A roundup of recent blogger tips and techniques for musicians from around the web. Find out more about the importance of band branding, how often a band should play, and music conference tips for indie artists.
In 90 Seconds or Less, Canadian music industry professionals tell you how to get the most out of showcasing and shmoozing at a music Festival and Conference.
Get to know a more about Michael P Falk from Head in the Sand, Paquin Entertainment Group's Grant Paley, and Stephen Carroll from Empirical Artist Services who will be on hand for our Summer Mentor Sessions one-on-one consultation meetings May 31, June 7, and June 21.
The local experimental electropop outfit is gearing up for the release of its hotly anticipated full-length debut, Today We’re Believers, due out on June 25 via Nevado Records in Canada and Roll Call Records in the U.S.
The release date will be another benchmark in what has been a landmark year and a half for Royal Canoe, whose ranks are Matt Peters (vocals, guitar, keyboard), Bucky Driedger (vocals, guitar), Matt Schellenberg (keyboards, vocals), Brendan Berg (bass, keyboard, vocals), Derek Allard (drums), and Michael Jordan (electronic drums). Last year saw the band make major inroads, inking a management contract with Nettwerk Music and booking agency agreements with Red Ryder (U.S.), LOUD Booking (France), and Burning Eagle Booking (Germany, Austria, Switzerland).
It’s also been a creatively fulfilling period; along with putting the finishing touches on the record, the band also mounted an avant-pop interpretation of Beck’s Song Reader, an album released solely as sheet music, as part of the inaugural Pop Nuit, a new element of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s New Music Festival, curated by Schellenberg in February.
Add to that a slew of press bona fides from the likes of Exclaim!, The New York Times, Filter, and more, and you’ve got the kind of advance album buzz most bands only dream of. It’s also the kind that comes with a lot of hard work, months of grinding it out on the road and getting in front of key industry people.
Up-and-coming country songstress Ali Fontaine picked up a Native American Music Award (NAMA) over the weekend. Fontaine, who was also up for Songwriter of the Year and Best Female Artist, won for Best Country Recording for her self-titled album. A double winner at the APCMAs in 2011, she has six nominations already for her first recording.
It may be "spring" but curling is on the brain... The City Winnipeg creative team behind the Manitoba Music Rocks 2012 “Curling Tips Series” videos picked up a 2013 Signature Award in the Digital Campaign category on May 9.
The five short videos were created by the BT Winnipeg team to promote the 2012 Manitoba Music Rocks Charity Curling Bonspiel, which Manitoba Music and Manitoba Film & Music put on annually in support of the Unison Benevolent Fund. Some of Manitoba’s best-known musician curlers feature in the video. Congratulations and many thanks to Jenna Khan, who brought the idea together, writer Dwight Iwan, director Kevin McQuade, as well as John Titley and Matt Wiebe.
Huge thanks to all of the panelists and participants who were part of our MusicWorks events over the past months! Keep your eyes on your Manitoba Music eNews and manitobamusic.com in the coming months for details on future events.
A roundup of recent blogger tips and techniques for musicians from around the web. Find out more about the tools of music fan engagement, advice from music industry entrepreneurs, and networking for musicians.
England is about to get a little taste of the Canadian Prairies. Manitoba Music is teaming up with SaskMusic and Alberta Music to present The Prairie BBQ at The Great Escape (TGE) in London and Brighton next month, marking Manitoba's first trip to the music festival.
The May 18 showcase at Canada House will feature performances by Manitoba bands Royal Canoe, Del Barber, and Boats along with Saskatchewan’s Shuyler Jansen and Foam Lake and Alberta's Lab Coast and Fist City. All three Manitoba bands are also on tour in the region and are poised to break into the vital U.K. market.
A roundup of recent blogger tips and techniques for musicians from around the web. Find out more about why musicians should care about metadata, career-endangering mistakes for songwriters, and the most underrated and ovverated things in a musician's career.
We're making some changes to manitobamusic.com and aboriginalmusic.ca on Tuesday, April 30. While that's happening, you may see some functions that appear broken or just kinda weird. Stay tuned!
Manitoba is known for its music scene and for fostering new artistic talent. Two years ago, Manitoba Music and the Osborne Village Inn partnered to launch a celebration of emerging local music: New Music Wednesdays.
On the eve of the event’s second anniversary, we’re thrilled to welcome 92 CITI FM and Half Pints Brewing Co. to Manitoba Music Night, joining existing sponsors BT Winnipeg, Manitoba Film & Music, CBC Scene, and UMFM. These sponsors’ commitment to building the Manitoba music scene has helped countless artists and Manitoba Music Night couldn’t happen without their support.
The May 1 installment of Manitoba Music Night will feature an eclectic line-up, including the NMW return of acclaimed electro-pop foursome, Lost Weekend, which has been in L.A. recording a debut EP with Grammy-nominated producer Zach Heiligman (Foster the People) and recently launched a CGI video for “Let Me In” on BestNewBands.com. The lineup also features soul/roots newcomer Miss Rae and prog-rock group Urban Nomad, fresh from a win at Red River Radio’s battle of the bands.
In 90 Seconds or Less, Sonic Unyon's Tim Potocic, David 'Click' Cox from CLK Creative Works, and Pandyamonium Management's Michael Gorman explain how to make the most of a brief meeting with a music industry professional.
Manitoba Music and ACI Manitoba have teamed up once again to run a program aimed at Manitoba youth interested in careers in the music industry. Over the span of three months, the Youth Mentorship Program provided 14 students from various southern Manitoba high schools with a chance to expand their knowledge of the industry and develop their own music business skills.
The temperature may be above freezing, but that’s not the only exciting thing about today. It’s also Record Store Day, celebrated around the world as a day to appreciate the general awesomeness of independently owned record stores. Because there’s a bunch of those great, independently owned record stores right here in Manitoba, they’re going to help you celebrate by doing all sorts of things like bringing in exclusive RSD releases, selling you music for cheap, hosting draws and contests, and of course, having some in-store performances by Manitoba musicians.
Manitoba musicians are speaking out against a problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in our society: bullying.
In a short video directed by Storm The Castle Media's Jarrod Tully, Drew Kozub from BT Winnipeg and over a dozen Manitoba artists lent their voices to the cause. The hope is that it will raise awareness for the issue that makes life painful for countless and help prevent more tragic suicides.
“There seem to be more and more reports of kids killing themselves because of bullying,” said Tully. “I think it's something that needs more exposure. Just letting kids know there are places they can go for help is important because I think a lot of times they feel so isolated and don't realize how much support is out there.”
The video tackles the issue by having the musicians provide statistics and tips to help understand the problem and tell viewers how they can stop or avoid it. The video says that, according to a 2011 Ipsos-Reid survey, 25 per cent of girls and 17 per cent of boys have witnessed online harassment. One in five Canadian teens have witnessed online bullying.
“The response I got was great so I just started approaching musicians randomly who I had never met or spoken to before,” said Tully. “They were extremely supportive. I've always felt the most impactful messages come from the united voice of a community rallying together, so it was great that so many musicians were willing to stand behind the cause.”
Imaginary Cities’ vocalist Marti Sarbit said there is one thing everyone can do to help stop bullying.
“Continue speaking out against it,” said Sarbit. “Bullying should be seen as wrong and unacceptable. We need to teach kids to treat others as they want to be treated.”
The video features appearances from Sarbit, Don Amero, member od Lost Weekend, The Wailin’ Jennys, Don Amero, Keith & Renee, The Noble Thiefs, Les Jupes, The Treble, Take Me To The Pilot, and more.
For more information on anti-bullying, please visit stopabully.ca.
The spring thaw (what there is of it) is always a signal that the Junos are coming. Manitoba musicians will be making their presence felt in the Wheat Province as Canada's music awards take over Regina. Three Manitoba acts are up for coveted Juno Awards this year, including Don Amero, Burnt – Project 1, and James Ehnes. Amero, along with JP Hoe and The Treble, will hit JunoFest stages in Regina and Moose Jaw, April 19 and 20.
In 90 Seconds or Less, Rodney Murphy from SOCAN (the Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada) and MROC's (the Musicians’ Rights Organization Canada) Julia Train answer questions about performing and neighbouring rights.
After some time away to wrap up the remaining MusicWorks workshop season, here's a roundup of recent blogger tips and techniques for musicians from around the web. Find out more about making the most of a festival appearance, getting the most out of recording sessions, and creating a timeline to promote a single release.
With a few layers of snow still stubbornly on the ground, it's a pretty good time to start dreaming about the summer. The Winnipeg International Jazz Festival is doing its part to help the dream along with the unveiling of its 2013 line-up of artists.
Winnipeg’s largest downtown music festival, which runs June 13-23, will feature nearly 100 performers taking over various city stages at over 40 ticketed shows, drawing thousands of concert goers for a wide range of events spanning just about every genre, from jazz standards to R&B, hardbop to hip-hop, roots and blues to indie rock and ska, latin jazz, and just about everything in between.
This year's fest boasts over 50% Manitoba music in the clubs and theatres and on the outdoor stage. Jazz Fest kicks things off in the heart of the Exchange District with a free opening weekend at Old Market Square, June 13-16. The Cube will feature a diverse line-up, including jazz and soul on Thursday, Latin Jazz on Friday, indie rock on Saturday, and closing out with some Sunday night funk.
It's April and... there are scattered flurries in the forecast. Seems like a good time to stay inside and watch some new music videos from Manitoba artists. In the last few days alone, there have five new video releases...
Imaginary Cities' live video of new single "Chasing the Sunset" heralds the band's upcoming new release, Fall of Romance.
After three tours of eastern Canada and the U.S. and a spot at Canadian Music Week last month, indie rock outfit Salinas debuts its video (and, er, drummer) for new single, "Elation".
Crank your volume and watch this new video for "Country Culture Complex" from Juno-winning noisecore trio KEN mode, which is currently taking over the world with its latest recording, Entrech.
Indie pop act Indicator Indicator kicked off the month with the release of its new, self-directed video for "This Place is a Factory" off its self-titled debut EP.
