadian Heritage has felt compelled to make a policy decision that will create two new programs at the cost of an existing program. The easier and perhaps better route would have been to increase overall funding to allow for the new programs.
In any event, it is imperative that the Canada Music Fund be allowed to roll out in a timely fashion. The entire industry awaits the implementation of the fund.
Thank you.