2023 ARTIST ENTREPRENEUR WEST PROGRAM APPLICATIONS OPEN FOR WESTERN AND NORTHERN CANADA-BASED MUSICIANS
AE WEST PROGRAM RETURNS FOR SEVENTH YEAR TO STUDIO BELL, HOME OF THE NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE THIS FALL
(June 2, 2023 – Toronto, ON and Calgary, AB) Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) and the National Music Centre (NMC) are inviting artists of all genres across Western and Northern Canada to apply for Artist Entrepreneur West (AE West) by Sunday, July 2, 2023 at 11:59 pm MT.
Artist Entrepreneur West (AE West) is a five-week creative entrepreneurship program designed to help emerging artists from all genres build sustainable businesses and careers in music. Through hands-on mentoring, networking, and collaboration with music industry professionals, artists will gain skills in areas of business management, new release marketing and promotion, booking shows, live performance, production, finances and revenue streams, industry contracts, and more. Artists will also have access to NMC’s world-class facilities, including recording studios, live rooms, classrooms, and collection. The seventh edition of the AE West program will take place from October 30 to December 1, 2023 at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, in Calgary.
“I feel like before AE West I was just blindly trying things in my career, but now I have a clear idea of what my next steps are in the next year and beyond. This program could not have been more helpful,” said country singer Brayden King, a 2022 AE West participant and 2023 American Idol Top 55 finalist.
AE West is an extension of CMI’s highly regarded, Toronto-based Artist Entrepreneur program and represents a partnership between CMI, a national not-for profit organization, and NMC. The majority of costs for the program are offset thanks to the generous support of the TD Ready Commitment, Viewpoint Foundation, the Kanovsky Family Foundation, Stingray Radio, and the Government of Canada. Many notable artists have benefitted from the program, including 2022 Project WILD Top 12 Finalist Alex Hughes, 2021 WCMA-winning R&B artist Sebastian Gaskin, 2020 JUNO Award-winning soul-folk singer Celeigh Cardinal, and more.
“This program has become a fixture on our calendar,” said Kate Rogers, Programs Manager, CMI. “Bringing AE West back as an in-person program last year reminded us of the important need for accessible, high level, and personalized professional development for Western and Northern-based artists. We look forward to working with our partners at NMC in delivering another rich and meaningful experience for this year’s artists, complemented by access to free ongoing mentorship.”
“The development we’re able to see from artists in this program is incredible,” said Daniel Go, Interim Senior Programs Manager, National Music Centre. “Each artist has a unique set of needs. With such a wide range of topics to tackle in the AE West program, it’s been inspiring to see artists grow in the areas that they needed to nurture the most. Whether it was the business side of music (i.e. accounting, music law, setting fees) or the artistic side (i.e. performance and vocal coaching), each artist gets the mentorship to succeed. At the end of the program, you can see a spark in the eyes of each artist, bursting with new ideas that they can immediately apply to their careers. It’s very exciting to see artists empowered by their new skills.”
Eligible artists must be 18 years old or over and actively writing, recording, releasing (or about to release) music, and performing live. Interviews will be conducted with appropriate candidates in July and August prior to program admission.
Interested, eligible artists can apply now at: canadasmusicincubator.com/aewest.
About AE West
Based on Canada’s Music Incubator’s long-running Artist Entrepreneur program (since 2012), AE West is designed to help emerging artists and bands from all genres build their businesses and careers. Artists will work closely with Canada’s Music Incubator and the National Music Centre team of social media, marketing, management, promotion, publicity, funding, touring, songwriting and live performance experts. They will also be introduced to a wide range of active music industry professionals. Artists also have ongoing access to CMI mentors and industry resources post-program.
About Canada’s Music Incubator
Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) is a Toronto-based national not-for-profit organization specializing in professional development, ongoing mentorship and live events for artists, managers, and music companies. Launched in 2012, CMI supports 1,300+ emerging music entrepreneurs, of all genres, in the development of long-term careers and sustainable businesses. CMI has provided 12,000+ hours of professional development programs and one-on-one mentorship combined. CMI Live works with private and community partners across the country curating paid performance opportunities for artists. To date, CMI Live has programmed 1,200+ shows and streams, paying $2 million directly to artists. CMI also advocates for music sector infrastructure development and creative entrepreneurship education in high schools. For more information, please visit canadasmusicincubator.com.
About National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music. It is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. NMC is the home to four Canadian music halls of fame, including the Canadian Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame, the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame, and Quebec’s ADISQ Hall of Fame. Featuring musical instruments, artifacts, recording equipment, and memorabilia, the NMC Collection spans over 450 years of music history and innovation. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.
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Media contact:
Julijana Capone, Senior Publicist
National Music Centre
T. 403.543.5123
julijana.capone@nmc.ca | @nmc_canada