Ottawa’s music industry is hitting a flat note in comparison with other Canadian cities, according to the authors of Connecting Ottawa Music, a report that examines the city’s music scene.
Ottawa ranked last in terms of the number of musicians, studios, live venues and production companies, trailing behind five other Canadian cities of a comparable size.
The frontrunner of the study was Winnipeg, followed by Calgary, Edmonton, Hamilton and Quebec City.
The findings were presented at a panel discussion at city hall for the launch of Megaphono, a new showcase music festival aimed at highlighting local artists and connecting them with other musicians and executives in the industry. The festival took place in venues across the city from Feb. 3 -5.
Despite the report’s findings, there is a lot to be optimistic about, according to Jon Bartlett, the festival’s director and owner of Kelp Records, an independent label company in Centretown.
“It’s an exciting time to be working on music in Ottawa,” says Bartlett. “It’s like nothing I’ve felt in 15 years of living here. We are in the middle of a musical boom.”
There are approximately 8,000 professional or part-time musicians in the region and more than 180 records were made in Ottawa last year, but Ottawa lacks a developed music infrastructure.
The city does not have enough music businesses, agents, publishers or labels to give local musicians the platform to enter into the music industry, according to the report.
“We have two things, tons of musical talent and artists but not tons of industry,” says Bartlett. “So that’s what we’re trying to bridge the gap on.”
Andrew Vincent, a local musician; Ian Swain, a researcher, and Kwende Kefentse, a city of Ottawa worker, conducted the survey from interviews that took place last fall with music-industry goers as well as an online survey with more than 800 Ottawa musicians.
The report recommends Ottawa’s music industry leaders form a music industry association to improve local connections to the global music scene and that the city of Ottawa develops an official music strategy. The authors stressed the importance of an established music industry to the identity and economic and cultural success of the city.
“The music industry is a catalyst for other things that go on,” says Swain. “Not just for quality of life, but also retaining and attracting young talented people and encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship and creativity. A flourishing music scene can spill over into other industries.”
Many musicians complained about the lack of a midsize venue, according to Vincent. While the city is capable of hosting headliners at big music festivals that draw an audience of thousands, it doesn’t have a place suitable for smaller scale artists.
“A midsize venue attracts a certain level of artist from outside the city to play in Ottawa, but it also gives local artists a stepping stone for reaching larger audiences,” says Vincent.
The panellists suggested other solutions to help develop Ottawa’s music scene, such as a better late-night transit system, cheaper or subsidized office spaces and addressing noise complaint policies.
The study’s full report will be released in March.