NATIONAL BANDS CONVENTION

[HeartRockSingapore]

I am proposing to convene a National Bands Convention for music people to come together, air their views, seek clarification, propose initiatives and to network with the right people.

How can a convention like this help local music? Please feel free to put in your comments

 

[mikemann]

It's a very good idea. The question is how will the convention be held, and what are the representation of the convention? Will it cover all genre of music?

My fear is that the situation could be, "Oh it's the same old faces again and again."

I think there should be some agenda to be made a sticking point of such convention. A goal to set & achieve. Like previously mentioned "A Heartrock Center".......etc.

 

[Vaiyen]

sounds like a good idea. But will it overlap with the monthly meeting at that arts center that James proposed?

 

[afterdeath]

sound fun too........ :wink:


:twisted:

 

[3notesAbar]

I had this crazy idea when i read the thread title, that many bands were going to come together to JAM.

Anyway, yeah good idea. Especially for those who want to be heard, and dont know how. Heatrock does it again!

 

[DoubleBlade]

My fear is that the situation could be, "Oh it's the same old faces again and again."

I think there should be some agenda to be made a sticking point of such convention. A goal to set & achieve. Like previously mentioned "A Heartrock Center".......etc.

I think it is a very good idea but how often will such conventions be organised? Once a year perhaps? Maybe within a span of a year , after much collaboration with organisations to promote the scene for the year , we might get more people into the fray as hardcore local music activist? Although to a certain extent YES we might see the same old faces again and again but at least some fresh faces to voice out their views and comments?

Who knows , we might eventually get some guys from the NAC or it's affliations who would later share the same dream as us through collaborations to promote the scene....

Therefore I feel that the National Bands Convention should be an annual event...

 

[atee]

Yea I think making it an annual event would make it seem special too.

Plus if it's a big enough event, we can invite indie bands from overseas, and if it gets on the news, the local music scene is sure to move up a step.

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

Well, a convention is not a regular meeting and in most cases, an annual affair. Yes, the idea is also to have several bands jamming upstage as well, otherwise it defeats its name sake. Yes we need an agenda, a term of reference where we will deliberate upon.

Some of the things we can include are reps from foreign arts bodies to share how they manage, develop and promote their indie bands. We can invite speakers, and foreign bands to open and/or round up the convention, that may include workshops as well. And this is where I really need people who knows "The Music" to help me out in developing the convention outline.

No no, this is not going to overlap James' monthly meetings. Yes, this is going to be a big thing otherwise not worth doing.

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

A goal to set & achieve. Like previously mentioned "A Heartrock Center".......etc.

Oh Ya, HeartRock Centre is very much alive. In fact I will be meeting ministry officials next week on this. It's not going to be easy thing, but guess I still have the stamina to rough it out.

 

[mulyadi]

Some of the things we can include are reps from foreign arts bodies to share how they manage, develop and promote their indie bands.

i agree on this!! need not be big names from the US,UK, but those more localized, like Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand maybe even Australia?

i think its a good idea, it's no doubt going to push the publicity of Made In Singapore music above current levels. So that people across Asia will not know Singapore for just its 'manufactured' pop scene, which is not entirely a bad thing, by the way, but also for the local music scene and bands of other genres.

During this convention, maybe we can not only bring in industry players, but why not at the same time, try to make it a NAMM-like convention, but one that is open to the public in general.

It'd be good to have big and small players showing off their products, old or new, towards this part of Asia, and this will also be a good thing for the tourism industry in Singapore too!

I'm sure that the infrastructure of Singapore is capable enough of handling such conventions.

For the timing of the event, we can do it annually, maybe over a period of 2-3 days? So that there'll be enough time for talks, networking, etc... and hey, even the NAMM shows started small, with a vision. Look at what it's become now.

Big dreams maybe, but i'm sure that it'd be great for the local music scene. Maybe we can get a few (signed or unsigned) bands to jam on stage, as this will not only open doors for them, with industry players around, maybe some bands will get sponsorship or stuff like that. =)

I'm all for it!!!

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

Thanks to all, feedback to this thread are by far positive. Yes, foundation work has started on the project. To see its final fruition, it will probably take about 6 months.

Thank Mulyadi for the very valuable input. If there is anyone out there who can connect me with the respective groups or organiztions at these regional countries, I would indeed appreciate your help.

Do catch me for a chat at the Singapore Expo 1st or 2nd July.

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

If we are inviting the Chinese & the Taiwanese delegates, we may need simultaneous translation, although it may not necessary be. But seriously, China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan are Asian countries with absolutely strong indie movement.

 

[AgingYouth]

I like the NAMM idea... my friends tried doing in May to varying degrees of success. I believe they'll love to tie this up with you.

 

[AgingYouth]

But seriously, China, Korea, Taiwan and Japan are Asian countries with absolutely strong indie movement.

Taipei has this Autumn Tiger music fest where they have loads of Taiwanese indie acts playing... and the headliners for last year were Mogwai! Cool!

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

Thanks Willy.....the one who knows the music scene.

 

[AgingYouth]

Er no lah... I just read abt these events and hope one day I can save enuff to attend one lah.

 

[AgingYouth]

Their concept is similiar to Baybeats where the foreign acts anchor the event but what these Taiwanese are doing are ticketed events... unlike us which is free. That's good lah but in the long run... Hmmmm... That being said, I've not attended the last 2 WOMAD cause I was broke then...

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

I get what you mean. That's why I am still broke cos my gigs are not only free gigs, but subsidized ones too.

But picking from Rottenramone's comment on another thread quote "what has local music got to offer?" unquote, I don't see justicfication as yet. But the time is near for a certain valuation be attributed to gigs as well as performers.

 

[mikemann]

Hi Anthony, just a suggestion. Maybe since you have already made a bit of grounds in gigs and local music. I think you should consider having a little commercial returns for your works, so as to help in the continuation of the work.

Justifications in SG tend to mean mainly one thing, money. Cause every little thing costs money. So I think as we are generally pragmatic people, we always have to be practical and put money high on the piority list. In music, it's mainly a passion thing, just like love in a marriage. We would like to give out everything and expect nothing in return. But in real world, when you run out of money to get the basic necessitity, even marriage will likely turn sour. (heehee...... why do mikemann always talk about this point?? I want to stay in this industry for a very long time)

So as I said in the above, if we want to do anything for long, we must have returns (imagine a love where you give and give but nothing is returned to you in kind, how long can that last??).

So my suggestion is to use your experience, to setup gigs with a fixed theme, and bands which can bring in the audience. Do good gigs, and fair entrence fee, I believe people will still come and support. If people don't come and support, then I guess you got an answer to another question.

Or if you do not like the idea of charging the audience for the gig, you can also try in future gigs to ask volunteers to pass some cans around, so the audience will contribute what they see fit (is this legal?). Anyway it all goes back into the funds of the heartrock community.

 

[HeartRockSingapore]

Thanks Mikemann. As mentioned, I do not feel morally right to charge people as yet. I just wish that the industry will grow fast enough before I go penniless.