A “no amplified music” policy at the Salt Spring Saturday Market has a longtime vendor of CDs and the market society board at an impasse.
Musician Peter Prince, who has sold CDs of his original folk-pop music at the market for the past 38 years, said he feels hurt and frustrated by the new policy crafted by the Salt Spring Island Saturday Market Society (SSISMS) board that came into effect at the start of the market season and how things have unfolded since then.
Prince said he did not know about the change until his sound system — a 500-watt Behringer XAir mixer connected to his iPad — was unplugged by the society’s market coordinator Michael Bean the first day he set up in May.
“As the sole vendor relying on amplification to sell my products, the policy unfairly targets me,” said Prince. “The market is no longer a safe and happy place for me to share my music and heart.”
As of July 20, 574 people had signed a change.org petition insisting “the market board amend the unjust ‘no amplified music’ policy and permit Peter Prince to perform his music amplified.”
“Peter has been a fixture at the market for many years,” writes one petition supporter. “He represents the cultural musical uniqueness of Salt Spring Island. His absence at the Saturday market would be a great loss.”
Many people have also expressed dismay about the policy to Prince in person, he said.
Local government has even waded in to the controversy. On July 10 the Salt Spring Local Trust Committee directed its chair to write a letter to SSISMS in support of amplified music at the market. The Capital Regional District (CRD) contracted market operations to the SSISMS beginning in 2024.
Prince and SSISMS disagree about the rationale for the policy. SSISMS president Alvaro Sanchez, also a market vendor, said the board was acting on complaints received by nearby vendors, who were tired of hearing Prince’s recorded music originating from his booth every Saturday.
“Peter claims that everybody likes his music, but there are a few vendors who are forced to deal with the music for five hours every Saturday, without interruption. They complain to the coordinator. It’s not one, it’s several of them, and not everybody. I know some of them are supportive, but some complain to the coordinator.”
Prince refutes that narrative, saying he has canvassed about 20 vendors in the immediate vicinity of his booth. Only one indicated to him they had a problem with hearing his music every week. Prince said the market board has also solicited opinions from vendors about the issue, and one who was not 100 per cent supportive told Prince they feel bad their comment is being used to justify the amplification ban.
Sanchez said some vendors felt Prince’s survey approach was “aggressive.”
“He says it’s just a question, but when you are in somebody else’s space, in their face, and you’re asking these questions, and you know there is a conflict, that’s not just a question. That’s hostile.”
Prince refutes any characterization of himself as “hostile.”
Sanchez acknowledged the board has also received letters of support from community members, but their experience is not the same as the vendors’.
“The people who love his music and walk by the market, it’s lovely to hear his music. They are not there five hours. They are there 10 minutes, and then they walk away.”
Sanchez said the market board wants Prince to remain in the market and has made suggestions for how it could work.
“We’re not telling him not to play. We suggested ‘play your [acoustic] guitar, sing your songs. People are interested in your music. Have a listening booth or have headphones and they can listen to your recordings.’ I know that [the policy] will affect his business. I’m not insensitive to that. I am trying to be respectful to the neighbours who are not okay with this.”
Having Prince move from his current spot was suggested at a June 23 meeting held between market board reps, Prince and two supporters, as was use of a decibel meter.
Prince said people are reluctant to put on headphones and he did not want to move to the suggested spot, though he thinks the decibel meter idea should be explored.
However, he said, “There are vendors whose voices are louder than my amplified music, and who repeat the same sales pitch all day long, in a tone that is not pleasant. Additionally, there’s other amplified music in the park, as well as buskers, all of whom often perform at louder decibel levels than me. How would it be fair for loud vendors, loud buskers and other loud amplified music volumes to go unregulated, while the volume of my music would be regulated with a decibel meter?”
Having other vendors move was suggested at the meeting, but Sanchez said booth placement is “a very complicated system” so not necessarily a viable solution.
Sanchez said complaints had been fielded in past years as well, which Prince says he finds hard to believe.
“The difference is that the CRD did not want to get involved in monitoring vendor behaviour, so vendors were getting away with things,” said Sanchez.
The bottom line for Prince is that being at the market is not viable if people can’t easily hear his music.
On July 12, he said, without being able to play his CDs he sold one CD and one DVD (he is also a filmmaker), when 10 CDs and two DVDs was the average number of weekly sales in July and August last year.
Prince has also appealed to CRD authorities for help, most recently in a June 23 letter.
“I propose to meet with the complainants to distill the issue and resolve it ourselves, following the [market’s] dispute resolution process. If the complaining vendors feel strongly enough, they will be motivated to meet.”