Department of Cultural Affairs

music makers and marketers are encouraged to join a talent cultivation program initiated by the Taipei City Government and Riverside to make their music dream come true.

The Taipei City's Department of Cultural Affairs, the Taipei Culture Foundation, and the Riverside live house jointly held a press conference on Monday to officially launch a talent cultivation program that aims to infuse more vibrancy to Taiwan’s pop music scene.

Independent music bands and music marketers who take part in the cultivation program will receive a complete and systematic training that prepares them to take the first steps into the music industry, said the organizers.

The cultivation program is similar to that of the popular Taiwan talent show “One Million Star,” in which participants first have to compete with each other in fierce competitions, and the final two winning groups (including musicians and marketers) will be sent to a four-month intensive training. The organizers will then choose one group to receive a huge amount of financial reward.

The faculty of the cultivation program includes 30 music professionals including Ray Huang, music producer and manager of the Riverside Music Production, pianist Fred Lu, Hung Yun-hui, pianist and music producer, Geddy Lin, guitarist and manager of Riverside, music critic Yeh Yun-ping, and Chen Hung-chu, director of Street Voice music channel.

According to the organizers, so far some 13-year-old budding musicians have been the youngest to register for the program. Taiwan’s pop music industry needs more original and creative music makers, and the program aims to help create a better environment for talented musicians and marketing teams.

The registration deadline for the music cultivation program ends on August 10.