Good morning everyone. My name is Sébastien Nasra.
First of all, allow me to thank you for the privilege of speaking as part of this exercise, the pertinence of which I salute as it comes at a key time in the evolution of the Canadian music industry.
My presentation will be in what can be referred to as Frenglish, so please keep your headset on and listen to the music.
It's been said of me that I am an industry international man of all trades. Classically trained as a percussionist from the Conservatoire de musique du Québec, I am the proud recipient of both a CEGEP diploma in administration and a law degree from Laval University.
In 1994, at the age of 23, I founded Avalanche Productions and Avalanche Sound Publishing. Avalanche went on to become an established 360 operation of artist services—management, publishing, label, album and show productions—and a significant player in the Canadian music industry launching the local, national, and sometimes international careers of acts such as The Soul Attorneys, Jorane, Les Respectables, Beast, Elisapie Isaac, and more.
Furthermore, my continuous determination to break borders has led me to build bridges with the rest of the world and create, in 2006, M for Montreal, a showcase conference and export platform now internationally renowned and locally celebrated, going into its ninth year of existence. M is a springboard into international markets that has contributed to the careers of many acclaimed acts, such as Half Moon Run, Patrick Watson, DJ Champion, Coeur de Pirate, Karkwa, Suuns, P.S. I Love You, and many more.
In 2011, along with seasoned Toronto-based programmer Derek Andrews, we launched Mundial Montréal, serving and supporting the Canadian world music community through a yearly showcase conference and by currently creating an unprecedented network of presenters with a clear goal: developing opportunities for talents emerging from the richness of the Canadian cultural diversity.
In only three years, Mundial has become internationally recognized as the premier professional meeting place in North America for global music. Other involvements in different aspects of the industry include serving on theboard of directors of organizations such as SOCAN. I was a founding member of APEM, Association des Professionnels de l'Édition Musicale, and I am currently serving on the board of ADISQ. But enough about me.
I would like to draw your attention to some of the needs of Canadian music and to future possibilities. First of all, I must challenge some commonly held misconceptions.
While it is true that anyone can do a recording in his living room and put it on YouTube, the fact remains that the cost of equipping oneself with the means to produce a quality product and to have consistent visibility are increasingly high.
How do we deal with the challenge of the digital era, social media, and the broader role of corporations? We believe that there are some key solutions: workers, workers, workers. Companies must have help hiring and attracting specialized workers, mainly in viral marketing and social media advertising.
It's all about social networking, right? For that, it takes bodies, young potential music industry professionals for the future that will give young organizations the ability to grow their support staff more efficiently and more effectively.
One has to remember that when the fund was set, the instant social media needs did not exist at all, and it is in no way replacing the traditional media or marketing needs, but it is actually in addition to the existing needs of skills and clout to be able to compete in the new marketplace.
The market hasn't changed much. People still want music and need to access music more than ever. It's the way of bringing it to their attention and getting it in their ears that has evolved with technology, and the faster pace with which it's delivered.
I have some recommendations. This might sound funny, but we need more geeks. It's the revenge of the nerds. We need funds dedicated to keep up with the need for fast, constant social media and network maintenance, online marketing plans, conversations with the public, creation of quality online content, innovation in practices, and evolution in e-market penetration methods.
A little earlier, we talked about developing a young audience. Firstly and secondly, we must educate young people and put them in contact with music which, as evidence has shown, has beneficial effects on cognitive development and motivation. We must also capture their imagination before they are taken over by video games, movies and TV.
Let's talk about marketing and commercialization. Production is relatively well-supported, but it has become increasingly difficult and costly to sell a product. It is important to maintain support for creation and production, because without a good quality product, no one will buy it even with all the marketing in the world.
The priority is touring, touring and touring. At the end of the day, that is the best type of local, national and international promotion. It has been clearly proven that artists who tour can do nothing but develop artistically, develop their audiences and develop demand for their projects while generating various types of spinoffs, including jobs for technical staff and others.
In terms of research for new opportunities for music, there is a cruel lack of support for developing new initiatives. I am talking about support for business plans and market studies to facilitate the presentation of music on various non-traditional platforms, like movies, TV, video games, multimedia, and advertising, to name a few.
I want to talk about diversity in diverse cities. The Canadian cultural mosaic is larger, bigger, and more diverse than ever. It is not only French and English anymore. It is starting to express itself as the new Canada.
Recognizing the organizations and events that represent, support, and bring to the masses the sounds and cultures of a wide variety of global beats and voices of the world that have adopted Canada as their home is an essential step moving forward in supporting our incredibly diverse communities that form the social fabric of Canada 3.0.
In listening to other voices who have opinions in this area, we noticed that, namely, the Government of Ontario and heavy hitters of the Canadian music industry based in Ontario are being strategically aggressive with even more Toronto-centricity and establishing Toronto as the most significant music hub in the country.
While we understand their motivations, we would like to think that the magic of the Canadian music scene is about more than one place. Examples like the National Music Center in Calgary, initiatives like BreakOut West, the ECMA awards, Les Francouvertes, or M for Montreal, to name a few, all contribute in their own way to make Canada so special, unique, and diverse. Again, the D word, diversity.
As for exports, I would like to clarify that some industry stakeholders would like to see a single model and a single window for dealing with and organizing export missions. We do not believe that such a model promotes diversity, nor is it the best approach for tangible individual results for artists.
Why? Because each project has different artistic content, different timing, different needs and different strategic approaches. The tools available to artists and Canadian entrepreneurs must remain flexible, diversified, and strategic so they can respond quickly to the rare opportunities that arise in an increasingly competitive international market.
The department did consult industry on this specific point in the fall of 2012, and the exercise clearly showed that the diversity of stakeholders and the diversity of business models is the way to go.
Finally, we want to underscore the difference between flourishing in Canada and developing the artistic careers of Canadians, in terms of market development, of course.
Because, at the end of the day, it's all about the music, man.
Thank you for your attention. I would be happy to answer any questions.