Canadian Musician - March/April 2019 | Page 17

MARK YOUR CALENDAR... CMW to Bring Canadian & Global Music Industry to Toronto Canadian Music Week will again be taking over downtown Toronto from May 6-12, 2019, with seven days of concerts from emerging bands and established headliners, while also bringing together the global mu- sic industry for the three-day conference. After expanding to four days in 2018, the conference is back to its usual three days, happening May 9-11 at the Sheraton Centre Toronto Hotel. It will be split into three programming streams encompassing Tech & Social, Live Touring, and the Global Creators Summit. Among the keynote speakers is Songwriter Hall of Fame induct- ee Linda Perry who, in addition to being the frontwoman for 4 Non Blondes, has helped shape the sounds of stars like P!nk, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys, Britney Spears, and Adele. Also in the conference lineup are Mu- sic Industry Blueprint’s Rick Barker, industry commentator Bob Leftsetz, Deezer’s Robin Vincent, and many more. Among the artist headliners for the festival are The Dandy Warhols, Sunflower Bean, and Perturbator. The awards schedule will again include the Music & Broadcast Industry Awards on May 9 th , the Live Music Industry Awards on May 10 th , and the Indie Awards on May 11 th . A full conference and festival schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. For more information as it becomes available, go to www.cmw.net. Sing! Festival Returning for 10 Days of Concerts & Workshops Sing! The Toronto Vocal Arts Festival is returning from May 24 to June 2, 2019. Now heading into its eighth year, the event celebrates the best in a cappella music from around the world. Featured groups this year include Britain’s The Swingles, as well as some of Canada’s leading a cappella groups, includ- ing Countermeasure, FreePlay, Retrocity, Hampton Avenue, The Watch, and a Sing! mass choir conducted by Kurt Sampson (of Toronto’s Juno-winning Cadence). Also performing are celebrated Canadian singers Heather Bambrick, David Sereda, and Patri- cia O’Callahan, and up-and-coming groups The Ault Sisters, Wibi, The Yonge Guns, Onoscatopoei, and more. Choirs, ensembles, and individual sing- ers are welcome to register and participate in Sing! Public Workshops on a cappella singing and in the mass choir performance. The 2019 workshop schedule will be announced soon. For more information, go to www.singtoronto.com. “Self-distribution and release of your own music through online services.” th ANNIVERSARY SURVEY Canadian Musician reached out to our readers to find out what they think have been the most impactful developments for musicians over the magazine’s lifespan, and what they predict for the future. Here are some of the responses: What would you say is the most signifi- cant development to the music creation, recording, and/or distribution process in your lifetime? “The advancements in ‘home studio’ equip- ment make it easy and affordable for amateurs to produce their music.” “Worldwide distribution at our fingertips.” “DAWs at home and online distribution – inconceivable in the ‘80s.” “The prevalence of purely-digital workflows that do not require big studios or expensive equipment.” What do you think is the most exciting trend in the music business leading into 2020? “Online learning resources moving more and more youth to learning an instrument, and therefore listening more and understanding more.” “Pressure to increase streaming royalties.” “The development of music education (specif- ically music composition) and the subsequent development and rise of young Canadian composers whose work is being increasingly included in Canada’s emerging film industry.” Check out many more results at www.canadianmusician.com/blog. “Being able to market directly to fans easier than before via social media and streaming services, which connect data to tangible strategic planning.” “A resurgence of classical music, and real instrumentation over sampled instruments.” What do you predict will be the biggest disruptor or challenge facing the music industry leading into 2020? “The effect of streaming in devaluing the ownership of music.” “It’s hard to see a disruptor in the music indus- try right now. Artists literally have everything at their disposal. The biggest challenge is keeping up with the ever-growing platforms/ services artists should be taking advantage of.” “Keeping live music venues open and paying artists a good wage for their craft.” “Implementing change to copyright laws/ education of rights for musicians and composers.” CANADIAN MUSICIAN 17