ARCHIVE | POP Symposium at POP Montreal 2022! September 28 to October 2nd
About the Curator
Eve Parker Finley is a noted Montreal multi-instrumentalist, producer, and comedian. Braiding a dense and deliberate web of string arrangements and alt-pop soundscapes, she rose to minor internet notoriety over the last years for her music and sardonic sketches on contemporary life as a transgender millennial. Finley has been a mainstay in the Montreal independent scene for nearly a decade.
Every year, POP Symposium brings people together to discuss the most pressing issues facing the music industry. With the major challenges of the last few years, we need to come together both as a community and an industry to chart exciting new collective futures.
This year’s POP Symposium presents an inspiring suite of hands-on workshops and panel discussions aimed at empowering the next generation of artists to build sustainable careers. Come participate in the “Do-It-Together” day of workshops about everything from syncing to writing grants, or join a full day of sessions focused on the climate crisis and music.
Across the five themes of the symposium– (1) Do-It-Together day, (2) Social Media, (3) Community & Wellness, (4) Climate Justice, and (5) Technology, there’s an opportunity for all artists, community members, and industry professionals to connect and learn something new.
Full Programming
Do-It-Together Day
Gigging outside the box: Making your own stages
28 sept, 11h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Thanya Iyer
Come learn with seasoned DIY community members about the plethora of live music opportunities and strategies for getting gigs. From booking tours to making the most out of your local scene.
Granting Access: How the grant landscape is changing & what you need to know
28 sept, 12h30, Rialto Hall
Participants: Rachel Weldon
Public funders at all levels of government have been adapting their programs, ensuring that artists and organizations at all stages of their careers can access support. This workshop will demystify the funding landscape, providing an overview of the funding opportunities available and the shifts that are taking place.
Workshop: How’s everybody doing tonight?: How to connect with your audience in live performance
28 sept, 14h, Rialto Hall
Rehearsing your set is one thing, but connecting with an audience is a whole other ballgame. From stage banter, to set design, this workshop invites you to learn how to level up your next live performance.
Releasing in 2022: What you need to know
28 sept, 15h30, Rialto Hall
Participants: Tess Roby, Sarah Armiento (Hot Tramp Records)
A lot has changed over the last few years when it comes to releasing music. Providing tips for everything from working independently and finding a label, to public relations strategies, this workshop is intended to provide emerging artists with the practical skills to make the most out of their next release.
Chasing Syncs: Demystifying TV and Film Syncing
28 sept, 17h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Jeff Waye (Third Side Music), Isabelle Banos (Caveboy)
Music plays a huge role in TV and film and can be a major boon to artists’ careers. But how exactly do these songs end up on TV? This workshop will demystify this process. Intended for artists at any stage of their career, come learn about the process, ask questions, and get your music heard.
Social Media
Do Musicians Have to Be Influencers to be Successful? The rise of the social media first artist
29 sept, 14h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Star Amerasu, Melissa Vincent, Maryze, David Schellenberg (Constellation), Austin Archer
With the rise of TikTok as a key medium for music promotion, this panel discussion interrogates the idea that musicians need to be content creators in order to be successful. In what ways does the rise of social media provide new opportunities and challenges for emerging artists to build an audience?
Love it or Block it: The Social Media Roasting Panel
29 sept, 16h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Star Amerasu, Austin Archer, Melissa Vincent, Eve Parker Finley
Join an experienced panel of artists and social media creators for a hilarious and biting social media critique session. Three musicians will volunteer their social media feeds to be critiqued by this panel of experts in an event that is sure to be full of laughs and lessons.
Community & Wellness
At a distance – from within: Conversations on Diaspora
30 sept, 13h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Bettina Pérez Martínez, Tyra Maria Trono + guests
Join curators Bettina Pérez Martínez and Tyra Maria Trono, along with participating artists, in a conversation discussing different conversations surrounding the Art POP 2022 exhibition, //At a distance – from within.//
Are Musicians Supposed to Struggle to Break Even? On Career Sustainability
30 sept, 15h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Karly Hartzman (Wednesday), Jes Skolnik, Joey la Neve DeFrancisco and guests.
Mapping Montreal’s Diverse Black Music Scenes
30 sept, 16h30, Rialto Hall
Come learn about ARCMTL’s mapping project, which highlights the living history of over 40 legendary concert venues from the 50s to 80s that helped foster diverse Black music communities across the city. This panel will feature the research team leading the project and some exciting music legends who helped make the project a reality.
CALLIARI: Language and Belonging
30 sept, 18h, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Film POP
CALLIARI (presented at Film POP this year) explores the elements that have shaped and challenged Marco Calliari’s career and identity during his prolific career in Canada and abroad. This panel dives into these same questions, asking: can songwriters from Quebec’s cultural, linguistic and Indigenous plurality carve out a place for themselves in the music industry of Quebec?
Climate Justice
Green Touring & Live Performance
1 Oct, 11h, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency and RECYC-QUÉBEC
With initiatives like Julie’s Bicycle, A Greener Festival, Reverb and Green Music Australia, many groups are being vocal and visionary in a collective effort to recognise environmental impacts and sustainability issues within the sector. This panel considers the advances that have been made, the targets that have been announced and the strategies that are necessary to realize a zero carbon live music sector.
This Merch is Green: Workshop on Sustainable Merch
1 oct, 12h45, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency and RECYC-QUÉBEC
From the raw materials of vinyl and merch to the packaging of our albums and CDs, the music industry faces challenges in creating artifacts and products that don’t damage our world. As vinyl sales increase and physical product reaffirms its place as a key driver of industry income and artist discovery, our panel asks: can we make green products and deliver them in a sustainable way?
The Artist’s Role In the Climate Crisis
1 oct, 14h30, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency, Plus 1 and RECYC-QUÉBEC
This panel brings together some of the leading voices in music who are creating art that tackles the climate crisis head on. Intended to inspire industry and emerging artists to continue this vital work, this panel asks what does it look like to create art in a time of deep uncertainty about our collective climate future.
Artists & Indigenous Land Struggles: Marlene Hale & Stefan Christoff in Conversation
1 oct, 16h15, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency and RECYC-QUÉBEC
In response to the struggle of the Wet’suwet’en against the Coastal GasLink Pipeline, artists in Tiohti:áke/Montreal signed a collective letter facilitated by Wet’suwet’en climate Justice activist Marlene Hale and musician Stefan Christoff. Join us for a conversation between Marlene and Stefan on the persisting importance of Indigenous struggles for #LandBack.
1 oct, 18h, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency and RECYC-QUÉBEC
Record labels are in a unique position in the music industry to help build a greener sector. With recent announcements from Beggars Group, Ninja Tune and The Secretly Group on zero carbon pathways, the reality of the zero-emissions record company is at hand. What opportunities and challenges are record labels facing in moving towards more sustainable practices?
Now What? Facilitated Discussion
1 oct, 19h30, Rialto Hall
Co-presented by Music Declares Emergency and RECYC-QUÉBEC
We’ve all heard about the realities of the climate crisis and the need for communities to play their part in building a more sustainable future, but what does that look like in our individual lives and work? Join representatives from Music Declares Emergency in this discussion to identify tangible steps we can take in our communities to be involved in climate justice organizing.
Technology
Through the Looking Glass: XR, AR, and Music
2 oct, 12h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Jon Yu, Vincent Morisset and guests.
Co-presented by CIMA
With the explosion of new immersive media technologies over the last decade, this panel explores the intersections of music, visual art, XR, and AR. What is the role of XR, AR, and other technologies in the future of the music industry?
Blockchain & Beats: New Horizons in Tech and Art
2 oct, 14h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Lesya Nakoneczny, TiKA, and Francis di Stasio
Blockchain technologies have caused much discussion in the music industry and beyond. Whether it’s the debate over NFTs, the potential of blockchain for music rights management, or emerging experiments in Web 3.0, this panel investigates the various futures and impacts of blockchain tech on art industries.
Burnout & Belonging: Mental Health, Wellness & the Music Industry
2 Oct, 18h, Rialto Hall
Participants: Thanya Iyer, Mallika Guhan (Behave Music), Hanorah, Bronwyn Ford (Luminelle Records), Milla Thyme, Matt Haris (End of the Road Festival)
Studies show that the mental health of artists and workers in the music industry is worryingly low. Many point to a culture of overworking and hustling that is prevalent across the industry. What would it look like to prioritize wellness in the music industry? How can you build a sustainable career while maintaining wellness? How can we support professionals with disabilities and build an industry that doesn’t lead people to burn-out?
Click here to see the calendar for POP Symposium’s events!
See you there!
