A Masterclass in Creative Leadership for the Music Industry!

MANIFESTO EMBTF VOL. II

Connecting Chords: Bridging and Empowering the EU Music Scene

The manifesto highlights fairness as a core value, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the labor, creativity, and skill of music professionals. Fairness is not just about acknowledgment but involves diversifying and democratizing the industry. By breaking down barriers and creating pathways for underrepresented voices, the EMBTF aims to reshape power dynamics and promote inclusivity. Get more in-depth information about the manifesto under ‘Manifesto’

Manifesto

The second cohort has worked intensely on the creation of new projects and developing their ideas, and in the end, also have come our with this: The Manifesto of the European Music Business Task Force II: A New Era for the European Music Industry. Here you will find an overview of the main pillars and the content as well as the option to download. 

Key Values and Implementation

Fairness involves diversification by dismantling barriers to entry and supporting marginalized musicians and makes up the overarching value for the EMBTF. It promotes transparency through clear communication and collaboration for fairer negotiations. Additionally, it ensures appropriate and consistent compensation for music professionals.

Sustainability addresses the climate crisis and promotes green practices in the music industry. It also ensures a thriving sector through social policies, including insurance and pension schemes.

Collaboration encourages partnerships and projects across Europe. Diversity celebrates the richness of musical expression and addresses historical inequalities. Empowerment provides musicians with the skills and tools needed for greater independence. Knowledge democratizes access to information to empower individuals within the industry.

In summary, embracing diversity, promoting transparency, bridging knowledge gaps, and demystifying industry practices are all integral to advancing fairness in the European music sector. By actively working towards these goals, we create a more equitable and inclusive environment where all stakeholders can contribute, collaborate, and flourish.

Access the Manifesto

Access the Manifesto on the Music Cities Network website

Download the Manifesto here (PDF)

 

(NEW) Projects & Ideas:

 

The manifesto details various initiatives designed to implement the values as displayed in the manifesto:



The European Sync Camps

The European Music & Business Camp fosters collaboration between music and brand experts to empower the European music scene. Through knowledge exchange and real project work, it facilitates song production and licensing for brand campaigns.

Collectivity

Collectivity (work in progress) is the first platform connecting collectives globally. Collectives are artistic, cultural, and socio-political drivers of club culture who frequently struggle to be represented in the music industry.

Transformation Towards Sustainability of the Performing Art Venues

The Liepāja Concert Hall “Great Amber” is collaborating with IKEA for 9 months to transform its public space into a community hub for self-expression, aligning with Liepāja’s designation as the 2027 European Capital of Culture.

EMBTF Mentoring for Womxn

This pilot program is designed for four selected individuals: a musician, a female producer, a freelance music professional, and a female professional affiliated with an organization. Apply here.

Alexandra Ampofo, UK

Employee Resource Group leader at Live Nation UK, Promoter at Metropolis Music, Founder of Acoustic Live & Women Connect.

Anne Meldal Nørgaard, DK

Rektor at Danish Songwriting Academy

Debra King, UK

Director Brighter Sound Chair of the Board Music Cities Network

Josh Greenberg, DK

Start-Up Founder / Strategy Consultant / Creative Advisor / Ex Spotify & Red Bull Music

Nina Finnerud, NO

Music Norway, Head of UK & Nordics

Oskar Strajn, NL

Project manager and Booker at ESNS

Ralph Christoph, DE

Director c/o pop Convention

Sandra Perens, EE

Event Manager at Music Cities Events, A&R Manager/partner at Tier Music Publishing, Partnership Manager at Arvo Pärt Centre

Alex Ter Horst, NL

Dutch artist manager Alex ter Horst is responsible for over a billion streams with some of the biggest artists in electronic music. After having graduated as both a music manager and music producer, he kickstarted his career at the AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome venues in Amsterdam. In 2016 he co-founded a start-up where he was involved in over 400 placements including the most played song on Dutch radio in 2018 and was nominated for “10 companies to watch at ADE 2017” as well as the “Buma Music Meets Tech 2018″ award. In 2020 he was appointed as managing director for Dancefair, one of Europe’s leading conferences in electronic music and a year later he founded his own artist management agency Neva Land Music where he works with several talented singers, songwriters and producers from all over the globe. Last year he was mentor for upcoming artist managers for the European Music Managers Alliance as well as guest lecturer at the renowned Abbey Road Institute. Outside of music, he also is crazy about kungfu, crossfit and running.

Dorotėja Būdaitė, LT

Graduated English Philology (BA), Knowledge Management and Leadership (MA). For 10 years Dorotėja has worked in hospitality industry and as a lecturer. Music business was a side job, mainly helping musicians build their EPK’s, on their press releases and so on. She started her own company which aims at helping jazz and contemporary musicians/composers establish their audiences, attract funding, book gigs and build an international presence. In 2022 she became the chairperson of Lithuanian Jazz Union board.

Erica Romero Pender, ES

Erica is a project manager and musician who is actively involved in the music industry. With a background in psychology, her main focus during her career has been on using collaboration as a catalyst for innovation, while promoting diversity and sustainability. She has been able to do this through the development and management of several European projects. She currently coordinates international strategy at Sala X,  a music venue in Seville.

Grace Goodwin, UK

Grace started playing drums aged 7 and pursued a music career from an early age in her hometown of Liverpool. She went on to study BA Hons Popular Music at the Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts where she graduated with 1st Class Honours. She has recently completed her MA at the University of Liverpool with a focus on music business and industry. She is continuing her research onto a PHD in 2023 where she will focus on regional gender inequality in the UK music industry. Her research is funded by the Dave Laing scholarship.

Her main focus is addressing gender inequality within the music industry. She set up and was the record label manager for Both Sides Records, a pioneering label that focuses on readdressing the gender imbalance that exists within the music industry. Working exclusively with female and marginalised genders based in the North, the label aims to empower musicians in the early stages of their career. Grace works as an artist mentor at Future Yard, a  music venue based in the Liverpool City Region. She runs advice sessions for emerging artists and workshops on music industry practices and structures.

Grace is also a freelance session musician and percussionist. She works with DJs and sax players to provide Ibiza style entertainment across the world for weddings, parties and corporate events. Her travels have taken her to places such as Greece, Croatia and Italy.

Julian Krohn, DE

Julian Krohn created the Scholz & Friends Sounds department at Scholz &Friends in 2021. They consult companies on music supervision, artist cooperations and licensing, as well as developing and producing successful audiovisual formats. Krohn is responsible for the audio & music campaigns of brands like McDonalds, UBER, VW, Sparkasse, PayPal amongst many others. Until 2021 Krohn served for 6 years as Creative Director Music at creative agency Jung von Matt, where he was responsible for the music strategy of brands like Vodafone, BMW, BOSCH, Douglas, EDEKA and many more. Prior to his career in advertising he spent many years at Universal Music, holding positions such as A&R Manager at Island Records and Repertoire Manager at Universal Music Publishing. Prior to that, Krohn supported a number of film productions by and with the German actor and director superstars Matthias Schweighöfer and Til Schweiger as a freelance music supervisor. He has a BA in Music Business at Popakademie Baden-Württemberg and received a stipendia from Westminster University in London for commercial music.

Katarina Julie Madsen, DK

Katarina is 28 years old and has been working in the music industry since 2018, doing PR before starting her current job as Creative Manager at publisher Edition Wilhelm Hansen / Wise Music. She works actively with pitching music for synch and doing music supervision on film and tv. Katarina also organizes the producer course ‘Tracks By’ and sits on the grant committee for Koda’s growth layer fund. 

Katharin Ahrend, DE

For more than 10 years, I have been working for var. festivals & projects as a cultural manager, creative producer, trainer & consultant at the intersection of music, club culture, urban development & social justice. As one of the MD`s of the CC Berlin, I am leading the showcase festival Day Of Club Culture & the AA. A project that promotes the development of anti-discriminatory structures within club & festival culture. Beside this, I am a founding member of the global United We Stream campaign.

Marta Sampaio, PT

Marta Sampaio lives in Porto, Portugal and work with the independent sector since 2011. 

She co-founded a communication agency and small label in Porto, working in press relations, cultural production, management and booking. In 2019, she embraced a new challenge and joined Monster Jinx, an independent label and music collective from Portugal, as a manager, working mainly with communication and bookings until the present. One year later she co-founded the creative agency PIGEON TEAM with a fellow member from Monster Jinx, focusing on the development of cultural solutions for brands and institutions, combining culture, education and community concerns.Since April 2022 she has been working with AMAEI on two European projects – Europe in Synch and BELEM. 

She graduated in Portuguese and Lusophone Studies in 2008 and postgraduated in Cultural Mediation in 2013, both in the University of Minho. She is currently finishing her Master Degree in Communication, Art and Culture.

Misia Furtak, PL

Misia Furtak is a musician and activist. Together with the band Tres.B, awarded the prestigious Paszport Polityki for “a skilful combination of strength and delicacy that is both independent and hit”. Her professional path fulflls this prophetic verdict, as she combines working with various genre and writes very suble but powerful music. For man years she has also been involved in educational activities for young musicians. She is a 2022 Keychange alumni and leeds the Polish chapter of Music Declares Emergency. She has played all over Europe and Japan, alongside The National, Arlo Parks, TV On The Radio, and others.

Sam Malik, UK

Sam is a seasoned music professional with nearly two decades of experience in the industry. Throughout his career, he has worked in various roles in production, management, events, and consultancy. He has a proven track record of working with a diverse range of clients, including artists, bands, young people, studios, theatres, festivals, and both the public and the private sector.

He serves on the boards of several prominent organisations, including the Greater Manchester Music Commission, Sound City Liverpool, Nordoff & Robbins and MyHub Manchester Music. Through his leadership and guidance, he continues to make a significant contribution to the development and growth of the music industry in the region and beyond.

As a passionate advocate for music, Sam is committed to making music accessible and meaningful to both creators and consumers. He is passionate about nurturing emerging talent in the industry and is seen providing opportunities for underrepresented voices to be heard.

Timurs Tomsons, LV

For the past six years, I have been working as CEO of the Liepāja Concert Hall “Great Amber” in Latvia. Forehand I had been operating as Executive Director of the State Chamber Orchestra Sinfonietta Rīga. From 2014 – 2019 I was a part of the project management team of the Baltic Sea Festival in Stockholm. In May 2022 I obtained the position of the council member of the Latvian Music Academy.

Yasmina Elkak, ES

Yasmina is a freelance copywriter, content creator, playlist curator and social media manager with ten years of experience across the start up and advertising world. She has worked for titles such as Telekom Electronic Beats, Binary or TagMag and brands such as DICE, where she was the Editorial Lead from 2020 until 2023. In 2022 I also founded Neowarras, a monthly club night showcasing sounds from this era, from hyperpop to neoperreo and techno from underrepresented artists.

About European Music Business Task Force

The fast and ongoing technical and digital developments have caused one of the biggest structural changes for music-making and the music business.

The advent of streaming and digital distribution is proving to be one of the biggest “border-breakers” for the music industry in decades.

Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Music and other platforms are opening the gates for music lovers to learn and listen to music from other countries, markets and territories – besides the traditional US and UK markets. This is an opportunity for which the European music market and industry must be prepared.

The European Music Business Task Force is a music business training programme for future-oriented music business professionals, this project improves the participants’ business-related skills & network to develop their careers in the European music sector, contributing to boost the music business in Europe as well as facilitating sustainable change.

The common goal of the Task Force is to gain and share knowledge through a leadership masterclass focused on improving the abilities necessary to find new strategies for boosting the internal music market in Europe.

The programme aims to develop new insights, skills and knowledge resulting in tools and proposals for developing a strong sustainable transnational market for European music.

The European Music Business Task Force programme is co-funded by the European Union.

The facts

Promus and the Music Cities Network announced an open call for applications for the first European Music Business Task Force programme in early 2021. From August 2021 until the end of January 2022, 12 upcoming European music business professionals embarked on a transnational European expedition searching for answers to the question: How can we boost European music within Europe?

The second edition of the EMBTF programme has received funding from the European Union. We will start calling for applications at the beginning of 2023. Stay tuned!

The programme is organised by Promus, Aarhus (DK) in collaboration with by the transnationally acting Music Cities Network.

NEWS

May 17th, 2024

Introducing the Final Manifesto of the European Music Business Task Force II: A New Era for the European Music Industry

The European Music Business Task Force II (EMBTF) proudly unveils its final manifesto, outlining their ambitious vision to revolutionize the European music market. This document is a call to action for all stakeholders in the music industry to work towards fairness, sustainability, and transnational collaboration.

MANIFESTO EMBTF VOL. II

Connecting Chords: Bridging and Empowering the EU Music Scene

The manifesto highlights fairness as a core value, emphasizing the importance of recognizing the labor, creativity, and skill of music professionals. Fairness is not just about acknowledgment but involves diversifying and democratizing the industry. By breaking down barriers and creating pathways for underrepresented voices, the EMBTF aims to reshape power dynamics and promote inclusivity. Get more in-depth information about the manifesto under ‘Manifesto’

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April 17th, 2023

The European Music Business Task Force announces the 12 selected Participants

We, Promus and the Music Cities Network, are pleased to announce the final selection of the 12 participants who will be part of the 2nd volume of the European Music Business Task Force (EMBTF) programme! The EMBTF is an ambitious leadership masterclass that aims to develop innovative solutions to some of the most immediate challenges and opportunities faced by the European Music Industry today.

Following an open call that received applications from more than 19 countries, the EMBTF Jury reviewed each application carefully and chose 12 talented and driven individuals who represent a wide age range, as well as a wide range of backgrounds and expertise. The selected participants bring with them a diverse set of skills and experiences.

EMBTF welcomes the following 12 individuals into the Task Force from 9 different countries: 

  1. Alex Ter Horst, Neva Land Music, Utrecht, The Netherlands
  2. Dorotėja Būdaitė, Lithuanian Jazz Union Board, Vilnius, Lithuania 
  3. Grace Goodwin, self-employed PhD Researcher / Artist Mentor, Liverpool, United Kingdom
  4. Erica Romero Pender, Rocknrolla Producciones y Eventos Culturales, Seville, Spain
  5. Julian Krohn, Scholz & Friends Sounds, Berlin, Germany
  6. Katarina Julie Madsen, Edition Wilhelm Hansen, Copenhagen, Denmark
  7. Katharin Ahrend, Clubcommission Berlin and Awareness Akademie, Berlin, Germany 
  8. Marta Sampaio, Pigeon Team / Monster Jinx / EU Project Administrator and Managing Assistant, Porto, Portugal
  9. Misia Furtak, Music Declares Emergency, Poznań, Poland
  10. Sam Malik, Contact, Manchester, UK 
  11. Timurs Tomsons, Liepāja Concert Hall “Great Amber”, Liepāja, Latvia 
  12. Yasmina Elkak, DICE / Night Club Owner, Valencia, Spain 

Over the next year, the participants will work together to identify key challenges and opportunities in the European music industry and develop innovative and sustainable solutions. Throughout the program, the Task Force will be provided with necessary tools, resources, and support to turn their ideas into reality.

„We are confident that the diverse backgrounds and expertise of the participants will lead to an inspiring range of creative solutions to the challenges facing the industry today,“ says Sandra Perens, Tallinn, EE, Event Manager at Music Cities Events, A&R Manager/partner at Tier Music Publishing, Partnership Manager at Arvo Pärt Centre  , part of this year’s jury and EMBTF Vol. participant.We look forward to seeing the impact they will make in the following months.“

MCN’s Managing Director Lena Ingwersen adds: We are truly humbled and overwhelmed by the incredible response we received for our program. The high number and quality of applications, and the extensive outreach across Europe, has exceeded our expectations and confirms our belief in the necessity of this program. We can’t wait to see the positive impact that these talented individuals will have on the European music industry.”

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March 1st, 2023

European Music Business Task Force Vol. 2 – a Masterclass in Creative Leadership for the Music Industry calls for applications

Promus, the Music Community of Aarhus (DK), and the globally acting Music Cities Network are officially calling for applications for the EMBTF – a masterclass in creative leadership for the music industry. 12 European music business professionals will have the opportunity to embark on a transnational European expedition from April 23 – May 24 searching for answers to the question:

How can we boost the European music market?

 

As the industry continues to face multiple challenges, the programme aims to develop deeper insights, creative leadership skills, and foster knowledge, which will result in tools and proposals to create a strong, sustainable transnational European music market. The second volume of the EMBTF will build on the already published findings from the first Task Force (download the report here). 

Participants are determined to shape the future of the European music market, to develop sustainable job opportunities in the European music industry, to become part of a valuable European network of music business professionals and enhance their creative leadership skills. The Task Force will work on their own projects via workshops and online training sessions. They will attend inspirational keynotes and receive tools for personal development such as mentoring sessions with a mental health specialist. Moreover, we’ve decided to remove the age limit for applicants in this volume, allowing for intergenerational exchange. 

EMBFT Vol. II offers one crucial aspect that most music professionals don’t have – time. The participants are given the space to get out of their daily work environment to think outside the box and to think big – which is needed to establish a more future-oriented and more healthy European Music Industry.

The European Music Business Task Force actively participates in the following music industry events as part of the learning process which is facilitated by the creative leadership experts KaosPilots Aarhus:

  • Workshop 1: SPOT Festival and the SPOT+ Festival conference in Aarhus, Denmark (5th – 6th of May  2023).
  • Workshop 2: Reeperbahn Festival and the Reeperbahn Festival Conference in Hamburg, Germany (20th – 23rd of September 2023).
  • Workshop 3: Iceland Airwaves and the Airwaves Pro Conference in Reykjavik, Iceland (2nd – 4th of November 2023).
  • Workshop 4: Eurosonic Noorderslag (ESNS) and the ESNS Conference in Groningen, Netherlands 2024). 
  • Workshop 5: Tallinn Music Week and conference in Tallinn, Estonia (2024)

„As the industry keeps on changing rapidly, we need to adapt our music business leadership masterclass just as fast. For this new volume, we’ve included personal development and career mentoring sessions, workshops, and a longer time frame. Additionally, we’re removing the age limit for applicants, allowing for the crucial intergenerational exchange. After all, EMBTF prioritises the fundamental variable for change – time.” Jesper Mardahl, Managing Director, Promus

“We are super thrilled for this programme to happen again, and cannot wait to take this journey with a fresh cast of music industry professionals that are motivated, determined and ready to disrupt the status quo of the industry right now.” Lena Ingwersen, Managing Director, Music Cities Network

The second volume of the European Music Business Task Force is co-funded by the European Commission, organised by Promus (Aarhus), Music Cities Network (global), KaosPilots (Aarhus) and Reykjavik Music City. Festival Partners are SPOT Festival (Aarhus, DK), Reeperbahn Festival (Hamburg, DE), Iceland Airwaves (Reykjvaik, ISL), Eurosonic Noorderslag (Groningen, NL) and Tallinn Music Week (Tallinn, EST)

Feel like this is exactly the kind of challenge you’ve been looking for? Read more and apply via the “open-call” button on the front page.

Deadline is the 20th of March 2023 at 12.00 CET

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March 14th, 2022

European Music Business Task Force vol. I:
How do we boost European music industry post Brexit and Corona?

For the very first time, 12 young professionals from the European music industry have developed a report that focuses on the future of the industry. The results have just been published, and show, besides other recommendations, a direction for how the industry ensures sustainable career opportunities that promote musical development at a time where Brexit and Corona have taken on a huge part of the discussion within the European music industry.

A need to concentrate even more on exchange of knowledge and securing a sustainable and healthy development of talent and network – all across boarders in Europe – to be able to tackle and improve the current structures and politics of the European music industry – are the main focus of the report.

For instance the report states that we should: “create a tax incentive for music organizations who provide cross border internships/mentoring to strengthen international networks”, just as “organizations should commit to open recruitment rather than simply offering jobs to their existing networks” and the “industry should actively promote their work to educational institutions as a viable career pathway.”

These are three of the 37 recommendations that the report points to.

One of the initiators of the report is the network platform PROMUS, who has gathered the 12 professionals across industry backgrounds to ensure a variety of perspectives on the industry. Jesper Mardahl, head of PROMUS, states:

“The report points to a complete check of the industry, and makes suggestions to how the existing music industry, the public bodies around it and the people who want to be a part of it can help change the competing mind-set seen in the industry. If we dare to listen to the report and see each other as a united team, we can overcome the challenges that the industry faces – both artistically and business-strategically.”

Europe is one of the epicenters of music production, but Brexit and Corona have kept the microphone for too long, which is why PORMUS together with the Music Cities Network and in collaboration with the KaosPiloterne, SPOT Festival, Reeperbahn Festival, Iceland Airwaves and Eurosonic Noorderslag have gathered 12 young professionals across industry areas and given them time and space to explore the industry in which they themselves are formed. The question is how can the European community stimulate and strengthen the framework of the industry for the benefit of the industry as a whole, the consumers and the development of music?

Sandra Perens, one of the 12 professionals in the Task Force, states:

“The value of the Task Force and projects like these is that, they help you to first broaden your network of people, get to know their experience and in the end understand that one is not struggling alone, that there are like-minded people who have gone through the same difficulties or are going through the same thing. It gives the opportunity to learn from people like yourself and also in turn, gives the opportunity to support each other. I hope that the future of the industry will be formed with fairness to all – first of all the creators making the music and also the people behind the scenes. “

Astrid Storm Thorsen, DK

Astrid started as a Spinnup Scout in 2017 and quickly became a full time project manager and A&R at Universal Music Denmark, working with names such as Tessa and Emil Kruse. Since then, she occasionally appears as a guest expert on radio and podcasts, as well as being the Scandinavian ambassador for COLORS.

Last year she was awarded the prize of one of Nordic Music Biz’s ‘20 under 30’ and in 2020 Astrid was offered an A&R position at Universal’s label Copenhagen Records.

Colm O'Herlihy, IS

Colm O’Herlihy is founder of INNI, which is an independent music company based in Iceland that represents a diverse roster of producers, composers, and songwriters.

Based between Reykjavik and Los Angeles, INNI – the first Icelandic publishing company to be established in the country – was formed by Colm and film composer Atli Orvarsson in 2019. As well as offering publishing services, INNI also works as an independent record label and music production house.

Colm got his start in music when The Smiths’ frontman, Morrissey, signed his band to his own signature label, Attack Records. Since then, Colm has toured the globe as a guitarist for artists such as Joan Shelley, Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü), and more. In 2014, he moved from Ireland to Reykjavik and managed two labels, Bedroom Community and Mengi Records. There he saw a niche for a specialised music publishing company in the heart of the music scene of Iceland. In 2019, he launched the company with film composer, Atli Örvarsson.

Freddie Aitken, UK

As the Membership Officer at London Youth Choirs, Trustee and F&A member at The National Foundation for Youth Music, and co-founder of Manchester-based electronic music collective, Traffic, Freddie’s career in music has grown to focus on empowering and supporting the next generation of music makers to develop a passion for music that will hopefully be a source of joy and fulfilment throughout their lives.

After missing his first year studying Social Anthropology at university through illness, he returned to the city of Manchester (UK) and developed a love for the wonderful techno scene. This led to him running a DIY record label and club night focussed on supporting and highlighting local emerging talent, Traffic. Seeing an opportunity to develop his knowledge in how to do this more effectively, Freddie began volunteering at Brighter Sound, a music charity that (among other things) provides music-making and music career education opportunities to emerging industry professionals and young people. This led to him being appointed as a full-time member of the team, working on trans-European projects and playing a key role in Manchester’s membership in the Music Cities Network. It was through this work that he learned the potential for positive change that European collaboration could bring about in the music industry.

Hildur Maral, IS

Hildur is Marketing Coordinator for booking agency and concert promoter smash!bang!pow! (DK). Starting her career in her teens as a music radio show host, she has since held various positions within artist-, event-, PR- and label management. Hildur studied creative leadership, business, process and project management at the Kaospilots and holds a MA in Global Entertainment and Music Business from Berklee College of Music.

It was through Hildur´s job with Iceland Music Export over a decade ago at The Great Escape showcase festival that she came across a man who she would later form a management firm with. This chance encounter was one of many such events that would clearly show her that if one was open to new opportunities, having the support of music export offices or similar institutions was fundamental in building a career in music. Many other such events would later occur, be it touring in Japan via a cross-country collaborative grant, or attending showcase festivals around the world which would lead to record deals and more collaborations. One thing is for sure – that each event played a massive role in Hildur´s career.

Jens Uhre Karlsson, DK

Jens has been managing the death metal band BAEST since the beginning of October 2015. He started out as a helping hand, taking care of the essentials for an upcoming band: communications, marketing and the early steps in terms of touring. He finished his Bachelor’s degree in Information Science and worked as a social media manager for a local ad agency up until he was hired full time for the local booking agency, Skandinavian, in 2018. Since 2018, he has represented a small handful of bands in different genres on the booking and touring side, while managing BAEST and upcoming projects. In January 2020, he started his own booking agency, Backbeat Music, and joined forces with Heartbeat Management, strengthening his setup for global growth. Working with BAEST and other signings has given him the opportunity to learn more about the music industry, from the very upcoming, underground to the more mainstream. He has learned from some of the best people in the industry and has taken great inspiration from the ideas of sustainability and integrity – features he admires and hopes to enforce in the projects in which he is involved. He believes in cooperation and always seeks new inspiration.

Jørgen S. Avnsnes, NO

Jørgen works as a manager at Made Management in Bergen, Norway. Made represents some of Norway’s biggest artists and producers, among them AURORA and Sigrid. He’s had an unlikely road into the music industry, at least at first: working as a carpenter building houses in his hometown of Bergen, volunteering at festivals, as well as working in the bar on the biggest concerts in the city, starting with Metallica.

While this was at this point just a hobby, he’s always thought about how people started to work with music, and at one point planned to promote concerts with his friend, but quickly aborted the idea as the rights involved and tasks seemed daunting for the pair.

Chance would have it that Jørgen’s girlfriend was moving to London to finish her Bachelor’s in Film and TV, and he decided to join her, where he finished a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Music and Entertainment Industry Management at the University of Hertfordshire. He then went on to work at Decca Records, pitching AURORA to the label, which in turn led to him working at Made Management, via Brak, a non-profit organisation for the music industry in western Norway, and as a CEO of Buzz, an investment fund owned by Bergen County focussed on investing in local music companies.

Maria Riedel Borg, DK

Maria is Digital Partners and Export Manager for disco:wax, No3 and One Seven Music based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her passion for music developed alongside her education in Musicology and Modern Culture from Copenhagen University, where she specialised in music management and female representation in culture. Concurrently with her studies, she started her career in the music business as a Scout and later as an A&R Coordinator.

After a short time, Maria expanded her network within the music industry and realised her motivation for working with music in international markets. In continuation of this, the company and Maria created a new position with a focus on export and international relations, which has been developing rapidly. Now she is focussing on streaming and international marketing strategies and has the overall responsibility for presenting and pitching music projects to internal and external partners.

Oskar Pullinen, FI

Oskar works as a publishing A&R at Elements Music. Elements Music is Finland’s leading independent music publishing company and Oskar is running the international creative activity of the company. As an A&R, he represents songwriters and producers, organises songwriting sessions, and pitches songs to record labels, artists, and managers. Oskar holds an MA in Musicology from Åbo Akademi University and he has minored in Music Production and International Marketing.

Even though Oskar had been a musician his whole life, his actual journey into the music industry started with an internship at Music Finland, the music export office of Finland. Music Finland has a very central role in the Finnish music industry and it works closely with all Finnish labels, publishers, and management companies. During the internship, Oskar got to know a lot of key people in the industry. As Music Finland works with music export, the internship created a good base for Oskar to start creating an international network and he quickly grew accustomed to handling international affairs on a daily basis. Through these networks, Oskar gained mentors and these people play an important role in how Oskar works today.

Sandra Perens, EE

Sandra works as an A&R Manager for Tier Music Publishing, a company in Tallinn, Estonia and as an Event Coordinator at the Arvo Pärt Centre. She studied cultural management at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and has an MBA in International Business Management from Estonian Business School. The start of her career in the music industry can be traced to 2011, when she first met the head of Tallinn Music Week (TMW) through one of her teachers in Viljandi. First starting out as an assistant, she soon progressed to the head of programme for the festival. 

While still working for TMW, Sandra was able to finish her studies, have two internships abroad, start her MBA studies and also start working for the newly formed music export office as the first international project manager. The internships abroad and career opportunities that have followed have all been possible thanks to the connections made while working at TMW. After leaving the festival, she has been the Executive Assistant and Ticket Sales Manager at the largest dance music festival in the Baltic countries, Weekend Festival Baltics, and a Marketing Manager for the Baltic Region at Sony Music Entertainment, before settling into her current positions. 

Sjoerd Vriesema, NL

Sjoerd Vriesema, from Groningen, The Netherlands started coaching emerging artists as a creative manager so that he could develop his own artistic career. As ‘Stuart Mavis’, he released an EP on Sony Music Entertainment Benelux and played more than 300 shows, including at Eurosonic Noorderslag. Today, he uses the experience gained from his years as an artist to help grassroots artists with their careers, but also to make connections between municipalities, education programs, organisations and talents in the Northern Netherlands. Sjoerd is the lead in  multilingual co-creation projects, Wurdspøken and Wisselstroom, two projects that aim to develop artists through co-creation. He is also co-organiser of the official talent programme of ESNS, Hit the North and LEC, an international co-creation and exchange for hip-hop acts from four European cities. Sjoerd is also co-owner of the Lake Woozoo music studios in Leeuwarden, where he and his colleagues host artists-in-residencies and writing camps.

His first international experience as a project manager was when he travelled to Denmark in 2018 to support hip-hop artists from his city during an international writing camp in Aarhus. The connections and experiences these artists had gained through co-creation sparked a flame in his own motivation to work within the European periphery and seek more collaborations. He found a strong connection to the Music Cities Network (MCN) when, in the year of the pandemic, Lena Ingwersen invited him to contribute to an application to the European Commission for the Link Up Euro Connection, the first edition of which has just taken place successfully online in cooperation with Noordstaat. Sjoerd learned about the EMBTF through the MCN. His selection allowed him to increase his international network and opportunities in international exchange, which will benefit both the city of Groningen and the Northern region of the Netherlands. Sjoerd believes that sharing experiences and learning from other European professionals is an opportunity that you don’t get very often. Let’s work on that!

Tom Besford, UK

Tom runs English Folk Expo (EFEx), which supports the English folk, roots and acoustic music sector. EFEx delivers showcases, live events, artist mentoring, industry training, audience development, runs Manchester Folk Festival, hosts online learning platforms and produces the Official Folk Albums Chart. Tom is a member of the Greater Manchester Music Commission and is on the Steering Group of Manchester Music City. He is also an elected politician.

Tom was heavily involved in the Folk Society at Durham University, becoming President and overseeing the running of many folk events including IVFDF in 2010. On leaving university, he got a job in the Folkworks team at Sage Gateshead supporting the delivery of folk programmes for the organisation. During this time, he met Booking Agent Terry O’Brien who invited him to work on a newly created showcase, English Folk Expo. Tom continued to work part time on the showcase whilst building his full time career with roles in the Programming Team at the Royal Northern College of Music, as Head of Artist Liaison at Manchester International Festival and eventually as Head of Culture for the Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust. When English Folk Expo joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation in 2018, Tom left his full time role to become its first Chief Executive. Since then, Tom has overseen the expansion of the organisation from a singular annual showcase to the broad music charity it is today, creating new programmes, building a board and fundraising to quadruple the size of the organisation. Tom has consistently worked for charities supported through Arts Council England, Local Authorities and Trusts and Foundations. In 2019, Tom was elected to Rochdale Council as the Labour Councillor for Littleborough Lakeside.

Victoria Brüker, DE

Victoria Brüker (M.A.) is a booking agent, artist, and project manager of Hamburg-based music agency OHA! Music. She started wandering down the path of pop culture and music during her studies of media and philosophy in Bochum (DE), Antwerp (BE), and Hamburg (DE). After collecting professional and international experiences in film, she worked as a PR and social media manager at OHA! Music, as a project manager at RockCity Hamburg e.V., and has now returned to OHA! Music’s artist department.

A chance encounter as a visitor of the Reeperbahn Festival led to her first job in the music business where she found her passion for the industry through mentoring and trust. After having worked on a European level in film, Victoria realised that she wanted to expand her network internationally in music as well to develop valuable exchange and drive change. This mindset led to an awareness of international programmes, to the application for the EMBTF, and eventually to the first important steps towards a European career by making meaningful connections and creating a network of like-minded people.

Executive Summary

In 2021/2022 the Music Cities Network convened the first European Music Business Task Force (EMBTF) to develop new insights, skills and knowledge resulting in tools and proposals for developing a strong, sustainable, transnational market for European music within Europe, post-Brexit as well as in pandemic times.

The 12-person group met a number of times, both online and in person, working with a team from the Kaospilots in order to research, explore and build a series of recommendations and networks which might meet the initial brief of this Creative Europe funded project.

The group ultimately focussed on pathways and opportunities for early career professionals looking to build sustainable employment in the European music industry. Following a period of research and investigation, the first EMBTF has made a series of direct recommendations to be explored, further aimed at three distinct groups:

  • Governments / public funders looking to stimulate the music industry in their purview;
  • Existing music industry professionals keen to ensure a thriving talent development pipeline;
  • Individuals seeking to build a career in the music industry.

Recommendations are centered around thematic links from a series of interviews carried out by the EMBTF with a number of music industry professionals from across Europe. The group looked at consistencies and similarities in career paths across the sector in what can often seem a disparate or non-standardised journey for many.

These recommendations therefore sit broadly under the following headings:

  • Professional international networks
  • Enabling risk taking
  • Publicly funded opportunities
  • Individual support from a professional mentor
  • Co-creation / cooperation as an essential catalyst for opportunity

It is envisaged that this is the first European Music Business Task Force cohort and that there will be future groups that build on and enhance this work.

This report will be presented to the European Commission, music industry representatives and Music Cities Network partners.

Download the full report

Download the full report here.

EMBTF report

Partners

PROMUS
Promus is the community and networking center for both the music industry and the musicians in Denmark. Located in Aarhus, our main objective is to focus on the city’s rich tradition for new music talent. We see ourselves as the bridge between the established music business and the new emerging talent and are constantly working on tying to two together through networking arrangements, courses and seminars, workshops, mentor programs, business advice and office facilities.

MUSIC CITIES NETWORK
The Music Cities Network (MCN) is a transnational non-profit association embracing the collaboration of music cities around the globe. With synergies that arise from a holistic approach, gaps between all music city stakeholders are bridged: policy makers, city marketing strategists, music business professionals and artists work towards a future-proofed creation of sustainable and resilient music ecosystems. The Network was initiated by the Cities of Aarhus, Hamburg, Sydney, Sound Diplomacy, and Hamburg Music. In 2021, the MCN was founded as an independent transnational association.

Current member cities are Aarhus, Bergen, Berlin, Gothenburg, Groningen, Hamburg, Manchester, Reykjavik, and Sydney.

Each Music City is represented by a professional music business organisation or represented directly by their respective city councils invested in the network.

KAOSPILOTS
Kaospilot is an education platform based in Aarhus, Denmark founded in 1991. It is a three-year programme focussing on Enterprising Leadership. People are educated to drive results and to create transformation as changemakers, entrepreneurs, and leaders. Kaospilot offers a wide range of programmes for professionals in Denmark and abroad, too. The school has been a partner in the programme, Music Management, run by the Royal Academy of Music in Aarhus.

REYKJAVIK MUSIC CITY
In 2018, the City of Reykjavík established the Reykjavík Music City project whose aim is to create favorable conditions for musical activities throughout the city. To ensure an ongoing vibrant and diverse music sector, the City of Reykjavík supports the local music scene in several ways. Reykjavík’s yearly cultural funding supports a wide variety of music
projects, and the Festival City project currently features two music festivals (Iceland Airwaves and Dark Music Days) that receive generous funding from the city. RMC is also a member city of the MCN since 2018, which – together with their in-depth music scene knowledge and innovative solutions to challenges – makes them the perfect fourth partner in this EMBTF consortium.
It is the combination of these organisations’ strengths that will make this project successful, and the training offer more inclusive, more assertive to people and European music market’s needs, more updated and more upskilling at internal level (partners’ staff) and external level (Task Forces). While Kaospilot provides educational support, PROMUS, Music Cities Network and Reykjavik Music City provide the specific music connections, in terms of knowledge, contacts, locals and other possibilities that may arise.

Behind the project

 

 

 

 

Tallinn Music Week

Astrid Storm Thorsen, DK

Astrid started as a Spinnup Scout in 2017 and quickly became a full time project manager and A&R at Universal Music Denmark, working with names such as Tessa and Emil Kruse. Since then, she occasionally appears as a guest expert on radio and podcasts, as well as being the Scandinavian ambassador for COLORS.

Last year she was awarded the prize of one of Nordic Music Biz’s ‘20 under 30’ and in 2020 Astrid was offered an A&R position at Universal’s label Copenhagen Records.

Colm O'Herlihy, IS

Colm O’Herlihy is founder of INNI, which is an independent music company based in Iceland that represents a diverse roster of producers, composers, and songwriters.

Based between Reykjavik and Los Angeles, INNI – the first Icelandic publishing company to be established in the country – was formed by Colm and film composer Atli Orvarsson in 2019. As well as offering publishing services, INNI also works as an independent record label and music production house.

Colm got his start in music when The Smiths’ frontman, Morrissey, signed his band to his own signature label, Attack Records. Since then, Colm has toured the globe as a guitarist for artists such as Joan Shelley, Grant Hart (Hüsker Dü), and more. In 2014, he moved from Ireland to Reykjavik and managed two labels, Bedroom Community and Mengi Records. There he saw a niche for a specialised music publishing company in the heart of the music scene of Iceland. In 2019, he launched the company with film composer, Atli Örvarsson.

Freddie Aitken, UK

As the Membership Officer at London Youth Choirs, Trustee and F&A member at The National Foundation for Youth Music, and co-founder of Manchester-based electronic music collective, Traffic, Freddie’s career in music has grown to focus on empowering and supporting the next generation of music makers to develop a passion for music that will hopefully be a source of joy and fulfilment throughout their lives.

After missing his first year studying Social Anthropology at university through illness, he returned to the city of Manchester (UK) and developed a love for the wonderful techno scene. This led to him running a DIY record label and club night focussed on supporting and highlighting local emerging talent, Traffic. Seeing an opportunity to develop his knowledge in how to do this more effectively, Freddie began volunteering at Brighter Sound, a music charity that (among other things) provides music-making and music career education opportunities to emerging industry professionals and young people. This led to him being appointed as a full-time member of the team, working on trans-European projects and playing a key role in Manchester’s membership in the Music Cities Network. It was through this work that he learned the potential for positive change that European collaboration could bring about in the music industry.

Hildur Maral, IS

Hildur is Marketing Coordinator for booking agency and concert promoter smash!bang!pow! (DK). Starting her career in her teens as a music radio show host, she has since held various positions within artist-, event-, PR- and label management. Hildur studied creative leadership, business, process and project management at the Kaospilots and holds a MA in Global Entertainment and Music Business from Berklee College of Music.

It was through Hildur´s job with Iceland Music Export over a decade ago at The Great Escape showcase festival that she came across a man who she would later form a management firm with. This chance encounter was one of many such events that would clearly show her that if one was open to new opportunities, having the support of music export offices or similar institutions was fundamental in building a career in music. Many other such events would later occur, be it touring in Japan via a cross-country collaborative grant, or attending showcase festivals around the world which would lead to record deals and more collaborations. One thing is for sure – that each event played a massive role in Hildur´s career.

Jens Uhre Karlsson, DK

Jens has been managing the death metal band BAEST since the beginning of October 2015. He started out as a helping hand, taking care of the essentials for an upcoming band: communications, marketing and the early steps in terms of touring. He finished his Bachelor’s degree in Information Science and worked as a social media manager for a local ad agency up until he was hired full time for the local booking agency, Skandinavian, in 2018. Since 2018, he has represented a small handful of bands in different genres on the booking and touring side, while managing BAEST and upcoming projects. In January 2020, he started his own booking agency, Backbeat Music, and joined forces with Heartbeat Management, strengthening his setup for global growth. Working with BAEST and other signings has given him the opportunity to learn more about the music industry, from the very upcoming, underground to the more mainstream. He has learned from some of the best people in the industry and has taken great inspiration from the ideas of sustainability and integrity – features he admires and hopes to enforce in the projects in which he is involved. He believes in cooperation and always seeks new inspiration.

Jørgen S. Avnsnes, NO

Jørgen works as a manager at Made Management in Bergen, Norway. Made represents some of Norway’s biggest artists and producers, among them AURORA and Sigrid. He’s had an unlikely road into the music industry, at least at first: working as a carpenter building houses in his hometown of Bergen, volunteering at festivals, as well as working in the bar on the biggest concerts in the city, starting with Metallica.

While this was at this point just a hobby, he’s always thought about how people started to work with music, and at one point planned to promote concerts with his friend, but quickly aborted the idea as the rights involved and tasks seemed daunting for the pair.

Chance would have it that Jørgen’s girlfriend was moving to London to finish her Bachelor’s in Film and TV, and he decided to join her, where he finished a Bachelor of Science and Arts in Music and Entertainment Industry Management at the University of Hertfordshire. He then went on to work at Decca Records, pitching AURORA to the label, which in turn led to him working at Made Management, via Brak, a non-profit organisation for the music industry in western Norway, and as a CEO of Buzz, an investment fund owned by Bergen County focussed on investing in local music companies.

Maria Riedel Borg, DK

Maria is Digital Partners and Export Manager for disco:wax, No3 and One Seven Music based in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her passion for music developed alongside her education in Musicology and Modern Culture from Copenhagen University, where she specialised in music management and female representation in culture. Concurrently with her studies, she started her career in the music business as a Scout and later as an A&R Coordinator.

After a short time, Maria expanded her network within the music industry and realised her motivation for working with music in international markets. In continuation of this, the company and Maria created a new position with a focus on export and international relations, which has been developing rapidly. Now she is focussing on streaming and international marketing strategies and has the overall responsibility for presenting and pitching music projects to internal and external partners.

Oskar Pullinen, FI

Oskar works as a publishing A&R at Elements Music. Elements Music is Finland’s leading independent music publishing company and Oskar is running the international creative activity of the company. As an A&R, he represents songwriters and producers, organises songwriting sessions, and pitches songs to record labels, artists, and managers. Oskar holds an MA in Musicology from Åbo Akademi University and he has minored in Music Production and International Marketing.

Even though Oskar had been a musician his whole life, his actual journey into the music industry started with an internship at Music Finland, the music export office of Finland. Music Finland has a very central role in the Finnish music industry and it works closely with all Finnish labels, publishers, and management companies. During the internship, Oskar got to know a lot of key people in the industry. As Music Finland works with music export, the internship created a good base for Oskar to start creating an international network and he quickly grew accustomed to handling international affairs on a daily basis. Through these networks, Oskar gained mentors and these people play an important role in how Oskar works today.

Sandra Perens, EE

Sandra works as an A&R Manager for Tier Music Publishing, a company in Tallinn, Estonia and as an Event Coordinator at the Arvo Pärt Centre. She studied cultural management at the University of Tartu Viljandi Culture Academy and has an MBA in International Business Management from Estonian Business School. The start of her career in the music industry can be traced to 2011, when she first met the head of Tallinn Music Week (TMW) through one of her teachers in Viljandi. First starting out as an assistant, she soon progressed to the head of programme for the festival. 

While still working for TMW, Sandra was able to finish her studies, have two internships abroad, start her MBA studies and also start working for the newly formed music export office as the first international project manager. The internships abroad and career opportunities that have followed have all been possible thanks to the connections made while working at TMW. After leaving the festival, she has been the Executive Assistant and Ticket Sales Manager at the largest dance music festival in the Baltic countries, Weekend Festival Baltics, and a Marketing Manager for the Baltic Region at Sony Music Entertainment, before settling into her current positions. 

Sjoerd Vriesema, NL

Sjoerd Vriesema, from Groningen, The Netherlands started coaching emerging artists as a creative manager so that he could develop his own artistic career. As ‘Stuart Mavis’, he released an EP on Sony Music Entertainment Benelux and played more than 300 shows, including at Eurosonic Noorderslag. Today, he uses the experience gained from his years as an artist to help grassroots artists with their careers, but also to make connections between municipalities, education programs, organisations and talents in the Northern Netherlands. Sjoerd is the lead in  multilingual co-creation projects, Wurdspøken and Wisselstroom, two projects that aim to develop artists through co-creation. He is also co-organiser of the official talent programme of ESNS, Hit the North and LEC, an international co-creation and exchange for hip-hop acts from four European cities. Sjoerd is also co-owner of the Lake Woozoo music studios in Leeuwarden, where he and his colleagues host artists-in-residencies and writing camps.

His first international experience as a project manager was when he travelled to Denmark in 2018 to support hip-hop artists from his city during an international writing camp in Aarhus. The connections and experiences these artists had gained through co-creation sparked a flame in his own motivation to work within the European periphery and seek more collaborations. He found a strong connection to the Music Cities Network (MCN) when, in the year of the pandemic, Lena Ingwersen invited him to contribute to an application to the European Commission for the Link Up Euro Connection, the first edition of which has just taken place successfully online in cooperation with Noordstaat. Sjoerd learned about the EMBTF through the MCN. His selection allowed him to increase his international network and opportunities in international exchange, which will benefit both the city of Groningen and the Northern region of the Netherlands. Sjoerd believes that sharing experiences and learning from other European professionals is an opportunity that you don’t get very often. Let’s work on that!

Tom Besford, UK

Tom runs English Folk Expo (EFEx), which supports the English folk, roots and acoustic music sector. EFEx delivers showcases, live events, artist mentoring, industry training, audience development, runs Manchester Folk Festival, hosts online learning platforms and produces the Official Folk Albums Chart. Tom is a member of the Greater Manchester Music Commission and is on the Steering Group of Manchester Music City. He is also an elected politician.

Tom was heavily involved in the Folk Society at Durham University, becoming President and overseeing the running of many folk events including IVFDF in 2010. On leaving university, he got a job in the Folkworks team at Sage Gateshead supporting the delivery of folk programmes for the organisation. During this time, he met Booking Agent Terry O’Brien who invited him to work on a newly created showcase, English Folk Expo. Tom continued to work part time on the showcase whilst building his full time career with roles in the Programming Team at the Royal Northern College of Music, as Head of Artist Liaison at Manchester International Festival and eventually as Head of Culture for the Rochdale Boroughwide Cultural Trust. When English Folk Expo joined Arts Council England’s National Portfolio Organisation in 2018, Tom left his full time role to become its first Chief Executive. Since then, Tom has overseen the expansion of the organisation from a singular annual showcase to the broad music charity it is today, creating new programmes, building a board and fundraising to quadruple the size of the organisation. Tom has consistently worked for charities supported through Arts Council England, Local Authorities and Trusts and Foundations. In 2019, Tom was elected to Rochdale Council as the Labour Councillor for Littleborough Lakeside.

Victoria Brüker, DE

Victoria Brüker (M.A.) is a booking agent, artist, and project manager of Hamburg-based music agency OHA! Music. She started wandering down the path of pop culture and music during her studies of media and philosophy in Bochum (DE), Antwerp (BE), and Hamburg (DE). After collecting professional and international experiences in film, she worked as a PR and social media manager at OHA! Music, as a project manager at RockCity Hamburg e.V., and has now returned to OHA! Music’s artist department.

A chance encounter as a visitor of the Reeperbahn Festival led to her first job in the music business where she found her passion for the industry through mentoring and trust. After having worked on a European level in film, Victoria realised that she wanted to expand her network internationally in music as well to develop valuable exchange and drive change. This mindset led to an awareness of international programmes, to the application for the EMBTF, and eventually to the first important steps towards a European career by making meaningful connections and creating a network of like-minded people.

Music Industry Voices

Visibility is the first step in creating change. 

In Music Industry Voices, we come together with professionals from the music industry, listening to their stories about how they started out working in the industry, got to their first jobs, what challenges were faced and which opportunities arose. This way, we are making career paths more visible, disclosing opportunities to those who are starting to work in the industry just now, and inspiring those who are searching a new path in their career.  

Music Industry Voices is to be understood as an ever-evolving platform, growing with the stories told. Tune in, lean back and listen to us detangling ourselves in our careers on air.

Jingle produced and provided by Sjoerd Vriesema
Cover produced and provided by Franz Thöricht
Podcast production by Sabrina Dehati 
Supervision by Lena Ingerwersen and Jeppe Rasmussen
Facilitation by the Music Cities Network and Promus

Photo credits: Aneta Gaidamovic

Photo credits: Aneta Gaidamovic

Photo credits: Aneta Gaidamovic

Photo credits: Aneta Gaidamovic

Photo credits: Aneta Gaidamovic

Photo credits:  Juliette Rowland

Photo credits:  Juliette Rowland

Feel free to contact us

 

Lena Ingwersen
lena@musiccitiesnetwork.com

 

Jeppe Rasmussen
jeppe@musiccitiesnetwork.com