Newfoundland & Labrador Arts Council Grants to Professional Festivals Announced

May 25, 2010, St. John’s, NL – The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC) has awarded $89,195 to 10 professional festivals from across the province through its Professional Festivals Program (PFP).

The Professional Festivals Program supports festivals representing all artistic disciplines and is available to professional not-for-profit arts festivals or series that exclusively run during a concentrated period of time. Applicants can apply for costs related to artist fees, technical costs, venue rental, administration costs, workshop sessions and travel expenses. Some of the festivals that have received funding this session include the Random Passage Sunday Series and Family Festival in New Bonaventure, Trinity Bay; the Cape St. Mary’s Performance Series in Cape St. Mary’s; and the World’s End Theatre Festival 2010 on Fogo Island.

“The many festivals that take place throughout the province play a crucial role in promoting the creation and enjoyment of the arts,” says NLAC executive director Reg Winsor. “Local audiences and visitors alike benefit from these events that celebrate our arts and culture. This program encourages professionalism and high artistic standards.”

To be eligible for a grant, the festival or organization must remunerate performers and staff at accepted national rates of pay for services, and typically employ a paid administrator and/or an artistic director. Their primary mandate must be the development or promotion of the arts, and they must operate in a not-for-profit capacity or be registered as a not-for-profit organization in the province. The maximum grant is $10,000 and the minimum grant is $1,000 (or the total amount requested if less than $1,000). Applications are reviewed by a multidisciplinary peer assessment committee.

The next application deadline for the Professional Festivals Program is February 15, 2011 for festivals or series starting after April 15, 2011.

To see a List of Recipients Click here

Professional Festivals Program, Grant Recipients 2010

Total awarded: $89,195

Total grants: 10

Bluegrass and Old-Time Country Music Society of Newfoundland and Labrador

Bay Roberts, March 01, 2010 – November 30, 2010, $9,603

The third annual Old-Time Country Music Jamboree will take place in September 2010. The event will feature old-time country and bluegrass bands from Newfoundland and Labrador and elsewhere in Canada. Vocal and instrumental workshops will be held to promote and improve musicianship in the province.

Cape Random Trust

New Bonaventure, Trinity Bay, June 26, 2010 – September 5, 2010, $10,000

The third annual Random Passage Sunday Series and Family Festival will run an eleven-week Sunday series of traditional music and writers at the site of the Random Passage film set. The Festival features a variety of music, songs, readings, along with day camps and workshops.

The Cape St. Mary’s Performance Series

Cape St. Mary’s, June 12, 2010 – September 12, 2010, $9,889

The Cape St. Mary’s Performance Series is a series of music, storytelling, readings, sounds, and visual art presented at the Interpretation Centre, Cape St. Mary’s Ecological Reserve.

Gros Morne Summer Music

Corner Brook, Woody Point and Norris Point, July 21, 2010 – August 23, 2010, $10,000

Gros Morne Summer Music is a six-week multi-genre music festival that features top-notch artists from around the world. Now entering its eighth year of activities, the Festival continues to expand in the number of performances, artists, genres, and venues.

The March Hare

Corner Brook, March 04, 2011 – April 10, 2011, $10,000

March Hare 2011 is a festival celebrating words and music at venues in Toronto, St. John’s, Gander, Rocky Harbour, and home base Corner Brook.

Nickel Independent Film Festival

St. John’s, June 22, 2010 – June 26, 2010, $10,000

The Nickel Independent Film Festival is a five-day event showcasing a wide variety of independent films from Newfoundland and Labrador and around the world. The 10th annual Festival will focus on short films of all genres including children’s films and documentaries.

St. John’s Storytelling Festival

St. John’s, October 27, 2010 – October 31, 2010, $7,500

The annual St. John’s Storytelling Festival celebrates the richness of the storytelling tradition in Newfoundland and Labrador. The 7^th annual festival will showcase local artists and allow an opportunity for professional development through workshops. Emphasis will be placed on fostering an interest in youth with school visits, a performance night with up and coming young artists, as well as workshops to teach young tellers how to perfect their craft.

Winterset in Summer

Eastport, August 13, 2010 – August 15, 2010, $10,000

The Winterset in Summer Literary Festival will feature nationally acclaimed local writers, as well as internationally celebrated Canadian writers. This year the festival will focus on an artistic outreach with a session featuring Gerry Squires and local artists.

World’s End Theatre Festival

Fogo Island, June 14 – August 8, 2010, $10,000

The third annual New World’s End Theatre Festival will feature four productions over a period of four weeks including the creation of two new plays.

Writers at Woody Point

Woody Point, August 18, 2010 – August 22, 2010, $2,500

The seventh annual Writers at Woody Point Literary Festival will present readings and musical performances at the historic Woody Point Heritage Theatre. Writers and musicians from Newfoundland and Labrador and elsewhere will entertain audiences during four evenings and two matinee performances over five days.

What Working Musicians Need to Know – June 19th Free Workshop for Musicians

Many musicians, including people doing a lot of performing and recording, are not aware of their possible sources of income. We estimate that as much as $300,000 in royalties and residual payments for recording to which Newfoundland and Labrador musicians are entitled goes unclaimed each year. These sources include performing rights, mechanical rights, neighbouring rights and residual payments for recording available through the AFM. This is in addition to the grants offered by the Arts Council, MusicNL, the Canada Council and FACTOR!

To help musicians better understand their rights and claim this income, the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council and the Newfoundland and Labrador Musicians’ Association will jointly sponsor a free workshop for musicians at the Gower Street United Church Hall on the afternoon of Saturday, June 19th.

The session from 1-3 PM will feature a panel presentation by Katrina Rice of the Arts Council, Jen Winsor of MusicNL and Dan Rubin of the NL Musicians’ Association. After a short presentation by each speaker, there will be plenty of time to answer questions and help musicians understand how to improve their income.

This workshop is free but participants should pre-register by sending an email to nlmusicians@hotmail.com.

For more information, call the Musicians’ Association at 709-722-8005.

Sponsor of the Week: Nalcor Energy

The 2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival would not be possible without the support of our corporate and media sponsors. To show our appreciation for their support, Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues will be showcasing a different sponsor each week. This week’s Sponsor of the Week is Nalcor Energy.

Nalcor Energy’s business includes the development, generation, transmission and sale of electricity; the exploration, development, production and sale of oil and gas; industrial fabrication; and energy marketing.

Focused on sustainable growth, the company is leading the development of the province’s energy resources and has a corporate-wide framework that facilitates the prudent management of its assets while continuing a unwavering focus on the safety of its workers and the public.

Nalcor currently has five lines of business: Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro, Churchill Falls, Lower Churchill Project, Oil and Gas, and Bull Arm Fabrication.

Wreckhouse Jazz & Blues is proud to recognize the contributions of Nalcor Energy. Thank you, Nalcor! You are the WJB Sponsor of the Week.

Focus and Performance Anxiety; Strategies That Help

Musicians of any level from beginner to seasoned pro will continuously face the challenge of dealing with performance anxiety at some point or another. Unfortunately, this usually results in musicians saying something on their instrument that they didn’t mean to say. Many artists have discussed the issue of performance anxiety in various depths, we will just brush the surface, however, some links to external resources have been included for those who wish to explore this further.

Living In The Moment:

Seems simple but surprisingly difficult to attain. When we perform the bars and beats go by quickly, did you mess something up? Who cares!? The ability to live in the moment means focusing on the now, not the past. If you keep on thinking of past mistakes you’re sure to make more. Just relax and enjoy the show (More than likely no one noticed that one bum note anyways, we’ll just call it creative initiative).

Anxiety – Doubt = Excitement:

It’s really that simple, the only difference between anxiety and excitement is doubt. Inside they both feel the same, just flip that switch in your head, be confident and know you can do the job. Excitement is sure to follow, which is far less distracting than Anxiety.

State Of Mind:

Bassist and Arranger John Clayton once mentioned that there is no such thing as the “practice room”, just the “performance room”. From now on don’t call it practicing or woodshedding, whenever you pick up your instrument you’re performing. Whether it’s to an empty practice room or a full stadium, try and always keep your mind in a state as if you were actually performing. Get used to that feeling mentally so that it doesn’t pose as much of a mental block when you’re on stage.

Experience:

One can always chalk it up to this. Sometimes the only way you can get over your nerves is by dealing with them over and over again. The more you perform the more confident and experienced you will be allowing you to better cope with your anxiety. Just get out there and perform. Hopefully these tips are a good starting point.

If you would like to delve into this topic further feel free to check out a great book by pianist Kenny Werner entitled “Effortless Mastery” at http://kennywernerlive.com/. Also check out two of our clinics this year that will touch on this subject on Saturday, July 17th with Dominic Mancuso and Sunday, July 18th with the Simon Fisk Trio Featuring Jerry Granelli & Christian Koegel Link.

Related Articles

• Stress and anxiety – All Information (umm.edu)
• Biofeedback technique eases musicians’ anxiety (seattletimes.nwsource.com)
• 5 Stage Fear Quick Fixes (teachstreet.com)
• Ways to Handle Anxiety (dirjournal.com)

Canadian Music Week 2011 – SUBMIT EARLY AND SAVE

Canadian Music Fest is a once-in-a-year opportunity to get your band in front of over 3000 industry insiders and 600 media reps from Canada and all over the world – from A&R reps and music publishers to booking agents, promoters, and talent buyers.

Taking place March 9-13, 2011 during Canadian Music Week, Canadian Music Fest will feature over 800 artists filling over 55 venues to mark another installment of Canada’s largest new music festival. From tomorrow’s emerging artists to today’s hottest concert hit-makers, you’ll find them here. Last year alone, featured performances from the following:

Our Lady Peace – Hedley – Constantines – Joel Plaskett – Great Lake Swimmers – Cage the Elephant – IllScarlett – Fucked Up – Dillinger Escape Plan – The Trews – K-OS – Neon Indian – Moneen – Daughtry – DJ Champion and his G Strings – Steel Panther – Little Dragon – Born Ruffians – Faber Drive – Bedouin Soundclash – Jason Collett – The Rural Alberta Advantage – Marianas Trench – Nightmare Air – Children Collide – Default – Platinum Blonde – Speech Debelle – Plants and Animals – Jeff Martin – Comeback Kid – Beast – Arkells – Handsome Furs – Dan Mangan – Timber Timbre – Vivian Girls – Electric Six – Woodhands – and hundreds more!

Now in it’s 29th year, Canadian Music Week is recognized as one of the premier entertainment events in North America focusing on the business of music. For artists, it is a chance to learn and network with pros from all sectors of the industry who are at your disposal with the tools and knowledge to build your career in music. With panels, keynotes/celebrity interviews (ranging from the likes of Gene Simmons, Slash, Dave Stewart to Jamie Cullum, Jaron Lanier, Seymour Stein and Bruce Allen), mentoring sessions, film premieres, award shows and an international marketplace, Canadian Music Week is your one-stop music destination to the world.

SUBMIT EARLY AND SAVE!

Take advantage of discounted submission fees by submitting early. Submit by June 30th and pay LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE!

All entrants will receive a COMPLIMENTARY PASS to attend Canadian Music Week’s TuneUp Conference 2011 (valued at $300 CAD) and a two-year membership to C.A.A.M.A. (Canadian Association for the Advancement of Music and the Arts) – a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the commercial development of the Canadian sound recording business domestically and internationally.

As an added bonus, all bands will have the opportunity to be featured in the “Artist Spotlight” on our site – www.canadianmusicfest.com – with a link back to your website. Bands will be spotlighted on a weekly basis, so don’t put off your chance to be recognized until the end.

Don’t wait… Get your application in now!

2010 WIJBF Performer Profile: Rowdy Blues

Friday July 16, @ The Majestic Theatre, 8:30-9:30pm

Buy Tickets

Rowdy Blues is a collaboration of some of St. John`s finest blues musicians. Scott Goudie, Peter Narvaez, and Denis Parker, have been the heart and soul of the local Blues scene for the past 30 years. While all are regarded as top notch blues singers and guitarists, Scott is known for his stinging slide guitar, Peter for his jaw dropping harp and guitar picking, and Denis for his unshakable blues conviction on guitar and vocals. John Clarke has been a regular dobro sideman to all and just digs that slide guitar. And we all dig playing the blues for you folks!

Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival 2010 Educational Workshops

THURSDAY, JULY 15 Creaking Tree String Quartet “Putting The Range In Arrangements”

Arranging Tunes For Small Groups Spend an hour with The Creaking Tree String Quartet as they describe the methods behind the madness of some of their arranging concepts. The group will take their own material and explain how it went from a melody and chords to a performable, planned arrangement. They will also answer general questions and touch on topics of interest to the audience.

SATURDAY, JULY 17 Dominic Mancuso “In The Moment “

Approaches To Live Performance 2010 JUNO award winner Dominic Mancuso will lead the workshop with some of Canada’s most versatile & innovative musicians (Tony Zorzi on guitars and John Johnson on saxes and woodwinds). Employing a broad musical vocabulary, they’ll explore a porous approach to live musical performance, engaging the audience as much as the performer. Performance and Q&A to follow.

SATURDAY, JULY 17 H’Sao “Chadian Rhythms”

African Dance & Singing With their stellar acapella voices, harmonies and dancing, this group will move your spirit as well as your feet!

SUNDAY, JULY 18 Simon Fisk Trio Featuring Jerry Granelli & Christian Koegel “Exploring Free Spaces”  “Spontaneous Improvisation”

Spontaneous versus frivolous or reactive improvisation clinic. Spontaneous meaning listening/absorbing what is happening and becoming part of the musical ensemble as opposed to frivolous or reactive improvisation where what is actually happening is merely reacted to rather than absorbed and participated in. The trio will talk about opening up song forms and stretching into free spaces and ways to arrive back. They will also introduce integral ear training exercises to strengthen ones intuitive playing, as well as ways to practice intuitive playing.

SUNDAY, JULY 18 Morgan Davis “History of the Blues”

Interactive Demonstration Using music from his personal collection, interspersed with commentary and anecdotes along with audience participation, he takes folks on a journey spanning two continents and 80 years of recorded blues. From African music to the “field hollers” of the southern U.S., from Mississippi to Chicago… From Georgia to Texas, Morgan illustrates regional styles as well as influences and interpretations from one artist to another, often using recorded snippets along with his own guitar.

Note: Educational workshops are open to all ages. Instruments are welcome. Stay tuned for more details: venues and times will be announced soon!

2010 Wreckhouse International Jazz & Blues Festival Promo

Harbourside Park, Water Street, St. John’s

Artists to Perform at  Harbourside Park;

Friday July 16th: Skylarks

Saturday July 17th: Instigators

Sunday July 18th: Jeff Dyer Band