Starting point. Michael Martin, who runs two sustainability companies, says the Music Sustainability Association (MSA) has been on his mind for years. “For nearly 30 years, I’ve been a proponent and promoter of sustainability in the music industry,” says Martin. “Most established industries have a green association or a green sub-group to help drive sustainability, and I thought the music industry was mature now. We wanted to get people to collaborate and collaborate and stop reinventing sustainability.”
Earlier this year, Martin joined others in the field to launch MSA, which officially launched in October.
Early work. The organization is working on completing leadership positions, organizing committees and identifying best practices related to sustainability. “We are currently mapping out what resources are available in the industry; [and] We are establishing working groups for key areas of focus in the industry: transportation, energy, impact-sizing,” said Martin.
Next steps. Ultimately, MSA would like to see more industry-wide collaboration on sustainability. “Rather than individual silos, what we want is continuity across all sectors of the industry,” Martin said.
For example, when artists go on tour, that becomes a solitary process. “Instead of shipping the sound, the lighting, the show across continents — is it possible to have it live on a continent or state and have multiple tours?” Martin asked. “That’s kind of what we’re talking about. The amount of energy used to move the same goods around the world is not good for the environment.
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