Entretien avec Mike Tanner

Martin

Pouvez-vous décrire le processus plus en détail, notamment les étapes de cette recherche ?

Mike Tanner

Music Office research on the rehearsal space inventory and report was conducted from July – November 2021, and drew on many sources:

• Numerous conversations with local musicians affected by the decrease in available rehearsal space
• Interviews with owner-operators of existing and former music rehearsal facilities
• Discussions with entrepreneurs seeking opportunities to create new rehearsal
  facilities
• Consultation with City of Toronto planning staff for technical information on
  zoning and permitted uses

The inventory was compiled and revised over many months, also drawing on the Music Office’s Toronto Music Directory. The report also underwent repeated revisions, especially in exploring how the City could support existing and future rehearsal spaces.

Martin

Pouvez-vous présenter le Toronto Music Advisory Committee et le Music Office ?

Mike Tanner

The City of Toronto’s Music Office is part of the Film and Entertainment Industries section of the Economic Development and Culture division. The Music Office was created in 2014 to support the city’s music ecosystem, ensuring that the interests and business concerns of live music venues, music festivals, music organizations, record labels, artist management and agencies, music presenters and promoters, recording and rehearsal studios, music publishers, music educators, and musicians themselves are represented at City Hall in policy development and decision making. The Toronto Music Advisory Committee is one of the City of Toronto’s official « Council Advisory Bodies, » established to advise the City on concerns, challenges, and recommendations specific to the music sector. TMAC is made up of 22 volunteer members drawn from the music industry and 3 City Councillors, and is supported by City staff. TMAC often makes recommendations for City action or advocacy on issues; these recommendations may then be debated at Economic and Community Development Committee and adopted by City Council.

Martin

En quoi les espaces de répétition sont-ils importants pour la communauté musicale de Toronto ?

Mike Tanner

Rehearsal space is a vital part of a city’s music ecosystem and an essential component of talent development for musicians. Only rehearsal allows songwriting to bear fruit, instrumental and vocal talents to grow, and collaborations to flourish. Many artists – especially young, emerging musicians – do not have access to private space (homes with extra rooms, basements, garages, etc) in which to practice. Rehearsal generates sound, and especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, with more people working from home, musicians have experienced serious challenges in finding space to practise music without inadvertently creating conflict with neighbours.
Also, more established acts preparing for album recording sessions and tours need larger spaces with stages, audio, and lighting equipment that only commercial music rehearsal facilities can provide.

Martin

Quelles ont été les principales conclusions de l’inventaire que vous avez réalisé?

Mike Tanner

Main findings were as follows:

• Most music rehearsal facilities in Toronto are concentrated within six City wards, mainly in the downtown and immediately adjacent areas. However, many facilities are not located conveniently near public transit, presenting challenges for musicians without cars to access these spaces.
• There are presently only three large music rehearsal facilities (i.e., offering more than 20 individual practice rooms) remaining in Toronto. One is an independent company (Jam Chamber in North York, with 21 individual practice rooms). The other two large facilities are franchises of the Rehearsal Factory business.
• Like most other cultural infrastructure dealing with rising land values, taxes, and the pressures of development, rehearsal spaces have faced serious challenges in recent years and are in decline in Toronto.

Mike Tanner

As of when the inventory was finalized (December 2021), there were 32 commercial music rehearsal facilities in Toronto, offering approximately 230 individual rooms for rent. Some rooms rent by the hour, others via monthly sub-tenancy.

• In 2022, another Rehearsal Factory location has closed, taking another approx. 30 individual rooms with it.
• The December 2021 numbers (32 facilities / 230 rooms) represent a steep
  decline from previous years. In the five years prior to 2022, Toronto lost
  approximately 200 individual rooms.

Much of this decline is because the Rehearsal Factory franchise – which at one point accounted for approx. 50% of available rooms in Toronto across its 6 locations – has in recent years sold off all of its real estate except for one remaining facility. While other companies are beginning to fill the void, there is presently a shortage of space…

Mike Tanner

See above how important rehearsal spaces are to musicians and bands.
Also, some rehearsal spaces – particularly smaller, boutique operations – also offer professional-quality recording services. Increasingly, rehearsal spaces may also offer video capture, livestreaming capabilities, and other related services.

Mike Tanner

In addition to the information in earlier answers, it’s worth noting that the City of Toronto’s zoning and licensing frameworks categorize music rehearsal spaces as « performing arts studios. » As such, they’re permitted in areas designated as « employment land, » unlike bars and music venues. This designation opens up areas of the city for the growth of new rehearsal spaces in formerly light-industrial zones.

Mike Tanner

The staff report on this matter, adopted by City Council in February 2022, contained the following recommendations:

1. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture to collaborate with the Chief Planner and Executive Director, City Planning to explore the application of the new Section 37 Community Benefits Charge and its potential capacity to provide limited funding for community facilities that may include for-profit and not-for profit music rehearsal facilities.
2. City Council direct the General Manager, Economic Development and Culture, in consultation with the Executive Director, Corporate Real Estate Management, the Chief Executive Officer, CreateTO, and other relevant City Divisions, to develop the terms of a pilot program for not-for-profit and/or forprofit cultural rehearsal studio and production space operators, to identify an inventory of City-owned properties suitable for lease, and to develop key terms and conditions of a lease agreement to lease such spaces at below-market rates.

Both these recommendations are in progress. Terms for the Community Benefits Charges are still being finalized but will likely accommodate the potential for supporting music rehearsal spaces under a broader « performing arts studio » category. At present, one City-owned property has been leased to a grassroots music organization that plans to use the space for a range of activities, including music rehearsal.

Mike Tanner

Our research didn’t explore this angle, although it’s a great question.
Our sense is that many needing / using rehearsal spaces are young emerging artists, across culture and demographics. There are presently a few entrepreneurs we’re aware of who may target future operations at particular equity-deserving groups. One current example is It’s OK Community Arts, referenced above as the « grassroots music organization » leasing a City-owned space at 468 Queen St West in downtown Toronto in order to provide talent development opportunity (including rehearsal space) primarily for Black, Indigenous, and other racialized artists.

Mike Tanner

A few points stood out:

• The extent to which the rehearsal space inventory in a city the size of
  Toronto had been dominated by one company. As a result, when that company –
  the Rehearsal Factory – began to draw back from the market, it left a big gap
  between demand and supply.
• The affordability of many rehearsal rooms. Although I understand that
  any amount of money may be a barrier to some artists, the fact is that you can
  rent safe, secure space with equipment for as little as $25/hr in some cases.
• The number of cultural entrepreneurs aiming to create new rehearsal space.
  This gives me some optimism for the city’s musicians.