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Record Store Day 2014: Celebrating independent record stores from coast to coast

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RSDCOM2010vector

This Saturday, April 19th is the 7th Annual Record Store Day, and independent record shops from across Canada will be celebrating with special releases, live-in store performances, and special deals. Record Store Day was created in 2007 by a group of independent record store owners and employees as a way to celebrate the unique culture of the independent record store, and the special role these stores play in their local communities. Today, Record Store Day is celebrated in stores on every continent except Antarctica.

To find a participating store near you, visit Record Store Day Canada’s list of participating stores.

Independent stores celebrating from coast to coast:

Record Store Day 2014 is a cross-Canada celebration, with more than 170 stores across Canada celebrating, with shops in all ten provinces taking part.

Fred’s Records in historic downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, will be the first store in Canada to open on Record Store Day, as the only store in the Newfoundland Time Zone. They open their doors at 9am and will be hosting live in-store performances and are promising “the usual bevy of limited edition vinyl.”

Back Alley Music is Prince Edward Island’s go-to Record Store Day location, and will feature live music from The Meds, Al Tuck, Emilee Sorrey, Peter Forbes, and more. In addition to the performances, Back Alley will have exclusive RSD releases and deals on new and used LPs.

In Nova Scotia, Halifax’s Black Buffalo Records, Obsolete Records, and Taz Records will be filled with vinyl-loving Haligonians. The Coast features an informative overview of RSD happenings in the three stores, as well as a look ahead to the Halifax Record Fair on May 3rd.

New Brunswickers will have multiple options to get their RSD fix, with Moncton’s Spin-It Records & Video featuring live music from Michael Goguen, Colonial Quarrels, Outtacontroller, Kappa Chow, and Fifty Feet of Earth, while Live Wire Records and Music Emporium will be opening at 8am, and will feature RSD exclusive releases, food, and door prizes. Also in Moncton, Frank’s Music at 245 Carson Drive will be celebrating Record Store Day beginning at 10am.

150 km down the Trans-Canada Highway in Saint John, Backstreet Records kicks off their celebration at 8am with special releases and live performances beginning at 1pm. Also in Saint John, SecondSpin will be celebrating with special releases, sales, and prizes, beginning at 10am.

Backstreet Records’ Fredericton location is celebrating with special releases and live performances beginning at noon.

Quebecers have a bevy of Record Store Day options, with nine stores taking part in Montreal, including Aux 33 Tours, Beatnick, Boutique L’Oblique, Le Pick Up, Phonopolis, Primitive, Sonik, Sonorama, and Soundcentral. In Quebec City, Cd Mélomane and Sillons le disquaire are your sources for that special RSD vinyl. Other participating stores in La belle province include Rimouski’s Audition Musik, Sherbrooke’s Musique Cité, and Saint-Hyacinthe’s Fréquences Le Disquaire.

Ontarians have lots of options for RSD swag, with Belleville’s Sam the Record Man, Bowmanville’s Vinyl Alibi, Brantford’s The Beat Goes On, Burlington’s Looney Tunes, Cobourg’s Zap Records, Dundas’ Records on Wheels, Hamilton’s Dr. Disc, Hammer City Records, and The Beat Goes On, Kanata’s CD Warehouse, Kingston’s The Jungle and Zap Records, Kitchener’s Encore Records, The Beat Goes On, and X-Disc-C Music all taking part, in addition to happenings at Lindsay’s Iceman’s Games Movies and Music, London’s Grooves, Hot Dog Musique and Cinema, Speed City Records, and the Beat Goes On. Merrickville’s Vinyl Destination, Mississauga’s Ric’s Recollections, Nepean’s CD Warehouse, and Oshawa’s Star Records. Peterborough’s Bluestreak Records, Port Dover’s Robot Café, Sarnia’s Cheeky Monkey and Red Vinyl Records are all taking part, while Ottawatonians can visit CD Warehouse – Ottawa, Compact Music, LEGEND RECORDS, The Record Centre, or Vertigo Records for their fix. Sunrise Records in Barrie, Brantford, Burlington, Etobicoke, Kingston, Kitchener, London, Scarborough, St. Catharines, Toronto and Willowdale are all taking part. For more on Toronto’s RSD offerings, see BlogTO’s overview.

In Manitoba, eight shops are participating in Record Store Day in Winnipeg. The Winnipeg Free Press’ Jen Zoratti has a great overview of RSD events in The Peg , where Argy’s Collectables, Into the Music,McNally Robinson, Music Trader,Planet of Sound, the Winnipeg Record & Tape Co., War on Music, and the Winnipeg Folk Festival Music Store celebrate with special releases and live in-store performances.

Saskatchewan is represented by Regina’s X-Ray Records and Saskatoon’s Vinyl Diner , Bluemont Film & Record, the Vinyl Exchange, all of whom will be celebrating RSD in their own way.

In Alberta, Calgarians can celebrate Record Store Day at Heritage Posters & Music,Hot Wax Records, Recordland,the Inner Sleeve, Melodiya Records, andSloth Records. Jerry Keogh of Heritage Posters and Music spoke with Breakfast Television Calgary about what vinyl fans can expect at his shop this RSD beginning at 9am.
In Edmonton, Blackbyrd Myoozik, Freecloud Records, Listen Records, Permanent Records, Sound Connection, and the Gramophone Inc. will be taking part in RSD, which is a nice lead-in to the Edmonton Music Collectors Show, happening April 27th.

British Columbia boasts a bounty of participating record shops, with Vancouver represented by Audiophile, Beatstreet Records, Dandelion Records & Emporium, Highlife Records, Red Cat Records,Scrape Records, Sikora’s Classical Records, Vinyl Records, Zoo Zhop, and Zulu Records. In Victoria, Ditch Records & CDs, Lyle’s Place, Talk’s Cheap, and the Turntable will be outfitting vinyl fans with special RSD releases. Vinyl fans can also get their RSD fix at Kelowna’s Milkcrate Records or Underground Music, Penticton’s Remember Vinyl Records or The Grooveyard, Richmond’s Beat Merchant, Salt Spring Island’s Salt Spring Sound, or Maple Ridge’s The CD Shack.

For the official list of special releases, visit http://www.recordstoreday.com/SpecialReleases, or download the PDF here.

For more on Canadian record store promotions this Record Store Day, visit http://recordstoredaycanada.com/, follow our Twitter List of Canadian record stores, and get out to visit your local record store!

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National music organizations join voices to oppose cuts to VSB music programs

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National music organizations join voices to oppose cuts to VSB music programs

The Coalition for Music Education, Music Canada and MusiCounts believe in the importance of music education for all young people in schools. We are joining our voices together to urge the Vancouver School Board (VSB) to withdraw the proposal to cut elementary band and strings programs. Don’t take instruments out of the hands of children. Keep providing a comprehensive education that includes quality music instruction for all students, taught by individuals with a background and training in music. Music is not an expendable area of study. We strongly disagree with any reduction to music in schools and ask – what is the VSB’s vision and plan to maintain quality music programs in VSB schools for all students?

Research has proven that music education provides far-reaching benefits to the lives of young Canadians, to our communities and to our culture. We believe that decisions minimizing any aspect of the VSB’s music program will have a long-term negative impact on the lives of Vancouver students and on the community.

 

Music is essential to education and to life.

Music education:

  • teaches students to think creatively and critically,
  • develops skills that are essential in the 21st century workforce,
  • opens students’ minds to diverse perspectives and thinking,
  • bridges languages, cultures and generations,
  • unites us through shared experiences,
  • enriches our sense of beauty and imagination, and
  • supports student success.

 

The Coalition for Music Education annually celebrates the importance of learning music in our schools through a national event titled Music Monday. Last year’s Showcase Concert included a live link with Commander Hadfield in the International Space Station and this year’s Showcase will include a special event in Vancouver. “Everybody should be learning music. Music opens doors. And music stimulates the brain. Music helps organize and even wire your brain…Music education is really important in life. It’s a wonderful and applicable skill that only makes you a more capable human – We should all learn music.” – Chris Hadfield

Music Canada has identified music education as one of five critical components for the development of the music industry in Canada and an essential stimulant for a vibrant music scene which leads to great community impacts including increased tourism, job growth and business investment. “ There is vast evidence that music education contributes to the broader development of young minds and more well-rounded citizens,” says Graham Henderson, President of Music Canada. “Music is a great equalizer, bridging all cultures, and languages.”

MusiCounts is helping keep music alive in our schools. MusiCounts has awarded nearly $7 million in grants and scholarships to schools and communities in Canada. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that children in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances or cultural background, have access to a music program through their school. “Every child deserves the opportunity to experience and benefit from playing an instrument.” says Allan Reid, Director, MusiCounts “Music can and does change lives.”

We urge decision-makers to maintain elementary band and strings programs in the VSB.

About the Coalition for Music Education:

The Coalition for Music Education works to raise awareness and understanding of the role music education plays in Canadian Culture, and to promote the benefits music education brings to young people. We envision Canada as a country where the lives of all children are enriched by quality school music programs, and where their active participation in music is valued and supported in our communities.

For more information about the Coalition, please visitMusicMakesUs

 

For more information contact:

Holly Nimmons, Executive Director
(416) 371-6486 | holly@musicmakesus.ca

About Music Canada:

Music Canada is a non-profit trade organization founded in 1964 that promotes the interests of its members as well as their partners, the artists. Music Canada is a passionate advocate for music and those who create it. Music Canada also works closely with recording studios, live music venues, concert promoters, awards programs and managers in the promotion and development of the music cluster.

For more information about Music Canada, please visitMusic Canada

For more information, contact:

Amy Terrill, Vice-President, Public Affairs
(647) 963-6044 | aterrill@musiccanada.com

 

 

About MusiCounts:

MusiCounts, Canada’s music education charity associated with The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS), is helping to keep music alive in schools across Canada. MusiCounts’ mission is to ensure that children in Canada, regardless of socio-economic circumstances or cultural background, have access to a music program through their school. MusiCounts includes Band Aid musical instrument grants, the MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award, Scholarships, and other music education initiatives.

For more information about MusiCounts, please visitMusiCounts

For more information, contact:

Allan Reid, Director
(416) 485-3135 ext 228 | allan@musicounts.ca

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Music Monday 2014: On May 5th, join the Canada-wide celebration of music in our lives & schools

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On Monday, May 5, 2014, join the Canada-wide celebration of music when schools and communities from coast to coast unite in singing and performing the Music Monday theme song ‘I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing.’ This year, Music Monday celebrates its 10th anniversary with a live webcast of simultaneous events happening across the country, concluding with a synchronized performance of ‘I.S.S. (Is Somebody Singing’ with former Canadian Space Agency astronaut Chris Hadfield and Maestro Bramwell Tovey of the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra.

Music MondayMusic-Monday-Poster-ENG-JPG is an initiative of Music Makes Us: Coalition for Music Education, a national advocacy organization promoting quality music education for all young people. The annual event takes place on the first Monday in May, with the goal of celebrating the galvanizing power of music in Canada and demonstrating how that power is rooted in school music programs. Each year, hundreds of thousands of Canadians take part in the event through their schools and communities; last year’s event engaged approximately one million people in Canada and abroad.

The Coalition for Music Education expects this year’s Music Monday to have record numbers of participants, with confirmed events happening in St. John’s, NL, Halifax, NS, Charlottetown, PEI, Toronto, ON, Winnipeg, MB, Edmonton, AB, Vancouver, BC, Whitehorse, YT, Ottawa, ON, Montreal, QC, and more cities and towns across Canada.

To get involved with Music Monday, download the Participation Toolkit, and register your event online. To find an event happening in your area, search the Music Monday Map, which already dotted with events from coast to coast.

To prepare for sing-along, download the arrangements for ‘ISS – Is Somebody Singing’: there are vocal lead sheets as well as scores for bands, drumlines, ensembles, guitar, steel pans, strings, and much more. There are also translations available for the song in eleven different languages, including American Sign Language, Cree, Dutch, French, Gaelic, German, Inuktitut, Italian, Japanese, Ojibway, Russian, and Spanish.

The Coalition for Music Education is also looking for youth reporters to cover Music Monday 2014, and has launched a new essay contest to find thirteen students from across Canada, who will represent their province as a Music Monday Roving Youth Reporter and be given the opportunity to interview a prominent Canadian on the subject of music and music education.

In the above video, Commander Hadfield articulates why music education is so important:

“I bought my first record at about nine or ten years old, and listening to music introduced me to cultures and people who were different than I was. And learning to play the guitar taught me to improvise and to be creative, and to be able to be play with a group. And practicing on that guitar, that taught me self-discipline. And these were all fundamental skills that I have used throughout my career. And that’s why I can confidently say that music helped me be a better astronaut.”

Music education is a key priority of Music Canada as one of our five strategies in The Next Big Bang report, which recommends that given the strong evidence that music education prepares workers who are more creative, better problem-solvers, and possess soft skills that are critical in the digital economy, as well as the correlation between music scenes and tech clusters, governments should invest more in music education and should consider music scenes as a tool for economic development.

For more information on Music Monday, visit http://www.musicmonday.ca/, and connect with them on Facebook and Twitter for future updates.

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Music Canada pleased to welcome 604 Records as a new member

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Music Canada is pleased to welcome 604 Records, based in Vancouver, BC, as a new member.

604 Records was founded by Nickelback singer Chad Kroeger and attorney Jonathan Simkin in 2002, and twelve years later, the label has established a solid track record of releasing Platinum-selling albums from a variety of genres.

The 604 roster includes Platinum-certified rockers Theory of A Deadman and My Darkest Days, as well as top selling pop rock artists Marianas Trench, Faber Drive, and pop superstar Carly Rae Jepsen.

The label’s latest releases include Dallas Smith’s Tipping Point, whose single was certified Gold in January 2014, the JUNO-nominated Small Town Pistols’ self-titled debut album, and a deluxe edition re-issue of Marianas Trench’s Platinum-certified ‘Ever After.’

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Jeff Kula of Winnipeg’s River East Collegiate honoured with MusiCounts’ Teacher of the Year Award

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Congratulations to Jeff Kula of Winnipeg’s River East Collegiate, who was honoured with MusiCounts’ Teacher of the Year Award yesterday in recognition of his passion and dedication to music education.

The MusiCounts Teacher of the Year Award recognizes the incredible, dedicated and hard-working music teachers in Canada who encourage music education for many young Canadians.

“Each year we receive a number of nominations on behalf of teachers who impact school communities across Canada,” says Allan Reid, Director, MusiCounts. “Choosing the one recipient of this annual award is never easy, but Jeff Kula’s commitment to his students and how he goes above and beyond the call of duty of a music teacher exemplifies the reason that we established this award to begin with.”

Gord Bamford, who is nominated for The JUNO Awards Country Album of the Year, was on hand to present the award at a surprise presentation at Kula’s school. This year’s award is sponsored by Gord Bamford Charitable Foundation, who also committed an additional $100,000 to MusiCounts over the next three years.

“If I wouldn’t have started music at a young age, and started in school, I probably wouldn’t be where I’m at today,” says Bamford. “It creates dreams. It’s a dream I eventually started chasing, and it’s come true for me. It all started in grade four and I have my teacher to thank for that. I want to make a difference, and giving back is the most rewarding thing that I’ve been able to do.”

Check out the video of River East Collegiate’s reaction to the news, care of CTV Winnipeg.

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2014 Prism Prize Winners Announced

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Last night, the 2nd annual Prism Prize Award Reception took place at The Everleigh in Toronto, ON. The Prism Prize is a national juried award established to recognize the artistry of the modern music video in Canada. The 2014 Prism Prize was awarded to director/photographer Emily Kai Block for Arcade Fire’s “Afterlife” from their Triple Platinum-certified album Reflektor. Bock, who was also nominated for Majical Cloudz’s “Childhood’s End” this year, was on hand to accept the $5,000 prize.

“Emily made some truly remarkable videos last year,” said Prism Prize Founder and Director Louis Calabro, “it says something that two of Emily’s pieces were on the Top Ten Shortlist. Ultimately, I think our jurors chose Afterlife because it’s thoughtful and well-paced, and because – frankly – it looks beautiful.”

The Prism Prize Audience Choice Award, which is awarded based on thousands of online votes collected in collaboration with Exclaim! Magazine, was presented to director Kheaven Lewandowski for The Belle Game’s “River”.

Other videos on the shortlist, which was selected by a jury of more than ninety Canadian music and film industry professionals, included Hollerado, Keys N Krates, Shad, Jessy Lanza, Young Galaxy and Drake.

Writer/director Scott Cudmore and producer/cinematographer Michael Leblanc received the inaugural Arthur Lipsett Award, which recognizes an innovative and unique approach to music video art. Floria Sigismondi received the inaugural Prism Prize Special Achievement Award, presented to a Canadian music video artist for their artistic achievements and exceptional contribution to music video art on a world stage.

Plans for the third annual Prism Prize will be announced later this year. Congratulations to all of the 2014 Prism Prize winners and nominees.

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Digital Music Report 2014 released by the IFPI

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Today, the IFPI released the Digital Music Report 2014, which provides a comprehensive overview of today’s global digital music sector, including statistics on international markets, developments in the licensed online marketplace, and industry efforts to tackle online piracy.

DMR14 largeThe IFPI says that despite positive growth in most markets, overall global music trade revenues fell by 3.9% in 2013, to US$15.0 billion. This was heavily influenced by a drop of 16.7% in Japan, which accounts for more than one fifth of global revenues. Excluding Japan, the overall global recorded music market was generally flat, declining by 0.1% in 2013.

This report highlights the growth in music subscription services, which helped drive growth in most major markets in 2013, as revenues from subscription services grew by 51%, helping global digital revenues grow by 4.3%. Global revenues from streaming and subscription services topped the US$1 billion mark for the first time in 2013.

Digital downloads and physical formats remain an important revenue stream for the global recorded music industry, as downloads account for 67% of digital revenues, and physical product sales account for more than half (51.4%) of all global revenues.

Performance rights revenue, generated from broadcast, internet radio, and venues, saw strong growth in 2013, as performance rights income to record companies reached US$1.1 billion, an increase of 19% over 2012. Income from synchronization deals, where music is placed in film, television, or advertisements, declined by 3.4% in 2013, now accounting for 2.1% of total industry revenue, the report states.

The report includes the IFPI’s Global Recording Artist Chart, which measures the popularity of an artist across an array of channels, including digital downloads, streaming services, and physical format sales. One Direction topped the chart in its first year of being tabulated, while Burnaby, British Columbia’s Michael Bublé achieved the #9 position.

The report also profiles how record labels utilize the digital world in promoting artist releases, with features on innovative promotional campaigns, including:

  • Sony Music Entertainment’s global campaign for Daft Punk – Random Access Memories , which coordinated physical advertisements like billboards with television ad buys and digital teaser videos to achieve the robot duo’s vision of a global album release
  • Universal Music Group International’s campaign with Avicii, which partnered with Ericsson to create a ‘crowd sourced’ hit song, and later unveiled the album as a live performance at the Ultra Music Festival, helping Avicii grow from a club DJ to a global superstar
  • Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records’ innovative ‘Youtube Orchestra’ campaign with Hunter Hayes, which enlisted a range of ‘Youtube Stars’ to post their own versions of his song, Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me, with Hayes and Justin Mraz creating a mashup of the videos in a one-shot music video
  • Passenger’s partnership with German indie label Embassy of Music, which worked with Sony Music Netherlands to campaign in the smaller Dutch radio market to establish a foothold on the airwaves
  • Katy Perry’s PRISM campaign, in which Capitol Music Group developed multiple promotional campaigns for the album’s various singles, including international events in Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

To view the full report, visit http://www.ifpi.org/digital-music-report.php.

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Digital Music Report 2014 released by the IFPI

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DMR14 largeToday, the IFPI released the Digital Music Report 2014, which provides a comprehensive overview of today’s global digital music sector, including statistics on international markets, developments in the licensed online marketplace, and industry efforts to tackle online piracy.

The IFPI says that despite positive growth in most markets, overall global music trade revenues fell by 3.9% in 2013, to US$15.0 billion. This was heavily influenced by a drop of 16.7% in Japan, which accounts for more than one fifth of global revenues. Excluding Japan, the overall global recorded music market was generally flat, declining by 0.1% in 2013.

This report highlights the growth in music subscription services, which helped drive growth in most major markets in 2013, as revenues from subscription services grew by 51%, helping global digital revenues grow by 4.3%. Global revenues from streaming and subscription services topped the US$1 billion mark for the first time in 2013.

Digital downloads and physical formats remain an important revenue stream for the global recorded music industry, as downloads account for 67% of digital revenues, and physical product sales account for more than half (51.4%) of all global revenues.

Performance rights revenue, generated from broadcast, internet radio, and venues, saw strong growth in 2013, as performance rights income to record companies reached US$1.1 billion, an increase of 19% over 2012. Income from synchronization deals, where music is placed in film, television, or advertisements, declined by 3.4% in 2013, now accounting for 2.1% of total industry revenue, the report states.

The report includes the IFPI’s Global Recording Artist Chart, which measures the popularity of an artist across an array of channels, including digital downloads, streaming services, and physical format sales. One Direction topped the chart in its first year of being tabulated, while Burnaby, British Columbia’s Michael Bublé achieved the #9 position.

The report also profiles how record labels utilize the digital world in promoting artist releases, with features on innovative promotional campaigns, including:

  • Sony Music Entertainment’s global campaign for Daft Punk – Random Access Memories , which coordinated physical advertisements like billboards with television ad buys and digital teaser videos to achieve the robot duo’s vision of a global album release
  • Universal Music Group International’s campaign with Avicii, which partnered with Ericsson to create a ‘crowd sourced’ hit song, and later unveiled the album as a live performance at the Ultra Music Festival, helping Avicii grow from a club DJ to a global superstar
  • Warner Music Nashville/Atlantic Records’ innovative ‘Youtube Orchestra’ campaign with Hunter Hayes, which enlisted a range of ‘Youtube Stars’ to post their own versions of his song, Everybody’s Got Somebody But Me, with Hayes and Justin Mraz creating a mashup of the videos in a one-shot music video
  • Passenger’s partnership with German indie label Embassy of Music, which worked with Sony Music Netherlands to campaign in the smaller Dutch radio market to establish a foothold on the airwaves
  • Katy Perry’s PRISM campaign, in which Capitol Music Group developed multiple promotional campaigns for the album’s various singles, including international events in Canada, Australia, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan

To view the full report, visit http://www.ifpi.org/digital-music-report.php.

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Royal Wood performs songs from his new album, ‘The Burning Bright’, at Music Canada office

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After a culmination of five weeks spent writing in his ancestral home of Ireland, and, for the first time, Los Angeles, it only seemed appropriate to have the JUNO nominated Royal Wood stop by the Music Canada office mid St. Patrick’s Day celebrations for a performance. RW4

Royal played a set of songs from his newest album, The Burning Bright, which debuts tomorrow on iTunes. A few dozen festive people, including neighbours from the Liberty Village business community, had the opportunity to take in the set which included “It’s Only Love”, “Forever And Ever”, and “City Lights”, all of which are featured on The Burning Bright album. Our thanks to Charlotte Thompson of Red Umbrella PR as well, who handles publicity and proposed the performance, as well as Stature Films for putting together this live performance video.

RW2

Royal Wood’s EP record, The Burning Bright, has been said to capture his truest, most confident musical voice even as it chronicles an extraordinary year of tumult, travel and personal discovery. With a record so personal, and a product of multiple worlds, the anticipation of tomorrows release is high.

The Burning Bright is available now at MapleMusic.com.

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