Meet the MusicWorks Panelists: Oriane Rosner, Mike Falk, Robyn Stewart

Showcases and festivals are great opportunities for artists to develop in new markets and reach fans and industry professionals who would not otherwise have the chance to see their live show. As these can be milestone performances for artists, it's important to know when to submit, how to submit, and what festival or showcase programmers are looking for in an application. Beyond just being accepted to perform, our panelists Oriane Rosner, Mike Falk, and Robyn Stewart will also discuss what an artist and their team must do in order to make the most of a showcase or festival performance.

Oriane Rosner got her start when she was 18, running a Hamptons party house, since then she has worked in sync licensing with Third Side Music, programmed panels and conferences for M for Montreal and POP Montreal, A2im, Shesaid.so and EMC. She ran M for Montreal for 2 years, and was Events Director at indie label group Secretly for 2 years. She is currently living in London as Events Director with the Association of Independent Music. 

Michael Falk is the artistic director of Jazz Winnipeg, co-owner of Paintbox Recording studio, and owner of Head In The Sand (label and management). 

Robyn has been working in events for over 16 years, including stage managing and touring music and theatre, talent buying for large scale events such as the Olympic Games and PanAmerican Games and now as Executive Director of Western Canadian Music Alliance (WCMA). As Executive Director of WCMA Robyn runs the BreakOut West music festival, development conference and music awards, working with an incredible team of talented professionals focused on supporting and advancing Western Canadian music and industry. Robyn is an extreme supporter of emerging talent.

Get to know them better with our little Q+A...

Q: If you could spend a day with anyone in music, who would it be, and what would you do?

Oriane: Karaoke with New Order.

Mike: I'd hang out with Elvis Costello somewhere in the UK, spinning records on our phones and stumbling around from pub to pub.

Robyn: This is a hard one, I think I have several. Denise Donlon is at the top of my list. She makes me a bit star struck. I have been following her career since I started mine and I was overjoyed and honoured to meet her recently. I would also love to have a good old hang out with Pink… we could hang out in our sweatpants, eat popcorn drink wine and watch our kids play while we talk about how great it is to raise little ones. 

Q: What is your favourite material object that you own and why is it special?

Oriane: Dont really have any material objects that I love, but I do adore my cat. 

Mike: Ashes to ashes, dust to dust, baby! We're all just floating on a breeze in a temporary haze. Ha, I kid. Probably my Hammtone acoustic. Jeremy and I designed it, modelled on Elvis Costello's guitar. Geez, I sense a theme here. But other than that, anything is replaceable.

Robyn: I LOVE my phone. I'm a bit embarrassed to say this but my phone allows me to stay connected with my family and friends when travelling, it keeps me on task, houses music and photos and it stresses me out when I don’t have it. 

Q: If you were a city, town, or village, which one would you be and why?

Oriane: New York, cause i hustle hard, can be confusing and overwhelming, but ultimately i mean well and im nice. 

Mike: Berlin. I'm easygoing and I like new things, with an eye to both the past and the future.

Robyn: This is possibly because I just returned from it but right now I think I would be Tallinn, Estonia. This is a town that truly prioritizes and appreciates culture and the benefits of it in the economy, in life and and their position in the world. Its fun, entertaining and friendly while not boastful. I can get behind that. 

Q: What is the best part about your job?

Oriane: Working with artists!

Mike: Getting to work with and around great music every day. 

Robyn: My favourite part about my job is seeing first hand when artists are incredibly proud of what they are accomplishing. Getting the opportunity to be part of making these things happen is the side benefit but when I can be at a show locally or overseas with the audience going crazy for a band from western Canada, I feel incredibly blessed and excited to be in the room.  

Q: What is the most challenging?

Oriane: The constant hustle, not ever having a separation between life and work. 

Mike: I generally take on too much and sometimes hit that wall from working too hard. Juggling being a parent now also presents challenges in time and energy management.

Robyn: Probably the most challenging and rewarding is pitching to potential sponsors the value of culture and music in our lives. In a tight economy its often seen as discretionary but for anyone in it we know it is far from that.