For Music Cities Events, 2020 started in the best way possible, with the launch of the first Music Cities Awards and the planning for our 2020 events being in full swing. Three months in, our team, much like the rest of the world, is adapting to a new routine made of remote working, video calls and virtual team coffee breaks. The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted everyone’s lives to a greater or lesser extent and companies are facing a new reality where the words “business as usual” seem outdated and long-term planning feels impossible.
Nevertheless, just as every cloud has a silver lining, the emergency has led to increased creativity, empathy and resourcefulness, with new tools made available to students, new virtual performance spaces created and countless new support initiatives introduced. We at Music Cities Events and Sound Diplomacy have decided to join this virtuous cycle and give our small contribution to the world by bringing forward the launch of our brand new project, Music Cities Conversations.
Held as video calls for now, Music Cities Conversations is a twice-weekly free, publicly accessible series of interviews with music industry professionals, city planners and more, presenting insights, best practice and ideas to defend the music industry, as well as to provide cities with opportunities to use music as a tool to react to current and future threats. We believe music - and music policy - is now more relevant than ever, and that our cities and the music industry can find in each other the tools to emerge stronger. We’re extremely excited to share this project with you and shed some light on how music cities are working to minimise the negative and accentuate the positive aspects of these unprecedented times. The first episode, featuring BBC Radio 3 Controller Alan Davey, is out already, so check it out below while we keep working to deliver great Music Cities Events globally!
Head here to watch all the episodes of Music Cities Conversations: www.musiccitiesevents.com/conversations