The invisible side of the arts

You may play, compose, and arrange brilliantly, but if you don’t tell anyone about it, your only listeners will be your mom, your friend, and maybe a neighbor. Why non-musical communication matters — the new mission of the Latvian Music Information Centre.

On November 7 and 12, 2024, two events with international guest experts took place at the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Secondary School of Music. Although both events were held at a music school, they were not about playing or singing; instead, they focused on several topics that go hand in hand with creating art. Discussions touched on a musician’s ethics, as well as formal and informal communication between artists, listeners, managers, clubs, and other key individuals in the arts.

Together with experts and colleagues, participants had the opportunity to join discussions on these topics and explore possibilities for collaboration with Sweden, potential funding sources, and other relevant issues. These activities — along with the competition for young jazz musicians and other initiatives already carried out last year — were made possible because the Latvian Music Information Centre won a competition organized by the Ministry of Culture and received funding to represent and develop the jazz sector over the next three years.

The project was led by Aleksandra Line, co-founder of this magazine. In this conversation, Aleksandra discusses her new responsibilities and why these activities are important for musicians and the Latvian jazz sector as a whole.

Aleksandra, a new role has recently appeared in your life. You are now working with the jazz sector at the Latvian Music Information Centre (LMIC). Could you tell us what this means for the jazz scene, what has changed, and how LMIC came to take jazz under its wing?

Some time ago, the Ministry of Culture recognized the need to support the Latvian jazz sector and announced a delegation competition held every three years. This means that an organization can apply for and receive a set amount of funding every three years, sign a contract, and gain the support of the jazz delegation for that period. The contract specifies several criteria that the organization must fulfill, with yearly reporting required.
These criteria include providing methodological support to music sector institutions and specialists, delivering timely information about jazz masterclasses and educational activities, and offering individual consultations for Latvian jazz organizations and professionals upon request.

The second essential point is to build international cooperation and to represent Latvian jazz music through international organizations and projects. Each year, at least four visits by foreign music specialists and producers must be organized in Latvia to present the latest developments in Latvian jazz and maintain contacts with international jazz festivals, networks, producers, journalists, music researchers, and critics.

At the end of last year, Egīls Šēfers, director of the Latvian Music Information Centre, had the idea to apply for this competition. I myself didn’t know he was going to do it, since I had only been involved with the Centre on a project basis up until then. For eight years, I was responsible for the Jazzahead! trade fair, creating music compilations, and representing Latvia abroad. And not only with jazz — we were also involved with Classical:NEXT and other events, and I supported the SKANi label with international public relations.

Egīls submitted LMIC’s application to the competition—and won. If I’m not mistaken, it was last January (2024) that he announced a call to find someone to manage the project, and I won that competition. Since February 2024, I have been the jazz expert and project manager at the Music Information Centre. The financial delegation from the Ministry of Culture provides a modest foundation, but one that can be expanded. That’s why, in parallel, I write various project applications and look for opportunities to secure additional funding and create collaborations in other fields.

When I started, it was February, and Jazzahead! was approaching fast. LMIC was a new organization taking over the delegation after many years of management by others. Very quickly, I found myself approached by many people with questions, and by the end of the first month, I reported back to the Ministry of Culture and to director Egīls that I had already consulted 70 to 80 people and organizations. What on paper appears to be a part-time job often turns into much more than full-time work.

That happens quite often in the arts world, yes — we all know it well.

It’s familiar to anyone working in the arts and music field. In the future, there will be even more to do, as we’ve started discussing several genres. Historically, LMIC has been more focused on classical and contemporary music; however, it is also important to expand our activities into other areas.

Maybe you could briefly explain for those who are not familiar with the Latvian Music Information Centre: what are this organization’s goals and tasks, and why does it exist?

The organization was founded more than 20 years ago, when several institutions came together — Musica Baltica, the Jāzeps Vītols Latvian Academy of Music, Latvijas Koncerti, the Latvian Composers’ Union, and the National Library of Latvia. This year, the membership has grown further with the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra and the Jazz Association also joining.

Currently, the Centre does not admit private individuals as members; instead, it accepts institutions and organizations. If a legal entity believes it should be among the members of the Latvian Music Information Centre, it is welcome to submit an application and attend a meeting to determine its eligibility.

The essence of LMIC is already reflected in its name — to inform professionals in the Latvian music sector. At the moment, our main focus is on classical and contemporary music, jazz, and, to some extent, folk music (each year the Centre takes part in the WOMEX expo). We provide information to industry professionals, venues, platforms, managers, producers, and others about opportunities available to them in Latvia and abroad – including cooperation opportunities, artist exchanges, and study opportunities. We do this through our website www.lmic.lv and on Facebook and Instagram.

We also spread the word internationally about the beautiful music Latvia has to offer, including what our artists are doing — releasing and recording —where they are performing, which concert venues exist here, and the available collaboration opportunities. We help build a bridge between Latvia and other countries in the music sector – that is our core principle.

Another of our activities is maintaining a database that includes composers and their works, as well as various developments in Latvian music. For the most part, it focuses on classical and contemporary music. Since there aren’t enough resources to fully update everything every year in the field of jazz, if a jazz musician or composer looks themselves up in the database and doesn’t find their name, or feels their information is inaccurate, they are warmly invited to email us and indicate what needs updating.

A slightly more philosophical question – recently we established a Jazz Association, and for now it’s not entirely clear how the roles will be divided and who will be responsible for what. Still, we can speculate about the kinds of activities this association might take on. Theoretically, they’ve already stated that they would do similar things, such as promoting Latvian musicians abroad and supporting their development. How do you see your cooperation? As far as I know, you’ve already had some contact. In your opinion, what direction will you move together, and how will this affect the Latvian jazz scene?

We had a meeting, though unfortunately, we didn’t manage to clarify the Jazz Association’s exact plans. They outlined their intentions, but they were rather general. Still, everything is certainly connected, and if we continue to work together with more people involved, then our music sector should ideally develop even better. Currently, the Latvian Jazz Association has become a member of the Latvian Music Information Centre, making it one of the voices that will help decide on various matters within the music sector.

For now, I don’t have enough information to comment on that question, but I do have specific tasks and responsibilities outlined in the contract, along with many daily duties. Those I fulfill, but how others will act—time will tell. Of course, the more we communicate and cooperate, the better things should go for all of us.

Yes, we’ll see. Returning to the tasks defined in the contract with the Ministry of Culture, it’s clear that the funding is what it is, so priorities must be set. As I understand it, you already have a concept for how you’ll work within this program, and several activities have been carried out. Among them was a two-day conference where anyone could participate, learn something new, and join discussions. There’s also a competition, with results expected at the end of December.

First of all, even before considering all the things you mentioned, part of this delegation’s task is to be a member of major organizations. The largest one in the jazz sector right now is the European Jazz Network. We paid the membership fee, completed a lengthy application form, and met with the board members. Since this spring, we have officially joined the European Jazz Network, which currently has just over 200 members. It is the highest-level organization bringing together major festival organizers, large institutions, jazz clubs, music information centers, and artist associations. Our membership in this network presents numerous exciting opportunities.

We constantly keep LMIC informed about these opportunities. The first checkpoint was in September, when we had the chance to bring two people along. So, together with Santa Šillere and Inga Vamze, we took part in the European Jazz Conference and the European Jazz Network General Assembly. Inga was chosen on our side because we had already worked together earlier in the year at Jazzahead!, and also because the European Jazz Network had launched an initiative called «30 under 30» to support young, talented musicians — and she was one of those who could join us.

It was a wonderful opportunity for everyone to meet face-to-face, shake hands, look each other in the eye, and discuss how we could be of use to one another. This year was also special because we were able to participate in an actual vote. The organization operates independently, with nine board members elected from among the members, plus one president. This year, we had the chance to vote for three new board members and a president. That truly influences who will later lead the organization you are part of.

We also selected several directions for our work. Two of them, as you mentioned, are conferences — we have the opportunity to bring experts to Latvia, and it was important to me that these experts share their knowledge with the Latvian jazz sector. The first two experts who came spoke about the importance of communication in music. We worked together with the Jāzeps Mediņš Riga Secondary School of Music, where the conference was held. We invited students, teachers, professionals, and others interested in the topic, and a large number of people participated, asking questions and joining discussions about the European Jazz Network, musician ethics, and communication.

The second group of experts who visited Latvia came as part of a project supported by the Sweden–Latvia Cooperation Fund, for which I prepared a project application and received a small grant. The amount was enough to start a dialogue between Latvia and Sweden in jazz. That’s why we were able to host Maria Rylander, a board member of the Europe Jazz Network and head of the Knutpunkt organization, together with her colleagues.

We expanded the dialogue by inviting Lithuanians and Estonians as well. Unfortunately, since their entire year was already planned, only the executive director of the Estonian Jazz Association, Elo-Liis Parmas, was able to attend. We all gathered at the Mediņš school to create a dialogue between the Baltic States and Sweden.

Let’s focus on this expert visit. First, why was a school chosen as the meeting place?

My first thought was to meet in an informal setting, but I had not yet organized seminars or discussions of this kind in my new role. I decided it would be better to start with a more official institution to give the event greater weight among professionals.

Whether that turned out to be a good or bad idea — we’ll find out after surveying the Latvian jazz sector. Everyone who has comments on such meetings, or who perhaps wanted to participate but didn’t attend, is warmly invited to get in touch with me or to send a message to LMIC’s official email address. We will definitely read and take note of all feedback.

As for next year, it’s still not entirely clear whether we will continue in exactly this format, since we’ve already had internal discussions at LMIC about making some changes. Of course, it depends on the amount of financial support we receive. The idea is to make the event even bigger and, hopefully, more engaging. I hope that at the beginning of next year we’ll be able to share more details—if we manage to make it happen.

Do you think holding the meeting at a school helped attract more students?

At the very least, it certainly helped to inform them, but I don’t want to speculate. I’m not sure we would attract more students elsewhere. For instance, if such a meeting were to take place in a less formal setting, but one more connected with jazz — say, at M/Darbnīca — that could be another interesting option to consider for the future. Maybe we can experiment and try something new. We’ll see!

How relevant do you think it is for students to take part in such events and gain the information that was discussed?

Extremely relevant. It’s great to hear that Latvian educational institutions are already doing much more to teach about music management and the administrative side. I’ve heard that lectures on this are held at the Latvian College of Culture, and I know the Riga Cathedral Choir School also offers classes. I believe it’s crucial to introduce these topics at least from the college level — ideally starting around 10th grade or the first year — because many young people are already performing musicians by then. They begin creating their own programs, taking part in projects, and the earlier they understand how important communication is — not just talking with others, but also engaging with the wider world, the media, and their fans — the better.

Management and the administrative side are extremely important. It’s one of my responsibilities to show this to students. After all, it doesn’t end in the classroom, and it’s not enough to just play, compose, or arrange well. I tell my students at the Music Academy: If you play, compose, and arrange brilliantly but don’t share your work with anyone, your only listeners will be your mom, your friend, and possibly a neighbor, possibly the latter against their will.

What feedback did you get from the experts after their two-day visit?

Almost all of the experts — except our Estonian colleagues — were in Latvia for the first time. In addition to the official seminars at the Mediņš school, we introduced them to many aspects of the Latvian music and jazz scene. We visited the Latvian Radio Studio 1, the VEF Culture Palace museum, a concert at M/Darbnīca, Jersika Records’ studio, and several other places. This way, we helped them discover Latvia and get a sense of what future projects might involve our country. They all agreed it was very valuable, and they had interesting conversations with students, teachers, and jazz experts alike.

What was especially meaningful was that after the official part ended—when we said «thank you» for the time spent—people stayed to talk with one another. I loved the moment when Maija, the owner of M/Darbnīca, and Ksenija, the owner of Kultūrtelpa MASA, met in person for the first time, shook hands, exchanged contact information, and began discussing a potential collaboration. We are such a small scene, and of course, everyone needs to secure work for themselves, but I believe there are always ways to collaborate.

Ok, and now maybe a little about the competition?

At the Latvian Music Information Centre, we’ve decided that one of our tasks is to support the new generation of jazz musicians in various ways. Firstly, at the beginning of last year, we announced a competition, taking into account our capacity and the opportunity to participate in Jazzahead! At the conference, we decided to invite one of the young jazz students to join us.

Several participants from different schools and cities applied. The winner was Inga Vamze, who — like the other participants — was talented, ambitious, and enthusiastic, but she stood out with her stronger knowledge of today’s Latvian jazz scene. That was important because, together with her, we could present Latvian jazz to thousands of international visitors in high-quality fashion. Inga provided excellent support at the exhibition, and her travel, accommodation, and booth participation costs were covered.

In addition, with the end of the year approaching, we came up with something like a Christmas gift for a young jazz musician. We announced a competition for Latvian jazz musicians under 25 — each applicant or group had to submit a creative biography in both Latvian and English, as well as a live performance recording in audio or video format. All documents had to be properly prepared and submitted, accompanied by a cover letter.

We invited three independent, high-level international experts to serve as judges. Thanks to our membership in EJN and my long experience in jazz, I was able to offer them the chance to listen to and evaluate Latvian jazz musicians. The winner of the competition received a grant of €1,000, which they can use to record a professional audio. That means they’ll have the opportunity to record at least one jazz composition — no shorter than three minutes — in a professional studio with proper sound processing, and to develop their promotional plan.

Wait, so that’s specifically for one composition, not just however you decide to use your time and book a studio?

If you manage to record more within the budget — great! If it works out well, then perhaps more opportunities will arise in the future.

In Latvia, it’s already possible to record an album for €1,000 if you know what to do and who to work with.

Yes, absolutely. That’s where individual initiative comes in. By involving these experts, I wanted to ensure they listened to every single application. Last year, the grant was awarded to just one winner, but the experts evaluated all submissions. From a jazz perspective, the jury includes Matti Lappalainen, a Finnish jazz musician and artistic director of the major international April Jazz Festival and April Jazz Club, as well as an active figure in the Finnish Jazz Federation for many years. From the composition perspective, there’s composer Lolita Ritmanis, who, by the way, was recently in Latvia recording a soundtrack for a new Hollywood film, The American Miracle, with the Liepāja Symphony Orchestra at the «Great Amber» concert hall. She’s a Latvian living in the U.S., a Grammy and Emmy award winner, and she brings an international perspective to evaluating the applications.

The third jury member is Lydia Liebman, daughter of the well-known jazz musician Dave Liebman. She runs a successful PR and promotion agency for jazz musicians in New York, and last year, ten of her clients were nominated for Grammy awards. It took me many years to meet and build relationships with people like this. And now, young Latvian jazz musicians can submit a fairly simple application, and such a jury listens to them and understands what they are capable of. You never know what contacts might be useful in the future.

Absolutely. Do you have any final words or advice for young people, and not only for them? Why is it important to stay informed and to think not only about music but also about communication and participating in events that might seem more bureaucratic and less exciting than art itself?

First of all, of course, everything begins with art. It’s wonderful that musicians can express their creative ideas. When they have what we call a «product,» they can create, along with imagination and work capacity. If you create music, that’s fantastic. However, when you do, remember that there are countless people around the world doing the same thing. The world is full of exceptionally talented musicians, and each one has the potential to achieve great results. That’s why you must also think about your image as an artist or as a group.

Every event you attend is a networking opportunity. Every contact in your phone or on your social media is your golden treasure, your golden archive. In marketing, we call them warm contacts — people you can write or call without having to explain every time who you are. These people can be beneficial to you, and someday you may be of benefit to them. There are numerous examples that demonstrate the benefits of this approach in life. So, if you create great music and share it with people—that’s the starting point. It’s essential to have listeners, audiences, and attendees for people to purchase albums, stream on Spotify, and attend concerts. Then the larger administrative system comes into play, where you need to build connections and communicate effectively.