FIRST
TAKE
Always in
Forward Motion
40 Years of Canadian Musician
By Jim Norris, Publisher of Canadian Musician & President of NWC
We’re a long way from where we started, and that
was always the plan.
When we published our first issue of Canadian
Musician in the spring of 1979, the goal was simple:
to be Canada’s premier publication and a go-to re-
source for professional and amateur musicians and
the industry that supports them. Doing that suc-
cessfully means we need to be permanently fixed
at the forefront of that industry, and considering
how quickly this beast of a business is changing,
adapting, and evolving, that means we’re always in
motion, always pushing forward.
That’s a big part of the reason that, in celebrating
our 40 th anniversary in print with this special issue,
we’re not only looking back at the past four decades;
more importantly and more significantly, we’re look-
ing at the present and future of the art and the busi-
ness within that context, leveraging our experience
and lessons learned to help our readers along in
their respective careers, no matter how grand or
how humble their aspirations may be.
As with the industry in which we’ve rooted our-
selves, there have been plenty of highs and lows,
surges and stalls, but through it all, we’ve continued
to push forward to help you do the same.
When we’re successful, that success is far from
insular; we’ve always considered Canadian Musician
as a conduit for your career development. Some
ideas are ours, though many more are collected
and considered from elsewhere in the industry.
Our strength isn’t in having all of the answers; it’s
in knowing where to find them, and how to bring
them together to present helpful and constructive
stories and solutions.
In that way, Canadian Musician doesn’t have a
singular voice; far from it. It’s a choir of interesting
and insightful ideas from the people that make our
industry what it is, presented with the implicit belief
that a rising tide lifts all boats.
We’ve been honoured to have some of Cana-
dian music’s biggest stars grace our cover over the
years – including a beaming Burton Cummings on
our inaugural issue – and even more of them in
our pages alongside some of the best and brightest
working behind the scenes in the music business.
Every one of those performers and pros has, directly
or indirectly, brought at least one idea to the table
that could help someone do something better (or at
the very least, avoid doing something worse).
That insight has been especially valuable in
our current landscape. There’s more music being
made now than ever before, and that music is more
eclectic, more innovative, and more imaginative
than ever. What’s more, there are more avenues to
record, share, promote, and monetize it, making a
career in music more accessible than ever – at least
on the ground floor; moving up from there is where
the real challenges start.
What’s perhaps most exciting about the current
state of our industry is that it’s the real innovators
– the people who see change and evolution as an
ongoing opportunity – who stand to reap the most
rewards.
It’s been as thrilling as it has been fulfilling to
keep pace with the music industry’s progress over
these last 40 years, and like the business we’re proud
to represent, now also feels like the most exciting
time in our own history. From our continually-
expanding online reach to newer initiatives like the
Canadian Musician Radio podcast, our series of music
business webinars in partnership with NWC Webi-
nars, and CM Live sessions on Facebook with some
of the industry’s best and brightest, we’re focused on
bringing you more of the informative, educational,
and entertaining content you’ve come to expect
from us across new and specialized platforms.
I’d like to thank all of our staff, contributors, cli-
ents, partners, and of course, our readers from over
the years for being a part of this adventure with
us. We’re a long way from where we started, and
hopefully that means the same for you and your
career in music.
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 9