In conversation with
TANISH THAKKER , THE BRAIN BEHIND AMPLIFY MUSIC INCUBATOR
AMI just finished its third edition . Can you talk about how it started and evolved to where it is ?
I come from the start-up ecosystem background where I was a part of a start-up incubators , ran a start-up accelerator program and was a part of a VC firm . I saw first-hand how these programs and infrastructure really contributed towards building the larger start-up ecosystem to evolve to what we now know it to be . During my time there I realised that in India , nobody was looking at genuinely helping indie artists . There was no central place where artists could go to and get access to information , knowledge , networks and a community . Beyond gigs , a few mentors and some conferences that took place there wasn ’ t a proper support structure to help artists make better informed decisions .
That is where I used my experience from the start-up ecosystem along with help from my mentor Vel Omazic ( The Founder & CEO of Canada ’ s Music Incubator ( CMI ) where we get a lot of the program structure from ) I developed this program . It took me 8 years of researching , reading , learning , networking and development to get to the final design of Amplify Music Incubator . And to be honest we are still learning and evolving the program every year , so it is a never ending process because we have to keep making the program relevant & interesting .
What is important aspect of AMI is that we look at the holistic development of the artists which includes the business , creative and wellbeing of the artist . We want to ensure that the artist gets in on all these elements as this is what truly aids their overall development .
Currently we are at a place where the program is a 6 weeks program . Where the 1st 5 weeks are online and then week 6 is an offline residency + workshop format in Goa . This is then followed up by a showcase gig of all artists . 1 year later , & 3 cohorts in we have worked with over 30 music projects , enabling them to change the way in which they view and navigate the music industry .
How did you try to deliver a similar experience online vs a traditional offline program ?
There is no way in which you should and can deliver similar experiences online vs offline . Online is where all the serious work & knowledge sharing happens whereas offline is where the deeper connections , interactions & communities are built .
The Score Magazine
42 highonscore . com
There are obvious restrictions to hosting workshops online - extended screen times , lack of interpersonal communications and interactions