UPDATE (with video): Public statement by the Association of Music Professionals

The Association of Music Professionals (AMP) was registered in Dominica in 2007 with the aim of providing practitioners in the music industry with adequate representation and training in various aspects of the industry in order to bring about a more efficient and less contentious operation of the industry.

From its inception, AMP has focused on training, having successfully presented workshops in:

• Songwriting
• Live sound engineering
• Studio engineering
• Music business

Some of these training sessions, a few done in collaboration with Dominica Export Import Agency (DEXIA) and the Dominica State College, were approved and funded by the Government of Dominica. Reports were furnished at the end of each exercise to account for the use of funds. Other sessions were funded by other non-government agencies, such as the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States-Competitive Business Unit (OECS-CBU).

AMPs’ efforts have been thwarted in recent years by the occurrence of two major disasters.

Government funding for projects has since dried up and the association has not sought to approach the authorities on the subject of funding, given the state of the economy after the back-to-back catastrophes. The association has thus been dormant over the last three years.

Despite the challenges posed by the current pandemic, the members of AMP consider this time to be quite opportune for the revival of the association and its activities. Creative industries, more particularly, music and entertainment, have been severely impacted by COVID-19 protocols like lockdowns and restrictions on large gatherings. Practitioners are now in desperate need of representation and guidance.

There have been recent calls by authorities for music practitioners to unite in order to engage the government in discussions on a way forward for the industry. AMP is heeding the call and rallying its members to regroup and take action.

A meeting was held on Tuesday 23^rd November, 2020 at the Windsor Park Stadium to discuss the revamping of the association. Members and potential members attended in person and online via Zoom, which was facilitated by the Dominica Youth Business Trust and the International Organization for Migration (IOM). Members expressed their concerns and new members posed questions seeking clarification on various aspects of AMPs’ operation.

A steering committee was formed to undertake some restructuring activities since the mandate of the current executive, elected back in 2015, has expired. Actions to be taken include:

• A membership drive to recruit additional practitioners into the fold
• Redesigning of the application and admission process through the use of electronic forms
• Election of a new executive
• Issuing this statement to the public to announce the existence of and the way forward for the association.

It is the expressed aim of AMP to be representative of all practitioners in the music industry.

This includes artists, writers, composers, producers, promoters, sound engineers, sound

companies, DJs, publishers, stage-hands, musicians, lead performers, background vocalists, venue owners and more.

Anyone who gains income from music related activities is welcomed to join AMP. The benefits of joining an association are endless. They include but are in no way limited to,

• Adequate representation on issues directly affecting the industry
• Training opportunities in various music related fields
• Strength in numbers – the power to lobby effectively
• A fraternity of like-minded individuals with common goals and resources that can be shared and leveraged to the benefit of all.

Any music professional wanting to see positive change in the music industry would do well to join this movement. All age groups are welcome; practitioners in all genres are welcome.

Music is a multibillion-dollar industry worldwide and it is time that the music professionals in Dominica stake claim to our piece of that pie. It is time for us to stand together and advocate for improvements in the sector. Copyright protection is an integral part of a successful industry. We must, therefore, as a body, advocate for adherence to existing protection laws and for the enactment of accompanying regulations which give further effect to those laws.

We must advocate for additional support from the government and the general public for the industry, given the heavy dependence on it at the most important times of the year. We must sensitize the public on the importance of respecting music rights and supporting creative industries. We must advocate for easier access to financing for music related enterprises.

We must drive home the idea that music forms an integral and inextricable part of who we are and that the lack of support for the industry may very well lead to a loss of our very identity as a people. We can only achieve these goals if we work together as a group. If we speak with one voice and act with one accord, we may yet live to see a brighter day for music professionals in Dominica.

It is for these reasons that AMP is putting out the call for ALL music practitioners to join the movement!

Please click the link (https://forms.gle/8pP9zJH7SDnnDcrX6) to access our new Application Form. You should complete and submit the form online, as soon as possible. AMP will hold another meeting on January 30, 2021 to welcome new members and convene a quorum for elections to select a new Board of Directors. This meeting will be held at Alliance Francaise (Elmshall Road, Roseau, Dominica) at 2:30 PM. 

Let your voice be heard. Be part of the paradigm shift that will usher in a new age for Dominica’s music industry! #DominicaMusiciansUnite.