fmc in brazil

FMC in Brazil

Photo by Wayne Marshall

Several FMC staffers recently returned from Rio De Janeiro, Brazil,

where they convened with international musicians for discussions and

public panels about the issues and challenges that musicians face in

an ever-evolving field.

Plenty of people are talking about issues that affect musicians around

the world. However, it's rare to find information about what artists

themselves believe. As FMC's core issues become global concerns, we

have an increasing committment to understanding what artists think

about the challenges and opportunities they face in the digital era.

Our Brazil Conference was an attempt to bring together a wide variety

of international musicians to talk about their perspectives,

regardless of their country of origin.

Areas of discussion included intellectual property law, contract

reform, media consolidation and digital distribution, among others. As

expected, the musicians' opinions were as varied as the cultures from

which they came. And that's OK by us -- we believe such complex

viewpoints are extremely important to take into account if artists

worldwide are to achieve sustainability in a rapidly changing

environment.

But the Brazil Conference was hardly a buttoned-down affair. Between

the great music, exotic drinks and dynamic conversation, there was

plenty of fun to be had. Check out what Tim Quirk, musician and Vice

President of Music Programming for Rhapsody America (and FMC advisory

board member) has to say about the experience.

Despite a crashed hard drive, ethnomusicologist, MC/DJ/producer and

blogger Wayne Marshall also managed to post about the trip.

We look forward to more opportunities to engage with musicians, both

around the globe and in our own backyard.