I was reading the board member list of CARAS and MusiCounts, reminded how much power in the music business belongs to executives, managers, marketers and broadcasters. It’s like a zoo run by people who have never met a zebra but hold very strong opinions about stripes. Walmart vibes. Somewhere inside, under fluorescent lights there is an aisle marked Canadian Music Career. Singer-songwriters beside the patio furniture, jazzers stacked near winter tires, improvisers reduced for clearance because no barcode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I noticed the CEO is from Universal Music Canada, the executive producer from the JUNO Awards, the vice-chair is from Microsoft. They have a senior director of international AI governance. Someone is from Audiogram and someone else is from Quebecor. The secretary and the Vice-President of marketing is from MLSE, which is about music meeting professional sports. A woman from CBC represents unscripted content, which [to me] sounds like a title for improvisation after it meets a legal department. There’s someone from Warner Music Canada and someone else from Live Nation Canada. And at least two big shot managers who started labels that made zillions. Altogether record companies, artificial intelligence, hockey-adjacent marketing, broadcasting and live entertainment, all tuned to the key of Corporate Major. They are the people behind the curtain… and the curtain is sponsored, and the stage has naming rights and the backstage pass has been converted into a downloadable partnership opportunity requiring acceptance of cookies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Musicians believing talent determines a music career is like believing the finest cow becomes the most expensive hamburger. Seems to me somewhere between the pasture and the drive-through, a man with a chauffeur has made a few million explaining why the cow should be grateful. Board members are not villains. Villains enjoy more independence. They function inside a large system designed to transform unruly human expression so it can be scheduled between advertisements. Management cannot be held responsible for lost dreams, damaged instruments or unattended careers left in the parking lot. If I teach a course in the future, might call it Is Music Business: More Campfire or Shopping Centre? <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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