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Tag archive: London Music Office (4)

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The Unison Fund, the Canadian Live Music Association and Music Canada Welcome Direct Funding from the Province of Ontario

March 12th, 2021, Ottawa: The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA), and Music Canada welcome support received from Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries with today’s announcement of funding for the Unison Fund, Canada’s music industry charity and the CLMA, in support of the broader music community. 

$2M to the Unison Fund
Funding to Unison will provide much-needed emergency assistance to artists, creators, and industry from local communities across Ontario. Artists and the broader live music ecology have been deeply impacted, and this vital support to Unison comes at a time when it is desperately needed. 

“We sincerely thank Minister MacLeod and the Government of Ontario for their support and acknowledgement of the Unison Fund and the crucial and very necessary role the organization plays in providing critical assistance to vulnerable members of our music community in times of crisis. In March 2020, Unison, began the largest relief effort in our history and while we are no stranger to helping people during difficult times, truly nothing has reached the scope of the last twelve months. The investment will go a long way toward directly supporting those in the Ontario music community with the greatest need, as the urgency for assistance remains high,”  said Amanda Power, Executive Director, Unison Fund.

“As a provider of both emergency support and 24/7 free mental health counselling for the entire music industry, Unison has had and will continue to have a crucial role in making sure no one in our community falls through the cracks,” said Miranda Mulholland, artist and chair of Music Canada’s Advisory Council.

$500k to the CLMA for Province-Wide Music Cities Framework Development
The CLMA has been working tirelessly since the beginning of the crisis to save cultural infrastructure and protect jobs, seeking ways for the industry at large to not only recover from the devastating blow COVID has dealt, but to ultimately return, bigger and stronger than ever.  Many continue to face a staggering 92% average revenue loss within the industry, and 64% say they are at risk of permanent closure. Today’s announcement creates the opportunity for the association to take additional action for, and on behalf of, live music’s collective future: 

“It has been a year, and it isn’t over, something our Minister recognizes. Minister MacLeod also understands that supporting the business of live music is essential so our industry can get back to doing what they do best: creating exponential economic, social and cultural impact for artists, communities and tourism. We were just beginning to harness the true power of live music when COVID struck,” said Erin Benjamin, President & CEO of the CLMA. “With this support we will be able to take all that we have learned and continue to entrench the value our members bring to cities, towns and neighbourhoods across the province through the Music Cities lens.” 

Music Canada’s ‘Music Cities’ framework will provide a proven model to help support communities across the province better leverage their own local live music assets. Designed with world-renowned research that identifies key strategies large and small cities have used to grow their music economies, plans will be implemented to guide the development of local policy and bylaws, and community support that focuses on artists, venues and festivals, the wider supply chain and tourism. 

“A strong, healthy music industry can generate diverse benefits for a community including economic growth, job creation, increased spending, greater tax revenues, and cultural health. Our Music Cities framework has helped communities achieve this success,” said Patrick Rogers, CEO of Music Canada. “Recent research conducted by Music Canada shows that Canadians view live music venues as economic and cultural lifelines within their communities, and they understand that the pandemic will have severe impacts on the long-term viability of the live music sector which affects Canadian culture in the long run. This announcement of support from the provincial government is timely, and necessary support.”

Aimed at bridging the gap to bring the live music sector out of the pandemic, CLMA and Music Canada will seek to explore and recommend initiatives for towns and cities across the province along several categories. These include:

  • Advancing policies that support music and musicians, 
  • Expanding music offices and music Advisory Boards across the province, 
  • Developing initiatives that engage a broader community, 
  • Furthering programs that provide access to music spaces, 
  • Developing audience retention strategies for when it is safe to return to venues, festivals and music spaces, 
  • Nurturing and leveraging strategic relationships with the tourism, business and other key sectors to align and advance rebuild and recovery efforts.

“As our experience in London has demonstrated, music can bring enormous value to the economic and social fabric of a community. The Ontario Government’s financial commitment to live music will create opportunities for artists, reinvigorate venues, delight audiences and will allow us all to revive live,” said Cory Crossman, Music Industry Development Officer, London Music Office.

Additionally, the CLMA and Music Canada will work with a range of organizations within the music community to ensure that our shared commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion remain at the forefront.

For more information on the announcement from Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries please click here.

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About Unison Benevolent Fund
Unison Fund, Canada’s music industry charity, provides counselling and emergency relief services to the Canadian music community in times of hardship or difficulties. For over a decade, Unison has been committed to helping producers, engineers, singers/songwriters, musicians, production crews, and thousands more through our financial assistance and counselling and health solutions programs. For more information, please visit: www.unisonfund.ca. If you can, PLEASE make a donation by visiting www.unisonfund.ca or text the word ‘UNISON’ to 45678 and follow the prompts to donate $10, $20, or $25.  Every donation counts.  Every donation helps.  Let’s keep Canadian music and entertainment ALIVE.

About The Canadian Live Music Association
The Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA) is the voice of Canada’s live music industry. Established in response to an identified need in the live music industry, the CLMA represents venues, clubs, concert promoters, festivals, talent agencies, arenas, performing arts centres, industry associations and networks, as well as suppliers to the sector. Its mission is to entrench the economic, social and cultural value of live music – creating the conditions for concerts to thrive, from coast to coast to coast.

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.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Charlotte Thompson, Red Umbrella P.R.
Unison Fund
charlotte@redumbrellapr.com

Erin Benjamin
Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA)
ebenjamin@canadianlivemusic.ca
(613) 769-5559

Erica Meekes, Music Canada
emeekes@musiccanada.com / (416) 462-1485

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Playback 2017: Music Canada President’s Award presented to Cory Crossman and Chris Campbell

The Music Canada President’s Award is presented to an individual working outside the music community who displays a deep passion for music and the people who make it.

The recent past has been filled with many firsts and milestones for music in London, Ontario. The city hosted an incredibly successful Country Music Week and the CCMA Awards in September 2016; completed its first ever music census; has taken steps to modernize noise bylaws for music and dancing on outdoor patios; and on November 17, will host its first Music Career Day. Credit for these outstanding accomplishments is due not only to one individual, but two passionate community leaders.

At Playback 2017, Music Canada’s annual industry dialogue and celebration, London’s Music Industry Development Officer, Cory Crossman, and Chris Campbell, Director of Culture and Entertainment Tourism at Tourism London, were both presented with the 2017 President’s Award for their incredible commitment to making London a Music City.

The first ever President’s Award was presented to Mark Garner, Executive Director of Downtown Yonge BIA in 2015.

Watch below as Chris Campbell and Cory Crossman accept their awards, presented by Music Canada’s President and CEO, Graham Henderson.

News of the award presentation received cheers and praise on social media.

https://twitter.com/_woodbethany/status/920702993896321024

Below is a selection of photos from the award presentation.

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London, Ontario, completes first ever music census

The London Music Census is a first-of-its-kind study of London, Ontario’s music industry. The census originated with the London Music Office, and seeks to further the city’s understanding of the assets that make up the city’s music sector. The census has identified both barriers to prosperity and potential areas for future growth of London’s music sector.

The census was successful in shaping a deeper understanding of the state of London’s live music sector. The results revealed that the city’s music industry is concentrated in the realm of popular music, that there exists a wide variety of music businesses in the city, and that, interestingly, few music businesses are applying for government grants. Several key statistics emerged from the London Music Census, including:

  • London is a hub for emerging talent with 875 students studying music at post-secondary institutions;
  • The live music sector is growing with 4,620 music events held in 2015 and new festivals introduced in 2016;
  • London has a diverse mix of venues which includes 52 live music venues, with total seating capacity of 57,000;
  • Nearly half (44.7%) of musicians surveyed are strictly performing original music; and,
  • Over $ 7 million dollars earned in royalties by 1,203 music writers and publishers in London (2015)

London has made serious efforts in the past few years to support its local music community. This particular initiative is part of the London Music Strategy, which was released in August 2014, and also supports the city council’s 2015-19 Strategic Plan, which includes strong language calling for the strengthening of economic growth in the city’s cultural sector, the support of cultural programming, and celebrating and promoting culture.

“The London Music Strategy is a key part of growing our economy and promoting culture in London through our Strategic Plan,” said Mayor Matt Brown. “The results from the London Music Census will give us a detailed look at how we can cultivate and support London’s already eclectic and thriving music scene.”

The census, which obtained over 1,500 responses, took place over the summer of 2016. The survey, which was posted on the music office’s website, was broken up into five categories: Musicians, Venues, Festival/Event Organizations, Music Industry, and Music Fans.

“The London Music Census provided an opportunity to understand our advantages, issues, and gaps faced by the growing local music industry in London,” said Cory Crossman, London’s Music Industry Development Officer. “Through community and industry support we collected a database of assets and baseline figures for future analysis and measurement.”

To read more about the London Music Census, see the article on the London Music Office website.

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London City Council to consider two motions aimed at making the Forest City more music-friendly

Next week, City Council in London, Ontario, will consider two motions aimed at encouraging more music in the downtown core. The motions support the development of the London Music Strategy, which was unanimously supported by Council in 2014 with the goal of building London as a live music city and music tourist attraction. The Strategy has made major strides in recent years with the hiring of Cory Crossman, London’s first Music Industry Development Officer, and the subsequent launch of the London Music Office. The Office recently launched the London Music Census, which will assess London’s music assets as well as barriers to growth.

The first music motion before council would allow a temporary exemption of a by-law contained in the City of London Special Events and Procedures – Section 13, which states that amplified music cannot go later than 11pm, with a 15 minute grace period. The motion, put forward by Tourism London, asks Council to allow shows on September 8, 9, and 10, to go later than 11pm but no later than 1am. This would permit outdoor events during Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Association Awards, which London will host for the first time this fall. The pair of events are expected to directly benefit the local economy with the booking of approximately 2,000 hotel room nights and an anticipated economic impact of $6-8 million dollars. The motion was supported by London’s Community and Protective Services Committee on July 18th.

The second music motion before council is File Z-8625, a pilot project which temporarily amends Zoning By-law Z-1 to permit amplified music and dancing on existing patios in the Downtown Business Improvement Area and the Old East Village. The temporary amendment would run from August 1 to September 30, 2016. The motion was brought forward by the London Music Office, via the Culture Office, and was supported by the London Planning and Environment Committee last month.

“London is a diverse and eclectic music community that houses many great venues. Current by-law restricts amplified entertainment on commercial patios whether that is a radio, TV or musician singing,” said Cory Crossman, London’s Music Industry Development Officer. “To best serve the community, the Music Office wishes to launch a pilot project focused on establishing best practices to work forward from. This project is temporary and focused on creating practical solutions for amplified music on patios at restaurants, bars and dedicated venues.”

Music Canada research has shown that seemingly minor adjustments to municipal policies can paid major dividends in the growth of a city’s music scene. The Mastering of a Music City, which identifies best practices for growing a city’s music scene, cites an example from the State of New South Wales, which eliminated a special license needed by venues to host live music in 2009. Music-friendly policies allow music and culture to flourish in downtown areas. Creating a vibrant music scene not only brings economic benefits in the form of business activity and tourism, it adds a ‘cool’ factor to a city that can accelerate other benefits such as attracting and retaining investment and talent. For example, Montreal has invested heavily in its cultural district, the Quartier des Spectacles, which hosts over 30 venues and even more festivals, which, according to officials with the city of Montreal’s cultural office, has increased the quality of life for those living and working there.

The two motions before Council are indicative of the continued growth of the London Music Strategy, and a sign that the London Music Office, Tourism London, and the London Arts Council are committed ensuring the Forest City is a music-friendly city.

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