Client Feature: 'Sound industry' - Konichiwa

We took the time to catch up with Lizzy Bowman, the lady driving forwards the brand new music industry event – ‘Sound industry’. A conference that is looking to challenge and inspire individuals working across all aspects of the vibrant musical landscape of Bristol and beyond.

The event will take place in March 30th at The Colston Hall, bringing together some of the UK’s leading industry professionals, to examine and discuss the business side of careers in music, as well as, broader issues of musical diversity, equality, well-being and politics. The day will include conferences, workshops, and live performances.

Hi Lizzy –

it’s really exciting to see Bristol’s first dedicated music industry event? What made you want to bring it here?

Myself and the other directors of Bristol Women in Music (BWiM) were feeling frustrated at how London-centric the music industry can be. We wondered how we could best serve the many people working in music in the South West and the answer was to create something brand new right here in Bristol. We also wanted to see an event which looked at the music business from a human perspective, covering topics that are especially important to us such as mental health, equality and diversity in the music industry. Thus, Sound Industry was born!

How did you get into the music industry?

I began working in artist management after graduating from the University of Bristol with a degree in Music. I spent my time at Uni getting a lot of extra-curricular experience – promoting club nights, performing and being generally immersed in Bristol’s underground music scene. By day I was training to become a classical Flute player and by night I was on the dance floor at the front line of Bristol’s emerging dubstep scene, so I was giving myself a pretty broad musical education! After Uni, it was a struggle at first to find a way to turn my passion and hobby into a paying job. Thankfully, things eventually fell into place after much hard work, internships and networking.

Looks like you’re a very busy lady! You also juggle, Bristol Women in Music, managing various artists at Red Light and help run Bristol based label Tectonic – do you have advice for other women out working on several projects at once and work/ life balance?

I won’t sugarcoat it; it is difficult managing lots of different roles at the same time and the ongoing work/life balance conundrum is something I am yet to find a suitable solution to. Working with mainly independent artists on projects I truly believe in and want to succeed certainly helps keep me motivated though. It can be hard to ‘switch off’ when trying to take time out, so I have to remind myself that it’s only music, it’s not life or death if I don’t reply to an email immediately.

Any top tips for people who may be wanting to start-up a business or event in the music industry ?

Research your market, build your network of contacts and potential fans/clients, ensure you have enough enthusiasm to want to put in those extra hours that will surely be needed!

How do you choose the artists and speakers appearing at Sound Industry?

We felt it is important to reach out to Women and Men from across the industry who have unique stories to tell as well as personal insights into important issues faced by many creatives already working in or starting out in the industry. We hope to strike the right balance with our panelists representing across gender, ethnicity, age and industry.

What and where do you see Sound Industry in 5 years time?

We would love to see Sound Industry grow in size and notoriety to become a respected annual event on the music business calendar, luring people from all over the UK and beyond. We hope it will also inspire more focus on issues we think are important in the music business: musical diversity, equality, education and well-being.

Obviously you have a love for music with an industry knowledge can you let us in on any hot new Bristol acts to look out for in 2017?

My tip for the next DJ to break out of Bristol is Anina. She has excellent taste and knows how to take people on a journey between heads down dark side rhythms to hands-in-the-air party music!

Find out more?

‘Sound industry’ is hosted by Bristol Women in Music, an association working to raise awareness of the roles, issues and successes of women in the music industry.

Event Info & Tickets: https://www.sound-industry.com

Twitter – https://twitter.com/SoundIndustry_

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/SoundIndustryBris