ABOUT
HISTORY
PROGRAMMING PARTNERS

ABOUT

As part of the 2007 Pop Montreal International Music Festival, Pop & Policy 2007: Music Fast Forward brings together musicians, fans, media, policymakers, lawyers, industry reps, and technology gurus to discuss and debate the challenges facing the music industry and music policy now and fast forward into the future.

Pop & Policy is presented by an interdisciplinary collaboration of leading thinkers, institutions, and music champions: Pop Montreal International Music Festival, the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy (CIPP) at McGill University, McGill University's Schulich School of Music, and affiliate, the Future of Music Coalition (FMC). This collaboration marks a true nexus of ideas and perspectives, as each partner brings a special expertise to the table. These voices and views will be key to informed and relevant debate about the future of music, and dialogue on pressing issues including internet policy, new codex, radio regulations, technology development, and new industry models. Although international in scope, this conference will have a specific focus on the Canadian face of these issues.

Special speakers include the creator of Mp3 technology Karl Heinz Brandenberg, acclaimed neuroscientist, author, and producer Daniel Levitin, legendary producer Sandy Pearlman, and ‘punk-rock's poet laureate' Patti Smith. Beyond keynote speakers and panel discussions, key elements of the programme include artist-oriented workshops designed to hand over real tools for navigating the music industry and music policy, artist- and expert-led information sessions on advocacy and policy, and live demonstrations of pioneering new instruments and interfaces with technology.

HISTORY

Since its very beginning, the Pop Montreal International Music Festival has included a conference component. In 2006, things stepped up a notch when Pop Montreal, the Future of Music Coalition (FMC) and McGill's Schulich School of Music came together to present the 6th Annual Future of Music Policy Summit. Over the course of three days, 120 panelists debated the issues that are emerging as music promotion and distribution moves to a global, digital platform. Over 550 participants witnessed engaging panel discussions about international copyright issues, digital music licensing, DRM/interoperability, the effect of government funding on artists' careers, how orchestras are navigating change, and the Québécois music industry. Participants also attended special sessions on audio fidelity and compression, preservation and storage, recommendation engines, international touring/visas, visual remixing, and music in games/Second Life. Pop Montreal worked with the FMC to programme artist-focused sessions on a range of topics, including the changing definition of "indie", independent media, DIY online distribution, and publishing for artists.

The FMC directs their Annual Policy Summit agenda towards guarding the value of music for musicians and access to music for consumers, looking to the future, and discussing the various models the music industry might adopt in coming years. This is all done with a view to helping the media, citizens, creators, and policymakers have a more sophisticated understanding of the opportunities and effects that new technologies can have on the value of, and access to, music.

Pop & Policy is rooted in this spirit, but sprouts its own branches in 2007, bringing on board a new partner with the Centre for Intellectual Property Policy (CIPP), highlighting a Canadian focus within the international arena, programming tools-based workshops and special demonstrations, and a well-balanced frame of discourse. With all of these elements in place, Pop & Policy promises to become an important platform for discussion of Canadian music policy at the nexus of law, technology, business, and art.

PROGRAMMING PARTNER PROFILES

Pop Montreal International Music Festival
Launched by friends and colleagues in 2002, Pop Montreal is an annual not-for-profit curated cultural event that champions independence in the arts by presenting emerging and celebrated artistic talents from around the world. Delivering a broad cross-section of art forms and events, Pop Montreal is the North American festival providing a dynamic introduction to the next generation of musical talent and independent art forms.

McGill Schulich School of Music
The largest and leading school of music in Canada, McGill Schulich School of Music is at the forefront of integrating traditional study with new approaches to musical training. The extensive curriculum, experienced professional faculty and state-of-the-art facilities create an environment dedicated to the disciplined study of music and the achievement of excellence in performance and research. www.mcgill.ca/music

Centre for Intellectual Property Policy (CIPP)
The CIPP is a unique international, inter-disciplinary intellectual property centre based at McGill University. Its international community of researchers integrates insights from fields like law, management, philosophy, ethics, science, and economics to offer useful policy options to governments, the business community, researchers and developing economies. Its cutting edge research and proposals explore how states, businesses and civil society manage new and old technologies while balancing the concerns of technology users, technology creators and citizens. www.cipp.mcgill.ca

Future of Music Coalition (FMC) - Conference Affiliate
Future of Music Coalition is a Washington D.C. based nonprofit education, research and advocacy organization that identifies, examines, interprets and translates the challenging issues at the intersection of music, law, technology and policy. By engaging these communities simultaneously, FMC has consistently identified legitimate middle ground positions that have inspired unprecedented collaboration and forward motion in a terminally entrenched environment of litigation and incumbent control. FMC has convened and hosted Policy Summits since 2000 (including last year's Future of Music Policy Summit with Pop Montreal) each bringing hundreds of musicians, policymakers, advocates, attorneys, and technologists together for engaging discussions about emerging music/technology issues. www.futureofmusic.org