January 2018 – Country Music Association of Ontario

January 25, 2018

A Message from the President (January 2018)

The CMAOntario’s Board Members would like to wish all a belated Happy New Year, and all the best for 2018. I believe we are all in for a much smoother and more bountiful year. Opportunities abound! As the Board continues to prepare for 2018 in London, the Membership Committee has created some new performance opportunities with a number of Ontario Fairs. These performance opportunities will be decided by a submission-based application and the chosen artists will be selected by a jury made up of industry personnel. Keep an eye on the newsletter to get all the deets – it will be coming up soon! I was unable to make the 2017 Unison Holiday Schmoozefest, but that party raised $35,000 for Canadian Music Workers in Crisis. […]

January 25, 2018

Artist of the Month: The Small Town Girls

They may be young, but that hasn’t stopped a trio of Tillsonburg, ON sisters from making a name for themselves in the country music community. The Small Town Girls (sisters, Haley, Hannah, and Cassie Van Maele) may not yet be household names or radio regulars, but these teenage musicians are doing the legwork that country music admires, as they hone their skills and put in their 10,000 hours on every stage they can. And some of those stages are pretty big! This February, The Small Town Girls will join Brett Kissel on tour as they open his show on the 23rd in North Bay, ON. Their opening spot on the We Were That Song Tour is their second appearance with Kissel, following up their January […]

January 25, 2018

In The Country with Dave Woods: One On One With Dani Strong

Tell me about one of your influences and how that artist has shaped you. Currently, Kacey Musgraves is a massive inspiration to me as a SONGWRITER. Kacey doesn’t seem to give a rip about what she does and does not “sell”. I really admire anyone who does what they want, because it is the art they want to create. In the “beginning”, when I was a kid, I always listened to older music. My mom must have thought I was on drugs. All my friends were listening to Our Lady Peace and The Offspring (we really only had one radio station in rural British Columbia), and I went and bought Full Moon Fever by Tom Petty and wore the S*$% out of that album and the […]

January 25, 2018

Ontario’s Country Music Pioneers: Mary Bailey

Born: Evelyn (Mary) Bailey – December 24, 1946 – Toronto, Ontario (by Larry Delaney) Mary Bailey earned early experience as a child performer working the Ontario music scene, including guest appearances on the Earl Heywood Show (Wingham) and The Ken Soble Amateur Hour Show (Hamilton). By her early teens, she put the entertainment world on hold, and later, began working as a jewellery fashion designer and Ontario regional manager for the Sarah Coventry Jewellery company. During this time, Mary developed keen skills as a songwriter and by the mid-1970’s, was signed to a recording contract with RCA Victor (Canada), releasing several singles, which earned national airplay and chart positions from 1976-79. These early career hits resulted in a 1977 nomination for Best New Female Artist […]

January 25, 2018

Patrice’s Pick: Brooklyn Roebuck

This month, our feature video from Patrice Whiffen at Country Music Junkies profiles Canadian country music artist, Brooklyn Roebuck! Brooklyn Roebuck talks about her current single, “Sweet on Me”. She also talks about how her sound and style have evolved, and what fans can expect from her new music due out in 2018. For more information about Brooklyn Roebuck, or to check out her current single, click here: https://www.brooklynroebuck.com/ For more on Country Music Junkies, visit www.CountryMusicJunkies.com. Listen to the exclusive interview with Brooklyn Roebuck below: About Patrice: To Patrice Whiffen, country music is a lifestyle. As the appropriately deemed, “Country Music Junkie,” she strives to share her passion for country music with the world. As a radio broadcaster with an inside view of the world of country […]

January 25, 2018

In The News (January)

This section of the newsletter is comprised of news stories, press releases and links to Internet articles that are sent in by our members who believe they will be of general interest to the membership. We include them as a courtesy to our members but do not verify or edit their content. Their inclusion does not constitute an endorsement by the CMAOntario nor do their contents reflect the views or opinions of the CMAOntario. If you would like to have something included in the newsletter, please send us a short synopsis, a photo or graphic and the hotlink that can be included in the news listing. Submissions can be sent to verle@cmaontario.ca. Please make sure the Subject Line reads “For inclusion in the CMAOntario Newsletter”. […]