The Ontario Music Educators’ Association (OMEA) hosted Vibrations 2012, its annual conference, this weekend in Toronto.

By all accounts it was a great success with over 870 delegates attending plus over 400 students and a diverse group of clinicians, workshop providers, and performers. As well, there were 62 booths in the exhibit area displaying and selling every imaginable instrument and teaching aid. The event also featured presentations and performances by Canadian R&B singer-songwriter Jully Black, spoken word artist Ritallin, and SPLASH, a group of students from the Etobicoke School of the Arts who won the Show Choir Canada competition.

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The 12th Annual Independent Music Awards has extended its submission deadline to Friday, Nov. 9, 2012 as a result of Hurricane Sandy.  Any bands or artists interested in submitting are asked to do so here.

For more information, visit the IMAs website at www.independentmusicawards.com.

Mars Hotel, an authentic Grateful Dead tribute band, will be taking the stage in support of Friends of Music Therapy. The show is at the Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on Nov. 3 at 8 p.m.

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Norris-Whitney Communications Inc., publisher of Canadian Musician magazine and others, has welcomed Michael Raine as its new Assistant Editor.

A graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program, Raine will work alongside NWC Editor Andrew King on editorial content for Canadian Musician and NWC’s other three magazines: Canadian Music Trade, Professional Sound, and Professional Lighting & Production. Information on new products, industry or company news, events, or other subjects relevant to the Canadian musical products community should be sent to his attention.

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SF Marketing, Canadian distributor of Pioneer DJ products, has announced the introduction of Pioneer’s DDJ-SX advanced performance DJ controller designed specifically for the Serato DJ Software. To celebrate the launch of this new product, Pioneer DJ will hold launch events on November 1, 2012 at three authorized dealers across Canada. Hosted by the Canadian Pioneer DJ Ambassadors, these events will provide an opportunity to get hands-on and up close with the DDJ-SX.

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Counterpoint Musical Services is bringing Wolfgang Weiss and Robert Infeld of Thomastik-Infeld to Canada for a series of workshops. These workshops were presented in Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal last year and were met with enthusiasm. Several more dates have been added for the 2012 run.

The clinics cover the subjects of how strings are made, the different types of materials and how they affect sound, how to know if your instrument needs lighter or heavier string gauges, and more. The workshops are open to violin, viola, cello, and bass players of all levels.

The workshops are free, and every participant receives a free set of Thomastik-Infeld strings of their choosing. Read More for the dates…

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Iconic Canadian record retailer, Sam Sniderman, passed away in Toronto on Sunday, September 23, 2012. He was 92. Known widely as Sam the Record Man, Sniderman joined his brother, Sid, in a small retail store on College Street in Toronto in 1937 – Sniderman Radio Sales and Service. Together they built a chain of Sam the Record Man stores that literally spanned the country. (more…)

The Taylor Guitars Road Show has announced multiple Canadian stops. The events offer attendees an opportunity to speak with and learn from a team from the Taylor factory, demo new models, learn how to choose an acoustic guitar, and more. For additional information, visit: www.taylorguitars.com/events/road-show. (more…)

Until the end of October 2012, Sabian is allowing drummers from around the world to decide which new cymbals the New Brunswick-based manufacturer will release in 2013. Multiple sets of the 12 new cymbal models developed by the Vault team will be shipped to select dealers worldwide, allowing customers a chance to try them first-hand; Sabian endorsers will also be demoing the cymbals during select events.

For a complete listing of Cymbal Vote events, descriptions, and video of all 12 new cymbal models, visit: www.cymbalvote.com.

InTheStudio: The Stories Behind History’s Greatest Rock Bands is a syndicated North American rock radio show, and is coming up to Canada this week for a special on Canadian rockers Triumph as part of its Medium Rare series. Triumph’s Rik Emmett, Mike Levine, and Gil Moore will sit down with InTheStudio host Redbeard for an in-depth interview about the Toronto three-piece’s journey to becoming platinum-selling reocrding artists.

The program is available to stream online at www.inthestudio.net.