news category created 6 March 2015 written by Mick Glossop
On April 28th, the current directors of the MPG Executive Board will step down, and an election will be held to determine those who will comprise the Executive board for 2015/16.
The current directors are Andrew Hunt, Dave Miles, Mick Glossop, Richard Lightman and Stevan Krakovic.
The following candidates for election have submitted their statements:
I am proud to say that I have now been a Director of the MPG for six years, serving as an Executive Director for the last three.
My involvement with the MPG runs beyond making decisions on a day-to-day basis. I oversee our membership and I am in charge of Membership Benefits. Both of which, I’m happy to say, continue to grow.
I am also one of the four, MPG Awards Directors. The event is a beacon for our industry and this year, the second in our new home, was another great success.
Those of you who know me, know I am as passionate about what the MPG stands for and achieves, as I am about making records.
As the industry continues to change, our needs and revenue streams are changing too. I feel that the existence of the MPG is more important and relevant then ever before.
If I am re-elected to the Executive Board, I would like to continue my involvement in all aspects of the MPG. I will do my utmost to fight for our needs and pursue the growth and worth of our organisation.
I have worked in recording for the last 20 years, starting as a tape op and then working my way up through the ranks to my current role as a freelance Producer, Mixer, Engineer.
Over that period of time I have watched the industry alter in many ways. From the change over to Digital recording and the new ways that the digital approach enabled sessions to be run, to the completely new ways in which music needs to be delivered to the end user.
Not all of these changes have been for the best, although most of them have and as such we, in our multiple roles have had to adapt in all aspects of how we go about our trade.
It is because of these changes that I feel that now, more than ever the Music Producers Guild has an essential job to do, sharing information with its members, keeping them up to date with the constant and myriad of changes that are occurring in the industry and enabling them to have a go to source where we can all share our combined knowledge.
Many of us work in locked away spaces for hours on end, never having the time to research or understand how these changes will affect us, to have a Guild with a voice for us all who we can count on to act in our best interests and, who seeks to improve the understanding that others have for the importance of our trade is invaluable.
I would like to be considered for a role as Executive Director as I feel my knowledge and history puts me in a position where I can relate to the needs we all have. I would do my best to assist in the growth of the organisation and help in any way I can to aid its representation within the industry.
I have been successfully recording and producing since I was 18, starting in my native Australia and for the last 19 years here in London. I have been a member and actively involved with the MPG since 2011.
As we know our industry is going though dramatic changes, with producers, engineers and mixers being somewhat under represented in the music industry at large.
I think the MPG has real value as an organisation and is making great steps forward in getting the work we do recognised and valued.
I would use this opportunity to be involved in that process and would look forward to working with a team that has our industry’s best interest at heart.
As co-founder and co-owner of Urchin Studios in East London, I am exposed to the demands of a modern recording session on every level, not only as an engineer, producer and mixer but also everything from being a business owner in the music industry down to making a large round of tea. I believe from this position I am given a unique and varied insight into the challenges of recording music in 2015, and that this would be an asset to the MPG Board.
As clients and friends will tell you I am extremely passionate about the craft of making records, particularly when it comes to providing facilities for others that are conducive to it’s creation. I was extremely proud to win MPG Breakthrough Engineer of The Year in 2014. Before winning I was relatively unfamiliar with the work of the MPG, as I was less connected to the wider music industry than many of my peers. However, since winning I have seen the value and worth of the organisation and promoted the MPG to the wider and more diverse audience. If elected to the board I would aim to continue with this but in an official capacity, particularly to those producers and engineers operating independently of the more traditional ‘big studio’ model.
I’ve been a record producer for over 35 years, a member of the MPG for over 25 years, and an Executive Director on the board for more than 10 of those years.
I’m firmly committed to the MPG as an organisation representing of the interests of, and service to, producers, engineers and mixers, and that’s why I feel that’s it’s increasingly important for the MPG to maintain a serious voice in the UK music industry.
I’ve supported and continue to promote the recent initiative to campaign on behalf of members with respect to the issue of diminishing income, along with the other MPG campaigns; Credit where Credit Is Due, the ISRC/BWAV campaign, and the promotion of the best in recorded music sound quality.
My responsibilities over the past several years, as well as membership of the Executive Board, include the MPG Awards committee, creating and organising the MPG’s Q-Time event, its panellists and questions, and responsibility for the MPG website and IT. I also have an involvement in the various regional MPG activities in Scotland, the Midlands, Bristol and more recently in Brighton.
I am more than happy, if re-elected, to continue to devote whatever spare time I have to working further to promote and advance the important activities of the MPG.
How I would contribute to the running of the MPG:
I would develop my work for MPG ‘South West’ by continuing to organise MPG social events and augment these with panel discussions and collaborative events with other organisations.
I would represent and promote the excellent work of the MPG and strengthen its membership and connections to the Bristol region.
I would provide meaningful opportunities for producers/engineers/studio owners to network and develop their knowledge, skills and opportunities and learn from those with greater experience.
I would continue assisting in the development of the MPG website and my work with unsigned artists and bands would provide the board with important ‘grass-roots’ industry contact to help inform and shape the future of the MPG.
