Canadian Music Week and the future of Canadian Music

November 21, 2017

As Pardalis Studio prepares for our Canada Music Week Concert (Sunday Nov 26th @ 7 pm The Sanctuary in Brentwood 1600 Delta Ave Burnaby), it has been an eye opening...

As Pardalis Studio prepares for our Canada Music Week Concert (Sunday Nov 26th @ 7 pm The Sanctuary in Brentwood 1600 Delta Ave Burnaby), it has been an eye opening experience researching Canadian Music and understanding the driving forces behind it.

So here’s a few things I’ve noticed …

1. November’s Canada Music Week is basically unknown. May’s is a bit better known but no one seems to remember November’s – I know of only two other concerts happening in the lower mainland happening for Canada Music Week. It is happening this week — here’s a little info on it 🙂

Canada Music Week®

2. Canadian Music is basically unknown to anyone under the age of 18 years old. When you ask most youth to pick their favourite Canadian Artists – most can’t or they’re stuck on Shawn Mendas. A talented young man never the less but he isn’t the end all of Canadian Music. Canada is full of super talented folks.

3. I was surprised through discussion that many senior music industry folks have a narrow idea of how to the industry and some seem a little bitter. One individual literally said to me, “most of these artists aren’t going to make anyways” (in a discussion of grant recipients, he believed more successful artists should receive the grants). In older folks, it kind seems like well that’s the way it always has been and we don’t see why or how to change things so leave things well enough alone. On the other hand, I’ve noticed that Artists and Industry Folks under 40 have a more a hopeful view of Canadian Artists and are supportive of the up and coming Artists. Change will only happen, if we cause the change and imagine if even if just one person in each city in Canada supported a unknown Canadian Artist … it adds up and more would follow.

4. Labels aren’t doing too well in Canada but Indi Artist has taken over. I see more and more successful Canadian Indi Artists taking Canada by storm. The more I research and watch the market, the more I’m sure that this is the future of the industry. Record Labels have to either revamp their platforms or they won’t have a place in 2nd half of the 21st Century.

5. Canadian Radio regulations need to be looked at as right now they only playing 35% of Canadian Music (I don’t think that this would fly in many other countries) and who that 35% of Canadian Music belongs to. Right now as far I can tell, there are no regulations of which artists they play and well you know – we hear the same 5 songs. As well, I firmly believe that how music is picked needs to be examined and regulated by the government. More Canadian driven radio stations would be amazing. In Greece for example, there’s Greek stations and then American Stations – so why in Canada,  do we have to be the “little American.” A case in fact – a few years ago when I originally released “Cup of Tea,” my students decided to launch a campaign to help get my single on mainstream radio. At the time, The Beat 94.5 was very popular so they focused their attention on them. They called; they got their friends to call – every lunch hour during request hour. The staff would always say the same thing “we don’t have it” which wasn’t true as I sent it in and have email conversations between staff members to prove it. In fact, I got an email from the Beat asking me to tell my fans to stop requesting “Cup of Tea” as I didn’t fit their requirements for music played on the Beat. Then the funniest part was when they went on the air saying, “We have no idea who this girl that sings this song “Cup of Tea” but she seems to have a lot of fans.” It was all very curious.

I can see why so many people “advised” me not to focus on the Canadian Market but the more I look at it, it is really an untouched market. Hard market for sure but so much potential – I believe that through social media marketing that you can build a strong loyal fan base that will eliminate so many of the issues caused by the “powers to be.” I look at how loyal Canadian Fans are to artists such as Swollen Members and Michael Bubble. I believe that with the right campaign that an artist can build it and become successful (once you define what success means to you).

So to quote one of my favourite internet expert (yes I quote him a lot lol do you know whom I’m speaking of?)
“Build your brand so you don’t have to make sales”

 

Canadian Music is a live and well!

I would love to chat about this more so if anyone wants to sit and have a cup of coffee and discuss Canadian Music – I’d love to – give me a call 604-783-4091

 

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