Music Connections

‘I’m buzzing right now at the possibilities ahead’
Music Connections training participant

What is Music Connections and who is it for?

Music Connections is a professional development programme aimed at producers, label bosses, promoters and managers, based in Northamptonshire.

The programme has two strands; one a training programme, aimed at emerging industry talent, and the other a bursary programme, aimed at more experienced industry professionals.

Twenty aspiring music artists, producers, label bosses, promoters and managers took part in the training programme, which equipped them with key skills in fundraising and sponsorship, marketing, digital technology and financial management and increased their awareness of industry practice, networks and opportunities. The programme. ran over four one-day sessions, each of which was led by a member of the hub team, and also had input from other industry, broadcast and legal ‘insiders’. The sessions were highly informative, carefully planned yet informal, with lots of practical example and exercises and opportunities to ask questions. Each session was supplemented by a resource pack that helped participants to put what they’d learned into practice.

The bursary programme offers ten experienced music industry professionals the opportunity to take part in an eight month bursary programme, which has two components:

• £1500 bursary, intended to cover training, go and see, networking, research, study, work experience etc.
• Five two-hour surgeries with an industry mentor, designed to address specific business or professional development issues contained in their Individual Bursary Plans

Six of Northamptonshire’s most dynamic industry professionals are currently part way through their bursary programmes, and another four will join the programme in October 2007. Current bursary recipients are:

Jo Burns: music producer, DJ and event manager, who runs her own club night in London, called Amplitude. www.littlejo.net

Janan Fifield: runs Performin’ Room, a music programme for young people, which works in youth clubs, community centres, schools, colleges, referral units and prisons. www.myspace.com/performinroom

Jamie Johnson: manager of Mercury Award nominees Maps, MD of Looking for Biscuits Management and also runs a label, called Last Space Recordings.

Mel Rogers: runs Northamptonshire Community Mobile Studio, which provides music workshops for young people

Stuart Sweeney: musician/ composer/ producer, specialising in the area of loop production, library and royalty free music. www.myspace.com/oomff

Neale Tidd: independent promoter and band manager, who promotes in Northampton, Cambridge, Colchester, Southend and Norwich.

Similar projects

Promoter Platform: Training and bursary programme for music entrepreneurs in the east Midlands

Own Industry: Music business accelerator for the east Midlands