October 11, 2018

In this issue:

• Message from Folk Music Ontario’s Executive Director
• Advocacy Alert
• 2018 FMO Awards
• 2018 conference survey
• FMO members at the CFMAs
• Call for submissions
• Funding/grant deadlines

Message from Folk Music Ontario’s Executive Director

On behalf of Folk Music Ontario (FMO), thank you for attending the 2018 conference. We had an amazing year at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel and we will be there next year! The 2019 conference will take place September 27–29. The conference next year will have shortened dates as we move the organization forward to becoming more year-round. Next year’s conference will focus more on the music industry as we conduct retreats, workshops, singer/songwriter get-togethers, etc., throughout the year. This change came about through extensive research and input from you, the members. We are excited to be taking these next steps to further the growth of FMO and make it beneficial for all our members. Look for more details to come as we start planning in the next couple of months.

We are looking forward to hearing from you through our Conference Survey which you can fill out at the link below. We do read the surveys and listen to you! As we plan for the upcoming year’s conference, your input is invaluable.

Folk Music Ontario's 2018-2019 Board of Directors are: Preetam Sengupta & Amie Therrien as the Co-Presidents, Rosalyn Dennett as the Vice President, Paul Fortune as the Treasurer, Syma Shah as the Secretary, Emma Jane Julien & Max Merrifield as your Members-at-Large, and Directors Tim Des Islets, Richard Henderson, Liz Scott, and Alex Sinclair. We are thrilled to have this new Board of Directors lead the organization through growth and expansion. I cannot thank Darin Addison, Janice Cody, Dave Cool, Christa Couture and Katharine Partridge enough for all their hard work over the years on the Board.

The conference would not have run as smoothly as it did without the hard work of Jennifer Ellis, Natasha Brown, Stéfanie Power, Nadia Kharyati, Treasa Levasseur and FMO’s Conference Coordinators, Copperworks - Dennis Landry, Tara Levesque and Mike Large. Thank you also to all the volunteers who helped us out for the four days. And a special thanks to Carolyn Sutherland who provided a lot of support and work before she went on leave and is recovering now from surgery. This year we used SpinCount as our publicist and I would like to thank Kimberly Sinclair for all her work with us this year. We had a banner year!

Don’t forget to fill out the surveys! We would like to hear from you about your experiences at the conference, either good or bad, and any stories that you may want to share with us. Your feedback helps us to improve.

Have a great year ahead! We look forward to bringing you another successful and meaningful conference in 2019 in Mississauga again!

Alka Sharma
Executive Director

Advocacy Alert

Please read the following important notice from Music Canada Live:

October 5, 2018 Dear Colleague: We are asking for your help... We are following up on our recent correspondence, and out of deep concern for the future of both the Celebrate Ontario program and the Ontario Music Fund.   These programs total $35 million in investment with over 400 recipients. In the past year, Celebrate Ontario supported over 328 festivals and events, and the Ontario Music Fund over 60 live music stakeholders and associations. As we know, Ontario has had its first change of government in over 15 years. The new government has made it clear that all programs will be reviewed. The stage has been set for significant cuts to program spending, including funding for arts and culture. The time is now for immediate action – we must encourage our new government to recognize and reward the economic, social and cultural power of live music. To do this, we have engaged Crestview Strategy, who are helping us to achieve our primary goal which is to preserve government support for the live music industry by deploying a focused effort to directly advocate to the new government and protect existing funds.   Will your event and/or organization be impacted by cuts to Celebration Ontario and the Ontario Music Fund? We are currently and quickly trying to raise the necessary funds to execute our advocacy strategy and protect these crucial investments and we need your help. Can you contribute our suggestion of the equivalent of 1% of the total funding you receive from Celebrate Ontario and/or the Ontario Music Fund so that we can leverage the access to government Crestview can provide, and inspire the government to maintain support for our industry? Millions of dollars and thousands of jobs are at stake, as are our festivals and events, the careers of artists and the multitude of others who benefit from a thriving live music industry. Will you help? 1. Please join others in the industry who have already pledged support to, and leadership for, this vital initiative by contacting Victoria Shepherd to request a confidential invoice for the amount of your pledge.  For a relatively small amount of support, we can work on your behalf towards a stable future. 2. Please complete this survey so that we can share your stories to support the crucial importance of these funds. Do not hesitate to contact me if you have any question or need any further information. Thank you in advance for your commitment and contributions to Ontario’s incredible live music sector. Sincerely, Erin Benjamin Executive Director ebenjamin@musiccanadalive.ca 613-769-5559

2018 FMO Awards

Recipients of this year's FMO Awards were honoured during the Awards Brunch at the 2018 FMO conference:

Stingray Rising Star Award:

• English: The O’Pears - "Quiet Now"
• French: Georgian Bay - "Roi"

Folk Music Ontario Songs From the Heart Awards:

• Blues: Tragedy Ann - "Neon & Velour"
• Children's: Darrelle London - "Sing to the Moon"
• Folk Music from Around the World: Lenka Lichtenberg - "Sleep Baby Sleep"
• Humourous: Braden Phelan - "Snooze"
• Instrumental: Shawn William Clarke - "Bellwoods Park"
• Political: Missy Bauman - "Two Sisters"
• Roots: Campbell Woods - "Picture of You"

ACTRA-RACS Recording Artist of the Year Award:

• AHI

Website Award sponsored by Bandzoogle:

• The Lifers

Setting the Stage Award sponsored by Music Canada Live:

• NAC Presents

Estelle Klein Award:

• Bill Garrett

Taylor Mitchell Bursary:

• Chloe Lukia Pilar

2018 conference survey

While the 32nd annual conference is still fresh in our delegates' minds, we would like to collect opinions and input on several aspects of it, through our conference survey.  All respondents who complete the survey by October 26, 2018 will be entered into a random draw for one of five registrations for the 33rd Annual FMO Conference, taking place September 27-29, 2019 at the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites.

Please click here to complete the conference survey.

FMO members at the CFMAs

The nominees for the 14th annual Canadian Folk Music Awards, being presented in Calgary at the end of November, were recently announced. FMO would like to congratulate its member nominees:
 

Call for submissions

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences (CARAS) is accepting submissions for the 2019 JUNO Awards until Friday, November 9, 2018 at www.junosubmissions.ca.
 
In order to be considered for nomination for the 2019 JUNO Awards, national music release dates must fall in the eligibility period of September 1, 2017 - November 9, 2018.

Read the official press release here.

Funding/grant deadlines

Canadian Heritage

Creative Export Envelope
Activities occurring between April 1, 2019 and March 31, 2020
*For information contact your Canada Arts Presentation Fund advisor
Deadline: October 15 
 

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