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Tanya Tagaq to keynote Global Forum at CMW 2017

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This Thursday, April 20, 2017, celebrated experimental vocalist and artist Tanya Tagaq will provide a keynote address at the Canadian Music Week (CMW) Global Forum Networking Breakfast. This year’s Global Forum shines the spotlight on Indigenous musicians and those using music to bring attention to issued faced by Indigenous communities in Canada. Music’s ability to connect people, heal communities and bridge historic divides will be the focus of discussion.

Following her keynote, the JUNO and Polaris Prize-winning artist will join a panel discussion that will also include:

  • John Kim Bell – Moderator | Musician, Conductor, Officer of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario
  • Susan Aglukark | JUNO Award-winning recording artist, educator, Officer of the Order of Canada and recipient of The Governor General’s Lifetime Achievement Award in the Arts
  • Bear Witness | JUNO and Aboriginal People’s Choice Music Award-winning recording artist from A Tribe Called Red
  • Mike Downie | Producer, Director, and co-founder of the Gord Downie – Chanie Wenjack Fund, as well as co-creator and co-producer of the Secret Path project

Sponsored by Music Canada for more than a decade, the Global Forum is an invite-only event that brings Canadian and international music professionals together. In recent years, the Global Forum has celebrated and recognized individuals and organizations in the music community who are using music to make the world a better place.

Last year’s Global Forum featured a keynote by Laura Hassler, Founder and Director of Musicians without Borders, whose terrific presentation covered the topic “War Divides, Music Connects: Using Rock for Reconciliation.” This year’s Global Forum, titled “The Power of Music: Indigenous Artists Discuss Music’s Ability to Unite, Inspire, and Heal,” follows a similar theme of music’s power to connect, with a focus on bringing Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada together following decades of historic mistreatment.

The Global Forum will open with a performance by Winnipeg-bred Hamilton-based singer-songwriter IsKwé.

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The Mastering of a Music City: Music Cities Summit returns to Canadian Music Week

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Once again, global city planners and the music industry will take part in Music Canada’s and Canadian Music Week’s international creative-economy summit “The Mastering of a Music City.” The day-long summit will take place during Canadian Music Week on Friday, April 21, 2017.

This will be the second year of the summit which last year brought close to 200 entrepreneurs, industry executives, tourism experts, artists, and musicians from all over the world together to talk about Music Cities—the shared realization that cities across the globe enjoy an often-huge economic dividend from the creation, performance, and reception of music.

The summit will begin with opening remarks from Neill Dixon, President of Canadian Music Week, and Amy Terrill, EVP, Music Canada, and author of “The Mastering of a Music City” report, and Mayor of Toronto John Tory.

Helen Marcou, owner of Bakehouse Studio in Melbourne Australia, will deliver the opening keynote on The Role of Advocates: A Story of Successfully Fighting for Your Music City. When an iconic Melbourne venue was threatened with closure, Helen started a movement called Save Live Australia’s Music, or SLAM. Before she was done, 20,000 had marched on the steps of the legislature, laws were amended, and a permanent voice for music was created. Helen continues to be one of Melbourne’s strongest music advocates. Helen will share her story of fighting for her Music City.

Other notable events include:

  • A keynote presentation by Molly Neuman, Head of Music at Kickstarter How to Prevent Monoculture from Killing Our Music Cities. Neuman will speak to the future of culture sustainability.
  • A presentation and panel session on UNESCO Cities of Music that asks whether it is time for a North American member.

And four panel discussions:

  • The Music City Leaders Panel will ask key questions of elected officials who have identified music as a key strategy or economic sector in their cities. Panelists include Karl Dean, former mayor of Nashville; John Tory, Mayor of Toronto; Filippo del Corno, Assessore alla Cultura, City of Milan; Maria Claudia Lopez Sorzano, Secretary of Culture, Recreation and Sports, City of Bogota; and Manon Gauthier, Member of the City of Montreal Executive Committee, City of Montreal.
  • The Music Ecosystem Panel will discuss how to identify gaps in a city’s music ecosystem—which supports the development of artists—which gaps are critical and what to do to address them.
  • The Music Tourism Panel will talk about how music is a powerful motivator for travel. Attendees will hear from some of the most successful properties that incorporate music into their offerings, and how it attracts music tourists.
  • The How to Work with the Development Community panel will be moderated by Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle, and will include Shain Shapiro, Managing Director of Sound Diplomacy and Co-Founder of the Music Cities Convention. The panel will investigate the competition for space between development and cultural spaces.

Individual tickets are available to the summit or you can gain access with the CMW VIP pass.

Music Canada will livestream the opening remarks and the following panels: The Role of Advocates: A Story of Successfully Fighting For Your Music City, The Music City Leader’s Panel, and How To Work With The Development Community. You can watch these discussions live on Music Canada’s Facebook feed.

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Music Canada at Canadian Music Week 2017

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Canadian Music Week 2017 kicks off Tuesday, April 18, for a week of unforgettable shows across Toronto, along with dozens of panels and workshops scheduled at the Sheraton Centre. Music Canada is thrilled to join the festivities as a supporting sponsor, with members of our organization appearing on several panels throughout the festival.

We’ve outlined our participation in the list below:

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 2017

Richard Pfohl, General Counsel to Music Canada, will join Mitch Glazer (RIAA), Martin Ajdari (Ministry of Culture, France), Gilles Daigle (SOCAN), and Casey Chisick (Cassels Brock & Blackwell LLP) for the CMW Copyright Summit, moderated by Emmanuel Legrand (Music Week). Richard’s expertise in the subject of copyright law comes at a crucial time, as the push towards legislation supporting creators continues to take steam with initiatives like Focus On Creators.

The Copyright Summit at Canadian Music Week runs noon to 12:50pm at Sheraton Hall A/B

THURSDAY, APRIL 20, 2017

Graham Henderson providing remarks at CMW Global Forum 2015

Music has the ability to bridge cultural and social divides, and at this year’s Global Forum, Indigenous artists will discuss the power of music and its ability to unite, inspire, and heal.

Sponsored by Music Canada, the panel will feature a keynote by Polaris-winning throat singer Tanya Tagaq, who will join a panel with JUNO-winning artists Susan Aglukark, and Bear Witness of A Tribe Called Red.

The panel will be moderated by conductor and advocate John Kim Bell, and the event will feature a performance by experimental R&B artist isKwe.

Gord Downie’s brother, Mike Downie, co-creator of album and graphic novel Secret Path, will also join the panel to discuss the multimedia project on the devastating legacy of residential schools.

The CMW Global Forum Networking Breakfast is invite only, and will run 8:45am – 11:00am at Osgoode Ballroom East.

FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017

Amy Terrill at inaugural Music Cities Summit, 2016

Music Canada’s Executive Vice President, Amy Terrill, will host the second CMW Music Cities Summit, an all-day event that will explore in-depth the relationship between creative city planning, quality-of-life, and the music industry.

The event was inspired first by Music Canada’s report on Toronto’s 2012 Music City initiative with Austin, and directly by Music Canada and IFPI’s internationally-acclaimed report The Mastering of a Music City, Key Elements, Effective Strategies and Why it’s Worth Pursuing.

Toronto Mayor John Tory will appear at the summit for the second year in a row, sitting in on the Music City Leader’s Panel along with Albuquerque Mayor Richard J. Berry, former Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Filippo del Corno (Milan, Italy), Maria Claudia Lopez Sorzano (Bogota, Colombia) and Manon Gauthier (Montreal). Several members of the Toronto Music Advisory Council will also participate in the summit, including council co-chair Andreas Kalogiannides, who will join the Music Ecosystem Panel, and Councillor Josh Colle, who will moderate the panel How To Work With The Development Community.

Registration for the summit is still open.

At 1:50pm, Music Canada’s President & CEO Graham Henderson will provide the keynote at a panel titled “How Significant is the ‘Value Gap’ and How Can It Be Fixed?” in Sheraton Hall C. Panelists include Eddie Schwartz (President Emeritus, Songwriters Association of Canada), Neville Quinlan, MD (Peermusic Canada, Canadian Music Publishers Association), and Suzanne Combo (CEO, Guilde des Artistes de la Musique, France).

Canadian Music Week has provided a convenient Music City guide for music fans who are new to the city, and the full schedule of music is now available.

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Music Canada applauds BC Liberals recommitment to BC Music Fund in 2017 platform

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Music Canada applauds British Columbia Premier Christy Clark and the B.C. Liberal Party’s recommitment to the B.C. Music Fund in the party’s 2017 election platform. The platform, titled ‘Strong BC, Bright Future’, commits to invest an additional $15 million in the BC Music Fund over the next three years.

The BC Music Fund was launched by Premier Clark in 2016, with a $15 million grant as part of a comprehensive strategy to protect and promote the province’s music industry. Administered by Creative BC, the Fund has various streams to support the province’s music ecosystem, including Sound Recording, Live Music, Research, Industry Initiatives, Careers of BC Artists, Music Company Development, as well as new Innovation and Signature Artist Programs that were announced last week.

“I am delighted to see Premier Christy Clark and the BC Liberals pledge an additional $15 million to the BC Music Fund in their 2017 platform,” says Graham Henderson, President and CEO of Music Canada. “The Government of BC has shown a belief in the power of music as a driver of employment and tourism, as well as pride in its incredible local artists, studios, labels, cultures and industry. I applaud this proposed BC Music Fund extension, along with other recommendations from Music Canada’s BC music report, like red tape reduction, that have already been implemented.”

The B.C. Liberal platform highlights the fact that with 24,800 artists, British Columbia is home to more artists per capita than any other province. The platform notes that B.C. is the third largest centre for music production in Canada, with more than 80 independent labels, 123 studios, and hundreds of music publishers, managers, and other businesses involved in the sector.

A comprehensive BC Music Strategy was one of the recommendations from the BC’s Music Sector – From Adversity to Opportunity report that was released by Music Canada last year. The report examined the province’s music assets and provided recommendations to position the province to compete in an increasingly global marketplace while also creating more opportunities for emerging BC artists to succeed and earn a living from their music.

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BC announces new music Innovation Program

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Last week, the province of British Columbia and Creative BC announced the new $300,000 Innovation Program as part of the BC Music Fund. The new program will support cross-sector collaboration between technology and music, the launch of businesses to fill gaps in the industry, and foster diversity and cultural engagement within the music industry.

“British Columbia is home to an abundant wealth of musical talent. This funding from the BC Music Fund will provide assistance to companies that think outside the box, allowing them to further develop innovative ideas. I look forward to seeing the unique projects that come from this new program,” said Shirley Bond, Minister of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training and Responsible for Labour.

“The Innovation Program encourages new collaborations, creative courage and fresh thinking. Through the BC Music Fund, innovators across the province can intersect with the music industry,” added Prem Gill, chief executive officer of Creative BC.

British Columbia is the third largest centre for sound recording in Canada and the music industry contributes over $400 million in revenue to the provincial economy every year. According to Creative BC, the province’s music industry includes 80 independent record labels, 123 sound recording studios, and hundreds of music industry professionals such as publishers, managers, talent agencies, and other businesses that support the development and delivery of music.

Premier Christy Clark announced the creation of the $15-million BC Music Fund in February 2016, following the recommendations of Music Canada’s report BC’s Music Sector: From Adversity to Opportunity. The fund is administered by Creative BC and is designed to support the growth of BC’s music industry through direct investment, job creation, music tourism, increased regional activity, and the export of BC music.

The new Innovation Program will support music related projects, including “cross-sector and multimedia projects related to music, experimental or experiential projects that increase visibility, access, or awareness for British Columbian music, projects that develop new technology, software, or programs, and projects or initiatives related to British Columbia’s music industry that are innovative or experimental in nature.”

Applications for the Innovation Program will be accepted beginning May 1, 2017.

You can read more about the new program and the announcement on Creative BC’s website.

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Anthology: Defining Moments in Canadian Music

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Tonight at the opening reception to the 46th Annual JUNO Awards in Ottawa, Music Canada unveiled Anthology: Defining Moments in Canadian Music. The installation is a timeline that chronicles the events that helped shape Canadian music, including artistic and award-based milestones, industry and regulatory developments, as well as media and technological changes that have been part of our industry’s evolution.

With facts compiled by renowned music journalist Larry LeBlanc, and designed by Ben Purkiss, Anthology is made up of five large prints containing more than 180 moments. When aligned side-by-side, the prints create a continuous timeline from 1969 to 2017.

Music fans can test their Canadian music knowledge with our quiz card, which is being distributed to attendees at the opening reception. An answer key is available on the back of the card, which highlights the Focus On Creators initiative.

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Music ignites Ottawa for the 2017 JUNO Awards

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JUNO Week 2017 is officially underway in the city of Ottawa, hosting the awards and festivities for the first time since 2012. Beginning today, bars, clubs and theatres across the city will be taken over by JUNOs programming, with many events open to the public and appropriate for the whole family.

This is the third time Ottawa has hosted the JUNO Awards, and Canada’s 150th anniversary of confederation adds even more excitement to the 2017 edition. In the fourteen years the awards show has been presented in cities across Canada, the impact has be felt to the tune of $135 million, with each city showing an economic impact of around $10 million.

On Wednesday evening, Mayor Jim Watson helped officially kick off JUNO Week with the lighting of the five metre tall cauldron outside City Hall with Allan Reid, President & CEO of the Canadian Academy Of Recording Arts & Sciences (CARAS), and Ward 18 Councillor Jean Cloutier.

The 2017 JUNO Awards, hosted by Russel Peters and Bryan Adams, will broadcast live from the Canadian Tire Centre on CTV on Sunday, April 2. Performers this year include Alessia Cara, Arkells, A Tribe Called Red, Billy Talent, Dallas Smith, July Talk, Ruth B., Sarah McLachlan, Shawn Mendes, and The Strumbellas. Grammy Award-winning DJ Zedd will join Alessia Cara for her performance, and Feist will perform a special tribute to legendary songwriter and JUNO winner Leonard Cohen.

Many events have already begun across the city, like Art Is Art, which showcases JUNO nominees and Canadian recording artists’ artwork, The JUNO Photography Exhibition, and the JUNO House: R·Evolutions exhibition.

Below is a listing of events occurring across Ottawa leading up to Canadian music’s biggest night.

THURSDAY, MARCH 30, 2017

JUNO Week 2017 will kick off with the second annual JUNO Cup Jam, featuring collaborations and covers by Jim Cuddy, Gord Bamford, Devin Cuddy Band, and members of Billy Talent, Hollerado, Monkeyjunk, The Strumbellas, Walk Off The Earth, Wintersleep and more. The JUNO Cup will take place the following night at TD Place, with rock stars hitting the ice against NHL superstars and alumni like Daniel Alfredsson, Gary Roberts, and Paul Coffey.

Earlier on Thursday evening, Music Canada’s Executive Vice President Amy Terrill will take part in a conversation with JUNO Award winning singer-songwriter Lynn Miles and interviewer Samantha Slattery, Founder and Chair of Women in Music Canada. The event takes place at Otto’s Club, located in TD Place (1015 Bank Street).

FRIDAY, MARCH 31, 2017

As artists, industry folk, and contest winners step aboard the JUNO Express trains leaving from Toronto and Montreal, Friday morning’s programming will feature Amy Terrill joining the Ottawa As A Music City panel hosted by the Ottawa 2017 Juno Host Committee. The panel will also feature Scott May of Bar Robo, Kelly Symes (General Manager – Festival of Small Halls Ontario), artist/entrepreneur Kathleen Edwards (Quitters Coffee) and Shelley Fraser of Lixar – advocates for the role that music industries can play in building sustainable, vibrant cities.

Later in the evening, Music Canada is proud to sponsor this year’s JUNO Welcome Reception, a private event welcoming industry VIPs to the festivities. Music Canada is thrilled to be a sponsor of Welcome Reception, and we look forward to sharing our activity from the event through Twitter and our blog.

Following the reception, JUNOfest will be put in full gear, with over 100 artists performing across the two-night schedule. This year’s lineup features more than 35 JUNO nominees, including The Strumbellas, Silla + Rise, The Dirty Nil, Whitehorse, Tasha The Amazon, Holy Fuck, Bit Funk, Cold Creek County, Exco Levi, and more. Wristbands ($30) are still available and provide priority access to all venues participating in JUNOfest for both nights.

SATURDAY APRIL 1, 2017

Saturday’s programming gets underway bright and early with family fun at Junior JUNOs at KIDSFEST, the city’s biggest children’s show and expo. 2017 Children’s Album of the Year nominees Diana Panton, Kattam, Splash’N Boots, and Will Stroet will perform at the event, which takes place at the EY Centre (4899 Uplands Drive). Tickets are still available.

From noon to 3pm on Saturday, fans will gather at CF Rideau Centre for the sold-out JUNO Fan Fare, featuring live performances, giveaways, artist interviews, and the opportunity to get up close and personal with some of the 2017 JUNO Award nominees. Artists confirmed include Aaron Pritchett, Arkells, Chad Brownlee, Cold Creek County, Coleman Hell, Dallas Smith, Gord Bamford, Jess Moskaluke, July Talk, Marianas Trench, Ruth B, The Strumbellas and Tyler Shaw.

Saturday’s festivities come to a close with the JUNO Gala Dinner & Awards presented by SOCAN, and hosted by Tom Power of CBC’s Q. 34 awards will be handed out during the dinner, which will feature performances by 2017 JUNO Award-nominees Daniel Caesar (R&B/Soul Recording of the Year), Jess Moskaluke (Country Album of the Year), Koriass (Francophone Album of the Year), and William Prince (Contemporary Roots Album of the Year sponsored by National Arts Centre and Indigenous Music Album of the Year sponsored by Aboriginal Peoples Television Network). The event will also feature a special performance by one of the three 2017 Allan Slaight JUNO Master Class winners, Neon Dreams. The JUNOs Gala will be live-streamed at junotv.ca.

SUNDAY, APRIL 2, 2017

Prior to the big show, Sunday will kick off at noon with the JUNO Songwriters Circle co-presented by SOCAN & Yamaha Canada Music in association with CMPA. 2017 JUNO nominees Chantal Kreviazuk, Colin Linden, Daniel Caesar, Donovan Woods, Lisa Leblanc, and Paul Murphy (Wintersleep) join host Bruce Cockburn in sharing the stories behind their songs. Previously sold out, the event has moved to Southam Hall at the National Arts Centre, with limited tickets still available.

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Music Canada reacts to 2017 Federal Budget

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Music Canada is pleased to see that the 2017 federal budget, which was tabled yesterday in the House of Commons, contains encouraging language for Canada’s music sector.

Intellectual Property Strategy 2017

The budget announced that the Government will develop a new intellectual property strategy over the coming year. The budget notes that “intellectual property rights incentivize creativity and the development of new ideas and technologies by helping companies, academics and inventors recoup their investment once new products reach the marketplace.” This is especially true in the music business, as music is intellectual property, and musicians are innovators.

Recorded music is an investment intensive business, and a strong intellectual property regime gives labels the confidence to invest in new artists and recordings, which helps all parties in the recording ecosystem. Record labels are the primary investors in music, investing 27% of global revenues into discovering, developing, and marketing artists. A & R (artists and repertoire) is record companies’ defining skill, and the equivalent of R & D (research and development) in other sectors. We welcome the Government’s IP Strategy, which the budget states will “help ensure that Canada’s intellectual property regime is modern and robust and supports Canadian innovations in the 21st century.”

Canada’s Digital Future

In this budget, the Government has placed a priority on supporting Canada’s digital innovation, with a section on Canada’s Digital Future. Recognizing that Canada’s creative entrepreneurs and cultural leaders are essential to building an inclusive and innovative Canada, the budget acknowledges that Canada’s creative industries are facing rapid and disruptive change, which includes both risks and opportunities. The budget states that the Government will outline a new approach to growing Canada’s creative sector – “one that is focused on the future, and bringing the best of Canada to the world.”

The music industry has extensive experience in adapting to digital disruption. In many ways, the music sector was “the canary in the coal mine” in this regard: with the launch of Napster in 1999, the music industry was the first media sector to feel the full impact of the Internet. But, after almost two decades of nearly uninterrupted declining revenues, the global music sector reached a key milestone in 2015, with a return to positive revenue growth and digital revenues surpassing income from physical formats for the first time. This achievement was made possible by the transformation of record companies to meet changes in consumer behavior, the proactive licensing of new digital services, and continued investment in talent and innovation in bringing artists to a global audience. We have some perfect examples of the last point; last year, Drake topped IFPI’s Top Ten Global Recording Artist chart, while fellow Ontarians Justin Bieber and The Weeknd reached #5 and #10, respectively.

However, despite these encouraging results, the music industry’s transformation is not complete. There is a weakness in the foundation, known as the “Value Gap.” While music is now being consumed at record levels around the world, the surge in consumption has not been matched by coinciding remuneration to artists and producers. Addressing this market distortion is crucial to ensuring creators are fairly compensated. We look forward to working with the Government of Canada to address the Value Gap as part of the plan for Canada’s digital future.

Promoting STEM to Young Canadians

The budget also includes a laudable section on promoting STEM to young Canadians, noting that they are “curious, talented, entrepreneurial and well-educated”, making them “well-positioned to deliver the next great breakthrough in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).” This is very true, though we note the equal importance of studying the humanities, and encourage the Government to consider a broader outlook, by including the arts in this strategy.

An arts education does more than prepare students for careers in the culture sectors. Arts educations instill the importance of creativity, and teach students to apply creative thinking and design skills to STEM projects. By expanding the outlook from STEM to STEAM, the Government can help students develop the full skillset required for careers in tomorrow’s labour market.

 

Budget 2017 rightly states that changes in the economy presents incredible opportunities for middle class Canadians, and that Canadians’ future success “will be determined by our ability to prepare for and adapt to change.” As we strengthen Canadian content creation and prepare for the future, Music Canada is committed to working with government to ensure music is properly valued & creators are fairly compensated.

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March in support of music therapy this Sunday in Toronto

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On Sunday March 26, 2017, join Music Canada in celebrating Music Therapy Month by marching through the streets of Toronto to generate funds and awareness for the music therapy initiatives.

The annual March For Music Therapy, hosted by the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund, will kick off at 11am outside Toronto City Hall (100 Queen West), with the march scheduled to begin at noon.

Participants can register beginning at 11am in the Committee Room 2, and will wrap up around 1pm at Grace O’Malley’s (14 Duncan St.) for food, drinks, and a performance by music therapy group SUPERFIRE.

If you’re not able to make the Toronto event, you can support the cause by contributing to the $40,000 fundraising goal. Over $25,000 was raised in 2016, with proceeds supporting programming for patients in palliative care and for seniors in long-term care facilities

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Nominees revealed for 2017 Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards

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The nominees have been announced for the 2017 Canadian Music & Broadcast Industry Awards at Canadian Music Week. The awards will be handed out at the MBIA Gala happening Thursday, April 20, 2017, at the Grand Ballroom, Sheraton Centre in Toronto.

Eligible voters will have the opportunity to cast their ballots in dozens of categories for venues, labels, retail outlets, streaming services, and many more areas within Canada’s music industry. Several honourary award recipients have already been announced including legendary rock trio Rush for the 2017 Allan Slaight Humanitarian Spirit Award, Jann Arden and Live Nation’s Arthur Fogel for their Canadian Music Industry Hall Of Fame inductions, and media personality Marilyn Denis, who will become the first woman to accept the Allan Waters Broadcast Lifetime Achievement Award.

The full list of nominees can be viewed here. Tickets are on sale and can be purchased here.

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