Time really does fly. I have been meaning to tell you about the Association of Music Entrepreneurs of Barbados for sometime now and I am finally getting around to it. Oh boi, yes I know I am late but I got the chairmans address to share with you! Its me sharing my interpretation. Its the words from the man in the chair…i know that was corny. lol. 

Alrite stop complaining lets move on you are getting it directly from the top brass of this newly formed organization. There was mention during the launch of a Caribbean Association of Music Entrepreneurs to come! 

Anyways with no further delay I give you,

  The Chairman of the AME – Mr. Glen White of GotRhythm.com

 Chairman’s Address

Launch of the Association of Music Entrepreneurs, Barbados 

Mr Wayne Kirton, CEO, Invest Barbados, Mr Wynthrop Catwell, President of the Barbados Coalition of Services Industries, distinguished guest, ladies and gentlemen. Thanks for taking the time on a busy Monday morning to attend the official launch of the Association of Music Entrepreneurs of Barbados.

I have about seven (7) minutes to describe the vision of the AME so I’ll do my best within that time frame and hopefully what I tell you this morning along with the entire presentation today will bring home our intent. Of course, you may ask for any clarifications in our Q & A session later.

The Vision of the AME is

To make Barbadian entrepreneurs a dominant force in the global music industry.

Why the focus on entrepreneurs?

Well, all industries are initiated and grow to critical mass by the activities of entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs are people who essentially take risks, with the hope of a fair financial return on investment and because they enjoy what they are doing!

Let’s take a lot at two (2) established industries which play a major role in several economies. The oil industry started with a speculator called Edwin Drake (1858) who invented the oil well in Pennsylvania (which produced a bit over 20 barrels a day) but was not very good at business (didn’t patent his drilling techniques), so he died poor. In 2008 Royal Dutch Shell had revenue of $458 Billion with $27Billion in profit. Apple Inc started by three guys – Steve Jobs; Mike Wozniak & Ronald Wayne. Wayne sold his 10% share for $800 in 1976 because he was afraid of incurring debt. If he had hung on until 1982 his shares would have been worth $1.6B

Successful entrepreneurship requires a good product, capability to take risks, along with good business decision making in order to create a viable enterprise.

The members of the AME strongly believe that Barbados has more talent per capita than anywhere else in the world. This assertion is based on the relatively large number of Barbadian artists who have made a global impact over the years and the more recent successes in the world of Pop & Neo Soul music. These factors point to a tremendous opportunity for us as a country to achieve market dominance in the global music industry. But this will not occur arbitrarily. None of us wishes to emulate Edwin Drake or Ronald Wayne.

The Association of Music Entrepreneurs emerged out of discussions prior to and post MIDEM 2009. The Barbados MIDEM Delegation felt that the time was opportune to advance a more formal framework to impact on the creation of the music industry in Barbados. That group was facilitated by Invest Barbados and the members committed themselves to discussions and building a legacy from the country’s’ participation at MIDEM. Today is therefore the realisation of that legacy and I would like to acknowledge the MIDEM 09 delegation and say special thanks for your deliberations and effort to realise what we have achieved today.

• Derek Wilkie   -   CRS Media
• Santia Bradshaw   -  Pyramid Entertainment
• Noelle Kirton   -  Bird’s Eye Music
• Erica Smith    -  COSCAP
• Kristen Broome   -  Hit Island Music
• Nick Nanton   -  Kite
• Kirk Browne   -  Goodvybz Inc
• Glenn White   -  Got Rhythm Dot Com

 
 

We also wish to salute the Invest Barbados lead team on MIDEM

• Jannette Babb & Modou Diagne, they were tremendous facilitators and contributed to the realisation of the objectives from MIDEM.
• Phil Phillips acted as Project Coordinator of the MIDEM delegation.

Through the facilitation of Invest Barbados & the Barbados Coalition Services Industries, via its project leader Natasha Boyce, members of the music fraternity came together based on the following objectives;

• To stimulate the growth of export focused products and related services in the music sector

AME also embraced other objectives

• To adopt the highest industry standards in music related products and services
• To gain recognition of the music industry as an integral sector that contributes to national economic growth
• To work tirelessly towards accessing funding and investment for the promotion of a Barbados music industry
• Lobby to be recognized by the Government of Barbados as a critical voice and policy shaper of the music industry
• Create an awareness of music industry trends to its membership
• And encourage and develop networking and collaboration among local, regional and international industry professional and last by no means least –
• To develop the necessary infrastructure that will encourage the export of products and services of the Barbados creative music sector.

 
 

Our committee is comprised of the following stakeholders in the music sector

• Santia Bradshaw  - Vice Chair
• Darron Grant  - Memberrship
• Phil Phillips   - Secretariat & Marketing
• Kirk Browne  - Member
• Modou Diagne  - Invest Barbados
• Natasha Boyce  - BCSI
• George Thomas  -  Chair

The AME recently established our vision statement which we believe adequately advances our aspirations for all entrepreneurs in the music sector and by extension Barbados, so once more I state that it is

To Make Barbadian Entrepreneurs a dominant force in the global music industry. 

In our first year of operation we plan on building a strong foundation by:

 

  
1) Empowering entrepreneurship via education of participants with the following focus areas: Revenue Potential, Product Development and Employment Opportunities. 
  
2) Developing international networks through strategic participation in major global trade shows e.g. MIDEM, South by Southwest. 
  
3) Insisting on legislation regarding minimum percentage of airplay of local content –From Bout Hey rule. 
  

In our second year we will create opportunities to

 

 Aggressively build new international markets for music products 
 
and engage in ground marketing campaigns in selected international markets (e.g. Asia, South Africa etc). These will be executed via trade missions, business relationships with publishers, distributors and publicists. 

In our third year we want to achieve institutionalization

That is, AME wants to institutionalize the culture of music as a business through programs within the primary, secondary and tertiary school system in Barbados.

All of these noble aims will be accomplished through AME’s Core Values of:

·        Imagination 
 
·        Integrity 
 
·        Perseverance 
 
·        Global Thinking and 
 
·        Collaborative Spirit 
 

Conclusion

We certainly hope that AME aims and objectives will stimulate your collective imaginations, and we look forward to having you affiliated with AME of Barbados either as a member or business partner in order for our country to become a very effective force in the global music industry!

We again thank the CEO & the team at Invest Barbados and the Officers and team at BCSI for their tremendous input to the formation of the AME and thank you, the members of the audience, for your attendance and support for our vision by your very presence today.