Exchange of music

Music and culture are vital components in the make up of any one nation. These elements quietly pulsate beneath the monotonous hub of every day life, epitomizing the collective soul of people. Central Eastern Europe is a potent combination of age old traditions, customs and societies whose differences lie within extreme proximity. Music is just one example of the positive offering respective European cultures can communicate with one another. The value of music exchange has not gone unrecognized, and the cultural and music community from around Europe have ensured the continuing collaboration for years to come.
The RegiON! Music Conference 2008, Budapest, is a forum promoting cultural and music exchange between CEE and Western Europe. The conference occurred on September 25th-28th, its second year, and is the initiative of Music Export Hungary’s Director Fruzsina Szép- the very same office that organizes the internationally acclaimed SZIGET festival. European Music Export Offices (MEOS), music professionals, educators, political representatives, agencies, and major cultural institutions from thirty nations were invited to participate in a two day seminar examining the pros and cons of music projects and the integration and exchange of local talents. Important members of the European Commission and Mr Ferenc Csák of the Hungarian Ministry of Education and Culture were invited to participate and observe the objectives outlined in four separate workshops.
In an effort to separate the abundance of challenges and topics contained within the CEE music industry, four workshops were established to divide the delegates under the umbrella of key subjects. Music Exchange, Music Goes Digital, Music Education/Talent Development and Live Networking.  The structure of the workshops was to create an interactive platform to exchange knowledge, creative ideas and further/instigate projects between countries. Funding and recognition of fortified cultural programs by the EU and local governmental bodies is imperative in the development and acceptance of music as culture and the aims of the topical workshops.

 

To assist the successful exchange of music between East and West, additional Music Exports Offices are needed to facilitate the exchange of knowledge, methods and bands between the countries. All countries need to focus on working for and supporting the CEE region; music festivals are an integral ingredient as they provide the platform for promoting culture and talent, while strengthening relationships between the nations involved. The comprehension of local infrastructures is necessary to lobby the EU in terms of funding and budget allocation, and it is also relevant to impose the significance of music culture and the impact it has on tourism and the framework of societal characteristics.
The predicament of the omnipresent digital music age was a focal topic of the conference. The CEE region is rapidly catching up to the West in terms of digitally obtained music, via downloading mechanisms which allow people to listen to musical artists for free. While the problem is essentially global, the CEE region faces various challenges and issues subject to each country and market. The withholding of rightful monies from artists is a contentious issue shared by the region’s music industry.  Methods of regulation, political alliance and the willingness of honest partnerships will need to be implemented to restore control. The 360 degree model governing much of the region’s artists is a problematic method for a number of reasons. Essentially the 360 degree is a structure permitting a music label to acquire ultimate control over the musician’s profits. This incorporates all avenues of income from live performances, music sales, publishing and merchandising earnings, reducing the artist’s ability to function as a sole entity and the freedom to regulate himself/herself and his/her work. Many artists in the CEE region are forced to embrace this model due to limited options concerning solid management and honest promotion. Each country uses a different system of the 360-degree model, so it is necessary to define the specific needs of artists and labels contained in their territory. Major labels could assist these aims by entering into partnerships with publishers, promoters and managers as opposed to dominating the industry.
Talent development and music education were also central subjects. A broad range of educational sectors participated to discuss ideas, initiatives and the education and encouragement of young talent throughout the region. The gap between the formal education institution and the music industry is currently quite large, and in order to learn and cooperate effectively, the fusion of the two sectors must be investigated. A fantastic program entitled Roots and Routes operates throughout the region in an effort to develop, encourage and educate young, talented artists. Young participants are able to evolve through the workshops and various projects the organization arranges. Each artist is able to network and collaborate with other talents from around the CEE region, endorsing the exchange of cultures. Every nation can offer unique methods of cultural and talent development, and collaboration between all divisions will sanction fluidity in talent and cultural assimilation.
Live networking between bands, clubs and festivals is currently lacking within the region, and, to facilitate this system, projects and networking goals should be founded.  A ‘club tour’ and a festival tour were proposed to endorse the progression of the networks. The club tour would be executed in three cities, 200 kilometers in proximity to one another. Three bands would rotate within the framework, over a three-day period, beginning in Berlin, moving to Prague and finishing in Brussels, for example. The main design is centralized around a continuous music tour where audiences can watch live performances and new acts, simultaneously experiencing cultural forte. The promotion of festivals within the region was also adopted with five bands from eight countries participating, touring under the one framework. Encouragement and support via the travelling festival would aid artist notoriety abroad and promote the unification of existing festivals. A website and one central office would be created to channel the workload, contacts and information between the affiliated regions.
The RegiON! Music Conference is a testament to the sustainability of culture and the value in which culture through music symbolizes. The conference is the first of its kind, opening the door to explore the wonderful world of the Central Eastern European music scene and the many flavors bubbling inside of it. The ethos of RegiON! elevates the significance of cooperative partnership between Central Eastern Europe’s musical landscape and the opportunity to exchange artistic talent with Western Europe. In a region where political and economical pressures dominate, it’s refreshing to see culture and talent capture centre stage.