This week's AMP Sessions features the newly formed rock outfit Rescued by Dragonflyzand their track "Breaking Down."
Rescued by Dragonflyz is a high energy new wave alternative punk rock band, formed by four friends who've been working and performing individually for twenty years in bands including Bruthers of Different Mothers, Mosquitos and Buffy Ste. Marie - ie, they're killer players who love what they do.
Director Chris Gaudry captured their live performance of "Breaking Down" for this week's AMPSessions from Manitoba Music.
The deadline is this Thursday for the Aboriginal Music Program's new Market Builder Residency! It's an exciting opportunity for artist development, both creatively and professionally.
The Market Builder Residency (a partnership between Manitoba Music and the Canada Council for the Arts) will provide export-ready artists and up to five mid-career industry with a week of networking and development opportunities in Toronto, Canada (you must hold a valid Canadian passport and be of First Nation, Métis, or Inuit ancestry to apply.)
The Aboriginal Music Program provides fantastic support for artists through AMP Camp, Native America North showcases, their new AMP Sessions video series, and more. This new residency is geared towards mid-career artists and industry, which can be a challenging territory to navigate.
The residency will run February 9-13, 2015 and each day will consist of round table discussions, self-directed mentor sessions, networking dinners, and meetings with established labels, music media, and managers.
Important Dates
November 20: Submission deadline
November 24: Invitations sent to successful applicants
December 2: Registration deadline (registration fee due in full)
December 4: Participants announced
Roundtrip economy fights (if needed), accommodations, ground transportation, and some meals will be provided for participants.
It is free to apply. A registration fee of $150 ($75 for members of music industry associations) will be required from all artists and industry who are invited to participate.
Artists considered for this opportunity must:
Have a history of at least eight paid performances each year that stretches back a minimum of three years (i.e. October 2011 to October 2014)
Have a significant regional profile as demonstrated by album reviews and/or artist profiles in print and online media
Have a professional website that features high resolution promotional photographs, quality video content, booking information, and links to social media page
Have a minimum of 14 recorded songs available for purchase or free download online
Be of First Nation, Métis, or Inuit ancestry
Be a solo artist or the band member responsible for the majority of business operations and networking
Have attended at least one music industry conference outside of their home city or community in the past three years (i.e. October 2011 to October 2014)
Be registered with SOCAN
Have a valid Canadian passport
Be 18 years of age or older
Industry professionals considered for this opportunity must:
Have a signed contract that identifies you as the manager, agent, publicist, publisher, or label for at least one music artist (self-managed artists and radio hosts do not qualify)
Be dedicated to building a career in the music industry as demonstrated by conference attendance, music industry association membership, and business-related accomplishments
Have a business registered
Be of First Nation, Métis, or Inuit ancestry
Have a valid Canadian passport
Be 18 years of age or older
To submit, fill out the appropriate submission form online at the link below (artists must also update their websites for the jury):
Manitoba Music kicked off a fantastic new video series this week, AMP Sessions, with a spotlight on Anishinaabe artist Leonard Sumner.
Leonard Sumner has been working hard the past few years, steadily spreading his rezpoetry and song to and more inspired ears and hearts.This year he won an Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award for Best New Artist and the Winnipeg Arts Council's On the Rise Award, and recently opened for A Tribe Called Red at The Danforth Music Hall in Toronto.
Meanwhile, Manitoba Music's Aboriginal Music Program has launched a month long weekly feature of live performance videos by four acclaimed acts, the first being Mr. Sumner himself.
I've seen Leonard perform this song a number of times over the past few years - it is definitely one of my faves - and I think it's perfectly captured here by director Chris Gaudry at Winnipeg's Bedside Studios.
AMP Sessions will rollout on Wednesdays for three more weeks and "Best of Me" is from Sumner's 2013 album Rezpoetry. Get it on iTunes and watch it now.
The Aboriginal Music Performers (AMP) Camp is currently accepting applications. All materials must be received in the Manitoba Music offices by Friday December 2nd, so artists - get yours in now!
AMP Camp is a five-day artist development project presented by Manitoba Music's Aboriginal Music Program. It takes place at Misty Lake Lodge in Manitoba and is an incredible opportunity for artists to learn about the industry and invest in their career through workshops and discussions, lead by industry professionals.
Each day of AMP Camp begins with workshops on business topics. In the past, these discussions have included:
• Tour planning;
• Marketing campaigns;
• Business development;
• Funding and juries; and,
• Submitting music to radio stations.
The afternoons and evenings at AMP Camp are dedicated to artistic development with sessions on songwriting, musicianship, vocal skills, and performance.
The workshops are lead by a faculty of industry professionals from multiple parts of the country. In the past, the instructors have included Kinnie Starr, Derek Miller, Leela Gilday, Andres Mendoza, Dave McLeod, Doug Cox, and Salvador Ferreras, to name a few.
The application deadline for AMP Camp 2012 is December 2 and the invited artists will be listed on www.aboriginalmusic.ca on December 14.
All invited artists will be required to pay a registration fee to confirm their spot. The registration fee for AMP Camp 2012 is $300 and a discounted rate of $200 is available to members of regional music industry associations (ie. Music BC, Alberta Music, Music Yukon, Music NWT, SaskMusic, Manitoba Music, Music Newfoundland and Labrador, Music New Brunswick, Music PEI and Music Nova Scotia).
Once the fee is paid, Manitoba Music will pay for roundtrip flights for the out-of-province participants. All AMP Camp 2012 participants will receive accommodations, meals, and workshop materials for the five days along with ground transportation between Winnipeg and the Misty Lake Lodge on March 4 and March 9.
Aboriginal Music Week (AMW) and the APCMAs (Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards) are two of the biggest Indigenous music events on Turtle Island - musicians, fans and industry alike travel to Winnipeg every November for the shows, the awards and the schmooze. This year I was finally able to attend for the first time.
And it was exactly the party and community vibe that I had heard about for years! From the time I landed in the Winnipeg airport to my departure two days later, there were friendly and familiar faces from the world of Indigenous music in nearly every place I stepped.
I arrived Thursday - Aboriginal Music Week had already been in full swing for two days and the first half of the APCMAs were already taking place - and headed to The Windsor Hotel, site of Tracy Boneand JC Campbell's All My Relations stage. They've been hosting this multi-night stage for a few years now and I was thrilled to be invited to perform as part of it. Tracy and JC bookend the night with sets of their country-music duo and in between other artists take the stage. After my set, Gabriel Ayalaperformed and while I've listened to his classical guitar music and been amazed, I was even moreso impressed and inspired by his live performance. His original compositions in particular were especially beautiful - the man has chops! In coversation, he is delightfully funny, charming and lighthearted to chat with and it was lovely to meet him.
Meanwhile, two other venues in town were presenting Aboriginal Music Week programming. It was a fantastic challenge, having to decide which artists to catch at which venue, but I stayed put at the Windsor for the night, and enjoyed making new friends. They don't call it friendly Manitoba for nothing.
On Friday I stopped by the Manitoba Music offices to pick up my festival pass and scope the place out. Manitoba has great arts funding and it shows in the space and resources Manitoba Music provides. I chatted with Alan Greyeyesand hopped in a cab to NCI FM - the famed Aboriginal-owned/operated radio station that broadcasts 24/7 and hosts the National Aboriginal Countdown. Of all the radio stations I've visited and had interviews on-air with, NCI was one of the best. Their entire crew was friendly and enthusiastic, the coffee was good and they even gave me a lift back to my hotel. Thank you NCI!
Next I dolled up for the big event - the Aboriginal People's Choice Music Awards gala. Held at the MTS Centre and broadcast live on APTN, this event is undeniably huge.
The backstage pre-show reception was buzzing with good conversations and connections and Cris Derksen, Kristi Lane Sinclair,Iskwéand I strutted on the red carpet together. As Cris Derksen's date, she and I were in the 6th row for the awards, next to the lovely Leela Gilday- a great vantage point for the night.
Derek Milleropened the show with a killer number which set the tone for a high energy evening. All of the live performances were fantastic that night, especially Maori duo Pacific Curlsand Ghostkeeper.
Leela Gilday's heartfelt and articulate acceptance speech for Female Entertainer of the Year was a highlight as well, as was Black Bear's for Best Powwow - Contemporary seen here:
Manitoba-based artists were definitely the big winners of the night and I wonder about the local voting influence on the national awards always being presented and hosted by Manitoba. Here's Winnipeg's Mostwho won all 6 awards they were nominated for (they were looking good in those suits!):
Afterwards the backstage party spread to The Windsor, The Reagal Beagle and The Pyramid Cabaret for more fantastic live music and the celebration lasted all night long. I was sad to have to leave on Saturday, missing the powwow and the final night of Aboriginal Music Week's concerts.
I will definitely go back next year - I left inspired by the music, filled with great conversation, excited about all the new connections made and above all in love with our Indigenous music community. Huge thanks and appreciation go out to Manito Ahbee and Manitoba Music for successfully pulling off all of these events. Alan Greyeyes was thanked multiple times on stage during the APCMAs and I'll add my voice to that gratitude wholeheartedly.
Revolutions Per Minute is a global new music platform, record label, and boutique agency for Indigenous music culture. RPM’s mission is to build a visionary community of Indigenous artists and to introduce Indigenous music to new audiences across Turtle Island and around the world. Our main site, RPM.fm, has featured the work of more than 500 Indigenous artists and shared their music across our social networks of more than 275,000 followers.
RPM Records is the first of its kind: a label for contemporary, cross-genre Indigenous music, run by Indigenous people. Selected by The FADER as one of “5 New Canadian Record Labels The Entire World Should Know”, RPM Records artists include Ziibiwan, Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, Exquisite Ghost, and Mob Bounce.
