Melbourne Reason Producers Conference @ Miss Libertine, Melbourne (09/08/08)
A rare opportunity presented itself this weekend with the launch of Melbourne’s first specialist music production conference held at Miss Libertine on Franklin Street. Part of a worldwide initiative from Propellerhead, the Stockholm based music software company and creators of Reason, who have successfully held previous conferences in cities as far flung as San Francisco, Oslo, Tokyo and Amsterdam, the idea behind the seminars is to put those who are writing, producing and making music in touch with professionals and people already working within the music industry.
The formula for the conference was to present to the audience knowledge from a number of professional panelists in two formalised discussions over the course of the afternoon, and then have a number of product demonstrations during the last two hours. The day began with a brief introduction from Sam Counihan, sales and marketing for Musiclink Australia, about how the day would progress and the purpose of the conference, before we were straight into the first formal discussion panel comprising Frank Rodi (licensing manager at Apra), Clive Leahy (A&R at Spark Media), Simon Cahill from the Onelove and Band Room labels, media arts lawyer Jennifer Tutty, Ewan Macarthur (producer and engineer at Bellarine Records as well as Jane Slingo, artist manger at Young Strangers.
The discussion was an introduction to the complexities and pitfalls of the music industry, covering topics such as contract creation and reviewing, self promotion, use of the internet and its effect on the music business, money/royalties and copyrighting, making contact with and finding the right industry representation for yourself as well as protecting your work and productions. There was in-depth discussions that brought forth a fountain of priceless information and expertise in an often forgotten part of the industry. There’s more to making and selling music than producing a simple CD or MP3, and this discussion highlighted these facts.
Following this first panel there was a Q&A session for the attendees to pose questions to the members, and then we moved into a half hour lunch break. For the more savvy of us in attendance, this was a golden opportunity to speak with the numerous professionals and other artists in a relaxed atmosphere.
After lunch we moved onto the second panel discussion with Frank Rodi, Jeniffer Tutty and Simon Cahill from the first panel along with Mike Kerry from MySpace, Christina Grant from Spark Media, Sam Cameron from Beat Broker and Cameron Elkins from EMI, with Jane Slingo leading the discussion. This second dialogue focused on new technologies and how they will affect the current music landscape, and its representation in the market place; the future opportunities for artists to sell their product to consumers such as through mobile devices and unlimited use subscription systems from phone providers; and a host of other media related points of interest.
Following the Q&A session and another brief break we were on to what I believe many of the attendees had come to see, the technical workshops and product demonstrations. We were offered up 20 minute sessions with artists, engineers and programmers working on a diverse range of equipment and software including Propellorhead’s ReCycle and Reason programs, Mackie Contollers, Korg and Ableton Live and the launch and announcement of a number of new pieces of professional equipment.
So, was it worth attending and if it’s held again should you go? In a word ‘yes’, if you’re serious about being a producer. The knowledge contained in that room and the opportunities that present themselves when so many industry leaders are available for you to speak to and make contact with is absolutely invaluable. Entry came with a $90 price tag, which included two excellent magazines, a host of goodies like pens and stickers as well as a ticket to the after party. It might seem a little pricey but considering what is on offer, it’s a small price to pay. Owning and using Reason software is not a prerequisite, nor is it essential, and the presentations of other products were nicely done without bias towards Propellorhead products.
The seminars and information were definitely focused on those thinking of a career in the industry, and if you are a novice without much more than a casual interest in programming I wouldn’t attend, however the high entry price probably reflects that this was aimed at a more discerning market. I was most impressed with what I saw, however the two panels together made it tough going at times and more demonstrations throughout the course of the day would have made it a bit lighter. A half-day pass for either the start or end sessions may also make a nice alternative. All in all though, a great opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.
