While midem is just getting underway, industry professionals in both the tech and music scene and artists from all over the world are already turning up in Cannes. Before they headed to France, we caught up with one of the midem off winners, Canadian opera-pop group NARIA about their plans for midem 2012 and of course, their favorite ice cream flavors.
How’d you hear about the midem off Showcase Competition?
We've been a member of Sonicbids for one year and received notifications regarding midem 2012. Moreover, an industry professional spoke very highly about midem and the opportunities available at this conference intrigued us right away. We could only hope that one day we would be able to attend. We applied for midem through Sonicbids to test our luck and sure enough we were selected to the voting stages of the competition!
Why did you want to perform at midem? How will a performance like this affect your career?
We wanted to perform at midem because we knew it would give us the opportunity to showcase our music while performing in front of industry professionals from all over the world and hopefully cultivate relationships for future collaborations. Given that it is a world-class conference, we would inevitably gain more knowledge about the industry and gain business acumen. We've always felt that our music would appeal to a European audience and thus, we look at midem as a launching pad for us into the European music scene.
The contest involved getting fans to vote for you – how did you rally your fans?
Social Media, Social Media, Social Media! This is the way of the world now and so we were constantly posting on Facebook and Twitter, emailing our fans, family members and friends, recording YouTube videos for people to vote and of course the good ol' word of mouth.
What was your reaction when you found out you were playing midem 2012?
We were all very ecstatic!!! Katya conference-called all of us and were literally screaming for joy over the phone. We couldn't wait to tell our family and friends who were just as excited for us. As a thank you to all who voted for us we created a YouTube video with a personal message to all of our fans.
What’s the thing you are most looking forward to at midem?
We are most definitely looking forward to our showcase performance! To sing in Cannes seems almost surreal! It will definitely be an enjoyable evening! We also look forward to meeting new people in the industry and gaining important knowledge to bring our group to the next level.
Any tips for bands that are looking to harness the power of their fans online?
Social media all the way! The more buzz you create around your group the better. People love visuals: i.e. pictures, videos, and websites. You have to continually give them something new to listen to or look at. Blogs are also important to give fans a more personal look into the group. Always stay current and update your media. We are constantly learning new skills and ways to open up other avenues for us to reach out to people. Furthermore, becoming Sonicbids artists is crucial in promoting your group and having all of your material easily accessible online!!!
Starting the year off with an international showcase ain’t too shabby – what’s next for you and your music in 2012?
Yes! So far 2012 has been amazing. The year started off on a high note with a performance in Cancun, Mexico and now the showcase in Cannes, France. We have a very special performance coming up in February for Sick Kids hospital as we are always supporting benefits concerts. We hope to continue to travel and perform in new places as we share our music with new audiences around the world. We will also continue to write new songs for our second album.
What’s your favorite ice-cream flavor?
Anna - mint chocolate chip straight out of the carton with a spoon
Annaliese - mint chocolate chip served in a waffle cone with tea
Katya - French Vanilla with fresh picked raspberries or triple chocolate with baileys
Michelle - Nutella ice cream (from Como, Italy to be exact)
If you’re at midem, you can catch NARIA performing on Saturday at 20h. And be sure to stop by and say hello to our ceo Panos. He’ll be taking part in a mentoring session on Saturday and on a panel on Sunday. Avoir un bon week-end!
