Tom Lee Music Hall, Tom Lee Music (929 Granville St.)

:: YOUR ONLINE PRESENCE – IS IT WORKING FOR YOU? ::

These days everyone knows the importance of an online presence, but not everyone understands the correct approach to best utilize its potential. We will dig into specifics on how to maximize the effectiveness of social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, and also examine the different opportunities to monetize within those platforms. Our marketing strategists will also look at how branding is shifting in a digital world, and how artists can effectively translate their music into an online presence.

We will also do live reviews of attendee’s websites. To be considered please include your web links (all/any) in your RSVP!

Send name, membership number and website URL’s (if interested)
to: rsvp@musicbc.org
Free for members, $25 general public

Panelists

Hisham Dahud (famehouse)

Brian Thompson (ThornyBleeder)

Brian is a self-proclaimed “Music marketing geek, artist manager, strategist, consultant, speaker, blogger, nerdy web dude…”. He is the founder of Thorny Bleeder-a record label, music blog, and artist development community. His company provides free & legal mp3′s, music news, industry commentary, marketing tips, and DIY advice for musicians.

A musician himself, Brian has battled it out in the industry for years, starting as a shelf stocker in local record stores and writing music reviews. He worked up to a senior buying position in reputable Canadian music chain A+B Sound until it’s untimely demise.

Brian made the transition from traditional “brick and mortar” music sales to a co-manager of successful metal band Art of Dying. Shortly after he started Thorny Bleeder Records. Today, His goal is to find the best unsigned, independent artists and help deliver their music to the world. A stand-out player in the Vancouver industry and abroad, Brian is at the forefront of music and social media development. Tweet @thornybleeder

Richard Bailey (Frontside)

Richard spent the early part of his career working in music as both an agent and college radio promoter. While completing his BBA and advanced diploma in marketing at Capilano University he began consulting for the odd small business which later led to the creation of his own company, Storyboard Marketing and Integrated Design. In early 2011 he joined the Frontside team as a brand manager with a focus on all things online. His goal is to create and provide sound online strategies that connect businesses & artists directly to their customers & fans.

Tweet @rich_bailey

Darren Yada (Rethink)

Darren is a digital strategist at Rethink — one of Canada’s top-ranked and most awarded advertising agencies. It has been twice named Agency of the Year by Strategy Magazine and currently counts Molson Canadian, Bell, A&W, Mr.Lube, Coast Capital Savings and BCAA among its clients. In his role, Darren has helped advise some of Canada’s biggest brands on how to strategically use digital properties to achieve their business objectives.
Previously, Darren was the Director of Digital Strategy at the Nettwerk Music Group — overseeing the online presence of Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, the Barenaked Ladies and the Lilith Fair Music Festival. Midway through his 6 years at Nettwerk, Darren took a one year leave to join YYOGA as their first employee and help start what is now one of Canada’s most successful yoga studio operators. Darren has a double major in Marketing and Finance from the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business. Tweet @yads

Lana Gay (CBC Music) – Moderator

Lana Gay is a host on CBC Radio 3. Her show ‘Lanarama’ is simulcast on Sirius 86 and CBCRadio3.com Monday to Friday from 2-5pm PT. She is fixated on independent Canadian music and enjoys blogging about oddities.

Lana is proud to hail from Leamington, Ontario, where she was raised on Motown music and Hungarian food (an underrated combo, really).

She won the ‘Most Likely to Save the World’ award in high school, and knows the value of a cold beer, an old record and a sassy pair of boots. Once, she tried to chase a rainbow and ended up in Blenheim, Ontario. Tweet at @lanagay

 

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

8:00 PM - Portage & Main

Portage & Main  strikes a chord in the same Canadian vein as Neil Young and The Band, with its southern guitar and haunting vocals. While the boys didn’t physically ride the timeless rails like tramps, the songs are as honest and genuine as if they had, displaying the insight of old souls whose hearts are fixed and bound to a boxcar travelling across the country. So sit by the light of Portage & Main’s fire and listen to alluring tales of the human experience as your weary travelers traverse the peaks of the misty mountains and wade through the depths of the rivers below.

www.portageandmainband.com
@portagemainband

9:00 PM – The Matinee

Music to drink to. Music to dance to. Music to sit on the porch and ponder. The roots-rock sounds of The Matinée evoke memories of family camping trips, men with guitars around the campfire belting out tunes of broken things & the open road…rising tempos bring the faithful to their feet, clapping & dancing until someone throws an aerosol can on the fire & everything explodes…

Formed in Vancouver in 2007, The Matinée have quickly gained radio play and a reputation for packed-house shows. Countless national tour dates followed, as the band paid its dues performing everywhere from prisons in British Columbia, to High Schools in the Yukon, to the Canadian Air Force Base in Cold Lake, Alberta.

thematineemusic.com/
@thematineemusic

10:00 PM – The Belle Game

The Belle Game is a seven-piece collection of vocals, guitars, brass, family and friends boasting a mixture of orchestral indie-pop and percussive art-rock.
Since returning to their hometown of Vancouver B.C. after spending a year amidst the gurgling noise of the Montreal music scene, The Belle Game has spun their influences into a exciting live show, placing them on stages alongside the likes of Karkwa, Ohbijou, We Are The City, Hey Ocean! and Aidan Knight, as well as festival dates at Squamish Live and SummerLive.

Currently the band is recording their full-length in Vancouver with John Raham (Frazey Ford). The full-length promises an exciting, dynamic interplay between the six members, as well as a deeper experimentation with noise and musical textures. It is slated for release in early 2012.

www.thebellegame.com/
@thebellegame

11:00 PM -Current Swell

Current Swell began with humble roots, as friends playing in backyards, at parties, on couches, on beaches, and in any situation that allowed for guitars to be strummed casually. Finding their Kafka moment, they found themselves on stages playing to packed clubs, in vans, planes, at major festivals, and all over the world, headlining concerts and making music for new and old fans. Touring Canada, Australia and the USA, and playing shows with acts like Xavier Rudd, Bedouin Soundclash, K-OS, K’Naan, Ron Sexsmith and even the Beach Boys, opened them up to new and enthusiastic audiences. Appearances at Ottawa Bluesfest, the 2010 Olympics, Junofest, Rifflandia, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, and headlining Canada Day for 40,000 people at the BC Legislature continued their momentum. But this did not happen overnight.

currentswell.com/
@currentswell

12:00 PM – Maurice

Sometimes from bad luck or circumstance, amazing opportunities and transformations can arise. This is much the case for Maurice, a man, and a band, born and raised in Victoria BC Canada. From a major label signing, lofty expectations, and working closely with producer David Foster in Hollywood, to tumult and shattered dreams, out of a mishandled career path and naivety, Jean-Paul Maurice was able to pick up the pieces and take his music and art into his own hands.

Jean-Paul Maurice grew up as a MuchMusic kid, highly influenced by visions of rock stars and melodic love songs. A turkey baster was his first pretend microphone. Family photographs show him holding a plastic guitar while wearing a pink bandana and his sister’s heart shaped sunglasses, professing at the age of 2 he wanted to be a rock star when he grew up.

www.wearemaurice.com/
@wearemaurice

1:00 AM – Acres of Lions

Acres of Lions is a pop-rock band based in Victoria, BC.  Their music is lyrically-driven and influenced by early 90′s emo bands such as The Get Up Kids and Jimmy Eat World.

2011 marks the second year in which Acres of Lions has been selected by Music BC as one of the ‘Top 20 Bands in BC’, as part of the Peak Performance Project.  2011 also marks the release of the band’s sophomore album, Collections.

Collections features ten brand new tracks that take the band’s sound in a more pop-influenced direction. The first single, "Reaction", was mixed by legendary engineer Mike Fraser and has been added to the playlist of several radio stations across Western Canada.

www.acresoflions.com/
@acresoflions

2:00 AM – The British Columbians

Vancouver area-based quartet The British Columbians are a breath of fresh air. Their eclectic, old school blues-influenced brand of rock n’ roll, coupled with a fierce work ethic and grassroots approach to making music, is seeing them blossom as one of Canada’s few truly authentic, up-and-coming acts. Comprised of Girard Knox (guitars/vocals), Dave Moran (drums/vocals), Christopher Ellis (electric & upright bass) and Owen Connell (keyboards/guitars), the band has spent the last couple of years firmly entrenching themselves in the Canadian music scene, and in a relatively short time, they’ve garnered critical praise from the Canadian music industry and media, along with an impressive list of accomplishments.

www.thebritishcolumbians.bandcamp.com
@thebcs

Thanks to funding from the Province of British Columbia, Music BC is able to administer the Music Industry Travel Assistance Program (MITAP). Funding is available for artist tours and showcases, as well as business travel. For more information and to download the application forms visit: http://www.musicbc.org/mitap/

DEADLINES: May 25th, 2012 / September 14th, 2012

March 3 – Tom Lee Music (Granville)
April 14 – Biltmore Cabaret
May 5 – Tom Lee Music (Granville)
May 26 – Biltmore Cabaret

As always, CDS seminars are free for Music BC members ($25 for non-members). Keep your eye on our enews, Facebook and Twitter for updates!

Music BC is hitting the road…and taking your music with us!

January 31st- February 3rd, 2012, we will be down in beautiful Los Angeles, CA promoting the music of our members to various film & television music supervisors, coordinators and production staff.

Joining us will be 6 music companies from BC, as well as 3 artists, chosen by jury from a wide field of our member applicants.

Music BC will be presenting private and public showcase events while in LA, in order to share the best BC has to offer in a live environment.

Continue reading for more info on who’s going and some of the events we have planned…

Participating Music Companies

Amelia Artists, Inc.

Based in Victoria BC, Nick Blasko is the co-­‐founder and managing director of Amelia Artists Inc. In addition to sharing management duties on principle clients Tegan and Sara and Buck 65, and helping develop newcomers Flash Lightnin’ and Gold & Youth, Nick has spent the last decade promoting concerts via his boutique Island based firm, Atomique Productions Ltd, producers of Victoria’s Rifflandia Festival.

Represented by: Nick Blasko

Mint Records

Represented by: Bill Baker, Director of Licensing/Artist & Legal Affairs

Website

Secret Study

Secret Study is a project management agency based out of Vancouver, BC. We specialize in music management, licensing, and events with a focus on the independent arts community. Currently, Secret Study works with Shore 104.3 FM on all of their Canadian Content Development initiatives including a live music series, video and audio production. We also service a variety of production companies and businesses with their music needs and work directly with artists, representing their music for film, TV and advertising.

Secret Study works as an artist management and licensing wing of Boompa Records. Successful placements have included Grey’s Anatomy, The L Word and campaigns by Zellers and RW&CO. Boompa is an internationally distributed record label based in Vancouver and co-owned by Scott Walker and Rob Calder. With over 40 records released, Boompa is a strong supporter of the indie music scene and has completed hundreds of artist grants on behalf of Canadian artists.

Represented by: Rob Calder

Participating Artists

Maurice

Sometimes from bad luck or circumstance, amazing opportunities and transformations can arise. This is much the case for Maurice, a man, and a band, born and raised in Victoria BC Canada. From a major label signing, lofty expectations, and working closely with producer David Foster in Hollywood, to tumult and shattered dreams, out of a mishandled career path and naivety, Jean-Paul Maurice was able to pick up the pieces of a misdirected career path and take his music and art into his own hands.

Jean-Paul Maurice grew up as a MuchMusic kid, highly influenced by visions of rock stars and melodic love songs. A turkey baster was his first pretend microphone. Family photographs show him holding a plastic guitar while wearing a pink bandana and his sister’s heart shaped sunglasses, professing at the age of 2 he wanted to be a rock star when he grew up.

In the fall of 2011, Maurice will release his second full length album, Songs In Sea. It showcases the monumental transformation of a sound. The album reflects and surmises the metaphoric irony which stands as a symbol for these recordings. The fluidity of the ocean and how it is always changing – the fluidity of music and how it is always evolving, the different emotions and stirring of life that emanates from the sea.

This album was born from very different circumstances then its David Foster-steered predecessor. Although the music still possesses the innate pop sensibilities that are Maurice’s calling card, It is entirely independently made and self produced, having been recorded in a cabin, a bedroom and a basement, a huge step away from high end studios of Hollywood, the result of which was Maurice’s debut release Young People with Faces, produced by Matt Hyde and David Foster, released in the spring of 2010.

Embarking upon another new chapter… this is Maurice.

Website

The Belle Game

The Belle Game is a six-piece collection of vocals, guitars, brass, family and friends boasting a mixture of orchestral indie-pop and percussive art-rock.

Since returning to their hometown of Vancouver B.C. after spending a year amidst the gurgling noise of the Montreal music scene, The Belle Game has spun their influences into an exciting live show, placing them on stages alongside the likes of Karkwa, Ohbijou, We Are The City, Hey Ocean! and Aidan Knight, as well as festival dates at SummerLive, Live Squamish and Rifflandia.

On October 1st, The Belle Game released a new EP entitled Sleep to Grow. Representing a time spent in flux, the album’s soft, anthemic, whimsy sound was crafted with JC/DC Productions (New Pornographers, Tegan and Sara, Destroyer).
Sleep to Grow captures a bittersweet moment in The Bell Game’s lives.

Friends and memories were being lost to new commitments and dedications. Being “young” dissolved in order to make way for their music. The songs on the new EP reflect the tension in this mixture of guilt and nostalgia. As Jeff Zablotny (friend/director of “Pink Carnations” music video) described, “ …Wasn’t it the greatest when we used to hang out and do nothing, and doesn’t it break your heart a bit that we can’t go back there?”

The Belle Game are currently well into production on their first full-length, due for release in summer 2012 and have recently participated as a Top 20 Finalist in the 2011 PEAK Performance Project, an emerging artist program presented by 100.5 The PEAK.

Website

Current Swell

Current Swell began with humble roots, as friends playing in backyards, at parties, on couches, on beaches, and in any situation that allowed for guitars to be strummed casually. Finding their Kafka moment, they found themselves on stages playing to packed clubs, in vans, planes, at major festivals, and all over the world, headlining concerts and making music for new and old fans. Touring Canada, Australia and the USA, and playing shows with acts like Xavier Rudd, Bedouin Soundclash, K-OS, K’Naan, Ron Sexsmith and even the Beach Boys, opened them up to new and enthusiastic audiences. Appearances at Ottawa Bluesfest, the 2010 Olympics, Junofest, Rifflandia, Salmon Arm Roots and Blues, and headlining Canada Day for 40,000 people at the BC Legislature continued their momentum. But this did not happen overnight.

In the strangest of places. No one was more surprised than the band when their lo-fi release “So I Say” became an underground classic among young people from all corners of the world. Scott Stanton of Current Swell remembers a story of when a friend on a surf trip in Bali, Indonesia, found a copy of the debut album in a hostel. Another story tells of the band stumbling across legions of web recordings made by Brazilian fans covering Swell songs, and even one group of keen fans doing their own version of the entire “Young and Able” video, with the scenes being re-shot in Brazil rather than Canada.

Website

Other Artists Being Represented

Jets Overhead - (Amelia Artists, Inc.)
Buck 65 - (Amelia Artists, Inc.)
Gold & Youth - (Amelia Artists, Inc.)
The Boom Booms - (Blue Heron)
Jon and Roy - (Blue Heron)
Elaine Lil’bit Shepherd - (Knuckleduster Music Inc.)
Lions in the Street - (Knuckleduster Music Inc.)
Portage & Main - (Knuckleduster Music Inc.)
Hot Panda - (Mint Records)
Carolyn Mark - (Mint Records)
The Pack A.D. – (Mint Records)
Zaac Pick - (Secret Study)
Christopher Smith - (Secret Study)
The Crackling - (File Under Music)
David Vertesi - (File Under Music)
Kathryn Calder - (File Under Music)

Public Showcases

W Hotel Hollywood – January 31st, 2012, 8 pm, Station Bar

Compilation

Our members were offered the opportunity to submit music for our BC Music Compilation, which will be delivered to professionals in the Film & TV field on a variety of high-quality formats.

We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Department of Canadian Heritage (Canada Music Fund) and of Canada’s private radio broadcasters.

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of British Columbia.