I spent last weekend at Kindiefest.  This was an annual conference of childrens music professionals, which included panel discussions on marketing, distribution, etc., as well as featured performances.  It was interesting to meet performers and hear what people were saying, and learn more about the challenges (and opportunities) of being in the childrens music industry.  Here are a few things I took away from the conference.

1. The Importance of Community: In the very first panel discussion on marketing, Regina Kelland from To Market Kids said it best when she advised the audience of the importance of doing things together that cannot be done alone.  This is the essence of what we hope to do with Kids Music Connection: To do together, what we cannot do alone.   For those of you that participated in the Kids Music Connection promotional insert in the Kindiefest gift bags, you have already participated in such an effort.

2. This Is Not An Easy Industry: Multiple panels made it clear that this industry is not for the faint of heart.  We learned of the difficulty of getting into retail stores, the demise of the CD, the value of  pr firms (that most starting out probably cannot afford) , the fact that most national parent magazines are now closed, and Parenting only reviews 2 CDs per month, etc.  This is not to say the conference was lacking optimism and excitement; it was very clear that this is a dynamic industry full of opportunities.  The bottom line is success will be based on being remarkable and creative (and willing to work real hard!).

3. This Is A Diverse Group: In one discussion the issue trying to categorize children’s music was raised.  One suggestion was kindie, or kindie rock, but not all children’s music (or participants) would be considered independent, nor is it all rock.  There were other suggestions, but the point is, it is difficult to pigeon hole children’s music.

That is just fine with me.  Imagine if there were literally only one or two kinds of children’s music—how boring would that be!  It is very clear that I have my preferences and biases, just as you do.  I like what I like, you like something else, and my children like something completely different.  While there is value in trying to classify different types of music—as children’s rock, folk, classical, traditional, or otherwise, it gets really interesting as music is produced that cannot be easily classified.

Debbie Block (Manager for Bill Harley) said it best in the panel on distribution, in quoting someone she had previously worked with (I am paraphrasing): Don’t strive to be the “best”, strive to be the “only.”  Mr. Leebot understands this as he has created the category of “robot music.”

What category will be synonymous with your music?

Panel on the Future of Marketing Kindie Music

Kids' Jam for Janeway Poster

The launch of our website was primarily built around an event that we organized during the Juno Award celebrations in St. John’s, Newfoundland.   Inspired by a discussion we had with Charlie Hope, we approached the other Juno nominees for Children’s Album of the Year and everyone that was going to be in town for the Juno Awards agreed to participate in a free benefit concert for the local children’s hospital.

The concert was a great success, despite losing The Bees Knees as they were stranded in Halifax because of fog, and not having Norman Foote, the ultimate winner of this year’s Juno Award as he was unable to travel to the awards.

Here is a short video with some clips of the performances.  A special thank you to Charlie Hope, The Kerplunks, Bobs & Lolo, and our wonderful host Rik Barron for outstanding performances.  In the end, we were able to raise over $1100 for the hospital through donations, raffle, and refreshment sales.

We couldn’t have done it without our sponsors, Little People’s Workshop, Dominion, The Newfoundland & Labrador Musician’s Association (AFM Local 820), Sheth Designs, Gower St. United Church, Oompa Toys and Trees & Tots.

Most have you in the world of Twitter have heard of “Music Monday” where people recommend music of all kinds. Well, this Monday is a special Music Monday, unrelated to Twitter.

The Coalition for Music Education in Canada launched Music Monday in 2005. What began as a dream more than five years ago has now inspired Music Monday initiatives in the United States, UK, Australia and Hungary!

Music Monday is an annual event that brings together thousands of students, musicians, parents and community members across Canada and other international locations, to celebrate the gift of music in our lives, on the same day at the same time. Always on the first Monday of May, this year Music Monday happens on Monday, May 3rd, 2010. The goal of the event is to simultaneously fill the skies with music as a reminder to all of the importance of music in our schools and in our lives. Each year, the country is galvanized around the performance of a song. In 2009, Canada will once again rally around Serena Ryder’s energetic song, Sing Sing and a new song will be introduced for 2011.

Where will you be on May 3rd at 1pm edt?  For many of you, this will be the first time you have heard of this event.  I just heard about it last Saturday.  That doesn’t have to hold you back.   Sing with your children, tweet about it, tell your friends.  Learn more on their website, twitter, and facebook page.  I hope to have more information about this important initiative in future posts.  There are a few schools in the USA that are participating.  Do you think that American schools need a little encouragement to remember the importance of music in their curriculum?  Speak out, contact your school, and invite them to participate in some way this year, or participate in a big way next year.

Remember, you gotta Sing, Sing, Sing Sing…..