CM News

18th Annual NXNE Now Open For Submissions

2011-09-02

Submissions for the 18th annual edition of the NXNE Music and Film Festival, taking place June 11-17, 2012 in Toronto, are now open. Submissions will be accepted online only at www.nxne.com until January 31, 2012.

CIRAA Expands Groundbreaker Grant Program

2011-09-01

The Canadian Independent Recording Artists’ Association (CIRAA) has announced that Montreal-based Bandzoogle, the rapidly growing band website platform, has signed on as a sponsor of the CIRAA Groundbreaker grant program.

ECMA 2012 Award & Showcase Submissions Now Open

2011-08-24

Award and showcase submissions for 2012 East Coast Music Week being held in Moncton, NB April 11-15, are now open. The East Music Association (ECMA) is once again be continuing its partnership with Sonicbids this year. Submissions can be made through http://www.sonicbids.com/ecma/. Deadline for all submissions is Tuesday, October 4th, 2011.

Stuttering To The Top Of The Charts

2011-08-11

The Stuttering Foundation, a nonprofit organization helping people who stutter since 1947, has recognized the song “You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet”, a 1974 number one hit by Bachman-Turner Overdrive, as being the most unique of the many rock songs featuring stuttering vocals.

SOCAN Members To Receive Highest Ever Royalties In August 2011

2011-08-10

Eric Baptiste, CEO of SOCAN, has announced that the next quarterly payment of royalties to SOCAN members, which will occur in August 2011, will reach a record high at $75 million, including $47 million based on established tariffs plus a special distribution of $28 million in arrears for radio performances between 2003 and 2010. The special distribution is due to additional revenues resulting from the resolution of litigation related to Tariff 1A (Commercial Radio).

HoneyJam 2011 Showcase Happening August 11

2011-08-09

Honey Jam, Toronto's annual all-female, multi-genre artist showcase presented by PhemPhat, is happening this Thursday, August 11, 2011 at Toronto's Mod Club Theatre.

Celebrating its "Sweet 16th" birthday of supporting Canadian female artists this year, the Honey Jam showcase will be hosted by MuchMusic's Sarah Taylor and feature DJs MelBoogie and Tasha Rozez along with the previously-announced showcasing performers.

SXSW 2012 Accepting Showcase Applications

2011-08-08

The 2012 edition of the SXSW Music and Media Conference and Festival is now accepting showcase applications. Taking place March 13-18, 2012 in Austin, TX, the 26th edition of SXSW features a keynote address, panels, interviews, workshops, mentor sessions, peer meetings, a trade show spanning the music, interactive, and film industries, the Music Gear Expo, and official SXSW day parties.

Reunion Blues Spread-The-Word Sweepstakes Contest

2011-07-29

Currently underway is the Reunion Blues Spread-the-Word Sweepstakes contest providing a chance to win a 3-tier prize packages that grows as the entries increase!

Toronto Independent Music Awards Now Accepting Submissions

2011-07-28

The Toronto Independent Music Awards is now accepting submissions and has announced some changes for the 2011/12 season. First, the show—initially held annually—is moving to a bi-annual schedule, with the next awards event scheduled for August 2012.

The TIMAs Best Live competition component, the Home and Native Sound Showcase Series (HNSS), will span the two-year period in between shows. The TIMAs is now accepting submissions for Season 3 of Home and Native Sound. Apply here: http://homeandnativesound.com/entry/

$100,000 in Grants Available for LA Music Academy Bass Department

2011-07-27

LA Music Academy is offering $100,000 in institutional grants to qualified applicants for the school's bass department. Bass players interested in attending school for the Fall 2011 semester, which kicks off October 3, 2011, have until August 15th to turn in applications. Canadians are eligible.

Music Books Plus Launches New Website

2011-07-22

Music Books Plus is pleased to announce the launch of its new website at www.musicbooksplus.com.

Music Books Plus is an international distributor of books, DVDs, and software on music, pro audio, lighting, video, broadcast, multimedia, and business shipping to over 80 countries.

National Youth Orchestra Canada Embarks On Its 2011 Summer Concert Series

2011-07-20

The National Youth Orchestra Canada (NYOC) begins its 2011 Summer Concert Series on July 21, 2011 in London, ON with a two-hour set of the music masters Strauss, Mahler, Tchaikovsky, and Shostakovich.

Country Music Week & Awards Heads West For 2013 & 2014

2011-07-19

Edmonton, AB will host Country Music Week and the Canadian Country Music Awards in both 2013 and 2014. The announcement was made by Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Executive Director Don Green, who praised the city’s previous support and execution of the national event.

Economic Impact Of East Coast Music Week Totals Nearly 2.5 Million

2011-07-19

Tourists attending the 2011 East Coast Music Week in Charlottetown injected more than $2.4 million into the Prince Edward Island economy, according to an economic impact study commissioned by the East Coast Music Association (ECMA), with assistance from the Province of Prince Edward Island and the Department of Canadian Heritage under the Federal Provincial Territorial Tourism Initiative.

During ECMA’s East Coast Music Week 2011, the Dunne Group conducted data collection and generated an estimate of the economic impact of non-resident visitor expenditures over four days between April 13 and 17, 2011.

Metalworks Institute Presents Drum Day

2011-07-18

Metalworks Institute (MWI) will present Drum Day, this Sunday, July 24 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at the institutes Mississauga campus. The free event will be hosted by MWI’s Music Performance & Technology Program Director Mark Homer and will feature clinics and performances by a series of drummers, including:

ONErpm Launches Facebook App To Help Musicians Connect With & Sell Music To Fans

2011-07-12

ONErpm.com has announced the debut of its Facebook App, ONErpm, a social commerce application enabling musicians and labels to market and sell their music globally to fans right from their Facebook page. Artists can sell by territory, set pricing tiers, and offer free downloads in exchange for an email addresses. ONErpm also supports multiple currencies and languages including English, Portuguese, and Spanish.

TC-Helicon Announce Gone Loopy Competition

2011-07-11

Calling all loppers! TC-Helicon have announced a new contest. Simply post a YouTube video of yourself performing a song incorporating vocal looping on the company’s VoiceLive Touch, VoiceLive 2, or VoiceJam app.

Album Sales Up For First Time In Six Years

2011-07-07

According to a recent report from Nielsen SoundScan, total album sales, a figure that includes CDs, digital albums, LPs, and other media, increased 1 per cent in the first six months of 2011 over the same period last year.
The gain is not much, but a significant improvement over double-digit percentage drops that have become the norm over the last decade.

Breaking Muse Musical Art Auction To Raise Funds For Friends Of Music Therapy

2011-07-05

Breaking Muse will be holding a fundraiser for Friends of Music Therapy on Thursday, July 7 at the Hideout, located at 484 Queen St. W, Toronto. Breaking Muse is a musical art auction that will showcase visual artists and some of Ontario’s up and coming indie musicians, including: Mrs. Johnston, The Ascot Royals, and Will Conquer.

Cosmo Music & CPDJA Presents Sounds Day 2011

2011-06-29

Cosmo Music in Richmond Hill, ON in conjunction with the Canadian Professional Disc Jockey Association (CPDJA) will be hosting Sounds Day, a free event on Sunday, July 10, 2011 that will provide training and various product demonstrations.

Guitar Workshop Plus Adds Steve Vai To Guest Artist Line-Up

2011-06-23

Guitar Workshop Plus has announced that Steve Vai has been added to its guest artist line-up for 2011. Attendees will spend time in the company of the legendary guitarist, including a clinic, question and answer period, and meet and greet.

New Organization To Support Canadian Bluegrass

2011-06-20

Canada now has a nation-wide bluegrass organization. The Bluegrass Music Association of Central Canada (BMACC) recently underwent changes to its corporate status, creating the Bluegrass Music Association of Canada (BMAC). In the process of fulfilling their mandate, “to preserve and promote bluegrass and old-time music in Canada,” this non-profit organization, actively seeks out, promotes, and creates new opportunities, for old-time and bluegrass to be seen and heard. This includes sponsoring industry events, educational seminars, and creating brand new showcasing opportunities.

Polaris Music Prize Long List Announced

2011-06-16

The Polaris Music Prize has released its long list of the 40 Canadian artists in the running for the $30,000 prize to be handed out September 19.
The list is to go through yet another round of cuts on July 6 when the top 10 are revealed.
Arcade Fire, Neil Young, Timber Timbre, Rural Alberta Advantage, and Ron Sexsmith were among the 40 to make the list.

Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo To Hold Free Workshops

2011-06-15

As part of 2011’s Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo Festival, the Tattoo Society will be offering free workshops again this year for musicians.

Happening at the Halifax Metro Centre, Halfiax, NS, the Brass Band Workshop takes place on July 2, 2011 beginning at 10:30 a.m. The Concert Band Workshop will be held the following day on Jluy 3rd, beginning at 10 a.m.

Shania Twain To Begin Las Vegas Residency In 2012

2011-06-10

Shania Twain has confirmed her widely-speculated return to the stage and vocal spotlight with a two-year residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. The music icon will bring her biggest hits in her new show Shania: Still The One exclusively to The Colosseum beginning December 1, 2012.

Google Honours Les Paul's 96th Birthday

2011-06-09

Today would have been guitar legend Les Paul’s 96th birthday. The iconic pioneer who led the charge in solid-body electric guitar development passed away in 2009 but his name and legend live on. To commemorate this anniversary, Google’s home page features a playable “Guitar Doodle”.
Head to www.google.com and strum your own song.

Niagara Music Awards Set To Rock The Peninsula

2011-06-09

In addition to wine, fruit, and an awfully large waterfall, the Niagara Peninsula has produced some pretty spectacular talent over the years including, but not limited to such artists as: Alexisonfire, Attack In Black, Walter Ostanek, Neil Peart, Ron Sexsmith, City and Colour, and Duncan Coutts just to name a few.

In honouring the talent pool that exists in Niagara, the 3rd annual Niagara Music Awards is set to recognize the current slate of musicians hailing from and playing music in the Niagara Region and beyond.

Canada's Walk of Fame Is Looking For A Theme Song

2011-06-07

Canada’s Walk of Fame announced a new competition offering Canadians a chance to make history and help create a song for Canada.

From June 1st to July 15th, A Song For Canada is asking Canadians to describe the essence of the Canadian identity, and what makes them proud to be a Canadian, in a 250-word poem or essay. Hopefuls are also encouraged to submit a vocal or musical interpretation with their written content that may later be featured during the performance of the song (yet to be titled) when it is debuted nationally this October during the Canada’s Walk of Fame Televised Awards.

Call For Audiotions! CBC Television Is Looking For The Top Unsigned Musicians For New Television Show

2011-06-06

CBC has issued a call for online performance auditions for a major new music series, Cover Me Canada, airing this fall on CBC-TV. Unsigned musicians and groups are asked to submit their unique versions of the iconic Canadian music at www.cbc.ca/covermecanada.

Submissions Open for Canadian Music Fest 2012 Showcase Spots

2011-06-02

Submissions for showcase spots are now open for the 2012 edition of Canadian Music Fest, taking place March 21-25, 2012 at various venues throughout Toronto, ON. Here is your chance to get in front of 3000+ domestic and international industry insiders and media reps., A&R reps, music publishers, talent buyers and agents, promoters, and festival directors from 30+ countries all in one place.

Toronto's Official Musicians Swap Meet & Guitar Show

2011-05-31

Gearheads unite.
Toronto’s Official Musicians Swap, Meet, and Guitar Show, the annual gathering of vintage gear enthusiasts, is taking place Saturday, June 4, from 9-4 p.m. at the Royal Canadian Legion Hall Branch #10, at 1083 Pape Avenue, Toronto, ON.

Robbie Robertson Named Officer of the Order of Canada

2011-05-30

Last Friday, Canadian-icon Robbie Roberston was named an Officer of the Order of Canada. Best known for his work with The Band, Robertson has most recently released a solo-effort titled: How To Become Clairvoyant.