entertainment | SMART


 New Music Festival Continued from page 1 Tis year we take another new twist, highlighting mys-


tical outliers, mythological spaces and a birthday party. Let’s start with the birthday party: Canada 150! Our


festival will celebrate Canada’s birthday by painting a vivid picture of the dynamically changing cultural landscape in Canada. Whereas the United States calls itself a melting pot, Canada’s pride is the mosaic: the cultural mosaic. We will perform works of composers that are Canadian-Tadzhik, Canadian-Serbian, Canadian-Sri-Lanken, Canadian-Icelandic, Canadian-Greek. Well, you get the point. Te classical music world has opened up to so many additional cultures, which combine their heritage with western traditions to create something fresh, original and vibrant. Te powerful roots of this beautiful country


In addition, we will feature works by Métis


works based on his visions. Te most powerful is his mystical Symphony No. 7, Angel of Light, which we will perform during the festival. What kind of mythological places am I


talking about? Well, there are several in town which reflect a certain mythology of Winnipeg. Te Tursday performance will be in the basement of the Hudson’s Bay: an amazing kaleidoscope of chamber works in different corners of the vast empty space, paired with individual memories of this historic building. And af ter our f inal performance on


Random Notes Alexander


and Cree composers to honour the powerful roots of this beautiful country. Te centerpiece will be a new symphony by Christos


Mickelthwate


Hatzis for full orchestra with Inuit and Middle Eastern singers, electronics and visuals: Syn-Phonia (Migration Patterns): a coming together of cultures that creates something awesome and new. As I mentioned above, besides the birthday party we


will hear music from mystical outliers and performed in mythological spaces. With this in mind, our inter- national guest composer will be Meredith Monk, about whom the New York Times wrote last spring, “She re- mains, more than 50 years after the start of her New York career, a peerless mixture of otherworldly and human.” Tat’s a genuine must-see. Do you believe in angels?


On the chance you believe in angels or non-denom-


inational spiritual beings, I have something for you. Finnish composer Rautavaara wrote many orchestral


Friday, we will present a 12-hour Drone at the Duncan Sportsplex, a nostalgic floor- hockey space behind Eaton’s warehouse, five minutes from the Concert Hall. Tis presentation is being curated by Melissa Auf der Maur, former bass player with Hole and Te Smashing Pumpkins. We start at midnight and go right through to noon the next day. And the music will range from


wild and exciting to calm and soothing with different partners, from Tom Bargen coffee to Yoga Public (you can practice your Downward Facing Dog). Te final orchestral work of the festival will be the


Mesopotamia Symphony by Turkish composer Fazil Say, a stunningly cinematic piece which is rooted in the middle European classical tradition but is using colour- ful ideas from the Middle East, including bass flute, bass recorder and an odd, early electronic instrument known as the theremin. The Winnipeg New Music Festival is exciting and


unique, one of my most cherished musical events every year. I hope I got you interested. Come backstage and say hello. Alexander Alexander Mickelthwate is music director of the Win- nipeg Symphony Orchestra.


Music Monday to celebrate Canada's


that celebrates the unifying power of music. Commissioned by the Coalition for Music Education, the new anthem is co- written by award-winning songwriters Marc Jordan and Ian Tomas. Entitled Sing It Together, the new anthem unveiled today is available in various languages and arrangements to be used in this year's Music Monday celebration. Music Monday takes place Monday, May 1, 2017 in cities across the country, anchored by a showcase event in Ottawa, ON. Te 2017 Music Monday sing-along will be led by a live-


I


streamed national showcase concert from our nation's capital in Ottawa, in recognition of the sesquicentennial year. It will also continue last year's #MMC2C2C initiative with a day-long webcast of videos from music programs. Tis year, the webcast includes the northern coast-line that is home to many indigenous people. You can hear the song here. https://www.youtube.com/


watch?v=G-pX6r7pnKQ&feature=youtu.be Sing It Together is a collaboration between JUNO


award winning, veteran songwriters Marc Jordan and Ian Tomas. Jordan is a singer-songwriter, producer, actor who is Songwriter Chair at the Slaight Family Music Lab, Canadian Film Centre. His songs have been on 35 million


nspired by Canada's sesquicentennial celebration, the Coalition for Music Education will commemorate Can- ada's musical heritage with a new Music Monday anthem


Music-wise, we’re punching above our weight here and around


the globe It’s a solid investment for the province, and today turning our artists into entrepreneurs.


Joan Cohen T


he words, produced here at home, come as no sur- prise, yet bring on a warm and unexpected feeling of pride nonetheless: “Manitoba,” the statement reads,


“punches above its weight with a thriving music sector, known for producing quality music. In 2016, Manitoba companies and industry professionals are doing business across the globe and are recognized at home and abroad for their musical and artistic calibre, cultural diversity and business distinction.” Te pronouncement came in the 2016 report, Sound-


150th Anniversary Raising awareness for music education with new anthem that celebrates country's diverse musical heritage.


CDs, and he has written many hit songs for international artists such as Rod Stewart (currently writing with Stew- art for his next album) and Amanda Marshall (Fall From Grace). Co-writer Ian Tomas has many Top 20 records, written for international artists, composed for 22 feature films and been honored with a JUNO Award, four SOCAN classic awards (including 2014 National Achievement Award for excellence in songwriting), and a UNICEF Humanitarian Award. Focusing on the power of voices, Sing It Together asks us


to sing for joy, for truth, for healing and for freedom. Te recording and video feature Inuit throat singing, Métis fiddling, indigenous drumming, and children's choirs in celebration of Canadian musical heritages. Tose wishing to participate in Music Monday 2017 are


invited to visit www.musicmonday.ca for more informa- tion and to find ways to get involved, such as learning "Sing It Together" to join in the nationwide sing-along, creating a school or community event, or submitting a video to be included in the nationwide #MMC2C2C webcast on Music Monday. Videos must be from within Canada and relate to Canadian schools, music groups, businesses or community programs. Preference will be given to performances of Canadian music. – Coalition for Music Education.


Check: an Economic Impact Analysis of Manitoba’s Music Industry, which sets out in detail the economic significance to the province. It was produced by the international con- sulting firm Nordicity in partnership with the Manitoba industry, and it notes that industry’s impact on Canada's GDP has increased by 31 per cent in the five years since the last impact study. It contributes a total of $93 million, while financing over 4,300 full-time jobs and generating over $32 million in tax revenues for governments. Previous Music Manitoba economic impact studies were published in 2005, 2008 and 2012. Te music industry generated $4.12 in revenue for every


$1 invested by the provincial government. It earned $25 million from outside Manitoba. Nearly half of the artists’ earnings came from outside the province, though 90 per cent of business earnings were acquired at home. The report also flags a noteworthy shift in financial


activity from companies to artist entrepreneurs. It says artists are increasingly operating in this evolving industry as “micro-enterprises, responsible for financing their own projects and hiring businesses in the supply chain that sup- ports their activities,” and increasing their share of industry revenues at the expense of music businesses. Tus, artist entrepreneur revenues are shown as reaching an all-time high of $40.8 million in 2015, while companies took in a still-solid $71.5 million. Te bulk of revenues (52 per cent in total) came from live performances and ticket sales. Meanwhile, of course, the industry was raking in


awards across the country – winning 28 of the 51 Western Canada Music Awards handed out over the past six years to companies from across the four western provinces and two territories and chalking up an impressive nine Juno nominations in 2014 and four wins in 2015. Te report notes that industry has identified access to


major industry markets or centres as the greatest barrier to success. And it signs off with the ringing observation that the music industry is an important contributor to Manitoba’s social prosperity by providing a unique cul- tural richness and intrinsic value, enhancing the quality of life, fostering social cohesion, attracting and retaining a skilled workforce, developing a strong identity and brand, contributing to the health and well-being of residents and contributing to other provincial sectors.”


Industry gathering. Heart of Canada. Middle of winter. R


unning January 26 to 29 in Win- nipeg, the event welcomes some of Canada’s top music industry pros for


group sessions, discussion groups, one- on-one meetings, and networking mixers. Reps from the label, agency, management, festival, publishing, and publicity sides of the industry will converge on Winnipeg to discuss the state of Canada’s independent music industry, and provide concrete ad- vice on how to succeed in the constantly evolving music business. “To thrive in our sector requires great


music, a strong understanding of your brand, and the industry know-how to navigate a complex business. January Mu- sic Meeting offers us a chance to connect our hardworking and innovative creative industry to national industry players, help our community stay in tune with best practices in the business, and continue to help Manitoba's artist entrepreneurs and companies make key connections, build


February 2017


their businesses, and stay plugged in," says Manitoba Music's executive director Sean McManus. JMM offers Manitoba's music commu-


nity a rare opportunity to network with a cross section of tastemakers and experts from across the country while connect- ing with local artists and industry peers. Invited panelists include: Andreas Rizek (SOCAN), Cameron Reed (Arts & Crafts), Duncan McKie and Lindsey Van De Keere (FACTOR), Joanne Setterington (Indoor Recess), Joe Clark (Te Feldman Agency), Julia Train (MROC), Maud Salvi (Sled Island), Stu Anderson (Mighty Cypress Talent), Teghan Beaudette (CBC Mani- toba), Vanessa Cito (Coalition Music), Vel Olmazic (Canada's Music Incubator), and Vivian Barclay (Warner/Chappell Music). Te event takes place during Big Fun,


which continues to push out innovative programs of cutting edge artists, grow- ing their audience, and promoting music


discovery. Te annual festival will co-host the Manitoba Music Showcase at Te Good Will on January 27 featuring melody- driven pop punkish band Mulligrub, elec- tronic artist Joanne Pollock, experimental alt-pop outfit Slow Spirit, indie pop act Micah Visser, and Saskatchewan’s Fran- cophone indie band Ponteix. Manitoba Music and Big Fun will also


co-host a free discussion panel on Creating Safer Spaces in the Music Community on the concepts behind, and importance of, safer spaces, and the challenges in creat- ing and maintaining them, with a focus on gender, sexual orientation, and the experi- ences of Black people, Indigenous people, people of colour, and the people who exist at those intersections. Taking place on January 26 at Fools & Horses, the free event will be moderated by Winnipeg Free Press columnist Jen Zoratti and features panelists Alexa Potashnik (Black Space / MC Woke), artists Ashley Au and Leonard


www.smartbizwpg.com


Sumner, Jodie Layne (Safer Spaces Winni- peg), Tyler Sneesby (Te Good Will Social Club), and Uzoma Asagwara (QPOC). All JMM events will take place at Mani-


toba Music (1-376 Donald St) unless other- wise listed. Space is limited and advance registration is strongly encouraged. For complete schedule and details, and to register, visit manitobamusic.com/jmm. JMM is made possible by the gener-


ous support of the Province of Manitoba through Industry Services of Manitoba Jobs and the Economy, FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada and Canada's private radio broad- casters, Te Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, and Te SOCAN Foundation. Tis year’s January Music Meeting spon-


sors include CIMA, SOCAN, MROC, and BreakOut West. - Courtesy of Manitoba Music. For further


information check out www.manitobamu- sic.com.


Smart Biz 13


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16