JANUARY MUSIC MEETING: Manitoba Music Launches Fourth Annual Music Industry Gathering in Conjunction with Big Fun Festival, January 26-29

Industry Gathering. Heart of Canada. Middle of Winter.

Right in the middle of winter, Manitoba Music is bringing the music industry together in Winnipeg for the fourth edition of January Music Meeting (JMM), a music industry conference with a DIY ethos.

Running January 26 to 29 in Winnipeg, the event welcomes some of Canada’s top music industry pros for group sessions, discussion groups, one-on-one meetings, and networking mixers. Reps from the label, agency, management, festival, publishing, and publicity sides of the industry will converge on Winnipeg to discuss the state of Canada’s independent music industry, and provide concrete advice on how to succeed in the constantly evolving music business.

“To thrive in our sector requires great music, a strong understanding of your brand, and the industry know-how to navigate a complex business. January Music Meeting offers us a chance to connect our hardworking and innovative creative industry to national industry players, help our community stay in tune with best practices in the business, and continue to help Manitoba's artist entrepreneurs and companies make key connections, build their businesses, and stay plugged in," says Manitoba Music's executive director Sean McManus.

JMM offers Manitoba's music community a rare opportunity to network with a cross section of tastemakers and experts from across the country while connecting with local artists and industry peers. Invited panelists include: Andreas Rizek (SOCAN), Cameron Reed (Arts & Crafts), Duncan McKie and Lindsey Van De Keere (FACTOR), Joanne Setterington (Indoor Recess), Joe Clark (The Feldman Agency), Julia Train (MROC), Maud Salvi (Sled Island), Stu Anderson (Mighty Cypress Talent), Teghan Beaudette (CBC Manitoba), Vanessa Cito (Coalition Music), Vel Olmazic (Canada's Music Incubator), and Vivian Barclay (Warner/Chappell Music).

The event takes place during Big Fun, which continues to push out innovative programs of cutting edge artists, growing their audience, and promoting music discovery. The annual festival will co-host the Manitoba Music Showcase at The Good Will on January 27 featuring melody-driven pop punkish band Mulligrub, electronic artist Joanne Pollock, experimental alt-pop outfit Slow Spirit, indie pop act Micah Visser, and Saskatchewan’s Francophone indie band Ponteix.

Manitoba Music and Big Fun will also co-host a free discussion panel on Creating Safer Spaces in the Music Community on the concepts behind, and importance of, safer spaces, and the challenges in creating and maintaining them, with a focus on gender, sexual orientation, and the experiences of Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, and the people who exist at those intersections. Taking place on January 26 at Fools & Horses, the free event will be moderated by Winnipeg Free Press columnist Jen Zoratti and features panelists Alexa Potashnik (Black Space / MC Woke), artists Ashley Au and Leonard Sumner, Jodie Layne (Safer Spaces Winnipeg), Tyler Sneesby (The Good Will Social Club), and Uzoma Asagwara (QPOC).

All JMM events will take place at Manitoba Music (1-376 Donald St) unless otherwise listed. Space is limited and advance registration is strongly encouraged. For complete schedule and details, and to register, visit manitobamusic.com/jmm.

JMM is made possible by the generous support of the Province of Manitoba through Industry Services of Manitoba Jobs and the Economy, FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada and Canada's private radio broadcasters, The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, and The SOCAN Foundation.

This year’s January Music Meeting sponsors include CIMA, SOCAN, MROC, and BreakOut West.