Canadian Musician - September/October 2020 | Page 13

New Canadian Collective Launched to Champion Black Music Professionals A new Canadian music industry non-profit organization has been launched to champion the advancement of Black professionals in the Canadian music industry. Called Advance, Canada’s Black Music Business Collective, its stated purpose is to hold the corporate, private, and government sectors accountable in order to build a more equitable Canadian music industry that grants Canada’s Black music communities a fair and valued voice in a consistently growing music nation. A couple of weeks after the collective’s launch, Toronto Mayor John Tory announced a $2-million partnership between the city, the Slaight Family Foundation, and Advance to support the entry, retention, and advancement of Black professionals in Toronto’s music industry. They are working to target that funding to best achieve sustained and tangible results. For more information, contact Advance: [email protected], www.advancemusic.org. (L-R) ROB LANNI, MATT MAW & ERIC LAWRENCE Coalition Music & APTN Launch ‘Red Music Rising’ Coalition Music and The Aboriginal People’s Television Network (APTN) have launched a new Indigenous music company, Red Music Rising (RMR), which is owned, managed, and operated entirely by Indigenous professionals and artists. RMR’s mission is to help develop robust, sustainable, life-long careers for Indigenous artists and industry members. RMR will sign, release, and market music from Indigenous musical artists while also assisting emerging Indigenous music companies and industry professionals. Toronto-based artist manager Matt Maw of Chippewas of the Thames will leverage over 10 years of music industry experience as the first leader of RMR. To hear an in-depth conversation with Maw about Red Music Rising, listen to the Sept. 2, 2020 episode of the Canadian Musician Podcast. For more information, go to www.redmusicrising.ca. @ CANADIAN MUSICIAN 13