We sat down with chairwoman Ingrid Kindem and deputy chairwoman Jørgen Karlstrøm at a café to talk a little about what views and visions they have for TONO in the future.
/ 05/07/2017 / Willy MartinsenBy: Willy Martinsen/TONO
We are sitting together in the brilliant afternoon sun at the House of Literature in Oslo, Ingrid Kindem, Jørgen Karlstrøm and myself on a Wednesday in late June. Behind us lies Wergelandsveien, and in the pedestrian zone people stroll past wearing sunglasses – and plugging their ears.
– Most people have a love affair with music, says Ingrid Kindem. – Almost no one goes without headphones, but they have their favorite songs in their pocket. The use of music is greater than ever. For those of us who work in music, this is fantastic. We create something that people need and that gives content to their lives.
– Exciting times
Neither the chairman nor the deputy chairman will talk about music policy for long before they slide into warm descriptions of the power of music, and about the people who create it. This summer, TONO will reach 30,000 members, after strong growth over the past 10 years. It is largely the digital shift that has made this growth possible. It has never been easier to have your music performed publicly, the only criterion for being accepted as a TONO member. Digitality brings both joy and concerns:
– These are exciting times for both creators and management companies. The digital and borderless world offers enormous opportunities for both creators and TONO. At the same time, the challenges are there. Creators who have been around for a while came from a time when the physical album was the economic mainstay. Now this is completely different. At the same time, there has been an investment in educational institutions, the music industry has professionalized itself at all levels, many more people are joining. In a small country like Norway, one can ask whether there is room for everyone financially. To make things work, many people travel abroad. But it is a complex picture, and even though the economy for individual creators may be challenging, it is not as if everything was better before, says Kindem.
– When we talk about challenges, there are still a number of new arenas where music is used and generates revenue, where the revenue streams are not yet fully solidified, such as Facebook. The creators still get a very small share of this economy. At the same time, we also see positive developments, with YouTube being an example that is now moving in the right direction. The digital shift has happened so quickly that it has been difficult to keep up. We are heading in the right direction, but we take very seriously the fact that some people have really felt the changes on their bodies, emphasizes Karlstrøm.
« … it was a period where the music industry was almost ridiculed in the desire to get paid»
– It was the music industry that experienced the digital shift first. Now we also see that bloggers are taking over advertising revenue from newspapers, and that articles are stolen without being credited. So now we are getting help from other industries. At the same time, I also believe that most people are on board with this shift. But there was a period when the music industry was almost ridiculed in the desire to get paid for music, says Kindem.
– There has been a marked change in attitude in recent years, confirms Karlstrøm. – There is generally a growing understanding that music has value, and I hope that this development continues in the right direction.
Copyright must be defended
As many will remember, the spring was marked by debate over the government's proposal for a new copyright law. Many artists believed that the final bill weakened the position of copyright holders compared to the draft that came from the ministry in 2016.
– It is important to have a new copyright law that does what it is intended to do: to protect the authors, emphasizes Kindem. – It is complex when there are many artist groups to be covered, but there is good cooperation between the different artist groups. If we also look at the European legislation, it generally protects users more than the authors, says Kindem. – The EU is being worked towards on several levels. The composers' associations through the association ECSA, and TONO through the lobby organization Gesac. ECSA is 10 years old this year, and that shows how relevant the authors' commitment is. The former chairman of TONO, Bendik Hofseth, was also involved in laying the foundation for the establishment of ECSA.
– Copyright must always be defended, says Karlstrøm. – It is the most important legal tool we have for being able to conduct artistic activities, and for TONO to be able to conduct its activities. That work never ends, someone must constantly tell the world how important it is. Here, we in the group associations do a continuous job.
Composers and elected officials
Kindem and Karlstrøm share the boardroom in TONO with 9 other representatives. All are elected by the annual meeting, TONO's highest body. The group associations Norwegian Composers' Association, NOPA and Music Publishers have two seats each, and in addition there are three free seats that can be occupied by independent representatives – as well as two employee representatives from the administration. A number committees and committees, also helps shape TONO's practice and activities. A common denominator runs through the board and all committees: The vast majority are active composers, songwriters or lyricists – and if you are not, you represent a music publisher.
« … it is incredibly exciting to be part of building organizations that enable composers, songwriters and lyricists to dedicate themselves to creating and performing music»
Kindem and Karlstrøm are also composers. Kindem has been active for 30 years, has won a Spellemann and has toured extensively in Africa and Asia. She currently writes music to lyrics by Lars Saabye Christensen. Karlstrøm has written art music, toured with hardcore and black metal bands, worked on the development of music technology, and also runs a studio and record label. Kindem became chairman of NOPA in 2014, and then also joined TONO's board. Karlstrøm was appointed chairman in 2016, and then also joined TONO's board. The positions mean less time for her own music creation, but both emphasize that it is a plus:
– It's nice to be able to take part in the mechanisms that contribute to making a living from music, after having been a composer and musician for many years myself. I think of the positions as volunteer work, which takes place on a rotating basis, says Ingrid Kindem.
– It is incredibly exciting to be able to help build organizations that enable composers, songwriters and lyricists to dedicate themselves to creating and performing music. I am very grateful and happy to be allowed to do this work, and to continue what has been done through TONO and the group associations over many decades. And TONO's development is very positive, and you can clearly see the effects that TONO has on Norwegian music life, which is really boiling by the day.
Technology, breadth and power!
– What kind of visions do you have for TONO in the future?
– We have to keep up with the technology that is coming, and there is already a lot of work being done on technological innovation in our world – both in terms of reporting, settlement systems, databases and so on. TONO has several large projects underway. Here we will work strategically, and become one of the best companies to do what we do, says Kindem.
– I completely agree with what Ingrid says, and I would also like to add that it is important to highlight how important TONO is to its members. I want more people to be aware of this – in society as a whole: What a force TONO is. It is an organization that represents the entire spectrum of music in Norway, high and low, sharp and broad. It is important to communicate this, how unique it actually is. That TONO is a big common project, and which is incredibly important to the creators. Without TONO, music in Norway will stop, he says.
– The fact that we have interaction and arrangements in Norwegian cultural life, including TONO, makes it possible to focus on music, and it creates a broad and exciting musical picture. The Norwegian music life is precisely diversity. There is cross-collaboration, and this contributes to quality in all genres. We will ensure that TONO is a tool that can take care of diversity, also within tomorrow's music market and facilitate it, says Kindem.
– Exactly, and that is also one of the goals of TONO's statutes: To facilitate innovation, concludes Karlstrøm.