Wide Days - Scotland's Music Convention
Now in it's 8th year, Scotland's Music Convention, Wide Days prevailed with an outstanding day of education, networking and enjoyment. Taking place at the picturesque Teviot Row House, Wide Days presented a plethora of engaging conversations and discussions to a diverse delegate group.
Set in a glorious spring day, where the sun was splitting the sky, Edinburgh's Wide Days welcomed a record number of delegates. A large team of smartly dressed volunteers were on hand for registration and very visible throughout the day. With an abundance of panels and discussions on offer, we were hard pressed to pick out a few of our conference highlights.
Access All Areas - an engaging platform for discussing accessibility for venues across Scotland. Led by 'Attitude is Everything's Gideon Feldman. It was great to learn more about the avenues being explored to increase accessibility for everyone concerned in Scotland. Things as simple as having an 'access@' email address can go a long way to achieving better communication amongst networks.
Press Conference & Presentation / PRS Foundation & Creative Scotland - an exclusive opportunity to sit amongst the discussion of PRS Foundation/Creative Scotland joint Scottish launch of Momentum. The fund which was initially only available in England and has opened up to Scottish artists which is extremely exciting with Alan Morrison saying 'We're overflowing with musical talent here in Scotland and we want the world to know about it'. Scottish artists will be able to apply for grants of up to £15,000.
CMU - Where Do Labels & Publishers Fit In - step up Jamie Gilmour (Rightsbridge). This panel was introduced by CMU's Chris Cooke, after which he led on the panel. It was insightful to hear from Julie Weir (Music For Nations) and her understanding and experience in both major and independent record labels. Jamie was vocal and concise in his advice to delegates and for me personally, gained a lot from his time on the microphone (queue mic drop).
New Label Models - we sat in on a energetic panel discussing the new models which are becoming more and more prominent these days. Sarah Stam of AEI and leading YouTube labels such as Subsoul was very descriptive on artists who've seen success in using this media for exposure.
Metal Lessons - With such a diverse panel lead by Vic Galloway, the audience were able to hear the ins and outs of working in the metal world and what can be done for an act that can't get played on the radio. Runa Strindin, owner of Midgardsblot festival, discussed her experience in the extreme genre of black metal, while Julie Weir, head of Music for Nations, talked about her experience with more commercial metal. All round a great panel surrounding a genre that is often left unspoken.
CMU - DIY: Making Money From Your Streams In Partnership with Emubands - This panel offered a great overview of how distribution can help. Ross Livingstone shared practical tips with the audience on how to get more out of your streams and what a distributor can do to help.
10 Things...I Hate About You - This panel gave a great insight into the relationships between booking agents and promoters. With a professional approach, the panellists delved into the finer details of each others occupations and what drives them mad. They also discussed common courtesies that should be practised throughout the whole of the music industries.
Wide Days concluded with a delectable box of live performances from the creme de la creme on the Scottish music scene. We saw performances from Edwin Organ, Zoe Graham & Strata in Teviot House's debating hall. We then made the completely downhill journey to La Belle Angelle where we caught the sets of Crystal, Rascalton and Lucia.
Thank you Wide Days!