Gopee-Scoon: Build a career on Creative Arts

She was speaking on Friday at the Business of Calypso Workshop hosted by Calypso Rose and MusicTT and held at the University of Trinidad and Tobago, National Academy for the Performing Arts, Port-of-Spain.

She said that lucrative areas in the sector include production, sound engineering, composing, recording and publishing.

She reported that in a 2016 report by the Inter-American Development Bank the creative arts “and surprisingly so, to me at least” was identified as the industry with the potential for the highest employment for Trinidad and Tobago together with medicine and engineering.

She said that for small and medium entities in the music industry need to have access to financial support to succeed.

She reported that the Trade Ministry have been working on the World Bank to establish a secure transaction and collateral registry where movable assets, including equipment, can be used as capital.

She also stressed the need for intellectual property and to protect assets.

“The focus must be on the business aspect on music so that talented individuals, in particular our youth, would be encouraged to choose the music industry as a career path just as Calypso Rose bravely did,” she added.

She reported that, according to Pricewaterhousecoopers, the global music industry is expected to grow from US$42.93 billion in 2015 to just over US$47.7 billion in 2020 “and you have to be a part of that”.

“A burgeoning music industry is therefore not only critical to the preservation of our culture but also to the sustainable development of our economy and our country.” She said for many local music is viewed as pure entertainment but we need to see it in terms of economic revenue and jobs.

Minister of Community Development, Culture and The Arts Dr Nyan Gadsby-Dolly said in this country the development of creative arts is mainly as ways to enjoy ourselves which is in “stark opposition” to some other islands in the region where they develop creative arts and festivals around their economies.

“And that makes a big difference for how we indulge in our creative arts and how we view (them).” She said many times the creative arts is viewed as participatory and how people enjoy Carnival and not so much on the aspect of what it can yield to the country “because the enjoyment tended to be for many years what we concentrated on”.

“But we are realising in a time now, where others have taken their creative arts and done so much with it, and in a time where our oil and gas reserves are being threatened and this is the time now, when we are to look at our creativity as a way for diversification, as a way for bringing economic reserves to the country.” She said the issue of professionalising of the arts is very important as the country moves forward.

She described Calypso Rose as a forerunner who has stood the test of time and was able to derive income.

She said that her journey is very important information for young artistes to hear about her dedication and hard work. She added that she is very glad for Rose’s achievement and there are other successful artistes like Machel Montano, Bunji Garlin and Kees Dieffenthaller.