Nicole McNeilly, Consultant Researcher, Evaluator, Strategist and Facilitator (Netherlands)
Nicole McNeilly is a consultant researcher, evaluator, strategist and facilitator. She works across culture and the creative industries but maintains her passion for music having trained in music composition and musicology. She has worked across Europe and beyond for organisations including PRS for Music Foundation, Arts Council England, Europeana, the British Council, UNESCO and the EU’s DG INTPA.
Music ecosystems. Why do they matter?
An ecosystem is about life. It’s about flow, interaction, growth, support, and competition and collaboration. As a cycle, you can’t say where it starts or ends, but we do need to think about how they are nourished. Supporting music education has always been a no-brainer for me: inclusive, accepting, inspiring social music education where everyone is welcome and everyone has something to give. If you nurture the right ethos from the start, everyone benefits in the end. That ethos includes the perspective that music is not just about the industry. It’s about the change it makes in our lives. Whether you make money from it or not, the music ecosystem should matter to everyone.
What does the music-ecosystem future look like to you, post-pandemic?
I’ve been working and thinking a lot recently on community building and meaningful interaction in digital and hybrid contexts. I think the music ecosystem of the (now) future will be more local whilst being more digitally connected. In-person collaborations might be smaller but they will be more meaningful, impactful and inspiring. We’ll think more about our cost to the environment and what our contribution can be. We’ll think about inequalities and how we can build an inclusive and connected music ecosystem right from its foundations. We’ll be balancing how to exploit immersive technologies with how we can bridge digital divides to make music experiences accessible to everyone, wherever they are. Finally, I hope we’ll be thinking about fair remuneration, sustainable careers and quality of life.
Name one other music-ecosystem builder that inspires you
Nike Ayinla, Founder & producer at Orisun Studio. Nike trained in law and human rights and is now working to create an inclusive and inspiring creative and music ecosystem (Homegrown) here in the Netherlands. She thinks about creative problem-solving and brings an impact perspective to the table. She’s taking an ecosystem approach, removing silos and embracing creativity and collaboration as the driver.
What personal commitment can you make towards a world with better music ecosystems?
I want to make more of a bridge between policy rhetoric and on the ground reality. A lot of this is about knowledge dissemination and participation. Can you empower creatives by helping them understand what is being discussed in a language that is meaningful to them? How can you put them in charge of the conversation, rather than being acted on? I’m thrilled to support and be part of the Center for Music Ecosystems and to help deliver its huge impact potential. More personally, I need to get more connected at the local level here in the Netherlands. I want to go to more gigs and listen to the music that inspires me (though I might be a lapsed trombonist forever).