MUSIGA empowers members with knowledge
This year’s Ghana Music Week (GMW) organised by the Musicians Union of Ghana (MUSIGA), in collaboration with some key partners, climaxed last Friday, March 4 at the National Theatre with an international gathering that the union itself described as “a cross-cultural mix of musical delights.”
Some personalities and institutions were recognised for their various contributions to the development of popular music in this nation and as the assortment of live music began to flow, many people commended this year’s GMW for being a useful, practical-oriented event.
Perhaps the programme that best brought home the reality of being in music in the contemporary era to the musicians was the Music Business Forum held on March 3 at the British Council Auditorium in Accra.
Chaired by Mr Akunu Dake, chairman of the Ghana Tourism Authority, it brought together a number of knowledgeable resource persons from Ghana and abroad who shared valuable experiences with the musicians around.
Touring is an essential source of income for musicians and an American tour manager, Pat Kirby called on those present at the forum to prepare adequately in order to make the most out of opportunities presented by tours.
According to her, lack of adequate preparation could derail an otherwise profitable tour. She advised the participants to pay special attention to their technical riders since they largely determine the outcomes of tours.
Another speaker at the forum Mr Jonathan Cudjoe, the Licensing Officer of the Ghana Music Rights Organisation (GHAMRO) urged musicians who are also composers to take keen interest in the affairs of the collection society.
Speaking on Current State of Collection Management and Piracy in Ghana, Mr Cudjoe noted that GHAMRO was in the process of organising a series of interactions with music rights owners across the country to update them on issues pertaining to their rights as authors and composers of music.
Musicians at the forum tasked GHAMRO to collect performing rights fees from churches in the same way as done with event organisers.
Perhaps the topic that caught attention the most was Managing Your Finances, delivered by Mr Charles Mensah, a financial management consultant.
With appropriate examples from Ghana and abroad to back all his points, Mr Mensah explained why some musicians who earned large sums of money at the peak of their careers, ended up dead broke.
He said lack of proper financial planning meant such musicians did not invest their resources wisely and did not save for rainy days, thereby ending up as virtual paupers. He enumerated the different sources from which musicians could make money and advised them to live within their means and not be fooled by their so-called celebrity status.
Mr Akunu Dake advised musicians to support their institutions like MUSIGA and GHAMRO since they were mandated to address issues affecting them.
He charged participants to take issues treated at the forum seriously for improvement in their work and lives.
MUSIGA president, Bice Osei Kuffour realising the keen interest shown in the forum by members, disclosed that it would continue to form part of GMW every year as a way of empowering musicians to be on top of their profession at all times.