FACES learn more from experiencing art and music than I did from being in a classroom ,” says Lisa Griffiths , marketing manag-
“ I definitely
er for MI , pro audio , and visual technologies distribution firm SFM , and in her current post , she helps to share those kinds of experiences with other people .
Griffiths has been with SFM for nearly seven years , beginning her career as a marketing project manager for the company ’ s MI , Pro Visual , and CI business units before moving on to focus on marketing for Shure in Canada . Her current appointment followed , which finds her overseeing the entire marketing project management team across all of SFM ’ s divisions . As such , she helps to connect creators with the products that help them produce their art and promotes audiovisual products and solutions that allow businesses and consumers to experience that art and participate in the exchange of information and ideas .
Music was a major part of Griffiths ’ formal years . Born in Montreal , she started piano lessons at eight years old and says her teacher had a big impact on her . “ In addition to music , she spent a lot of time teaching me about Shakespeare and theatre .” It was her father that got her into photography and her godfather that sparked her interest in the visual arts after bringing her to a Monet exhibit at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts . “ I was hooked ,” she admits .
Her passion for music continued through her teen years . “ I always loved listening to it and learning about it ,” she says , recalling her last day of grade school when , instead of saying goodbye to her friends , she ran to the local library to grab the latest issue of Rolling Stone to read a feature article about ‘ 90s rock outfit Soul Asylum .
In high school , she played mixtapes during lunch hour on the school radio station and later got into stage design for school events . “ I would make my friends drive to the most random places in he city , like décor rental houses for movie sets looking for the elements that would bring my vision to life for the set design ,” she shares – an example of her hands-on approach to enjoying and learning about the arts .
She landed at SFM following a string of interesting and diverse jobs . First , she worked as a municipal “ culture animator ,” liaising between the city and various local associations and overseeing cultural community programming . Next was a position with Apathy Is Boring , a non-partisan charitable organization that that uses art and technology to engage youth in the democratic process . Last was a brief stint with multinational professional services giant Ernst & Young .
Griffiths says there ’ s no such thing as a “ typical day ” as marketing manager at SFM , but some constants from week to week are meeting with her team to coordinate and prioritize their initiatives , developing campaigns , and collaborating closely with everyone from brand managers to the graphics and sales teams . They also work hard on brand and product launches surrounding events like the recent NAMM Show and upcoming Expo-Scene pro technologies show .
“ This industry keeps me passionate because we ’ re in the business of delivering products , solutions , and services that enable communication that appeals to our visual and auditory senses ,” she says . “ That ’ s what allows all sorts of entertaining and interesting ideas to come to life .”
She ’ s also very proud of many of the collaborations she ’ s been a part of in her new role , from working with colleagues on internal projects to big brand partnerships with the likes of the annual Polaris Music Prize .
“ I work with extremely passionate and smart people who really , really care about our suppliers and dealer network and I love collaborating with them to bring their projects to life ,” she says .
SFM also manufactures a pair of brands internally – Digiflex and Outlaw Effects – meaning the entire process from product development to production to sales and marketing all comes together within the company ’ s Montreal facility . “ Being a part of that and seeing it all come together is really fulfilling ,” she admits .
Griffiths invests a lot of her spare time into the home and property , which comes with its share of creativity . She also spends a lot of time with friends and enjoys learning about art and food . Splitting her time between the city and nature , she enjoys activities like hiking and biking when she can escape her urban surroundings . For travel , New York City is a favourite destination to “ recharge and get inspired .”
That kind of inspiration goes a long way both personally and professionally . In the coming months , Griffiths is looking to
Lisa Griffiths
By Andrew King
actually produce more art , instead of just learning about it . “ So my goal is to work on more collaborative art projects with my friends and community .”
That ’ s not far off from what ’ s she ’ ll be doing professionally , either , as she and her team are focused on developing assets for their dealer networks ’ ecommerce infrastructure . Conversely , she ’ s also looking forward to spending time on the road , getting more face-to-face interaction with SFM dealers to see how they can work together to reach new audiences in a creative way and “ really get the end user excited about what ’ s going on in the MI industry .”
As of right now , she says there ’ s a lot to be excited about , including new tools that will help to inspire people ’ s creativity in a number of ways – and that ’ s a big part of what propelled her towards this industry in the first place .
Andrew King is the Editor-in-Chief of Canadian Music Trade .
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CANADIAN MUSIC TRADE