Releasing Your Music Workshop - Thursday August 24, 2023, 7pm CST
In person at the Regina Central Library

Register HERE: https://www.reginalibrary.ca/attend/programs?fbclid=IwAR2kKyrCrlHxnNnWljQ7Pdxyl7ex-6X5FZAIssaiaqyguvdPFfCjpBqpP2o

Join Ben Valiaho from SaskMusic and Erik Mehlsen of Sharp 5 Records for a workshop on how to commercially release your music! This program is suitable for teens and adults and will be in the Digital Media Studio located on the main floor of the Central Library.

Women in Music Canada Entrepreneur Accelerator 2023
DEADLINE TOMORROW (August 25)

Women in Music is launching the third annual Entrepreneur Accelerator program, focused on supporting the next wave of female and gender diverse Canadian music industry leaders. Following the success of the winter 2023, third edition of this program, which had a record number of applications they are excited to take the program to a new level yet again. Again this edition, each participant will be paired with a professional mentor throughout the program, matched based on the participants' individual goals and intentions for the program. 

Sessions included in the overall program include the following, all from a female and gender-diverse entrepreneur lens:

• Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
• Lean Business Canvas
• Brand Building Workshop (Industry Stream)
• Marketing and Sales Fundamentals (Industry Stream)
• Leadership Fundamentals (Industry Stream)
• Financial Literacy and Taxes
• Legal Fundamentals 
• Fundraising and Grant Writing
• Pitching (Industry Stream)
• Revenue Streams in Music (Artist Stream)
• Discoverability (Artist Stream)
• Building a team (Project Management) (Artist Stream)
• Sync and Publishing (Artist Stream)

Women in Music Canada values diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes and invites female and gender-diverse folks from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Deadline to apply is August 25, 2023
Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by September 8, 2023. 

More details & to apply: www.womeninmusic.ca/en/programs/entrepreneur-accelerator

The 2023 Entrepreneur Accelerator including the mentorship program will run online from October 3, 2023 through November 2, 2023. Sessions will run from 7:00 PM through 9:00 PM ET (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM PT) Tuesday and Thursday, weekly. Mentorship sessions will run as per specific arranged times by participants. 

Supported by FACTOR, the Government of Canada, Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters, TD Ready Commitment, Ontario Creates, SOCAN Foundation, Creative BC and City of Toronto. 

Welcome Roxie!

We’re pleased to introduce our new Administrative Assistant, Roxie Riffel, joining us effective August 23. Roxie will be based in our Regina office and will handle our front desk area, including memberships, answering questions, and assisting with our programming.

Roxie has always had a love of the arts. She quickly discovered a passion for helping support artists and the arts community in the province through her multi-disciplinary work as a program coordinator and arts administrator at the Creative City Centre in Regina. During her tenure at Creative City Centre, Roxie was responsible for developing and implementing various music programs such as the Behind The Songs songwriter in the round monthly concerts, the Empty Room video series, the SMMART (Social Media Marketing for Artists) training program, the Community Kitchen Party Concert series and the Outside the Spotlight podcast. She also aided in the programming of spoken word and visual art events as well as marketing and communications. Roxie is excited to continue developing her skills and supporting Saskatchewan artists through her new role at SaskMusic. In addition to her work as an arts administrator, Roxie is a singer-songwriter, performer, recording artist (performing under the name Roxie Lenton) and an advocate for mental health

SaskMusic Indigenous Songwriting Retreat Success

SaskMusic had the honour of hosting our first-ever Indigenous Songwriting Retreat this past weekend (Aug 18-20) in Saskatoon hosting a number of Saskatchewan Indigenous artists from across the province for a weekend of songwriting activities. Taking place at the beautiful Wanuskewin Heritage Park & The Holiday Inn Express & Suites Saskatoon East, the retreat focused on the topics of the songwriting process, co-writing with other artists, the business of songwriting, as well as navigating the music industry as a songwriter. With our invited national artist mentors, Marc & Laura Meriläinen (Meriläinen Müsic Inc.) and Sierra Noble, along with local Saskatoon artist mentors Forrest Eaglespeaker (The North Sound) & Lindsay Knight (Eekwol), eight participating Indigenous songwriters were immersed in activities to help advance their songwriting skills and music industry knowledge.

Throughout the weekend participants had opportunities for co-writing and collaboration, one-on-one mentor time, song shares and critique, reflection time, meals together, and presentations all to add to their artistic practices and knowledge in navigating the music industry. We are very pleased with how the weekend went for our first-ever Indigenous Songwriting Retreat with participants and mentors expressing enthusiasm and positive responses overall for the retreat and the knowledge/connections fostered.

SaskMusic Education Manager Ben Valiaho notes, “I am so happy with how much everyone got out of the event (myself included!), with our mentors going above and beyond for the artists, all the participants connecting, learning, and enjoying together, and the host facilities and their staff being so kind. What a great weekend and amazing start to these retreats!"

SaskMusic hopes to continue to evolve and host this retreat regularly and, taking in our lessons learned from this one, build the next Indigenous Songwriter Retreat to be even better.

A great big thank you to our participating music experts Marc Meriläinen, Laura Meriläinen, Sierra Noble, Forrest Eaglespeaker, Lindsay Knight, and Elder Joseph Naytowhow for sharing your knowledge and to the songwriters who attended. SaskMusic also wishes to thank our Indigenous Advisory, and in particular retreat co-facilitator Dale McArthur, for their guidance; along with Creative Saskatchewan and The Foundation Assisting Canadian Talent on Recordings for their funding assistance.         

Earshot Digital Distribution System Discount - 50% OFF for SaskMusic Members! 

Send your music to Canadian Campus/Community/Indigenous Radio Stations digitally through the NCRA/ANREC's EarShot Distro system! It allows artists and labels to upload their music and submit it directly to 105+ radio stations and their programmers. SaskMusic members have access to the system from now through July 31, 2024 at a 50% discount. You are encouraged to upload both your new AND back catalogue releases onto the system. There is no cost to create an account, and the pre-discount costs to distribute your music are just $7+Tax per song or $50+Tax per album (8-20 songs). Once your release is live, there are no additional costs to keep it in the library.

To learn more and grab your discount code, login to your SaskMusic account (www.saskmusic.org/login) and go to the Member Resources area backstage.

Music Pro Summit
SEPT 5 - 7 • 2023
music conference (online)

Music pro summit is where the art and business sides of the industry intersect,
and showcase the next wave of music technology in the process.

Music tech and culture collide at music pro summit: the ultimate destination to
navigate the industry’s most exciting intersection. From NFTs and blockchain to
beatmakers and sampling tools, tech innovations have made music monetization
& production more exciting than ever.

“We have to look at the new opportunities that are being presented, and I believe that this is an amazing time for businesses and artists to grow at an explosive rate with an engaged global online audience. Live streaming, gaming, VR, and AI, are going to play an integral role.” Darryl Hurs (Founder of Indie Week)

ABOUT THE PRESENTER:

Indie Week has existed for 18 years and successfully produced a 5-day conference
with resounding positive feedback.

“I had an absolute blast, and it really felt like I was attending a conference all week,
it was great…that was the best virtual conference I’ve attended.”  Dave Cool
(Bandzoogle)

“I’ve been involved in quite a few “online” conferences this year, most of them disappointing to say the least. Then there is Indie Week. Probably the most organized and professional event I’ve seen so far this year.” Bob Bender (The Business Side of Music)

“I always professionally and personally enjoy and applaud Indie Week for its excellent work in the creative music sector.” Ron Proulx

Global Toronto 2023 Conference - September 19 - 22, 2023

APPLY HERE.

Early-bird registration for Global Toronto 2023 is now open. From September 19-22, join music professionals from across Canada and around the world to experience 20 jury-selected Canadian artists, and conversations to build a better music sector at this year's music conference and showcase. 

Global Toronto is rooted in building a sustainable, equitable, and accessible future for the music sector through creating a space to discover great music and make connections and change. Join the conversation and register now for GT23! 

A limited number of early bird registrations are available until July 23

Three Reasons to Register for Global Toronto 2023

1. Discover Great Music

A Jury of 5 music professionals have selected 20 Spotlight Artists from a pool of nearly 300 submissions through a rigorous process guided by artistic quality, equity, and market-readiness. The heart of GT23 is the opportunity for attendees to experience their showcase performances and engage with what we're sure will be your next favourite bands. 

2. Meaningful Connections and Community

More than just a marketplace, Global Toronto is a meeting place - a platform to discover great music, build community, and make change. With an emphasis on human relationships, GT23 offers unique opportunities for creating connections with domestic and international guests in order to build a better music sector for all. As one participant noted: 
GT understands... It's about the heart and soul of what we do in this industry and creating memories and connections together that strengthen business ties for the future. The tone of the conference was collaboration not competition: there is a space for everyone. 

3. Experience Toronto 

GT is a global gathering inspired by the thousands of years over which our home, now known as Toronto, has been bringing people together. 

GT23 is a true city-wide event: Showcases and gatherings occur at a range of venues that allow participants to experience the breadth of our vibrant music ecosystem, and engage with the people that make Toronto sing. 

SXSW APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR 2024

Showcasing at SXSW (March 11-16/2024) means performing in one of Austin’s famous live music venues for 30,000 industry reps, 3,000 media members, and thousands of fans and fellow musicians from all over the world.

Applications are open now. Showcasing artists gain unparalleled access to an audience of industry professionals, international media, and new fans.

Deadlines:

Early Deadline - August 25, 2023
Final Deadline - October 27, 2023

Music Showcase applications are open to:

• All music genres
• Artists from around the world
• Signed and unsigned artists

Important details:

• One official SXSW showcase performance is guaranteed per invited act.
• Showcase slots run an average of 40 minutes (some exceptions may apply).
• Showcases will take place between March 13-18, 2023.
• SXSW does not provide artist backline or cover travel and accommodation expenses.

Saskatchewan artists who are Canadian residents who receive official showcases are eligible to apply for showcase support through Creative Saskatchewan and FACTOR Canada (and potentially other funders). If you receive a showcase invite, please contact SaskMusic so we can offer assistance with making the most of your showcase.

SXSW will review your application, and you will be notified of your invitation status on or before December 19, 2023. More Details/Submit at: https://www.sxsw.com/apply/showcase-applications/

Winterruption 2024 Submission Open - Deadline September 29, 2023

Interested in playing in the 2024 BIG/Winterruption Festivals? Fill out the form below to apply today. All candidates will be reviewed in October.

https://form.jotform.com/231876599881276

Banff Musicians in Residency Winter 2024

This program provides space and focused time for musicians of all genres to concentrate on artistic development while working on projects that can be either individually or group/ensemble-based. You may be working in your established genre(s), or exploring a new one.

Along with the freedom to structure your time around the needs of your project, you will receive artistic inspiration and career advice from well-established faculty. You will have access to a range of artistic influences across the 3 weeks with the opportunity for interaction and collaboration to produce outstanding, creative results. 

Application Deadline September 13, 2023
Program Dates January 08 - January 26, 2024. Participants must attend all three weeks of the residency. 

Learn More

Women in Music Canada Entrepreneur Accelerator 2023 - DEADLINE TOMORROW (August 25th)

Applications are now open for the 2023 Entrepreneur Accelerator. The deadline to apply is Friday, August 25. 

Supported by FACTOR, the Government of Canada, Canada's Private Radio Broadcasters, TD Ready Commitment, Ontario Creates, SOCAN Foundation, Creative BC and City of Toronto. 

Women in Music is launching the third annual Entrepreneur Accelerator program, focused on supporting the next wave of female and gender diverse Canadian music industry leaders. Following the success of the winter 2023, third edition of this program, which had a record number of applications they are excited to take the program to a new level yet again. Again this edition, each participant will be paired with a professional mentor throughout the program, matched based on the participants' individual goals and intensions for the program. 

Sessions included in the overall program include the following, all from a female and gender-diverse entrepreneur lens:

Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship
Lean Business Canvas
Brand Building Workshop (Industry Stream)
Marketing and Sales Fundamentals (Industry Stream)
Leadership Fundamentals (Industry Stream)
Financial Literacy and Taxes
Legal Fundamentals 
Fundraising and Grant Writing
Pitching (Industry Stream)
Revenue Streams in Music (Artist Stream)
Discoverability (Artist Stream)
Building a team (Project Management) (Artist Stream)
Sync and Publishing (Artist Stream)

Women in Music Canada values diversity, equity, and inclusion and welcomes and invites female and gender-diverse folks from diverse backgrounds to apply.

Deadline to apply is August 25, 2023
Applicants will be notified of their acceptance by September 8, 2023. 

More details & to apply: www.womeninmusic.ca/en/programs/entrepreneur-accelerator

The 2023 Entrepreneur Accelerator including the mentorship program will run online from October 3, 2023 through November 2, 2023. Sessions will run from 7:00 PM through 9:00 PM ET (4:00 PM - 6:00 PM PT) Tuesday and Thursday, weekly. Mentorship sessions will run as per specific arranged times by participants. 

SOCAN The Her Music Awards Applications 

The Her Music Awards (Sponsored by Bandzoogle) are designed to celebrate and support female-identified Canadian mid-career music creators who are on the verge of taking their creative careers to the next level.

Applicants must submit an application through SOCAN Foundation’s application portal by the deadline.

https://www.socanfoundation.ca/awards/  (Deadline: October 15th, 2023)

Value

Award Recipient(s) will be selected to receive a grant prize of up to CAD$5,000.00 each.

Selection Process

All genres of music are welcome. Eligible applications will be considered by a jury of prominent Canadian music creators selected by SOCAN Foundation, in consultation with Bandzoogle. Excellence demonstrated through Artistic Merit will be an overriding consideration in the adjudication, in addition to thoughtful demonstration of how the Award would help advance the applicant’s career. The jury’s decisions are final.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to be considered for the Award, an applicant must:

Self-identify as female;
Be a citizen, landed immigrant or legal resident of Canada;
Submit a complete application with all required supporting materials by the deadline, which includes, among other things, the following components (see application form in the online portal for more details):

One original musical work written/composed entirely by the applicant within 3 years prior to the application deadline. Note: Works that were winning entries of past SOCAN Foundation awards, and arrangements, covers, mash-ups, remixes, adaptations and reinterpretations, etc., are not eligible for consideration.
Proposal for how the grant prize would be used to advance their career or support the development of their career;

Not have previously won any awards from SOCAN Foundation;
Be a SOCAN member, or be eligible to become a SOCAN member if selected as a finalist for the Awards (that is, the applicant is not a member of any music performing rights organization at the time they are selected as an Award finalist).
Not be a past or current board member or employee of SOCAN, SOCAN Foundation, Bandzoogle or any of Bandzoogle’s member organizations; and
Have their parental/legal guardian sign the application and agree to the below Application Terms and Conditions on the applicant’s behalf, if the applicant will not have reached the legal age of majority in their province or territory of residence by the application deadline.

A group of individuals (such as a duo or a band) may apply for the Awards together as one applicant, but all individuals in the group must meet all the eligibility criteria above for the group to be eligible to be considered for the Awards. If selected as an Award recipient, the group will receive one award prize.

Submission of Musical Work(s)

In the application, an applicant must provide a URL link to recording(s) of their original musical work(s) that they are submitting for consideration, as well as the text of any lyrics in their work(s). If the applicant is not the author of the lyrics, the applicant must also provide in their application: (a) information regarding the source of the lyrics, if it is in the public domain and not subject to copyright; or (b) written permission provided by the copyright owner of the lyrics for the applicant to incorporate and use the lyrics in their work(s). 

Greystone Singers Audition Call for U of S Students 

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to sing in one of Canada’s top collegiate choirs? Well, now’s your chance! The University of Saskatchewan Greystone Singers are looking for talented Music and Non-Music Majors who are passionate about singing! This year the Greystone Singers have a year filled to the brim with unique performance opportunities, and are honoured to be representing the University of Saskatchewan when they embark on their New York tour in May-June of 2024 to sing on the legendary stage at Carnegie Hall!

Auditions will take place on August 31 and September 5. If you are interested in joining, signup here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSf2ybhQdy6zyoT1o7T-hrH7tJ-qhb12gsp3oLMn2Vn2VUQGXg/viewform

"Happy singing, and we are thrilled to embark on a new year of music-making!"