Music added to Hamilton Film Office

The Hamilton Film office has helped to make the city a destination for filmmakers over the last 13 years. Now, for the first time, music has been added to the list of priorities. Hamilton’s Music and Film Office moved into its new space at the Lister Block Monday.

It’s the sound of a cordless drill that rings out in the Hamilton Music and Film Office. The street level space in the Lister Block is in its infancy as too is the music portion of the office.

Jacqueline Norton, Business Development Consultant, Creative Industries: “Over the next year hopefully we’ll be setting out some details of what exactly are we going to accomplish and we’re going to start hitting the low hanging fruit.”

Hamilton recently adopted a music strategy, and along with it, the music strategy implementation team made up of 12 volunteers. Jacqueline Norton who runs the office says there are four key points the team wants to address, including ensuring music professionals are paid a living wage: “We’d also like to help the music industry so the business of music to achieve their success. Whatever that means for them. We’d love to encourage more music education.”

They also want to get more audience members out to events, and paying for tickets.

Strategy team co-chair and Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra Executive Director Carol Kehoe says having municipal support is important: “The spirit and the joy that comes out of creating music the more we can leverage that the better our whole community will be.”

Kehoe’s co-chair and front room entertainment founder Madeline Wilson works with Hamilton bands Blackie and the Rodeo Kings and Harlan Pepper. She says the office will help build on the city’s strong musical legacy: “It will create an environment of respect and it’s duly needed. There is always this, this talk of Hamilton music scene. An investment into that Hamilton music scene is the only way to move forward.”