Fourteen music export organizations from around the world have partnered to launch a new pilot initiative designed to continue raising the profile of local artists in international music markets during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Known as Global Music Match, the innovative six-week program extends from August 31-October 11, 2020.
96 acoustic, folk, roots, traditional, and world music artists from 14 countries are taking part in what could be the largest online matchmaking of musicians ever undertaken, according to Sounds Australia, a founding partner with Showcase Scotland Expo and Canada’s East Coast Music Association (ECMA), along with 11 other export organizations and showcase events.
Breaking artists/acts into a new territory or country can be a challenging process during the best of times and is even more difficult now. As envisioned by its founders, the Global Music Match program is designed as a unique response to the limitations imposed on the music industry – particularly the live music sector – at this time. It makes use of one of the only available platforms – social media and peer-to-peer collaboration – to increase networks, exposure and audiences for export-ready artists internationally – helping to lay the groundwork for future international touring opportunities.
The Global Music Match program (globalmusicmatch.com, hashtag #globalmusicmatch) will also support participating artists to enhance and improve their social media and interviewing activity, as well as encourage cross-border collaboration by connecting musicians from around the world, according to Folk Alliance International, a Kansas City-MO-based nonprofit organization that is also taking part in the new initiative.
Participating artists have been grouped into 16 teams, and no two acts from the same country are paired together. Aided by music industry coaches, one artist/band from each country will introduce another artist /band from their team to their social media followers each week to cross-promote each other’s music and careers to their respective audiences, until all of the artists have been presented.
“I’m so incredibly excited to be participating in this groundbreaking global initiative,” said Lisa Schwartz, festival & artistic director for the Philadelphia Folk Festival and president of the Folk Alliance International board of directors. She is coaching a team comprised of MariTe K from Italy, Cemelesal from Taiwan, Riley Pierce from Australia, RURA from Scotland, Lady Nade from England, and 9Bach from Wales. “What an incredible way to make new friends, invite new fans, and use music as the connective tissue,” she added. Schwartz urges people to “follow #globalmusicmatch and discover new artists and their music, and see firsthand how we can all be together even when forced to be apart.”
Crys Matthews is among the participating artists/acts in the Global Music Match program. (Photo: Jeff Fasano)
Matthews is one of six Folk Alliance International (FAI) alumni artists based in the U.S. who have been selected and placed on different global teams. The others are Sean Ardoin. Calvin Arsenia, Gina Chavez, Charlie Lowry, and SaulPaul. FAI aims to serve, strengthen, and engage the global folk music community through preservation, presentation and promotion.
In addition to ECMA, FAI, Showcase Scotland Expo, and Sounds Australia, Global Music Match is supported by the following export organizations: Catalan Arts (Spain), English Folk Expo, FOCUS Wales, LUCfest Taiwan, Music Estonia, Music Finland, Music Norway, Puglia Sounds (Italy), and Spectacle vivant Bretagne (Brittany, France).
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