Connections International Women's Day Panel - March 8, 7pm online

Join us on International Women's Day, March 8/2021, as we host an interactive meeting that will begin with a panel of creative professionals discussing topics of interest to women working in music. This will be an informal, interactive conversation with some starting discussion points (pandemic-related, recording/releasing music, creativity, parenthood, etc) with space to respond to attendee thoughts and questions.

​Following the panel, we’ll have an open chat opportunity intended to help women from around the province learn more about each other and share information. 'Cameras and microphones on' during the chat portion will be optional, or attendees can stay in observer mode.

Through this event we hope to celebrate and amplify Saskatchewan female artists. We intend an inclusive definition of “woman” and “female” and welcome trans women, genderqueer women, and non-binary people to participate in this, and all of our programming. Please register your attendance for this event.

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NEW INFO: Strong Recovery Adaptation Rebate (SRAR)

The Strong Recovery Adaptation Rebate is established to reimburse eligible small businesses in Saskatchewan for incremental expenses made to adapt their business models to operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Financial assistance includes a payment of up to $5,000 for 50% of total eligible business-adaptation investments made by the applicant between April 1, 2020, and February 28, 2021. The minimum business expenditure that will be reimbursed is $300 (which would mean a $150 government contribution).

Business adaptation investments include incremental, one-time expenditures aimed at establishing physical barriers or reconfiguring space to operate safely, providing services through digital tools, providing new or different services or products, and shifting to delivery or curb-side services. Eligible expenditures are intended to contribute to the completion of an asset or project that is lasting and not transactional, for example, a website or renovation. Eligible expenses include website development or enhancements to support curbside pickup or delivery, initial costs for new software, costs of renovations and lasting equipment needed to operate safely like hand sanitation stations, or contactless payment. They do not include staff costs, personal protective equipment such as masks, hand sanitizer or cleaning products.

Applications will be accepted from December 22 to March 31, 2021.

https://www.saskatchewan.ca/government/health-care-administration-and-provider-resources/treatment-procedures-and-guidelines/emerging-public-health-issues/2019-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-information-for-businesses-and-workers/strong-recovery-adaptation-rebate-srar

Western Canadian Music Award Submission Deadline: March 19

Are you a western Canadian artist or industry member? Submissions are now open for the Western Canadian Music Awards (both artistic and industry). Learn more about the Awards guidelines to see if you qualify, and be the first to get your application in.

Submissions can be made by the Artist/Industry professional themselves or they can be submitted on the Artist’s/Industry professional’s behalf. It is recommended that nominees, and those submitting, be a member of a Western Canadian Music Industry Association but is not required. The Nominee must have been born in either Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta, British Columbia, Yukon or NWT and must have lived in one of those Provinces or Territories for six consecutive months in the past year (January 1, 2020 - March 19, 2021).

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SaskMusic Announces Free Member Access to !earshot Digital Music Distribution System

SaskMusic has announced our support for the MAPL!e Grant,  which will primarily feature FREE access to the !earshot Digital Music Distribution System (“!earshot Distro”) by the National Campus and Community Radio Association (NCRA/ANREC) and other areas that support under-represented artists and musicians in Canada, related to radio.

The NCRA/ANREC has secured agreements with the majority of national and provincial music associations in the country and is offering access to grants between November 16, 2020-March 31, 2021 to upload content to the !earshot Distro system. Tens of thousands of musicians, artists and labels across Canada will have a new, environmentally friendly way to distribute their music to stations. Across the participating associations, this totals around $5 million worth of services.

How to Participate

SaskMusic members can find the information in the Backstage area of the website once you're logged in. Additionally, members can request their access codes by emailing info@saskmusic.org. All our members are invited to upload their entire back catalogue of releases into the system for discovery by community radio.

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New workshops and webinars are being added at www.saskmusic.org/workshops!

Featured Singles/Videos: https://saskmusic.wufoo.com/forms/p1b5aft60baybgl/

Submit Albums/News: https://saskmusic.wufoo.com/forms/p1j5txnh11l7bht/

Have you recently released or will soon be releasing an official single, music video, or album, in any genre? Have some exciting music news to share?
We want to know what you've got going on! Even if we follow your socials, we (and other media) don't see, or catch everything you post about.
Please let us know your release date and/or other activities. Just follow the links above!

Featured Career Tracks Mentor: Elsa Gebremichael

Having fronted bands since she was fifteen years old, Elsa Gebremichael has many years of experience in the Saskatchewan and Canadian music scene and continues to grow as a self-managed musician, singer, songwriter, producer and performer. She's currently developing and releasing music from her solo project, WILD BLACK, but in her previous projects such as We Were Lovers, From Chimpan-A to Chimpan-Z, and The Radiation Flowers, Elsa has toured throughout Europe and North America, showcased at festivals such as SXSW, NXNE, HPX, CMJ, Sasktel Jazz Festival and BIME in Spain, and has opened for notable acts such as Tegan and Sara, Metric, Janelle Monae, Mother Mother, New York Dolls and more. Elsa has secured music license syncs to TV, film and radio (the CBC Radio One Saskatoon Morning theme song is a WWL song!), was nominated for a WCMA for Pop Recording of the Year and performed at the first Afropunk festival in NYC.

Elsa is an experienced grant-writer and has successfully secured funding from organizations such as the Sask Arts Board (SAB), Creative Sask, FACTOR, SOCAN Foundation, and the Canada Council for the Arts, as well been a jury member for SAB and FACTOR. She's done everything from co-recording / producing / mixing albums, to tour booking and publicity, poster and website design, social media management, and directing and producing music videos and photo shoots for herself and others. She also volunteers as an organizer, mentor and instructor with Girls Rock Camp Saskatoon - a camp that empowers girls, non-binary, trans and gender non-conforming youth through the creation and performance of music as well as through social justice, confidence enhancing and skill developing workshops. Fostering inclusiveness and increasing representation of women, people of color, queer, non-binary and trans folks in the Canadian music scene is super important to Elsa and she strives to make growth and change happen where this representation is lacking.

Elsa joins the Career Tracks Program to offer advice and assistance on: grant-writing, tour booking, producing, self-management, poster and web design, and music videos.

Career Tracks offers confidential, one-on-one assistance to artists and music professionals. SaskMusic members can meet with our team to discuss career plans, marketing strategies, touring, songwriting and copyright, funding and grant applications, demo critiques/reviews, industry trends, or other relevant music industry topics.

To book a consult with Elsa, or to read more about our other mentors, click HERE

The monthly Songwriters groups are currently meeting online via Zoom. Please check out their Facebook groups for more information about the next meeting.

Saskatoon group info: https://www.facebook.com/saskatoonsongwriters/

Regina group info: https://www.facebook.com/groups/258208420940008/