Some thoughts on the Music Industry in Ukraine

I've spent over seven years in Ukraine, and during this time, and from my first travels to the country I had the opportunity to become friends with many different musicians. I have worked close with some of them in terms of management and promotion, while there are others who I know, enjoy their music and can say hello to on the street and and they recognize me. While, there others, with whom I've sat behind the same table with discussing music, politics, telling jokes and imbibing in some fine spirits.

So many of those moments happened a long time ago, though now I find myself in the midst of it all working with an agency that manages the Telnyuk Sisters [www.telnyuk.info Ukrainian language only ]. The last couple of weeks have been hectic as we prepare for the release of their upcoming CD. One thing is certain, no matter how much things changes some things here in Ukraine have stayed the same. The music industry has not developed a great deal since the early 1990s, even the the pool of talent is huge, it seems that all that gets airplay on FM and broadcast time on TV is garbage. Both will hopefully change, but that won't happen until muscians themselves will be more involved in many of the aspects of the industry.