Polygraph studio created this great timeline of every top 5 song, from 1956 – 2016, so we can stop arguing about when music was still good.
I’ll be speaking about social media at the R2I Spring Tune Up Conference
The R2I Spring Tune Up Conference, presented by Slaight Music, will take place from Saturday May 28 until Sunday May 29 at the Edward Village Hotel Markham (50 East Valhalla Dr).
The conference will feature knowledgeable panelists and keynote speakers. All panels and workshops are interactive to ensure delegates can connect with key members of the music industry. This conference, while focused on country music, will be relevant to many genres of music. I’ll be speaking on the social media panel on Saturday, May 28th at 2:45pm with my good pal Alan Mamaril moderating.
For full schedule and panel details click here.
Two day conference passes are priced at $75.00 plus processing fee and HST.
M For Montreal Submissions Close May 15, 2016
The Call for Submissions for the 11th edition of M For Montreal, taking place from November 16-19, 2016, are now open to local and international artists! Artists will get the opportunity to play in front of more than 200 music industry professionals from 20+ countries.
An administration fee of $40 CAD is required for each submission and guarantees that your submission will be considered by the programming committee.
The deadline to apply for this opportunity is Sunday, May 15, 2016.
Why Songbirds Choose To Sing At Sunrise
You’re having a dream, and for some reason that giant rabbit that’s about to eat you starts to sing like a bird. You wake up to find that birds are singing outside your window! Check out this SciShow Quick Question to find out why those birds sing in the morning, as opposed to, say, in the afternoon or at night.
Scientists call this phenomenon the dawn chorus, and they think it has to do with clarity of the sound. When the sun rises, it heats the ground and, in turn, the air. As the day goes on, the warm air rises, mixes with layers of cool air, and creates atmospheric turbulence, lots of pockets of air molecules moving around at different speeds. This turbulence interferes with the birdsong broadcast, making the sound less clear. Since male songbirds of the same species can sing slightly different versions of the same song, clarity is key, if a guy wants to set himself apart from the others and make sure he reaches the ladies. And it’s easiest to send a clear, complex message in the morning, when there’s not much atmospheric turbulence. Plus, singing in the morning means that a male songbird not only survived the night, but he has the time and energy to sit and sing, instead of foraging for breakfast right away.
Life In 4K With The Toronto Blue Jays
There are three things you can’t touch.
This.
…The Toronto Blue Jays baseball team led by this guy.
…and what Rogers and Samsung has been able to do with your television viewing opportunities.
All the time when the Toronto Blue Jays were writing their historic season last year ending with the Jays only 90 feet away from a tie, to later fall 4-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series to lose the series, four games to two, Samsung was putting the finishing touches on making their viewing experience even more heart-pounding, if that was even possible.
Baseball to me isn’t just a game, just like music isn’t just a medium of sound and silence. Basebal is an event with a heart, a life force, a profound spirituality and a vital part of my life. As a lover of the Jays, I enjoy going to the Rogers Centre where I can relax, have some peanuts and hot dogs and possibly be yelled at from the people around me for singing OK Blue Jays, Let’s Play Ball a little too off-key. “You were great, Dad!” my daughter would say, trying to be nice. “During some of the singing, I could see dogs perking up without anyone else hearing that really high note!”
And then I would spend an average of 96 minutes- more than half the game – just looking for Rush’s Geddy Lee sitting behind home plate.
The way I got into the Jays was like any other kid in Toronto in the ’70s. First, watching them play at Exhibition Stadium, where I was at the first game back in April, 19777, along with 86 million other liars who claim to be there. Then, watching them throughout the year, culminating into their two World Series titles. And now, with my daughter, we get to watch them at the Rogers Centre and create those moments like I remember with my dad all those years ago – exciting, hungry, eating too much, getting sick, getting excited again, sleeping in the car on the way home. By the time morning came, I realized it was the greatest day I ever spent.
Last season’s success for the Jays caused such a great demand for tickets that the City of Toronto actually got to stop building its dream superb subway system costing billions of dollars because we put it all towards buying Jays hats, jerseys, and Rush albums on vinyl. The Jays again have a huge uptick in a fan base across Canada, and around the world for the team. With sell-out after sell-out, more people are watching baseball at home in record numbers. This is where Rogers and Samsung comes in.
Actually, let’s go back about 50 years. Samsung was founded by Lee Byung-chul in 1938 as a trading company. Over the next three decades, the group diversified into areas including food processing, textiles, insurance, securities and retail. Samsung entered the electronics industry in the late 1960s by forming several electronics-related divisions, such as Samsung Electronics Devices, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Corning and Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications, and made the facility in Suwon. Its first product was a black-and-white television set.
I’ve long admired their products. Their televisions even back then were extraordinary, powerful and compelling. Today, their 55″ Samsung UN55JS8500 4K SUHD 3D Smart LED TV in the ultimate realization of a visionary project, tracking between two different worlds – the actual content and clearness of that product, and the cutting-edge online world of YouTube and social media. This more affordable 4K LED backlit offering from Samsung has some excellent features. The 8500 series has a slightly lower Clear Motion Rate, edge-lit LEDs and thus an edge lit dimming platform, lower LED peak brightness, awesome specs and new color technologies. With SUHD 4K TVs, now you can experience stunning colors, deep contrast, incredible brightness, and 4K resolution that redefines your TV viewing experience.
That means, for most people, you can go to YouTube, watch the latest videos there, and also Tweet your heart out at the same time. From your TV. This blows my mind. The above jargon is for readers who truly accept and understand this is one remarkable television. You should know that I am fine, decent and inquisitive man, but unfortunately I have barely more technical knowledge than a baked potato.
But what I do know is this: The Samsung UN55JS8500 Smart TV provides one place to enjoy content from a wide range of sources. You can easily connect the Smart TV wirelessly with your compatible smartphone for streaming and content sharing. It also lets you access your favorite program choices, live TV, video on demand, streaming sources, apps and social media in one easy-to-browse navigation experience.
In order to watch on your 4K TV, the Rogers NextBox set-top box go hand in hand. Without content (viewed through your 4K box), you’re watching on a blank screen. That’s not what you want. Sportsnet will be airing all 81 Blue Jays home games in 4K, so you have to get the Rogers NextBox set-top box. Rogers continues to expand its 4K offering throughout the year, so this is terrific news.
Watching the Blue Jays has given me a bit of a creative spark online, so I’ll be live-tweeting throughout the season fun facts about the team, score updates, player trivia and anything else I can think of with the hashtag #LifeIn4K, so you can follow along, too!
This is assuming that I ever leave my house again. Once you see it for yourself, you may never, too.
By the way, Samsung provided my new 4K TV and Rogers provided my Rogers Nextbox 4K set-top box, but as the Jays’ owners provide the players’ salaries, I’m the owner of my own words and enthusiasm here.
Thornhill’s own Dan Kanter part of Canadian Music Week (and I pay tribute to him, too)
Thornhill Liberal
By David Li
Having worked with Justin Bieber as his lead guitarist and musical director since 2009, former Thornhill resident, Dan Kanter, has been one of the key figures behind the massive international success of the former YouTube star.
So it’s fitting that the Ottawa-born Kanter will be at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel this week during Canadian Music Week as part of a panel discussing YouTube singers and cover artists.
“It’s great to see so many people from the industry coming together to speak about everything from music to social media to business,” said Kanter, who lived on Hilda Avenue in Thornhill while studying at York University more than a decade ago.
The 34-year-old adds that YouTube has been an important platform for other pop stars besides Bieber, such as Pickering native Shawn Mendes and 23-year-old American Tori Kelly.
Among the other notable speakers joining Kanter to discuss various industry related topics during Music Week will be Capitol Music Group USA Chairman and CEO, Steve Barnett, Richmond Hill social media guru and music insider Eric Alper, and Jeffrey Remedios, who is the president and CEO of Universal Music Canada — to name just a few.
Reflecting on his own incredible journey, Kanter credits his involvement with Universal Music Canada for his big break back in 2009.
“Justin was in Canada and needed someone who could play the guitar with him — not only on MuchMusic — but also someone who can step into a bigger role as a musical director and somewhat of a musical mentor. I was recommended by Universal Music because I worked closely with many of their artists,” recalled Kanter of how he first connected with the Grammy Award-winning artist.
“I met him and his team a night before a performance at MuchMusic and from the very beginning we hit it off and have been like family ever since,” Kanter said of his close relationship to Bieber, who not attended his wedding to fashion consultant Yael Latner in October of 2010; but also performed.
Kanter has some insight on what makes Bieber such an international success.
“Bottom line is his incredible talent and that’s something that is undeniable when you see him. He plays many instruments. He plays guitar, piano and drums; and he’s a great song-writer and amazing performer. From my experience working with him, he’s only gotten better and better.”
Someone who can provide insight on Kanter’s own talents is SiriusXM radio host Alper, who first met the Thornhill rock star in 2014 when he was a judge on YTV’s The Next Star.
“I’m really impressed by Dan’s ability to understand how an artist thinks; it’s not an easy job to meet an artist with the calibre and talent that Justin Bieber had as a kid and for Dan to be able to work with Justin so closely and have all that success together over the years says a lot,” he said about Kanter.
“Dan’s just an incredible overall musician and he’s been able to handle his success with charm and grace. I think a lot of that can be attributed to his background and education at York’s music program,” Alper added about his fellow York University alumni.
During his time working with the now 22-year-old Bieber, Kanter points out that there’s been many highlights, including writing music together and performing live in front of 100,000 fans.
Then there’s the two appearances on Saturday Night Live.
“The second time I got to perform on Saturday Night Live it was just the two of us; and that was really a special performance for me. Growing up that was always my mark of making it — playing on Saturday Night Live,” he pointed out with smile.
Kanter has also worked with Stevie Wonder, Shawn Mendes and Drake, to name just a few. The 34-year-old appreciates good music whether from a relative unknown act or an established performer.
“I’m a music fan first and foremost — Canadian Music Week is incredible because it has everything from performances by established acts to developing acts,” said Kanter, who adds he’s eager to take in performances by guitar legend Zakk Wylde, as well as, rising young Canadian star, Scott Helman.
Among the notable up-and-coming York Region artists performing during CMW are Vaughan’s Stuck On Planet Earth and Aurora native Stacey Kaniuk.
While YouTube and social media have been important platforms for the breakthrough success of artists such as Bieber and Mendes, Kanter is quick to highlight the importance for up-and-coming artists to put on a great live performance — and make the most out of Music Week.
“The singers and bands that I like, I liked them because they blew me away when I saw them in concert; not because I listened to their record or album in my headphones,” noted Kanter.
“So it’s really about getting out there and putting on an incredible live show and winning over fans one by one.”
Canadian Music Week runs from May 2 to 8. For more info, visit CMW.net
Lords of Synth mockumentary parodies Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, and Wendy Carlos
Adult Swim parodies ’80s keyboard gods Giorgio Moroder, Vangelis, and Wendy Carlos in a new mockumentary called Live at the Necropolis: Lords of Synth.
2,375 Prince albums from around the world are for sale. The asking price? A cool $115,135.
If you want to go even deeper with your Prince vinyl collection, you can pick up this set of 2,375 Prince albums from around the world. The asking price? A cool $115,135. (eBay)
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Nine Prince Albums Will Be Reissued On Vinyl
Warner Bros. has announced that nine Prince albums dating from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s will be reissued on vinyl. (His earlier releases have already been reissued in recent years.) The new series of reissues will start in June with Around the World in a Day and continue to the December reissue of the 1992 “Love Symbol” album.
Some of the albums in this particular batch fall in the era when CD sales took over the industry, and Warners and the other big record companies made little to no vinyl editions of the records. These new pressings will feature the albums in their original format (no bonus tracks). Here’s the full list of what’s to come:
- June 21st: “Around the World in A Day” (1985)
- July 19th: “Parade (Under the Cherry Moon soundtrack)” (1986)
- August 23rd: “Sign o’ the Times”(1987)
- September 20th: “The Black Album”(1987 recorded; 1994 released)
- October 18th: “Lovesexy” (1988) and “Batman” soundtrack (1989)
- November 22nd: “Graffiti Bridge” soundtrack (1990) and “Diamonds and Pearls” (1991)
- December 13th: “The Love Symbol” (1992)
Summer forecast promises sizzling sounds across Canada with the return of Family Channel’s Big Ticket Summer Concert series
Drumroll please! It’s the moment kids and their families have all been waiting for: Family Channel’sBig Ticket Summer Concert returns this August with seven sensational shows! A perfect way to close out the summer and a show jam-packed with performances and collaborations from the biggest Family stars, the tenacious tour runs from August 19 – August 28 making stops in Edmonton, Winnipeg, Summerside, Moncton, Halifax and Ottawa before heating up the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto. In celebration of the concert’s 5th anniversary, five stellar acts are set to ignite the stage with breakout starDaya as the concert’s headliner, and bringing together the network’s most notable performers including homegrown hit-maker Shane Harte, and talented newcomers Mckenzie Small, Josh Bogert and Aviva. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10 a.m. (local time), and for a limited time fans can take advantage of the special anniversary pricing at $20 each for selected seats. For more information, please visit Family.ca.
“The Big Ticket Summer Concert series continues to be the ultimate family entertainment experience and it’s hard to believe this is the fifth anniversary of the tour,” said Paul Cormack, Vice President, Marketing, DHX Television. “Family is known for introducing legions of fans to artists on the brink of breakouts and this year is no different. After the incredible reaction to Shane Harte on the 2015 tour, adding three new Cardinal Point Music artists to the 2016 tour was an easy decision; they’ll be an incredibly engaging lineup for our audience heading into music dynamo Daya – our main event.”
Full routing for the 2016 Big Ticket Summer Concert tour is as follows:
|
DATE |
CITY |
VENUE |
|
Friday, August 19 |
Edmonton, AB |
Winspear Centre |
|
Sunday, August 21 |
Winnipeg, MB |
Pantages Playhouse Theatre |
|
Tuesday, August 23 |
Summerside, PE |
Credit Union Place |
|
Wednesday, August 24 |
Moncton, NB |
Casino New Brunswick |
|
Thursday, August 25 |
Halifax, NS |
Scotiabank Centre |
|
Saturday, August 27 |
Ottawa, ON |
Canadian Tire Centre |
|
Sunday, August 28 |
Toronto, ON |
Molson Canadian Amphitheatre |
Offering the best in family entertainment, the highly anticipated end-of-summer event provides first time concert-goers and Big Ticket veterans alike, with an unforgettable concert experience filled with upbeat music, high-tempo dancing and everything in between. Headlining this year’s tour is 17-year-old Pittsburgh native Daya, whose multi-instrumental talent and powerhouse vocals are sure to have the crowd on their feet. The breakout star is a force to be reckoned with – her certified-platinum debut single “Hide Away” has garnered over 10 million views on YouTube and peaked at #7 on the Top 40 Canadian mediabase radio chart, and her collaboration with The Chainsmokers, titled “Don’t Let Me Down,” recently topped the list of most-Shazaam’d songs in the USA.
This year’s concert also marks the triumphant return of alternative-pop artist Shane Harte, star of Lost & Found Music Studios, whose international appeal was recently cemented with his standout performance on the international The Next Step Wild Rhythm Tour. After signing with Cardinal Point Music in 2015, Shane Harte took the Canadian music scene by storm, and his hit single “Left Standing” can be heard on radio stations across the country.
Making their touring debuts this summer are three brand new Canadian artists: Toronto songstress and lyricist Mckenzie Small,Vancouver-based pop phenomenon Josh Bogert, and soulful singer-songwriter Aviva. Mckenzie released her debut single “Caught Feelings” in late April, soon to be followed by new original tracks from both Josh and Aviva. Known for their starring roles on the popular Family Channel series Backstage, each of these emerging young stars will bring their own unique and energetic sounds to the lineup.
Of course, no Big Ticket Summer Concert would be complete without performances from stars of the network’s hit series. Each stop will include special appearances by fan-favourite cast members from fan-favourite series Backstage and The Next Step, bringing intricate and eye-popping dance routines to the stage, as well as special musical performances from the melodious Lost & Found Music Studios. Plus, this year Trevor Tordjman (“James” from The Next Step) will charm audiences with his sophisticated swagger and unique sense of humour, acting as concert host alongside Family Channel’s very own Deepa Prashad.
To commemorate the Big Ticket Summer Concert’s 5th anniversary, Family Channel is offering special anniversary-priced tickets to all seven shows. Beginning Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m. (local time) fans can visit Family.ca, to find out how to purchase their tickets. Fans will want to act fast as anniversary tickets will be available for a limited time, on a first-come, first-serve basis. A one-stop online shop for everything Big Ticket Summer Concert-related, the dedicated website also features details about the hosts and artists, offers music videos from the concert’s performers and allows fans to pre-order concert t-shirts at the online merchandise store.