Saskatchewan Recording Industry Association

All styles of music are welcome, but your set must include 75%-100% original material. (Exceptions will be made for traditional jazz, traditional Aboriginal, and some worldbeat applicants).

There is a non-refundable application fee of $25.00, which is waived if one or more members of the performing group is currently a Participating SRIA member.

5 Star Productions news: RipperTrain is releasing their debut CD, "Roxvil Station House," on March 4, with parties at The Plains in Regina followed up by two weekends at the Brunswick Hotel in Moose Jaw. The band will be doing a full tour in support of the disc. CurvedWorth has introduced a new website (www.curvedworth.com) and is gearing up for the release of their debut CD. Samuel The Black Shaman has done shows in their home city of Saskatoon to promote their CD, "Quivering". The band will be having a CD release party for the Regina market on March 21 at the Exchange, along with Indifference, Linger & The Little Heidi Band.

January 31 was the big day for Morally Sound's latest album, released in Saskatoon with the help of guests Sparky.

Speaking of Sparky...they'll be releasing their debut album, "Seagullmeat" on February 28 at the Wash 'n Slosh, Saskatoon.

Prairie Sun released their first single, "Make Me Shiver" to country radio stations across Canada in mid-January. This new country rock group out of Prud'homme, Sask. are excited about the response they've received so far and look forward to continuing to promote the new single. Prairie Sun will be appearing at the 2003 Kinsmen Telemiracle (March 1-2) performing a song entitled "Angels Watching."

Regina's Despistado released their new album on February 21 at The State.

John Arcand was a recipient of a prestigious 2003 National Aboriginal Achievement

Award, the Aboriginal community's highest honour. He will accept the award on March 28 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The awards will subsequently be televised by the CBC as a national network special. Arcand, the undisputed master of the Métis fiddle, has been writing and performing since childhood. With over 250 original tunes written to date, he is recognized for ensuring this important Métis tradition survives. John has re-mastered and re-released his popular 1994 album, "Echoes of the Prairie", which is now available on CD and cassette. This recording represents John's strong commitment to old time dance music. For info, visit www.johnarcand.com.

Linda Mushka has released her new album, "Old Ghost Rising". She performs as both solo artist, and as part of a four-member harmony group, The Ruddellians. Linda will begin expanding her performances beyond her home area of Ruddell/North Battleford.

Sisters have released their single, "Look a Little Deeper", and are pleased to be nominated for Group of the Year at this year's Saskatchewan Country Music Awards.

Brad Johner to release first solo CD, "Free" - Long time country recording star Brad Johner released his first solo effort on February 11. His first album since the Johner Brothers disbanded last year, Johner says Free is a fresh, new approach for him. "It's an eclectic album with everything from poppy ballads to rock to more traditional country." Country fans had their first taste of Free in the past few months - the album's first single, "Hello", was a rockin'-country number that solidly landed in the '20s on the charts. The accompanying video rose to number 11 on CMT's Chevy Top 20 Countdown. The success of Hello also has Johner nominated for a Canadian Radio Music Award in the category of Best New Group or Solo Artist (Country). The awards will be presented in Toronto on March 1 as part of Canadian Music Week. Patricia Conroy, Steve Fox and CMT's Casey Clark make appearances on Free, as do 22,000 rowdy friends of Brad's - Rider fans who had the opportunity to sing a couple lines of "The Farmer's Back", recorded at half-time during a Riders game last June. While most of the 15 songs on Free are newly penned and recorded by Johner, the CD also includes two bonus tracks that will please long-time Johner Brother fans - "That's What Little Kids Do" and "The Last Saskatchewan Pirate", fun staples at their live shows. The next single and video to be released from Free will be its title track. The video was shot in Vancouver in early February. Johner will spend most of this year hosting CD release parties and touring in support of Free, culminating in a week long cruise aboard Holland America Cruise Lines from November 15 to 22. With ports of call in Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahamas, the cruise is available on the website for an all-inclusive price through UNIGLOBE. Up to 150 fans can sail along with Brad and see three of his shows on the ship. Brad Johner's Free is released through Royalty Records, and can also be found at www.bradjohner.com. Each "Free" CD has a unique fan identifier number - people who buy Free can log onto www.bradjohner.com to qualify for special offers

Congratulations to our regional winners in the National Songwriting Competition: Greg Hargarten for "Bi Polar" (Rock 94 Saskatoon) and Ash Jones for "Crashing Down" (Rock 94 Regina). The National Grand Prize Winner will be announced March 1 during Canadian Music Week in Toronto.

Congratulations to Saskatchewan artists showcasing at Canadian Music Week: Filmmaker (Regina), Melanie Laine (Saskatoon) and The Wheatmonkeys (Saskatoon).

CJTR is collecting donations for its 5th annual Music Garage Sale, to be held June 2003. If you have any music related items (and not limited to just CDs and LPs) you would like to donate contact 306-525-7274, or email radius@cjtr.ca. You can drop off items to the station or they can arrange to pick them up. For more info visit www.cjtr.ca.

2003 Saskatchewan Country Music Association Awards
Saskatoon (Ramada Hotel, Prairieland Park) March 21-23

For registration, tickets or info call toll free, 1-866-310-SCMA (7262) or 653-SCMA (7262).

March 21: Steak Night at Longbranch, Ramada Hotel, 6:30-8:00pm ($12). Kick-Off Party at Longbranch, 8:30-close ($5). If you are interested in jamming on Friday night, please email Melanie at melanielaine@shaw.ca so that you can be added to a list of possible jammers.

March 22: Songwriters Seminar, Ramada Hotel, 10:00-12:00pm ($10) - Steve Fox hosts with Jessica Robinson. Adult Showcases, Ramada, 1:00-3:00pm ($5). Cocktails, Prairieland Park, 4:00-5:00pm. President's Banquet/Industry Awards, 5:00-7:00pm ($25), Prairieland. Awards Show with host Rick Tippe, Prairieland, 8:00-10:00pm ($20). Cabaret, Prairieland, 10:30pm-1:30am ($10).

March 23: Gospel Brunch & Showcase, Ramada Hotel 10:00am-12:30pm ($15). Songwriters Cafe, Ramada, 1:30-3:00pm ($5). Youth Showcases, Ramada, 3:30-5:30pm ($5). Songwriters Association of Canada Seminar, Ramada, 6:00-8:00pm (free) - Bring a song for critique, with lyrics. AGM, Ramada, 6:00 pm.

Delegate Price before March 7: $75.00. After March 8: $85. Steak Night and Songwriter Seminar tickets are not included in delegate bags. Host Hotel is the Ramada Hotel and Golf Dome.

Everyone tuned in to CBC's Great Canadian Music Dream on television and Radio Two, January 29 to see Caronport's Sweetsalt perform. Now get ready to vote - polls are open February 22-26 for the grand finale of finalists to air on February 26. Go to www.cbc.ca/musicdream, where you can review the 5 finalists and vote for your favourite. Or, phone 1-900-273-3333 using your touch tone phone (you will be charged $1 per call, with profits going to the Canadian Music Therapy Trust Fund.) Votes close in time for the grand winner to be announced at the conclusion of the show.

The Refiners' Choir recently returned from performances in Montreal and New York.

CBC Radio's Roots Music Canada, spanning a range from folk to country to world music, featured an interview with zOmAa on January 4.

Songcatcher Entertainment is proud to announce that Melanie Laine has been nominated in the category of Best New Group or Solo Artist at the Canadian Radio Music Awards. Nominees include artists who have hit the Canadian charts for the first time and have achieved top airplay in different formats based on radio spins. The award will be presented at a gala luncheon on March 1 as part of Canadian Music Week in Toronto. Melanie has earned this nomination based on the astounding success of her latest single, "Jump Right In". Melanie is thrilled about the nomination and honoured to be in the company of the other four nominees, Emerson Drive, Doc Walker, Dean Tuftin, and (Saskatoon's) Brad Johner ("Hello".) Melanie will also be showcasing at CMW. For more information, visit www.melanielaine.com.

Moose Jaw's music community welcomed the announcement of a new organization called "Live Music City". Its purpose is to promote live music, (regardless of genre) in Moose Jaw, and help to publicize gigs of both local talent and out of town musicians. Watch for developments!

The Pump (Regina) will be hosting Indie Nights beginning January 28, and continuing every Tuesday. For a $300 flat fee (engineer and recording gear included), a band can book the club for the day to work on a high quality digital recording. That evening, the band puts on a show and receives all proceeds from the door. For more info contact J.J., jjvoss@sasktel.net.

Saskatchewan's newest label is Red Lightning Records. This new company will be directed toward the First Nation/Aboriginal cultural music scene (Pow Wow & Round Dance). However, they will also look at any other music genre that has Aboriginal artists. First projects will include Round Dance in preparation for the summer Pow Wow season. The motto for Red Lightning Records is, "The New Generation of Aboriginal Music."

Paige Productions successfully produced another armed forces show in December. The cast (including Saskatchewan members Stephanie Thomson, Brenda Milligan-Davis, Brett Schinbein, Lorena Kelly and Amanda Horbach and feature performers Ian Kehler, Krysta Scoggins, Heidi Michelle Thomas and Alan Frew) travelled to bases in Egypt and Israel to deliver some pre-Christmas cheer. The cast consisted of 17 personnel (musicians, singers, dancers, an actor and a comedian) gathered from Saskatchewan, Alberta and Ontario. The purpose of show tours is to improve the quality of life and morale of Canadian troops serving overseas, and provide a link to home. A large part of the duties while on tour, besides performing, is to socialize with the troops. At a Multinational Force and Observers operation near El Aryish, Egypt, the crew entertained not only Canadian military, but those from the United States, Australia, Colombia, Fiji, France, Hungary, Italy, New Zealand, Uruguay and Norway. Three performances took place at a United Nations base in Golan Heights where, in addition to Canadians, they entertained personnel from Japan, Austria, Poland and Slovakia, and a few members of the Israeli military.

Into Eternity is currently in the middle of their Canada/US tour, which will see them perform in SK, MB, AB, LI, AR, TX, NM, AZ, NV, CA, OR, WA, CO, MN, IL, WI, OH, Ny, NH, CT, NJ, VA, SC and FL over February and March. Whew!

Check out our newest National Affiliate, Mid-Ocean School of Media Arts. Central Canada's only full-time audio production training facility, located in Winnipeg. Mid-Ocean is a Registered Private Vocational School offering full-time and part-time courses. Funding available for qualifying students. For more information, visit www.midoceanschool.ca.

Moose Jaw's Maurice Richard Libby is taking advance orders for his soon-to-be-released CD, "Homemade Blues".

Dave Taylor has been producing music around the city for various acts over the past year. He will be releasing his 7th album this spring along with Dollar Store Mary's return to live performance.

Songwriter's Support Groups: What? We're working toward a province-wide network where, in each community, a group of songwriters gets together about once a month to work intensively on a song or songs submitted by someone in the group, helping with critiquing, co-writing and instruction. The setting allows for development of each writer's material and provides a consistent peer group. Groups are already running in Saskatoon, Regina, Moose Jaw and Melfort. We're especially looking for further participants to get groups established in Arcola, North Battleford and Prince Albert (and anywhere else with sufficient interest). For info, please contact coordinator Lorena Kelly, lorenakelly@accesscomm.ca.

FOR SALE: Peavey 4x12 with Sheffield speakers, excellent condition, $450. Call Chris, 306-955-5648.

For sale, Red Fender American Standard Stratocaster, Limited Edition circa 1995, it's rare because of the matching painted head stock, good condition. $800/open to offers. Contact Josh, 306-249-3437.

Wanted: young, professional drummer for Roots/R+B/rock original band, must be between the ages of 15 and 29. Call Josh at 306-249-3437, or email palmer_band@yahoo.com.

Looking for Keyboard player and Drummer (you need to play to a click) for new cover type project. Will be mostly Sunday to Wednesday gigs so your weekends will be free. Only people with a-lotta-wanna need apply. Contact Kevin Kyle, kkyle@accesscomm.ca.

www.clubcard.ca - Clubcard is a Canadian company that produces full colour cards, stickers, posters, temporary tattoos and screen printed T Shirts. Quotes and samples viewable from website.

www.musicbooksplus.com - has The Recording Industry Sourcebook, containing over 12,000 listings in 80 categories. A searchable CD-ROM of all the book's data is included with every copy. $123.95 CDN.

TalentMatch.com - is in the process of populating their site with artists from all genres. A community for bands, musicians, actors, models, comedians, writers, directors, artists and dancers. Talent and industry members can post images, audio tracks, videos, bio/resume. Free initial signup.

www.starpolish.com is a place to find music news, articles, links and resources.

Piracy hits home in Saskatchewan - In January, a Saskatoon record store owner pleaded guilty to five counts of Copyright infringement of sound recordings. The penalty was a fine and forfeiture of materials used in the illegal copying service operated by his company. The store offered consumers an illegal copying service from its Saskatoon location. RCMP officers from the Saskatoon Federal Enforcement Section laid charges after an investigation and complaint from the Canadian Recording Industry Association (CRIA). CRIA has a mandate to investigate infringement of copyright in its members' sound recordings and to seek enforcement of its members' rights. Ken Thompson, Vice President and General Counsel said, "Pirate operations...should be forewarned that these illegal operations will not be tolerated." According to the most recent international statistics, CD recordable piracy tripled in 2001 and significantly contributed to the global losses of the recording industry.
- Canadian Recording Industry Association

In a related story...RIAA Launches Campaign Targeting Piracy At Retail Outlets: Faced with the growing ease and prevalence of CD piracy, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has launched a new legal enforcement initiative that targets music piracy at retail outlets across the country. The new anti-piracy campaign comes as evidence is increasingly showing that the sale of illegal sound recordings is expanding beyond its traditional base and now infiltrating small, established businesses nationwide, including including gas stations, convenience stores, grocery markets and some small music stores. Some retailers are attempting to cash in by reselling illegal CDs and tapes or, in some cases, even manufacturing illegal products themselves.

Musicians Make Silent Protest (England): Around 500 wore gags in a demonstration against the government's licencing bill, which they claim will silence live entertainment in Britain's pubs and clubs. The bill will require venues in England and Wales to obtain licences from their local council for any form of entertainment, with a maximum punishment for performing without permission of £20,000 or six months in jail. Protesters claim it will hit small acoustic bands, folk singers and even carol singers and nativity plays in church halls and could kill off traditions like Morris dancing. The Musicians' Union's Hamish Birchall, a jazz drummer, said "This Bill is proposing to criminalize virtually all public performances of live music unless it is licensed." More than 40,000 people have signed an online petition. The bill has gone through the House of Commons and is now in the house of Lords. - BBC.co.uk

Canadian Music Week approaching: Besides the major conference and festival, taking place are: Radio Marketing Bureau Crystal Awards, celebrating the best in radio creative, February 28; Ontario Association of Broadcasters President's Cocktail Reception, honouring the best in broadcasting, February 28; CMW Music Industry Awards, for the best in the industry, February 27; The Canadian Radio Music Awards, awards for airplay by new artists, March 1; and Canadian Independent Music Awards, to acknowledge, promote and honour the independent music sector in the Canadian music industry, on February 26. Also taking place are the Xtreme Band Slam Finals and 10th Annual National Songwriting Circle (with winners of the National Songwriting Competition).

The Saskatchewan Arts Board is pleased to announce the appointment of the Individual Assistance Grant Program Review Steering Committee. The Individual Assistance Grant Program has been a mainstay of the Arts Board's programming for 30 years and the jury process employed in adjudicating awards is the basic pattern for all their juries. Many of Saskatchewan's leading artists have been supported at various stages in their careers by this program. It has been 10 years since the program has been reviewed, and a number of issues have been brought forward by juries, board, staff and various members of the community. These issues include: the extent to which the program should accommodate the differences in the work of each discipline and the environment for each discipline; eligibility issues; program focus, e.g. mix of emerging, mid-career, senior; subsistence levels; the manner in which the funding is divided amongst disciplines; issues identified in the Aboriginal Advisory Committee Report. The Committee is composed of the following 9 artists representing a range of experience, skills and knowledge, from across the province: Sharon Bakker, Sandra Birdsell, Maureen Bradley, Michael Hosaluk, David Lawlor, Connie Gault, Grant McConnell, Neal McLeod, and Robin Poitras.

Music Industry's Chief Lobbyist Leaving: Hilary Rosen of the Recording Industry Association of America, who waged a high-profile battle against Napster and music piracy, is resigning at the end of the year. In a statement, Rosen cited personal reasons for leaving RIAA, where she has served as chief executive since 1998. She said the RIAA board will conduct a formal search for a replacement. Rosen's departure comes as the organization seeks to soften its image among Internet consumers, many of whom viewed the RIAA - and Rosen personally - with antipathy over incessant pressure for crackdowns on digital music piracy. Rosen was an independent consultant before joining RIAA in 1987. She also is a founding board member of Rock the Vote, an organization aimed to get younger people more politically involved.

Net Providers Forced to Join Piracy Fight - Internet service providers must abide by musicindustry requests to track down computer users who illegally download music, a U.S. federal judge has ruled. The case could dramatically increase online pirates' risk of being caught. The decision upheld the 1998 ruling compelling Verizon Communications Inc. to identify one of its Internet subscribers who was suspected of illegally trading music or movies online. The music industry knew only a numerical Internet address this person was using. The ruling means that consumers using dozens of popular Internet file-sharing programs can more easily be identified and tracked down by companies trying to prevent the illegal trading of movies and music. For consumers, even those hiding behind Internet aliases, that could result in warning letters, civil lawsuits or criminal prosecution. Critics of the procedure said judges ought to be more directly involved, given the potential privacy issues of a corporation revealing personal information about customers amid an allegation of wrongdoing. Through programs like Kazaa, Morpheus and Gnutella, a person can find virtually any song or movie - sometimes even before it's released in stores - and download it for free. On a typical afternoon, about 3 million people are connected on the Kazaa network and sharing more than 500 million files.

The 2003 Unisong International Song Contest is open for entries. Over $50,000 USD in cash and prizes. All songs judged by industry professionals for quality, craftsmanship and commercial potential. Songs are not judged by production or instrumentation. In the Lyric category, works will be judged on content, form and originality. This year the Grand Prize winner will get a songwriting trip, sponsored by Music Bridges ATW, to either New York, Nashville, Los Angeles or London for a guaranteed collaboration with established writer/artists. Categories pop/adult contemporary, rock/alternative, country/folk, R&B/hip-hop/dance, instrumental, gospel/contemporary Christian, world music/reggae, childrens', lyrics only and environment/human rights. Deadline April 30. Fee $28 US ($33 with critique). For applications, www.unisong.com or 213-673-4067.

NewMusicWest 2003 (May 21-25 Vancouver) is now accepting applications for showcasing. All forms of new music, from rock to urban, electronic to world beat, punk to country, pop to singer/songwriter. Bands can register for NMW 2003 through www.newmusicwest.com and will find information on how to upload their songs, pictures and bio for processing. Each submission will be listened to by at least two music industry professionals and once the process is completed, every band will have easy access to any comments made by the jurors. Deadline February 28; fee $30 online or $35 via snail mail.

The 2003 Regina Folk Festival, August 15-17 in Victoria Park, Regina - Advance tickets are available at Bach & Beyond, X-Ray Records, Eat Healthy Foods or online at inregina.com. Deadline for performance consideration is February 28; visit www.reginafolkfestival.com for details.

Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) is accepting showcase applications for Country Music Week in Calgary (September) until April 30. $20 fee. Contact 905-850-1144 or www.ccma.org for an application form.

The Pump (Regina) is hosting Indie Nights every Tuesday. For a $300 flat fee (engineer and recording gear included), a band can book the club for the day to work on a high quality digital recording. That evening, the band puts on a show and receives all proceeds from the door. For more info contact J.J., jjvoss@sasktel.net.

The 3rd Annual Southern Saskatchewan Summer Solstice Festival, June 20-22, is seeking performers for their Saturday Music Stage. Interested musicians can send expression of interest and requested performer fee by email to vthibault@sasktel.net. Demos can be mailed to the Solstice Festival c/o Michelle Leclair, Box 1041 Gravelbourg SK, S0H 1X0. Deadline is March 15.

2003 USA Songwriting Competition - accepting submissions until May 30. Bonus for entries received by March 30. Fee $30 US. Overall grand prize winner receives $50,000 USD in cash, merchandise and services. Winning songs will receive airplay. Categories: Pop, Rock/Alternative, Country, R&B, Gospel/Inspirational, Folk, Latin, Instrumental, Jazz, Hip-Hop/Rap, Children, World, Dance, Novelty/Comedy, Lyrics Only. Form available from www.songwriting.net or call 954-776-1577.

The Southeast Cancer Society is having its 15th Annual Cancer Jam at Nickle Lake Regional Park (near Weyburn) on June 21-22. All entertainment and help is volunteer. This is an outdoor country music festival held over 2 days. There are usually 20 groups spread over 2 days, average playing time is 40 minutes. All stage gear, pa, monitors, mics, etc supplied. Just bring yourself and your voice or instrument. Approx. 2,000-3,000 attendees. Cost is very reasonable to public ($4 a day!) Other activities include a band BBQ, car show and shine (bring your muscle car), burnout competition (bring your BIG tires with that muscle car), camping, hay rides, kids' games, swimming, boating, raffles, door prizes, 50/50 draws, beer gardens, mini golf, great country music. We prefer to have acts that have a live band (rather than sing to tracks). Past performers have been The Johner Brothers, Poverty Plainsmen, The Yahoos, The Cruzeros, Val Leroy, Brian Sklar & The Tex Pistols, and many many more. We would really love to get some new acts this year. Deadline to confirm is April 30. Please contact Johnny Knox at 306-842-8961 or yaahoos@yahoo.com for more info.

The Canadian Arts Presenting Association (CAPACOA) showcase is November 15-17 in Ottawa. Showcase deadline will be announced soon; check www.capacoa.ca or 613-562-3515 for updates.

Windrift Music Songwriting Competition: open to self-published or unpublished songwriters. Deadline July 31. Over $25,000 in cash and merchandise. Entry form at www.windriftmusic.com or contact 905-660-4900.

American Songwriter Magazine's Lyric Writing Contest - 6 contests per year. Lyrics only, no cassettes. Winner of each period receive a Martin Sigma DR-1ST guitar. Deadlines March 21, May 23, July 25, September 19 and November 21. Entry fee $10 US. Info, www.americansongwriter.com or 615-321-6096.

Cooch Music's 6th Amateur Songwriting Contest. Entry fee $10 US; deadline August 31. Info www.coochmusic.com or info@coochmusic.com.

Chris Austin Songwriting Contest - open to those who consider themselves amateur songwriters. Country, bluegrass, gospel, general. Fee $25 US, deadline March 18. Info, www.merlefest.org or 1-800-799-3838.

"The Studio" Seeks Music - If you are an original rock/pop/ska/reggae/heavy rock or just plain old rock n roll band, they seek your music for possible airplay on a cool radio show that airs at many high school, college, and commercial radio stations internationally. Press packages to Frank Grima, General Manager, Mojo Music Studio, PO Box 536, Franconia, NH, 03580 USA. (Click on Radio Show, www.mojomusicstudio.com.)

February 2003