New Season of MusicWorks

Manitoba Music Expands Winter/Spring Season of Music Business Workshops to Include Focus on Health & Wellness, Hip Hop, and Audio Production for Women & Non-Binary People

A career in the music industry requires a continuous balance of creativity and business expertise. More than ever, there are many different paths to, and many different definitions of, success. Making connections with mentors and peers alike can help an artist develop their career and take on new challenges. To help music entrepreneurs gather critical industry knowledge, Manitoba Music is gearing up for a new season of MusicWorks professional development workshops and training opportunities.

Kicking off on February 4 and running through to June, MusicWorks presents sessions with experienced music industry pros and DIY experts speaking in depth on key topics for today’s artists and music entrepreneurs. The winter/spring season of MusicWorks balances the music business fundamentals in the DIY Series and info sessions with a new series dedicated to health and wellness, along with focused skills development for the hip hop scene in the Decipher series and audio production for women and non-binary people through the Equalizer series.

The flagship MusicWorks segment, the DIY Series, offers developing artists and industry, as well as veterans looking to update their skills, the opportunity to learn music business skills from the people on the ground doing the work every day. This season continues with sessions aimed at developing a solid and cohesive career foundation, including strategic planning and goal setting, creative video content, navigating showcasing and festivals, presenting your story, and more.

The new health and wellness series will address the sometimes challenging relationship between business and art, how an artist can stay passionate about their music, and the work/life/creative balance. The series builds on recent community-focused events in Manitoba Music’s professional development programming, including a recent discussion on mental health in music co-presented with the Big Fun Festival, and a roundtable on health and wellness for touring musicians last spring.

Launched last year, the Decipher series centres on building Manitoba’s rap scene and helping the local community make critical career connections. This season will tackle key aspects of booking and managing shows and tours, as well as a deep look at songwriting, collaborating, and production, all through a hip hop lens.

Equalizer continues with an introduction to software music sequencer and digital audio workstation Ableton Live, along with sessions on basic studio set-up and taking songs from their recorded version to the stage. Curated by artist and producer Joanne Pollock, the series is designed to offer a safe and encouraging environment to women and non-binary people who are interested in learning the ins and outs of audio production.

Manitoba Music will also run two info sessions covering FACTOR and Manitoba Film & Music funding programs as well as the complex world of copyright and royalties.

For complete workshop descriptions, please visit manitobamusic.com/workshops. All workshops take place in the Manitoba Music Industry Resource Centre, 1-376 Donald Street, unless otherwise listed. Space is limited and advance registration is strongly encouraged. For more information or to register, please contact us at 204.942.8650, training@manitobamusic.com.

MusicWorks is made possible by the generous support of the Province of Manitoba through Industry Services of Manitoba Education and Training, FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada and Canada's private radio broadcasters, The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, and The SOCAN Foundation.