All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Photo Gallery: An Evening with John Mayer at Toronto’s Scotiabank Arena
Photo Gallery: Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy and the Conspirators
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
Submissions Now Open: Music PEI’s Golden Ticket Program
The Golden Ticket Program was established in 2018 to assist emerging artists to develop or improve their profile. This unique program will take an artist with a new previously unreleased song through the process of recording and releasing a single. Music PEI has put together a great team for the project, headed by John MacPhee of Paper Lions.
The Golden Ticket Program is designed to assist 3 artists per year and provide product development for their art and business in the early stages of their career. Eligible artists (solo or band in all genres) must have demonstrated a commitment to their music career showing some early successes and a desire to take their career to the next level of development. Proven or established national and internationally touring artists are not eligible.
Submissions are open now and close Friday, Aug 16th at 5:00pm. Submission forms and more information can be found HERE.
Applications Open For MusicOntario’s Private Showcases At Folk Music Ontario 2019!
MusicOntario is gearing up for another year presenting our private showcase room at Folk Music Ontario (FMO) in September 2019! They welcome applications from folk artists from across Ontario and from any folk tradition. Just keep in mind that:
– You must be an Ontario-based artist to be eligible.
– MusicOntario members in good standing receive a stipend for their performance.
– Showcases are brief – 15 minutes each, with 5 minutes to change over.
– Showcases take place in suites in the host hotel, so you must have an acoustic configuration, with only light percussion permitted.
– MusicOntario will provide a sound technician and green room for performers to use.
– In order to perform, you must be registered with the Folk Music Ontario conference – head to http://www.folkmusicontario.ca for rates; the early bird sale ends July 31, 2019.
– We suggest you start exploring funding/grant opportunities ASAP if you hope to offset costs related to attending a business and showcase conference like FMO.
– A non-refundable administrative fee of $15.00 per submission is applicable if you are not a current member in good standing of MusicOntario. The discounted members-only rate is $5.00 per submission.
Submissions are now open for the SOCAN Song House at BreakOut West October 2-6th, in Whitehorse Yukon
Twelve songwriters will be selected to participate in this 2-day interactive songwriting workshop led by renowned professional songwriter Stephen “Koz” Kozmeniuk. Participants from Western Canada will be selected to participate based on their songwriting skill and will gain valuable insight into the craft of writing a hit song. This initiative aligns with SOCAN’s A&R strategy to help members with craft development reach new heights in their careers.
Songwriter participants must meet the following criteria:
· Must be a current SOCAN member
· Must be a WCMA member, or, a member of one of the six Western Canadian Music Industry Associations (Alberta Music, SaskMusic, Manitoba Music, Music BC, Music Yukon, Music NWT)
· Must be available to participate October 2-6 at BreakOut West, in Whitehorse, YK.
· Must be dedicated to taking their songwriting craft to the next level
Complete the Google Form HERE to be considered for the SOCAN Song House
SOCAN is a rights management organization that connects more than four-million music creators worldwide and more than a quarter-million businesses and individuals in Canada. More than 150,000 songwriters, composers, music publishers and visual artists are its direct members, and more than 100,000 organizations are Licensed To Play music across Canada. With a concerted use of progressive technology and unique data as well as a commitment to lead the global transformation of rights management, with wholly-owned companies Audiam and MediaNet, SOCAN is dedicated to upholding the fundamental truths that music and visual arts have value and creators and publishers deserve fair compensation for their work. For more information: www.socan.com
Apply Now: CIMA’s Biz & Showcase Mission to AmericanaFest UK 2020
This January, CIMA will be conducting their second Business and Showcase Mission to AmericanaFest UK in London. Held on January 28-30, 2020 AmericanaFestUK is a two-day conference, awards show and music festival with live Americana music from the US, Austria, Spain, Denmark, the UK and more. The day conference consists of over 200 international promoters, artists and festival owners.
As a growing genre, and one very popular in Canada, Americana (a combination of roots, blues, folk and alt country music) is an important market to expand on in the UK for the Canadian Music industry. AmericanaFest UK is keen to build the Canadian presence in the UK with a showcase and business initiative. This presents a lucrative opportunity for the vast number of Canadian music companies who represent this genre of music in Canada.
You can apply and get more details here.
Applications Now Open: CIMAs Sync Mission to Los Angeles 2019
CIMA will be staging a third mission to connect the Canadian independent music industry to sync opportunities in film, television and streaming media in the USA from November 4-7, 2019. This expanded Sync Summit for 10 Canadian music professionals will span over three-days to facilitate new relationships with American music supervisors through the Guild of Music Supervisors.
For over a decade, CIMA has targeted the Los Angeles market with individual missions for showcases and trade. Domestically (with partner CMPA), they have brought music supervisors to Toronto for their Canadian Music Café, which just celebrated its 10th year. In 2019, we will combine the above business missions with showcasing for the first time, also incorporating an inaugural songwriting workshop component with guidance from new consultants in the Guild of Music Supervisors.
Check out more details here.
Spotify Is Up, WAY Up Since Last Year
Spotify has passed 232 million monthly active users, up 29% since this time last year, including 108 million paid subscribers, up 31% year on year.
The Importance of Music In The Gaming Industry
If you’ve ever played a video game in your life, and chances are, you most probably have- then you cannot deny that each and every single game that stuck with you, could be associated with the music that played in the background. A game is incomplete if it doesn’t have a soundtrack to it. The music gives the scenes and action that extra dimension that makes it more dramatic or fun or intense. Music basically gives character and sets the mood, drawing you into the game and getting you in the mood. But to really grasp the depth and value of the role that music has to play in the gaming industry, let’s really look into the factors that explain its importance.
What’s So Special About Music
It really doesn’t need much of an introduction. Even before people started to talk to the big screen, silent movies showed their wide range of emotions within the scenes using music, and it’s something that has continued to do so up to the present day. The same thing applies to video games. It expands into all kinds of gaming as well, casinos always have music accompanying their slot games, for example, and this too applies to slot games online as well. If you visit Temple Slots, or any other online slot game. You will notice that every slot has a theme, and each theme has its own music to accompany it to get you into the mood and actually feel the theme they are trying to portray as you play. Video games of every genre has its own soundtrack that makes it unique and memorable. Different scenes and levels and their intensity is expressed through what kind of music is played and there’s no denying that you become immersed solely by hearing that music as you play your game.
Playing Around With The Options
The best thing about gaming, and what really makes it stand out from movies for example, is that there is much more interactivity. Take shooting games for instance. As you move from room to room, or from one level or area to the next, the music that plays keeps you moving and lets you know if there’s possible danger coming up. If you’re about to die, there’s something sinister about the music and it gives you a sense of urgency. Another dimension that was added into games such as GTA is that you even get to choose what kind of music you want to hear. Car games usually have the most eclectic mix of music and are probably the reason many of us got introduced to different genres and new music that probably stuck with us for years to come.
How The Gaming & Music Industry Work Together
There’s an aspect that is often overlooked, and it is the importance of both industries coming together. You’ll find that many artists have a large portion of their fans have come from the gaming industry if they’ve heard their music playing a video game. And the opposite effect works as well. If you hear a song that you’re familiar with, it will probably remind you of the given game that had that particular song playing in the background.
A Marriage Made In Gaming Heaven
Can you imagine playing your favorite game without the music playing? Even classics such as Mario is identified by its timeless theme music. Fighting games get all the more intense because of the music that sets the mood, and careers have been driven to much greater heights because of the exposure they have gotten through the gaming industry. So remember, the next time you’re playing a video game, pay attention to the music! It’ll transport you to that world as if you were actually there.
Photo Gallery: Sarah McLachlan at Toronto’s Budweiser Stage
All photos by Mini’s Memories. You can contact her at minismemories@hotmail.com
