Bob Ezrin

Veteran music journalist Larry Leblanc has told us that CBC-Radio will be nationally airing a one hour radio commentary that he did on the life and times of Michael Cohl, Bob Ezrin, and Bruce Allen on the program “Inside The Music.”

The times the show will air are:

Sunday, Dec. 6 on Radio 2 and3 pm ET and Radio One at 9 pm ET

Wednesday, Dec. 9 on Radio 2 and 7 pm ET

Sirius XM 169 plays the episode on Dec. 4 (2 pm), Dec. 5 (5 am), Dec. 6 (9 pm), and Dec. 9 (7 am)

The program consists of Leblanc’s commentary on the life and times of three accomplished Canadian entertainment figures along with relevant music recordings.

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The Holidays are coming and Music Books Plus is gearing up – starting today!

Starting today, November 24th, you can start saving 20% off the entire Music Books Plus site. Browse through the thousands of title available and simply use coupon code: BLACK FRIDAY at checkout and they’ll take 20% off everything in your cart.

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Roland has announced the launched of the Roland Digital Piano Design Awards, an opportunity for forward-thinking designers to create the piano of the future. Designers can now submit their digital concert grand piano concepts,  with cash prizes awarded to the top three finalists.

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Canadian Musician is giving you a chance to hear The Tenors like you’ve never heard them before. Enter to now to win two tickets to their show at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre on November 24th. We also have a copy of their latest CD, an autographed photo, and some merch to give away to one very lucky winner. Enter now at www.canadianmusician.com/tenors/

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Sennheiser is calling on bands and artists to be product reviewers for its evolution wireless D1 series

Audio specialist Sennheiser is launching its “Test D1 and Only” campaign, encouraging artists and bands to trial and review its new evolution wireless D1 microphone systems, with reviewers able to keep their set for free. The opportunity is available to the 150 prospective testers that write to Sennheiser at www.sennheiser-d1.com with the best reasons for why they want to take part.

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Brian Hardgroove

Joined by Grammy-winning guitarist Larry Mitchell, the new project Audio Rhythm Theory, featuring Police drummer Stewart Copeland and Public Enemy bassist/bandleader Brian Hardgroove, is on a search for vocalists from around the world—and relying on the internet to find them.

Vocalists will be able to audition on video by singing to tracks uploaded by Audio Rhythm Theory to WholeWorldBand, the online music video creation platform, and can participate simply by downloading the free app from www.wholeworldband.com or from the Apple App Store. Meanwhile, Hardgroove’s Signature Forum on HarmonyCentral.com will be the epicenter for tracking the audition, by collecting all the final videos and Hardgroove’s commentary in one place.

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Noisey, the music division of Vice Media, has published this interesting article on the financial barriers that make it difficult for Canadian acts to tour the U.S.:

With Canadian artists occupying the top four spots on Billboard’s Hot 100 for the first time ever, it may seem like the Canadian invasion of the American music market is well underway. But while artists like Drake and The Weeknd have managed to break out of Canada and take over the American pop charts, the passage across the border isn’t as smooth as they make it seem. The US music market is the biggest in the world, and with 75% of Canadians living within 100 miles of the border, that market is tantalizingly close for most Canadian musicians in an industry where opportunities are hard to come by. For most Canadians, visiting the US is a matter of routine. For American touring musicians, entering Canada follows more or less that same routine. But for many Canadian musicians, the border presents a significant logistical and financial barrier that can stunt their careers before they’ve really gotten started. This barrier has even led some to question the impactfulness of the investments made by the national and provincial governments to develop the Canadian music industry.

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IMSTA FESTA 2015 takes place this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at Ryerson University in Toronto. We will be exhibiting at Booth 21 so please drop by. This is a free event open to anyone interested in the art of music making; professional and semi-professional musicians, songwriters, music producers, and audio engineers, as well as music students and educators.

• Music Books Plus will be displaying an extensive selection of books and DVDs at special show prices.
• We will have complimentary copies of the latest issue of Canadian Musician magazine
• Our assistant editor, Michael Raine will be presenting a seminar on “How To Work the Media” at 2 p.m.

For information on IMSTA FESTA, visit www.imsta.org/imsta_festa_2015_TO.php

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Steve’s Music Toronto alongside with their Co-Country sponsor, Boots & Bourbon Saloon teamed up this past summer to show support for upcoming Canadian country artists and to gain exposure to the every growing country music scene in Toronto and surrounding areas through the Steve’s Supports Country Campaign. The campaign consisted of live performances, an on-air Live Broadcast interview with CIUT 89.5 and a unique way for up and coming artists to showcase their talent in the Steve’s Country Corner on site in the Toronto store.

This Saturday, Oct. 17 at Steve’s Music on 415 Queen St. W. between 2 and 4 p.m. in the Steve’s Country Corner there will be performances by country artist Elyse Saunders as well as official spokesperson and country artist Alessia Cohle and country music veteran Don Graham. They will exchange some stories, songs and music with the country fan public. All performance & interviews run 30 minutes each.

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The International Music Software Trade Association (IMSTA) jhas announced that its annual celebration of Music Technology event, IMSTA FESTA, will be returning to Toronto. Hosted by Ryerson University, this free event is set to take place on Saturday, October the 17th, 2015.

HIGHLIGHTS:
• Keynote speech delivered by Jimmy Douglass.
• Get inside knowledge by attending informative panels at the IMSTA FESTA Professional Panel Series that cover all aspects of the industry.
• Be sure to attend a Master class and learn how to maximize the efficiency of your studio equipment.
• Network with industry “heavy hitters” and make valuable connections that will advance your career.
• Receive hands-on experience with the latest music production tools on the market.
• Win raffle prizes from top audio technology companies.

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