Newsletter

By Stephanie Brooks September’s 31st annual Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) Awards shone a light on the industry’s best this year, giving out awards to deserving talent from across the country – one of which was Ontario’s own The Stellas, for Group or Duo of the Year. For the husband and wife team from Whitby, Ontario, winning one of Canadian country music’s most coveted national awards was something they weren’t expecting. “It was the ultimate shock,” says Marylynne Stella. “We had no clue we were going to be taking it home. We hadn’t prepared anything because we were basically waiting to see which friend of ours was going to take it!” Their success, though, should come as no surprise. The couple, who performed at Bowmanville’s […]

We’re proud to feature the second in a series of articles taken from Brian Allen’s “Winning The Music Game”. Great instincts are often very obvious qualities of successful decision makers, and there are myriads of career-critical decisions to be made on the road to success. People with well-developed instinct just seem to know what works, how and why it works and when it works. They may not always be able to articulate their reasoning, but they are unusually gifted in this regard. The great hockey player Wayne Gretzky was often described as having an uncanny ability to predict where the play was headed, and subsequently position himself to be in the thick of the action exactly when it developed. Instinct is a very difficult skill […]

From September 4th to the 8th, Canadian Country Music Week took place in Edmonton Alberta. During awards dinners, luncheons and shows there were hundreds of delegates, artists, industry people and general public at every event. And we know we’re bragging a little, but Ontario was well represented at every one of them. The following deserving people and organizations picked up awards: Pete Walker from CJKX (KX-96) was named the Music Director of the Year – Secondary Market, while Orillia’s KICX picked up Radio Station of the Year in a Secondary Market. Musicians Pee-Wee Charles (Ed Ringwald) and Jason Barry picked up Steel Guitar Player of the Year and Guitar Player of the Year, respectively. Charles works with many country artists, including George Canyon, Western Swing […]

At press time this event was just about to take place. We knew we had 31+ registered performers plus the multi-talented Stuart Cameron on board, as well as a full panel of industry experts. We just know the show was a success. Next month we’ll have a full report on both the event and the winners. Here’s the deets! What: The CMAO DemoRama LIVE is an open mic focusing on live performances of original songs, followed by a song critique (optional), “Best Of” competition (optional), DemoRama LIVE Best Of Showcase, panel of industry experts, featured artists, sponsor prizes, etc. Where: The Free Times Café in Toronto When: Sept 21st, 2013 – doors open at noon with a 1pm start time Who: Juno Award winner Stuart […]

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Dear members: I want to thank all the members who showed confidence by supporting my bid for re-election; I’m honoured to represent the CMAO as President again. The results of the AGM were as follows: Re-elected were: Sam Arraj (President), Cathie Faint, Wendell Ferguson and Brian Allen (Vice President). Newly Elected were: Jane Harbury and Amanda Power I’m very excited about the team we have in place and I would like to welcome Jane Harbury and Amada Power to the Board. They both have a wealth of experience which will help to elevate the CMAO to the next level. In addition, I’m also very pleased that Cathie Faint, Wendell Ferguson and Brian Allen were re-elected. Over the past two years, they have brought strength, knowledge, […]

If you’re attending Country Music Week this year in Edmonton, be sure to watch out for the many artists from Ontario that will also be in attendance. For starters, there’s Johnny Reid. Johnny’s career continues to be hot as a pistol and show no signs of cooling down. Now, listening to him talk, you’d know instantly that he’s a Scot, but he and his family came here many years ago and made a home for themselves in Brampton, Ontario. He’s nominated for Fan’s Choice, Songwriter of the Year and his management company, Johnny Mac Entertainment, is also nominated. Then there’s Deric Ruttan from Bracebridge. His song “Main Street 1979” is up for the Single of the Year, as well as a co-write with Pembroke’s Jason […]

By Stephanie Brooks At the second annual Boots and Hearts country music festival – the largest of its genre in Canada – held August 1-4 this year at Bowmanville’s Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, there was truly something for everyone. The festival featured carnival rides, games, mechanical bull riding, a family area, three stages, dance tutorials, charity tents, camping, food, drinks, lounges, merchandise shopping, meet-and-greets, a sports zone, motocross show, contests, radio station tents… the list goes on. With so much on-the-go, it was tough to know which activity to partake in next, but it was clear there was one thing everyone came for and stayed for: the music. With such a phenomenal lineup reminiscent of one reserved solely for Nashville, none of the other experiences […]

On Monday July 29 the CMAO held its Annual General Meeting at Cosmo’s Music Complex in Richmond Hill. A quorum was present and thereby able to pass some changes to the by-laws, hear the financial statements, discuss other business and elect the current Board Of Directors. As two directors had stepped down and some came to the end of their terms, there were 9 candidates running for the 6 available positions. Wendell Ferguson, Cathie Faint, Brian Allen and Sam Arraj were re-elected and two new board members were elected: Amanda Power and Jane Harbury. You’ll be learning more about these new directors in coming months through our “Behind the Board” feature. The CMAO would like to thank all the members who attended, all those members […]