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Industry News (303)

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Toronto music industry raises more than $4,000 for Unison and MusiCounts at Blue Jays game fundraiser

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In its second year, the Toronto music industry Blue Jays game raised an incredible $4,404.75 to support the Unison Benevolent Fund and MusiCounts. This is nearly double the amount raised in the event’s inaugural year, where $2,100 was raised in support of the Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research.

Jon Box of Universal Music Canada is the organizer of the annual event, and is already planning to surpass this year’s achievement in 2018.

“We are inspired by the work of our 2017 charities, MusiCounts and Unison Benevolent Fund, and our greater industry who supported the event with nearly 400 ticket purchases!” says Jon Box. “There’s nothing more gratifying than bringing people together for a good cause. We now have a 2018 goal to sell 500 tickets and raise $5,000. Looking forward to sharing details soon!”

Congratulations to everyone who helped to organize the event, donated prizes for the raffle/silent auction and attended the game. Thanks also to Steam Whistle Brewing, who donated event space and staff for a pre-game get together, as well as $1 from each beer sold to support Unison and MusiCounts.

Below is a selection of social media posts from the event:

MusiCounts celebrates musical excellence and puts musical instruments into the hands of kids who need them the most.  Their mission is to ensure that all children and youth in Canada have access to music education.

Unison Benevolent Fund provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community. They are here to help professional music makers in times of hardship, illness or economic difficulties.

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City of Toronto seeking public input for new culture strategy

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Photo credit: City of Toronto

The City of Toronto’s Economic Development and Culture Division (EDC) is developing a new Divisional Strategy to establish priorities over the next five years (2018-2022). In order to develop a comprehensive strategy, the EDC is seeking the input of the public on emerging opportunities, challenges, and areas of focus as they relate to Toronto’s economic development and culture.

As a starting point, they have created a Conversation Guide that highlights key emerging economic and cultural trends and challenges facing Toronto and are asking our stakeholders for their input via an online survey or written submission.

“There is an opportunity to clearly define the public benefit to artistic and cultural events,” the EDC states in the Conversation Guide. “This lens will help evaluate how artists and cultural leaders can leverage technology to support growth and new firm formation within strategic sectors of the local economy. A focus on creativity can involve the Division thinking through the City’s role in funding and/or helping to develop creativity.”

The City’s previous strategies – 2011’s Creative Capital Gains: An Action Plan For Toronto and 2013’s Collaborating for Competitiveness: A Strategic Plan to Accelerate Economic Growth and Job Creation in Toronto – helped lead to the establishment of Music and Film Sector Development Teams, and the Toronto Music Strategy.

With the threat of venue closures still looming large over Toronto’s music scene, the EDC’s call for input for their new strategy is a welcomed opportunity for musicians, venue owners, and label owners to express their concerns to City staff.

In addition to the survey and written submissions, a series of public Town Hall consultations have also been scheduled for September. Written submissions will be accepted until October 2, 2017, and it is encouraged to register for the Town Hall meetings listed below:

Thursday September 14 (Register online)
7:00 – 9:00 pm
Assembly Hall, Performance Hall
1 Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive

Tuesday September 19 (Register online)
9:00 am – 11:00 am
North York Civic Centre, Burgundy Room
5100 Yonge Street

Saturday September 23 (Register online)
2:00 – 4:00 pm
Scarborough Civic Centre, Rotunda
150 Borough Drive

Wednesday September 27 (Register online)
9:00 – 11:00 am
Toronto Reference Library, Bram & Bluma Appel Salon
789 Yonge Street

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Top 10 Finalists for 2018 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class Announced

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On Thursday, the JUNO Awards and Slaight Music announced the 10 emerging acts that will continue to a final round of judging in the 2018 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class.  This year’s three winners will be the third group to participate in Canada’s premier artist development program, which aims to equip artists with the tools, training, and guidance needed to further their careers, build their own sustainable businesses, and become ‘JUNO ready.’

The top 10 acts were selected by a panel made up of representatives from major and independent music labels, publishers, agents, managers, and media partners. The 2018 list includes:

  1. A.Y.E.: Calgary, AB
  2. Caveboy: Montreal, QC
  3. Elise LeGrow: Toronto, ON
  4. FEATURETTE: Toronto, ON
  5. Ivory Hours: London, ON
  6. Nice Horse: Calgary, AB
  7. Nuela Charles: Edmonton, AB
  8. Quake Matthews: Halifax, NS
  9. The Katherines: Vancouver, BC
  10. The Treble: Winnipeg, MB

The Master Class combines music education through MusiCounts and the recognition and support of music excellence through the JUNO Awards.  Allan Reid of CARAS/The JUNO Awards and MusiCounts will be featured on the 2018 Super Jury tasked with selecting the winners.  The Super Jury will also feature JUNO alumni Lights, Kardinal Offishall, Max Kerman (Arkells), and Gavin Brown, in addition to Ali Slaight of Slaight Music.  The acts selected by the Jury will receive a prize valued at over $100,000, including studio time at Slaight Music Recording Studios, an all-inclusive trip to Toronto for a week of mentorship hosted by Canada’s Music Incubator at Coalition Music, a trip to the 2018 JUNO Awards in Vancouver, BC, a performance slot at JUNOfest, and a chance to perform at the exclusive JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards.

Past winners of the Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class include Neon Dreams, The Lytics, Youngblood, Derrival, Slow Leaves, and The Fortunate Ones.  Like this year’s group of finalists, their hometowns are spread across the country, and include Halifax, NS, Winnipeg, MB, Vancouver, BC, and St. John’s, NL.

Visit the Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class website to learn more about the program and this year’s selected emerging talents.

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Music Canada applauds the Government of Canada for initiating consultations on Copyright Board of Canada reform

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August 9, 2017, Toronto:  Music Canada applauds today’s announcement by The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, in conjunction with The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Canadian Heritage, that the government has launched a consultation process to reform the Copyright Board of Canada. The consultations will run until September 29, and will seek public feedback on ideas to make the Copyright Board’s processes more transparent and more efficient.

“Music Canada applauds Minister Bains and Minister Joly for beginning these consultations on Copyright Board reform,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “The time is right to modernize the Board, which will better support music creators and advance Canada’s innovation agenda. A more efficient and predictable regulatory environment will help spur growth for Canada’s cultural industries and the creative class.”

Music Canada has been a lead advocate for change at the Copyright Board. Music Canada participated in both the Senate hearings on the Copyright Board, and the Standing Committee on Canadian Heritage’s Review of the Canadian Music Industry, appearing as a key stakeholder witness in favour of full and meaningful reforms. Graham Henderson also raised the issue in a recent Policy Options op-ed, and cited the repair of the Copyright Board as first priority for government to modernize in a speech before the Economic Club of Canada.

Today’s announcement follows the release of a 2016 report by the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Trade and Commerce titled Copyright Board: A Rationale for Urgent Review. The thorough and comprehensive report concluded that the Board is “dated, dysfunctional and in dire need of reform.”

During the Senate committee hearings that led to the report, stakeholder and expert witnesses all identified the lack of timely decision-making as the biggest challenge in relation to the Board, and there was wide-spread consensus on the need for urgent, meaningful reform. The Senate report notes that, “On average, the Board may take between 3.5 and 7 years to make a final decision, the result of which is uncertainty and diminished economic activity within Canada’s cultural sector.”

Music Canada looks forward to continuing to work with government on this timely file to develop a regulatory framework for the Board that fosters innovation so that our cultural industries can thrive.

̶   Ends  ̶

 

For more information:

Corey Poole, Music Canada
cpoole@musiccanada.com
+1 (647) 808-7359

 

About Music Canada

Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization that represents the major record companies in Canada:  Sony Music Entertainment Canada, Universal Music Canada and Warner Music Canada.  Music Canada also works with some of the leading independent record labels and distributors, recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, managers and artists in the promotion and development of the music cluster.

 

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Polyphonic Ground seeks input on diversity in Toronto’s live music industry

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On July 19, a new initiative called Polyphonic Ground was announced, with the aim of strengthening Toronto’s culturally-diverse music industry. The initiative is spearheaded by Small World Music, and is composed of 12 Toronto live music presenters: Ashkenaz Foundation, Batuki Music Society, Good Kind Productions, iNative, Link Music Lab, Lula Music & Arts Centre, MonstrARTity Creative Community, Music Africa, Revolutions Per Minute, Small World Music Society, Uma Nota Culture, and World Fiddle Day Toronto. The collective plans to foster engagement with a monthly collaborative concert series and diverse professional development programming.

In partnership with Music Ontario, City Hall Live, Cultural Pluralism in the Arts Movement Ontario (CPAMO) and Music Canada Live, Polyphonic Ground will be hosting a series of conversations about diversity in the live music industry. To inform these conversations, and ensure as many voices as possible are heard, Polyphonic Ground has launched an online survey.

The survey states:

The lack of gender and cultural diversity reflected by the larger Toronto music industry has been a hot topic of late. Ad hoc conversations around these issues have taken place at recent panels and forums focused on topics such as venue closures, noise bylaws, the media etc. However, there have been few opportunities to deal with these issues head on and explore how inequities can be addressed.

Have your say and help shape these important conversations. The survey closes Friday, August 11th at 5pm.

Complete Polyphonic Ground’s Diversity & Live Music Conversation Series Survey.

For more information on Polyphonic Ground, check out the press release and follow their Twitter and Facebook pages.

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Canadian Music Week to release comprehensive Canadian music industry guide

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Canadian Music Week (CMW) and C.A.A.M.A. (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Music & the Arts) have announced they will be creating the CMW Music Industry Market Report & Directory, transcribed by Canadian music writer Martin Melhuish.

The report was derived from CMW international delegates responses hoping for a Canadian market report to help with exporting artists. The CMW Music Industry Market Report & Directory will analyze all parts of the Canadian music industry, which includes hundreds of verified market facts and contacts within venues, live event services, promoters, publishers, recording services, studios, associations, organizations, festivals, events, media, consultants and more.

“After more than a decade of hosting international buyers and working closely on export development, we are finally bridging the gap across all music sectors to deliver a market report and directory that focuses on Canada,” said Canadian Music Week President Neill Dixon in a release. “CMW has held numerous Spotlights and Focuses, as well as an annual International Market place, to help narrow in on important international markets that should do business with Canadians. Now we can give everyone what they’ve been asking for… a guide that will support internationals executing business in Canada with up to date resources and contacts.”

Martin Melhuish, better known to many as Canada’s Literary Music Man, will be a key contributor to the CMW Music Industry Market Report & Directory. Melhuish has written several books about Canadian music over his 40 year writing career, including a history of Canadian country music, a definitive biography of Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and the JUNO Awards series, Oh What A Feeling: A Vital History Of Canadian Music.

More updates are excepted leading up to CMW’s 36th year, happening May 7-13, 2018 in Toronto, ON.

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Music Canada launches ‘Gold In Canada’ playlists

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Music Canada is excited to reveal our new ‘Gold In Canada’ playlist, available now through Spotify and Google Play Music. The playlist features fifty of the latest tracks of all genres and eras certified as a Gold Single in Canada, and will be updated every Thursday to keep the rotation fresh with the latest certifications.

Music Canada’s current Gold/Platinum Single Award, which includes on-demand streams towards certifications for the first time in the program’s history, was introduced September 12, 2016. Since the update, Music Canada has seen over a 60% increase in Gold track certifications from the previous year, with many domestic and international artists receiving the first Canadian Gold certifications of their careers.

Spotify users can follow the playlist by visit the embedded player below, and Google Play Music users can click here to subscribe to the playlist. Music fans are encouraged to follow and share the playlist when they see their favourite artists added to the rotation using the hashtag #GoldInCanada.

Licensed music services interested in featuring the Gold In Canada playlist on their platform can contact goldplat@musiccanada.com.

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Polaris Music Prize reveals 2017 Short List

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The 2017 Polaris Music Prize Short List was revealed today via live stream through CBC Music’s website and Facebook page, broadcast from CBC’s Toronto headquarters.

The 2017 Polaris Music Prize Short List is:

  • A Tribe Called Red – We Are The Halluci Nation
  • BADBADNOTGOOD – IV
  • Leonard Cohen – You Want It Darker
  • Gord Downie – Secret Path
  • Feist – Pleasure
  • Lisa LeBlanc – Why You Wanna Leave, Runaway Queen?
  • Lido Pimienta – La Papessa
  • Tanya Tagaq – Retribution
  • Leif Vollebekk – Twin Solitude
  • Weaves – Weaves

The annual Polaris Music Prize recognizes excellence in Canadian music based solely on artistic merit, judged by a panel of music critics, with no regard for sales, popularity, or genre. This year’s winning album will be announced at the Polaris Gala at The Carlu in Toronto on September 18, and will also be live streamed by CBC Music.

Congratulations to all of the artists who made the Short List!

You can watch the Short List reveal below:

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Canadian Country Music Association reveals 2017 CCMA Awards nominees

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The Canadian Country Music Association has revealed the full list of nominees today for the 2017 CCMA Awards Show. The show will broadcast live from the SaskTel Centre in Saskatoon, SK, on Sunday, September 10 at 8pm on CBC. Thirty-four CCMA Award categories were revealed, with eight of the categories scheduled to be presented during the broadcast.

Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, and first time nominees James Barker Band lead the list of nominees with five nominations. Dallas Smith earned four nominations, while High Valley and Meghan Patrick earned three nominations.

Gord Bamford, Dean Brody, Chad Brownlee, High Valley, and Dallas Smith were also announced as the nominees for the 2017 Apple Music Fans’ Choice Award, which was revealed Tuesday night on Entertainment Tonight Canada. Fans can vote for the award by clicking their favourite act at fanvote.ccma.org, listening to their favourite song on Apple Music, and taking to social media to hashtag their pick.

Tickets for the 2017 CCMA Awards show, featuring performances by Brett Kissel, Dean Brody, Jess Moskaluke, and more to be announced, are on sale now.

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Music Heals launches Covers For The Cause campaign and performance contest

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Music Heals, a Vancouver-based charity that raises money and awareness for music therapy programs across Canada, has launched a unique new fundraising campaign for artists and their fans. With the Covers For The Cause campaign, artists are taking requests from their fans to perform covers of songs in exchange for a donation to the charity.

“We’ve listened to artists who have told us that they are looking for creative ways to give back,” Music Heals executive director Chris Brandt told The Georgia Straight. “Music Heals supporters are, first and foremost, music fans. This puts the musician and the fan in direct contact, for the purpose of supporting music therapy for kids, seniors, palliative care, dementia, and more.”

In partnership with BrandLIVE, Music Heals will also give the opportunity for the musician or group that raises the most money before July 17 to perform on stage in Vancouver. The performance will take place on August 2 during the Honda Celebration Of Light.

So far, the campaign has raised over $3,500. Artists looking to participate in Covers For The Cause can still register, and set their minimum donation amounts and request amounts.

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