Music P.E.I. will soon have a new executive director after nearly 2 decades

After nearly two decades, Music P.E.I. will soon have a new executive director.

The organization recently announced that Andy Glydon will take over the role, succeeding Rob Oakie, who is stepping down after 18 years at the helm.

Glydon has worked with Music P.E.I. for the past five years in various capacities and is currently the organization’s program officer.

They said they are excited to step into the new leadership role in March.

“I think just being able to do what I love every day — that sounds kind of corny, I think, but, you know, it’s exciting to build things,” they told CBC’s Mainstreet P.E.I.

“I’m excited to develop programs to hopefully bring in more funding to streamline some things. And… I have a vision, and it’s exciting to be able to be in a situation where that can be seen through.”

A longtime music fan returns home

Glydon said they have always been a music fan, and after attending university in Montreal, they decided to move back to Prince Edward Island.

During the pandemic, Glydon, with previous experience organizing events, began working with Music P.E.I. on contract as an assistant events co-ordinator.

At the end of that contract, Oakie asked Glydon if they wanted to stay on with Music P.E.I. And they accepted.

“It felt like the first time I’ve ever worked somewhere where it didn’t feel like work, to be honest,” they said.

“Just being close to musicians, getting to listen to music, to build those relationships and then getting to tune into the industry, which is quite an onion, to be fair — like, the layers kept peeling back as I was learning more, and I just found it really fascinating.”

Changes in how artists make a living

In their role, Glydon said they have seen some big changes in the Island’s music scene, particularly when it comes to how artists earn income.

In the past, musicians relied a lot on touring, live performances and record sales. But nowadays, earning a living mainly through those avenues has been challenging.

There’s also been changes in ticket-buying habits: venues rely on advance sales to make shows viable, but audiences are now more cautious about buying tickets early, Glydon said, which creates a catch-22 for artists and presenters.

“A lot of artists are shifting to alternative revenue streams that aren’t necessarily about performing live,” they said.

They added that many artists are moving into sync licensing — placing music in film, television and advertising.

Glydon said Music P.E.I. offers programs to support artists who perform live, tour or want to expand internationally. But they hope to develop more services that help artists learn about sync licensing and other income opportunities that do not require being on stage.

Building industry support on the Island

They also said a key focus moving forward is strengthening the Island’s music industry infrastructure, particularly by developing more support roles locally.

“We have so many incredible artists who are working so hard, and we don’t really have the industry infrastructure to support them, so folks are looking for managers outside of the Island and booking agents who don’t live here,” Glydon said.

“Then they’re having to compete with artists from all those other provinces as well, where, if we can build out that infrastructure here, then our economy just becomes… more fruitful.”

Looking ahead, Glydon said Music P.E.I. has a strategic plan that runs until 2027, meaning there will be no major shifts in direction for now. Instead, the focus will remain on building community and strengthening relationships.

“Maybe that’s looking at town halls, communicating with demographics of artists that haven’t historically participated much with Music P.E.I., just seeing if we can kind of, like, pull everyone into the place,” they said.

Glydon added that advocacy will continue to be a key role for the organization, like identifying trends in the music industry and lobbying government on artists’ behalf.

Ready for the challenge

Glydon said they feel ready to take on those challenges, pointing to their years of experience building relationships within Music P.E.I.’s members, partners and stakeholders.

“Also being able to learn from Rob,” they said. “Having his value set in my mind as we’re also growing the organization is really key. You know, his 18 years is an extraordinary contribution.”

Glydon said one of the biggest lessons they learned from Oakie was how deeply he championed Island artists as their “biggest fan.”

“When you are putting our artists on stage, being able to promote them in that way, to be able to articulate why you should book them, why this artist stands out in particular ways, really being that… salesperson for Island artists is something that will give our artists opportunities to be on other stages.”