NOVEMBER | FEATURE masks were not mandatory , but were on offer everywhere alongside plenty of hand sanitiser and reminders to stay safe .
Helen Sildna , speaking at the opening reception of the conference , emphasised the need for resilience : “ We cannot shut music and culture down . We must learn how to adapt and get smarter , to prove we can adapt to the risk . Promoters and festivals have a unique experience of crowd management . We need to use these skills now , for the good of everyone .”
The conference portion of Tallinn Music Week included an interview with former Motown general manager Keith Harris OBE . Harris spoke about his long career managing Stevie Wonder , Marvin Gaye and many other legendary artists , as well as the changing role of music managers . “ Where we are now is where we were in the early ‘ 60s ,” he said . “ Everything was new , and a handful of music industry entrepreneurs were leading the way . The digital era is taking us back there .”
Perhaps the highlight of the conference was an interview with Kersti Kaljulaid , the president of Estonia . Access asked Kaljulaid what she saw as government ’ s responsibility to the struggling creative industries . Her reply was a pragmatic one : “ We must guarantee equal treatment and demonstrate equal support [ for all industries ] but it is necessary for the state to take on some financial burden .”
Bagpipes and acid techno Estonia ’ s music industry is still a young one . But in the 12 years since the first Tallin Music Week took place , it has grown from being reliant on irregular international touring schedules to containing a thriving local ecosystem of artists . The festival was also a reminder of the crucial role played by grassroots venues across the world , with some of its most unique artists playing on small stages inside record shops and bars .
The trendy and cosmopolitan Sveta
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