Jordan Grey has been an active member of the entertainment industry since 1998. He has organized dozens of venues and concerts around Vancouver Lower Mainland and worked with many local talents. It is my pleasure to interview him today.
Cendrine Marrouat: Hello Jordan, thank you for answering my questions. First of all, tell us a little more about you.
Jordan Grey: Hi Cendrine, thanks for taking the time to interview me. I have been in management since I have joined the work force, that’s almost 20 years now. I have always found my true strengths and interests in management and organizing entertainment events. It was only a matter of time till I combined both of these talents together and became one of the founders of VanMusic.
I have a great love for the Local Arts and wanted to use my strengths in promoting this raw talent in a way to say Thank You to the community. I have never been one to really put myself in the spotlight, but I am very interested in taking my skills and propelling this amazing talent that we have in Vancouver to just that, being in the spotlight.
CM: When was VanMusic created and what is its purpose?
JG: We started talking about VanMusic during the summer of 2008. There was a group of us that all really enjoyed the Independent Music Scene that was happening in Vancouver and felt that there could be more done in promoting this Music Movement.
In March of 2009 we launched our website! Our main goal and purpose was finding this Vancouver Talent and showcasing it. We wanted to become a reliable source for Vancouverites to come find and listen to their favorite independent bands. We wanted to create a place where you could come and find your new future favorite band.
CM: What are some of the events VanMusic has organized?
JG: Besides the many events that we put on together before this, our first official VanMusic event was held less then a month after our website's launch on April 10th 2009. It worked out well as one of our producers, who was also the Radio Host of The Morning After Show, wanted to hold a 10th Anniversary show. We decided that this would be the perfect launch party for VanMusic and threw one big event at the Legion on Commercial Drive.
The launch party was well received and we hosted a wide range of bands including The Get Down, Hawaiian Bibles, Los Furios, The Rain & The Sidewalk, Sinister Black, Alberta’s Hunter, Michelle Carter Leis, Los Malos, The Aching Heart Foundation, Mac Hunter, Robby Luve Dub and Jess Hill.
Since then we have hosted a few events at The Railway Club and Pats Pub as well as promoted many events/concerts/CD Releases on the VanMusic brand name.
CM: How have Canadian audiences reacted to VanMusic's efforts to promote independent musicians?
G: The reaction that VanMusic has received has been outstanding. We have found that a lot of Canadians are looking for other music other than The Top 40. Everyone in Canada knows that there is so much talent here; however we often find that we don’t have the promotion that is needed. We want to help in being that stepping stone that bands need to get their music out there.
Since launching our site, we have profiled 400+ bands. We have indexed our band list and have been receiving a tremendous response as a place to go to find this amazing Independent Talent within Canada. Check it our index here.
End of part 1.
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Cendrine Marrouat is a freelance writer/reviewer, published author and translator living in Canada. Official Website: http://www.cendrinemarrouat.com
Comments
I am the Morning After show host and I think the interview rules! When is the next part? I notice there is always new content in vanmusic.ca
I hear performers complain that there isn't enough support for the talent in this city (ie. getting an audience to come out to shows). But I think you have to face the fact that you not only have to play well, you also have to put the same amount of energy into promoting as you do into performing. Make the event buzzworthy. In other words, make it fun and different. Something worth getting off the couch for.
Hello John, thank you for your comment. It rather boils down to "efficient" promotion, rather than simple promotion. At the same time, it is very difficult for independent artists to get heard, because we all have misconceptions about what they do and how they do it.
And let's be honest. Canada is kind of behind when it comes to promoting its own talents.
Hello Oswaldo, I published the second and last part of the interview yesterday.
It's people like the crew at VanMusic that are really providing a great platform for musicians new and established to get their name out there more and have their music reach thousands of people.
Keep up the great work!
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