Join us for a free 2-part roundtable panel discussion facilitated by The Breaking Down Racial Barriers (BDRB) initiative on anti-Black racism in British Columbia’s music and entertainment industry on September 14th and 21st!
Initiated, curated and coordinated by Canadian music and entertainment community mainstays Ian Andre Espinet and David “Click” Cox, BDRB discussions are CENTRED in the voices and lived experiences of working Black music professionals. To build an inclusive, economically viable Canadian music and entertainment industry, it is critical to address the anti-Black racism that exists in the systems and working environments within which Black music professionals and creatives operate.
September 14th Speakers: Buk Nkosi – Founder, Chaos Club Digital & Holdr Johnny Black – Talent Buyer, Timbre Concerts Mavis Harris – Founder & Publicist, Nice Marmot PR Teon Gibbs – Artist, Label Owner, Culture Con Director
Register for FREE at the link below to attend these virtual panels.
The series is presented by Music BC and supported by BreakOut West, CIMA and ADVANCE, Canada’s new Black Music Business Collective. Thank you to Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, FACTOR and the Government of Canada for making this series possible.
“BRING YOUR IN-STUDIO PERFORMANCE TO THE STAGE” IS NOW LIVE!
An exciting new Jumpstart Module is now live, and free to access via registration through the Jumpstart Foundations portal.
Grant Zubritsky is a musician, music director, and producer that splits time between Los Angeles and Vancouver, BC. Touring has taken him to 35 countries on 5 continents, as well as national TV and radio performances. Around 2014, Grant began working as a music director, putting together comprehensive and captivating live shows, showcasing a band or artist’s vision. These dynamic performances and tours have been in small clubs, theaters, and arenas alike. As an instrumentalist and producer, Grant has recorded and performed on 40+ albums, EPs, and singles as well as composed music for short videos and podcasts.
Some of the artists Grant has worked with include: Mitski, Chet Faker, Tegan & Sara, Dua Lipa, Nina Persson (of The Cardigans), Maggie Rogers, Lorde, Bebe Rexha, & K. Flay, among others.
This session offers an introduction to key strategies and real-world examples of how to apply the magic of “music direction” to their own live performances. The goal of this module is to help the audience build a ‘toolbox’ to draw from when creating their live shows, crafting set lists, and creating the most authentic live representation of their music possible.
Thank you to Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia for helping make this program possible.
We are just about two full days into our second-ever ARC Retreat in picturesque Princeton, BC, and so far our cohort has attended producer panels, participated in songwriting speedrounds, wellness workshops, vocal coaching lessons, and branding sessions and photoshoots. They have spent their evenings hard at work in the studio’s on-site, and have been able to explore this beautiful property in their downtime and get inspired.
Thank you to the wonderful folks at Rockridge Canyon for hosting our 2023 ARC artists, faculty, and Music BC team. This is the perfect backdrop for our cohort to unplug, learn, create and grow!
Follow along with ARC to see real-time photo updates and daily video recaps, as well as updates on 2022 & 2023 artists and alumni!
ARC is made possible through the ongoing support of FACTOR, Creative BC and the Province of British Columbia, and Stingray.
VANCOUVER MURAL FEST IS HIRING VMF is seeking a full time Project Manager & Associate Curator. This is an integral role in stewarding the lifecycle of core VMF Agency creative projects, the flagship summer festival – Vancouver Mural Festival, and other smaller strategic initiatives as required. You will be responsible to work with clients and artists for scoping, planning, overseeing, and leading mural projects, from ideation through to completion. MORE INFO
APPLY FOR WOMEN IN MUSIC CANADA 2023 ENTREPRENEUR ACCELERATOR Women in Music is launching the third annual Entrepreneur Accelerator program, focused on supporting the next wave of female and gender diverse Canadian music industry leaders. Each participant will be paired with a professional mentor throughout the program, matched based on the participants’ individual goals and intensions for the program. Submission Deadline: August 25th, 2023 MORE INFO
APPLY TO PLAY CANADA HOUSE AT UK AMERICANA MUSIC WEEK This January, CIMA will return to Hackney for the 2024 edition of UK Americana Music Week taking place from January 22-25. Canadian businesses and artists in attendance will get the chance to showcase their artists in front of Americana buyers and industry and have one-on-one meetings with UK industry. Submission Deadline: August 25th, 2023 MORE INFO
APPLY FOR ADVANCE CANADA’S BLACK ADVANCEMENT GRANT ADVANCE, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, in partnership with The City of Toronto and The Slaight Family Foundation, announces the launch of The B.A.G. (Black ADVANCEment Grant), which will inject over $200,000 into Canada’s Black-owned for- profit and non-for-profit businesses. ADVANCE funds are meant to financially assist Black-owned business professionals and entrepreneurs that support the music ecosystem at large. Submission Deadline: September 18th, 2023 MORE INFO
ARC is an accelerator program highlighting, nurturing and sending into orbit the exciting, diverse voices that beat in BC 💫
Rising Canadian singer-songwriter uses music as a “universal language” 2022 ARC Alumni, Matt Storm, was recently interviewed in the Daily Hive. “My recent tour in Slovakia was the most amazing experience,” Storm told Daily Hive in an email. “To be able to have that connection with people through music, who a lot of the time didn’t speak much English, felt like such a privilege. It’s times like that when you understand this universal language that is music.” – READ MORE
Mikey Jose’s “Study Break Tour” Continues in Tokyo 2022 ARC Alumni, Mikey Jose, is set to perform in Shibuya, Tokyo on Sunday, August 27th as part of his summer “I’m On a Study Break Tour”. Follow Mikey on Instagram for more tour updates as they come! – LEARN MORE
INDUSTRY NEWS
Helm Studio Breaks Down Barriers Music has always been a significant part of Josh Eastman’s life. But after going to university to study jazz and later becoming a music teacher, he began to notice that his beloved industry felt exclusionary. – READ MORE
Now Hear This: B.C.’s Karan Aujla Releases Warner Music Canada/Warner Music India Debut Already well-established on the global Punjabi music scene since 2014, the musician born Jaskaran Singh “Karan” Aujla enjoys 7.5 million monthly Spotify listeners and almost 6 million Instagram followers who all love his mix of traditional lyricism and poetry placed aside contemporary pop production. – READ MORE
‘Dolby Atmos is Not Just a Gimmick. Music in 3D Has the Potential to Replace Stereo.’ Stereo, which delivers audio from two channels to mainly create a left or right-directional sense of where the music is being played from, replaced Mono as the dominant format around the late sixties to early seventies. –READ MORE
‘You Can Try to Fight it or Adapt’: How Canadian Musicians Are Responding to AI’s Rapid Advancements In May, Australian-born, Los Angeles-based DJ and producer Kito released “Cold Touch,” a two-minute electronic track that packs a melodic punch over a propulsive metallic beat.– READ MORE
Youtube Launches AI Music Principles; AI Incubator in Partnership With Universal YouTube has published a set of AI music principles and launched a new AI initiative with co-signs from artists, songwriters, and producers from Universal Music Group.– READ MORE
Anghami Scores $5 Million Strategic Investment from Riyadh-Based Media Company SRMG Riyadh-based Saudi Research and Media Group (SRMG) revealed the multimillion-dollar transaction, the result of its third overall investment, via a formal release that was emailed to Digital Music News. – READ MORE
SPOTLIGHT OF THE WEEK
Island-born, mainland-raised, for Vancouver-based artist NIGHT BEGINS, the passion pours forth. Born out of after-hours clubs, morning sunrises, and a never ending love of art, this DJ & producer has always known music was the one thing he was put on this planet to do.
Attending Nimbus School of Recording & Media in 2017, he began his musical journey under the expert tutelage of industry professionals and artists alike. Honing his craft ever since, NIGHT BEGINS takes constant inspiration from the likes of ZHU, Fred Again, and Eli Brown.
Fusing moody & atmospheric melodies with driving, danceable basslines, NIGHT BEGINS creates a sound uniquely his own. One that’s just as comfortable drifting through a speaker at the beach, or pumping through a club system. While achieving his own musical vision is important, he finds equal joy in building with others.
Giving a voice to emerging musicians with his “Local Artist Spotlight” content series, it’s NIGHT BEGINS’ goal to build, create, and grow with as many like minded individuals as possible.
FACTOR:Live Performance, Industry Events, Collective Initiatives – Showcase Production for Artists from Official Language Minority, Collective Initiatives – Showcase Production for Export-Ready Artists, Comprehensive Artist, Comprehensive Music Company, Business Travel, Marketing & Promo for Non-FACTOR Funded Sound Recordings, Songwriter Development, Sponsorship, Video
SOCAN:Travel Assistance, Professional Development Assistance, SOCAN Foundation Relief Fund
Canada Council:Travel, Residencies, Professional Development for Artists, Research and Creation
This project is funded in part by FACTOR, the Government of Canada and Canada’s private radio broadcasters. Ce projet est financé en partie par FACTOR, le gouvernement du Canada et les radiodiffuseurs privés du Canada.
