Indigenous Music Residency Celebrates 10th Edition

Artists from Across Canada to Participate in Week-long Residency to Develop Business and Artistic Expertise, Presented by Manitoba Music and Canada Council for the Arts

The Indigenous Music Residency (IMR) will launch its 10th edition this year, welcoming artists that identify as Indigenous from across Canada to a week of career development at a tranquil space in Treaty 2 Territory, February 22-27.

Led by Manitoba Music in partnership with Canada Council for the Arts, the IMR provides advice, feedback, direction, and inspiration from industry professionals and experts, including business and artistic development sessions on topics critical to any career in music, as well as opportunities to connect one-on-one with mentors.

Past IMR participants include established artists that have gone on to release acclaimed albums, receive multiple music awards and nominations, earn media attention, and make music their full-time job, including iskwē, Don Amero, Drezus, Kris Glabush and Matthew Cardinal of nêhiyawak, Celeigh Cardinal, and more.  

This year’s IMR programming will include professional and artistic development sessions with skilled presenters on topics like grants and funding, rights and royalties, export market development, radio readiness, marketing and publicity, music management, building relationships with media, music video production, and more. It will also explore family life, mental health, and well-being for working artists.

Presenters include many established artist entrepreneurs and music industry professionals, Aisha Wickham (Ontario Music Office), Chelsey June and Jaaji of Twin Flames, David McLeod (NCI FM / Indigenous Music Countdown), Desiree Dorion, Eryka MacLean (FACTOR), Jade Harper (Manitoba Music), Marty Ballentyne (Canada Council for the Arts), RoseAnna Schick (RAS Creative), Sarah Burke (SiriusXM), Stephen Carroll (Manitoba Film & Music), and Vince Fontaine (Rising Sun Productions / Eagle & Hawk / Indian City),

Participants will also connect one-on-one with mentors for consultations about their music and business strategies, including award-winning singer/songwriter Crystal Shawanda, Billboard hit producer and president of The Darren Ross Agency Jace Martin, and acclaimed engineer/mixer/composer David Strickland.

The artists invited to participate include Brandon Baker (Electric Religious), Chandra Melting Tallow (Mourning Coup), Chuck Copenace, Curtis Clear Sky (Curtis Clear Sky and the Constellationz), Forrest Eaglespeaker (The North Sound), Jarrid Poitras (Jarrid Lee), JC Campbell, Kalem Moses (Big Mo), Kenneth Henderson (Low Budget Rock Star), Lisa Muswagon, Marentin Fehr, Melissa Knott, Mitchell Mozdzen, Nigel Irwin, Tristan Grant (Wolf Castle), and Winston Chubb (Stun).

The Indigenous Music Residency is an initiative of the Indigenous Music Development Program at Manitoba Music, which was launched in 2004 to help artists and music entrepreneurs that identify as First Nation, Metis, and/or Inuit develop sustainable careers in the music industry in Manitoba.

Manitoba Music would like to acknowledge the financial support of the Canada Council for the Arts; FACTOR, the Government of Canada and of Canada’s private radio broadcasters; the Province of Manitoba, the Manitoba Arts Council, and Manitoba Film & Music.