SOLE Speaker Series | What To Expect

With the help of the NZ Music Commission, Christchurch music academy SOLE has put together a brand new music business speaker and mentoring series to support emerging Canterbury artists and upcoming music professionals.

We caught up with the founder of SOLE music Sacha Vee to chat about what the series is about, what you can expect at each seminar and navigating the music industry.

Check out the interview below!

Tell me a bit about the series as a whole? What can we expect to learn from going to these seminars?

Each two-hour event covers a certain music business topic with three of the country’s leading music professionals on the panel. It is for anyone that is interested in learning how to become an artist, release your music and start touring. What makes these events so special is you get to book a 1:1 mentoring session with any of the guest speakers to delve deeper into your own business and music. Therefore these events are not only valuable to musicians starting out but other established musicians that are keen to network with some of the guest speakers.

The series is broken down into six separate seminars, can you tell me the reasoning behind this?

Every year there are one or two music business events that are put on by MMF and IMNZ. They are usually a very informative hour-long event. What I have found from going to them is there is too much information to cover and I feel the musician who is just starting out ends up feeling more overwhelmed. Also, most of the speakers are from Auckland so are a little out of reach for Canterbury artists. Therefore, I decided to break the events up into easily digestible chunks starting with Artist development, music creation, then putting the look and feel together, the business end, how to release and promo ending with how to get booked and put a show together. 

We have also made sure there are Christchurch based music professionals on each panel so that attendees can have the opportunity to reach out to them again in person. Another reason to break into separate events is that we wanted there to be something each month so that attendees can feel more supported. By coming to the events they also have the opportunity to make connections with each other.

What can we expect at each seminar? Are there opportunities for people to have a conversation with the speakers?

After each guest speaker has shared their take on the topic of the event, we have a Q&A and then a chance for attendees to speak with the guest speakers. We feel this is a very important part of the event. We have gone one further with this by also opening up the option for attendees to book in a 1:1 mentoring session to delve deeper into their music and business. 

What do you want artists to take away from this series?

I want artists and music professionals to feel empowered to start or continue their journey in music. 

Do you think there is a lack of information and resources available to artists trying to navigate the music industry?

I think quite the opposite. I think there is too much information out there and it can get confusing. I think there is a lack of a music community which is weird because there are so many music professionals in Christchurch that have so much valuable knowledge to share. This is why these events are focused on bringing music professionals and artists together so that networks and more collaborative work can happen.

How important do you think it is for artists to educate themselves on the music industry?

Very important. Why would you start a business without knowing everything there is to know about that area and doing your market research? Artists need to realise that having a career in music is actually having a music business. Therefore you are an entrepreneur and that is hard! You have to have a plan, product and know how to sell it. Also, most successful businesses have a team so you are not expected to know everything, that is why you should hire professionals to help you and not expect to do everything yourself.

You’ve put together a diverse and experienced panel of experts, what were some of the qualities you were looking for in speakers?

We aimed for the best possible speaker for each topic and made sure we showcased the awesome mentors we have in Christchurch.

Do you need to have music out on Spotify to attend this series? Or is it open to artists of any level?

You definitely don’t have to have music out on Spotify to attend. The series is open to all levels.

You’re the founder of SOLE Music Academy, can you tell me more about what SOLE is?

SOLE is a music academy that specialises in singing, songwriting, producing and artist development. Consisting of over 150 students and 10 music mentors, SOLE stands for a Source of Learning and Empowerment and was established to help local and national talent ‘bridge the gap’ into the music industry. 

You can purchase tickets to the next event below.

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-music-sole-speaker-series-tickets-165371162599?fbclid=IwAR3GX2eV7SyjbourcMdhaWbC_HPtFyF4VRtxm5–qLvCKcnWEcRwuNGLDmE