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.