Page 43 - Demo

Sense & Sound: Five Ways into Taiwanese Pop Musicattle to bring its permanent exhibition overseas, and also began building a partnership with the Museum of Pop Culture (MoPOP). This collaboration later became a highlight of the TMEX International Forum, where MoPOP CEO Michele Y. Smith joined TMC Chairperson Kay Huang in a conversation exploring the future of music museums in both the West and Asia.John Huang is one of the key planners behind TMEX. Since 2015, he has been working to promote Taiwanese pop music in the Southeast Asian market. He notes that while many Taiwanese musicians produce outstanding work and have strong followings, they often operate in isolation, lacking both the collaborative knowledge and platforms needed to expand internationally. He especially highlights the high level of creativity and craftsmanship in Taiwan%u2019s album packaging and merchandise production, from printing and paper selection to stickers and wrapping, each detail thoughtfully reflecting the music%u2019s context. He also points to the added value of immersive marketing strategies, such as the band Elephant Gym%u2019s Dreams album, which came with an interactive online personality quiz, creating a layered sensory experience that extended beyond the music itself.However, Huang observes that many Taiwanese artists have limited understanding of the industry%u2019s structure, particularly when it comes to roles like booking agents, tour promoters, or international managers. This lack of clarity makes it difficult to connect with the right partners abroad, often resulting in wasted effort. Huang observed that without a clear commercial mindset and organized workflows, cross-border collaboration can be difficult to sustain. %u201cEvery task needs a designated contact, or else trust and resources get lost in the process.%u201d To him, TMEX%u2019s greatest contribution is LeftMusic festival curators and buyers from twelve countries gained deeper insight into the vibrancy of Taiwan%u2019s music industry through TMEX. (Photo courtesy of John Huang)RightOver twenty ticketed music festivals, forty record labels, and artist management companies from Taiwan took part in the inaugural TMEX.