Thompson Peak Series

Business and Technology Strategies for 21st Century International Musicians

21st century musicians have become ambassadors of cultural heritage through the use of technology. We not only share different music, or create music together, but we can now promote new music or conserve traditional music with greater ease than ever through recording and internet technology. Many musicians in developing countries have used basic recording devices to create pop or art music, but they still lack access to business technology and strategies that will transform their art into a sustainable enterprise. Bhutan, a developing country in the southern Himalayas, has recently developed a unique pop and art music that integrates Western music and Bhutanese traditional music. By exchanging our musical heritages, this pop and art music has the power to highlight Bhutanese culture abroad and create new sources of income for musicians in Bhutan. Discussed will be technological methods (social media, internet product branding, etc.) for creating a new generation of Bhutanese musician entrepreneurs. Our project will also develop Bhutanese Art Music by exchanging our different musical heritages through two residencies, one in the United States (Fall 2014) and one in Bhutan (May 2014). Each residency will consist of workshops between Bhutanese and Western musicians, with the primary objective of creating Bhutanese Art Music; hence promoting through music, Bhutanese culture abroad, and gaining momentum for our five year goal: To create a permanent music education program in Timphu, the capital of Bhutan, which will not only teach music, but also offer career development methods emphasizing entrepreneurship, management, business sustainability, social responsibility, and the use of multimedia and social technology. The Bhutanese musicians are organized by Sonam Dorji, Executive Director of the Music of Bhutan Research Centre, a 501c(3) based in Santa Cruz, CA. The Western musicians are organized by New York-based cellist and music educator, Jonathan Cain. Each residency will be about a week long and will also include performances, educational outreach presentations, recordings, and the creation of a documentary.