As part of the new music and city culture festival Tallinn Music Week (TMW), taking place next week from 25th to 31st of March, the public discussion series Talks creates an arena where ideas and ideologies can bounce off one another in a friendly and lively way. The topics vary from the role of TV channels in showcasing music culture to the occurrences of “cancel culture” within scandals in the entertainment industry.
Public and free Talks discussions are awaiting listeners from Tuesday, 26th of March, to Friday, 29th of March, at Pudel Bar, Tallinn Art Gymnasium and Velvet design office.
Can culture be erased? Or is “cancelling” culture sometimes even mandatory? Where is the line between a joke and an insult? If TV channels are not yet extinct, then how should they showcase music culture? What more do women want? TMW Talks seeks to find answers to these questions, also putting home-recording artists face-to-face with studio bosses, and giving an overview of the 30-year history of Finnish record label Stupido.
TMW Talks starts at 5 pm on Tuesday, 26th of March at Pudel Bar in Telliskivi with a panel discussion “Think inside the box – music on TV”. What should the role of Estonian TV channels be in showcasing music culture? In a situation where both audience and advertisers have moved online, how has this changed the opportunities and needs of TV? Media expert Mart Normet helps to find answers to these questions, alongside a group of former and current television professionals.
On Wednesday, 27th of March at 4.30 pm, Telia presents a talk entitled “How do I know if this was a joke?” at Tallinn Art Gymnasium, focusing on good manners—online, in the arts, and in real life. At 5 pm in Pudel, there will be a discussion titled “What do women want?”. This discussion seeks to examine the positive contributions of female artists and music professionals to the local music industry, and to discuss problems of identity perception, gender representation, and common underlying biases—and to identify ways forward from heres. The discussion is moderated by Kadi Viik, an editor at the feminist media outlet Feministeerium, and we expect a heated discussion from panelists including, among others, Estonian musician and sociologist Hannaliisa Uusma and controversial morning show host at Radio Sky Plus Kristjan Hirmo.
At Pudel on Thursday, 28th of March at 5pm, we’ll hear the story of how one Finnish music buff has kept an ear open towards Estonia for the last three decades. In 1989 Finnish music buff Joose Berglund found an outlet for his creative fascination with Estonia by recording and releasing the single “Tere, perestroika” by punk band J.M.K.E. That single not just launched the Stupido Twins label but proved instrumental in the process of Estonia’s re-establishment as an independent country. Berglund himself and two former Stupido signees—Estonian music icons Villu Tamme from J.M.K.E. and Tõnu Pedaru from Röövel Ööbik—join in a talk celebrating the label’s 30th anniversary.
At Velvet design office on Friday, 29th of March at 5 pm, the discussions focuses on the occurrences of the so-called “cancel culture”. Is it justifiable to amputate big pieces from the cultural canon when the artist behind them is accused of crime? Musician Lauri Pihlap and culture critic Tõnis Kahu, among others, will share their opinions on this.
TMW Talks series finishes at Velvet on Friday at 6.30 pm with a discussion on mixing and mastering titled “Home sweet home sound – how to record world class audio in your bedroom”. The conversation is led by American musician and journalist Alex Maiolo, and includes, among others, Estonian composer and producer Sten Sheripov and home-recording rap act Pluuto, who’ll share their experiences and give expert tips.
TMW Talks takes place from 26th to 29th of March at Pudel Bar (Telliskivi 60a-5), Tallinn Art Gymnasium (Kopli 102A) and Velvet design office (Telliskivi 60a-5).
TMW Talks programme:
Tue, Mar. 26th at 5 pm
Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Think inside the box – music on TV (in Estonian)
Wed, Mar. 27th at 4.30 pm
Tallinn Art Gymnasium (Kopli 102A)
How do I know if this was a joke? (in Estonian)
Wed, Mar. 27th at 5 pm
Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5)
What do women want? (in Estonian)
Thu, Mar. 28th at 5 pm
Pudel (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Stupido Records: 30 years of the label and the legend (in Estonian)
Fri, Mar. 29th at 5 pm
Velvet (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Testing the limits of cancel culture (in English)
Fri, Mar. 29th at 6.30 pm
Velvet (Telliskivi 60a-5)
Home sweet home sound – how to record world class audio in your bedroom (in English)
More information.
Full programme and Talks’ descriptions are available on TMW website.
Press accreditation for TMW 2019, taking place next week from 25th to 31st of March, is open until Monday, 25th of March at 5 pm on the festival website.
TMW 2019 Festival Pass at €65, Conference Pass at €150, Conference + Festival Pass at €250 and Supporter Pass at €150 on sale at the TMW online shop.
Single tickets for TMW music festival events are available at Piletilevi sales points and webshop.
TMW takes place from 25th to 31st of March, with the two main components of an international new music festival and a conference focusing on the impact of creativity. In addition to the Talks programme, the TMW City Festival also includes free City Stage concerts, an Arts programme curated by the Estonian Contemporary Art Development Center, a Kids programme, and the Telliskivi design tour.
TMW is presented by Telia Estonia, main supporters Nordic Hotel Forum, Enterprise Estonia, partners Music Estonia and the Estonian Academy of Arts. The festival is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Tallinn Culture Department, and the Estonian Cultural Endowment. The conference venue is the Estonian Academy of Arts is the only public university offering higher education in arts, architecture, design in Estonia.