At the end of June, way over here in the centre of Canada, we held our Manitoba Music Annual General Meeting & Celebration. The event drew over 100 guests -- including our fantastic members, dedicated funders and partners, and supportive friends. Together, we celebrated the year that was and hinted at the year to come. We networked, laughed, shared stories, watched a slideshow of Manitoba Music’s events from the year, and ate an inordinate amount of skewered chicken in about five minutes flat.

The past year has been a busy one for Manitoba Music, our members, and the vibrant and innovative industry at large. You can find all details in our Annual Report 2010-11, but here a few highlights of what happened between April 1, 2010 and March 31, 2011...

• Our membership grew to 726 individuals, our largest number yet.
• Manitoba artists and industry professionals received 22 awards and 131 nominations.
• 83 Manitoba acts performed 139 showcases at over 33 major national and international music industry conferences and private showcases.
• Manitoba artists released 176 albums, 46 of which had national and/or international distribution, 13 of which were by Aboriginal artists.
• Manitoba’s 23 independent recording labels released 43 albums by both Manitoba and Canadian artists.
• We assisted 71 applicants through 129 Market Access Program contracts; resulting in 340 people-trips (we also invented the word “people-trips”).

Manitoba Music presented or co-presented nearly 100 events, both at home and abroad, including:

• 8 showcases and market development events at South by Southwest, North by Northeast, Canada Music Week, International Folk Alliance, Ontario Council of Folk Festivals Conference, and more.
• 3 hometown showcases for influential visiting panelists from our professional development program, including music supervisors, managers, agents, and more.
• 7 business-to-business events as far away as MIDEM in France and MUSEXPO in the U.S. and U.K., and as close to home as Winnipeg’s French Quarter, St. Boniface.
• 48 professional development events with 775 participants and 75 music industry professionals presenting hundreds of hours of music industry training. That included our regular MusicWorks workshop series, in-depth skills development training via MusicSkills, and youth mentorship and educational programming.
• 9 open mics nights hosted by our members, co-presented with the venerable Winnipeg Folk Festival.

Our website, manitobamusic.com, solidified its place on the interweb as the destination for news and info on -- and resources for -- our industry and community, attracting over 447,000 page views and 132,000 visits, 68,000 of which were from absolute unique visitors. The site featured over 100 member-submitted songs in the streaming Manitoba Music Radio and over 500 people listened to the special holiday radio. We also offered 52 member-submitted songs for free legal download.

Our Aboriginal Music Program continued to connect our vibrant Aboriginal music community to the wider industry through strategic marketing and educational programming, including: 94 career consultations, 13 professional development events, three market development events including two co-presented with Canada Council for the Arts as part of the Native America North project, and four business-to-business events.

The Manitoba Music office and resource centre got a much-needed overhaul, including some new paint, fewer walls, and a kitchen featuring an adult-sized fridge. Throughout the year, the Manitoba Music staff – which has grown to eight full-time people – consumed well over 3100 cups of (fair trade) coffee, sent approximately 100,000 emails, broke three chairs, tweeted and re-tweeted several hundred pictures and exciting bits of news, curled to raise money and awareness for the Unison Benevolent Fund, and took a few evenings off to catch some live music by great Manitoba acts.

We’ve no doubt forgotten to mention a number of things; we’re already entrenched in the planning and execution of a new fiscal year. But download our Annual Report, take a look, and keep your eyes out for the world class music coming from the centre of Canada.

ABOUT MANITOBA MUSIC

Manitoba Music is the hub of Manitoba’s vibrant music community. A member-based, not-for-profit industry association, it represents over 700 members in all facets of the music industry, including artists and bands, agents and managers, venues and promoters, studios and producers, and beyond in every genre. Through its programs and services, Manitoba Music provides information, education and industry development opportunities to nurture, develop, and promote the growth and sustainability of the Manitoba music industry. Manitoba Music’s programs and services are made possible by the generous support of the Government of Canada, the Province of Manitoba, FACTOR, Manitoba Film & Music, and members of the music industry of Manitoba.

Music Canada Editor:  Any proud Manitobans out there who want to brag about their favourite Manitoba band?  Send us a note!