Now that NI's film industry is reeling in success, with NI Screen promoting local facilities to filmmakers ('City of Ember' being one of the most recent), attention will next week focus on music.
Belfast is about to host this year's Northern Ireland Music Industry Commission (NIMIC) conference.
Home-based music is the core of a conference day at Queen's University with a panel of music industry experts and practitioners discussing the development of a sustainable music industry in Northern Ireland.
The panellists this year read like a 'who's who' of the music scene in 2008-Northern Irish born Paul Brannigan (Editor of Kerrang magazine), Ben Turner (from one of the UK's leading festivals, Bestival, and also the manager of Radio 1's Rob Da Bank), Harry Martin, from Domino Records (home to The Artic Monkeys and Franz Ferdinand).
Add to them Declan Forde from Electric Picnic, Ian Ramage from Sony Music, Phil Nelson (manager of Duke Special), Andy McKirdy from Fatboy Slim’s label Skint and Una Johnson from South By Southwest, and there's some idea of the scope.
The eclectic panel is topped off with one of the most important people in the UK Music Industry-an original 'Undertone', Fergal Sharkey, (pictured).
Fergal is now Chairman of 'UK Music', the recently formed body that is the voice of the UK Music Industry.
He commented: "It is vital that a new generation of songwriters and musicians is aware of how industries like the music business operate and the value they create."
The event takes place on Thursday 6 November in the Whitla Hall, from 9.30am-4.30pm.
More info: Email mark@nimusic.com
(BMcC)
Music Conference To Hit A High Note
Date: 31/10/2008
