"Music is my Business" seminar to empower local artists
Director of Association of Music Friends (AMF) Tony Petros is adamant that music is serious business and that artists should be accorded the opportunity to network and learn from each other. He said this is what would happen at the upcoming first ever music seminar slated for December under the theme, ‘My music means business.’ This first of its kind event will bring artists and music stakeholders all under one roof, noted Petros, who also said that the seminar would empower artists to take their craft seriously.
“This will be the first ever music business seminar and it is the ultimate platform to advocate for the arts as well as lobbying for the Arts enthusiastic population,” he said. Petros explained that AMF is an edutainment platform aimed at networking, as they believe that this could optimise opportunities in the music industry thereby accelerating music business. According to Petros, the music seminar is a two-day seminar delivered into a workshop format, aimed at ensuring that participants easily interact with speakers, according to Petros.
He emphasised that they wish to diversify artists through skill transferring to the participants; hence music plays a pivotal role in business related to the arts. When quizzed on what prompted him to come up with such an initiative, he responded that there is little investment in the music industry despite the fact that it is quite rewarding to all stakeholders. “Lack of statistics in our industry makes it hard to realise the business opportunity in the arts,” he said.
Some of the prominent guests expected to grace the seminar include a delegation from Kaya FM as well as music compiler Pheko Kgengoe of Sony Music, Universal Music Africa, which recently signed Vee Mampeezy and Record Executive and President of Zambia Association of Musicians (ZAM) Davison Munsanda to mention a few. Petros added that they expect a sizeable number of local guests to also attend. “We are expecting regulatory bodies like COSBOTS, BOCRA, CIPA and Botswana Innovation Hub and industry captains like Limkokwing Entrepreneurship Acceleration Platform, Faculty of Multimedia, Sound and Music and other many stakeholders.”