Newsletter

Wendell Ferguson here. For the last 3 years, I’ve been editing the CMAO newsletter and every month we do a column called Behind The Board that features the background bio and some Q & A with one of our Board members. Look for columns on new Board members Brian Hetherman and Samantha Pickard in the coming months. But since I’ve been selected to enter the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame this year (along with builder Ron Sakamoto) I thought it might be interesting if I interviewed myself. Self-indulgent, perhaps… but how often do you get to speak to yourself? WF– So how do you feel about all this Hall of Fame stuff? WF- Very humbled, very honoured and to be truthful, a little undeserving. […]

By Sam Arraj, CPA, CA At least a few times a month, I’ll get an eager self-employed person who will call me up with enthusiasm requesting to incorporate their business – whether it’s an arts business, as a contractor or any other business. I’ll ask them why they want to incorporate and they’ll usually respond that their friend incorporated their business and now they are saving so much tax. This is not necessarily correct, which is why I’m writing this article to provide you with more insight on this subject. This is a complicated subject, so bear with me. I’m not going to cover every angle, as I’m going to try and give you more of a high level understanding. First and foremost, what is […]

By Stephanie Brooks The fun, the fans, the friends and the famous. All were out in full force July 31st-August 3rd at the Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, for the third annual Boots and Hearts music festival. Tens of thousands piled into the 750-acre racing facility with their trailers and tents in tow to see Toby Keith, Luke Bryan, Blake Shelton, Lee Brice and Hunter Hayes as well as a great cohort of Ontario artists like Jordan McIntosh, Tim Hicks, The Reklaws, Marshall Dane, Genevieve Fisher, Deric Ruttan, The Roadhammers, The Abrams Brothers, Open Sky and Northern Roads. Thirty-four per cent of the weekend’s performers this year were from Ontario, let alone the throngs of fans. “Ontario is such a strong country market,” says […]

By: Linda Heldman Saturday July 26th, 2014, Monte Vista Golf Club in Val Caron, ON (part of the Greater City of Sudbury) was home to the Larry Berrio KICX for Kids Golf Tournament. The day was perfect for participants to enjoy a round of golf, all for a worthwhile cause. Larry Berrio has a long-standing relationship with KICX 91.7 FM and this tournament was an excellent opportunity to assist the station’s Phase 2 project to raise $250,000 towards the complete renovation and expansion of the existing Treatment Room in the Pediatric Unit at Health Sciences North. KICX states “The new Treatment Room will be a kid-friendly space, with a “clubhouse” feel. This will include a seating area for family members, child-friendly furniture and art/murals, electronic […]

Dear members: I hope you are enjoying the summer and getting a chance to see some of Ontario’s country talent live. First and foremost in my July’s President’s message: I previously made an incorrect reference to Leah Daniels as our CCMA FanFest Contest winner; in fact, she was the CCMA Spotlight Winner. Please be advised Leah will perform at the CCMA Industry Lunch & Awards and the CCMA Pre-Show Countdown Concert. Sorry for the mix up. Speaking of Leah Daniels, I want to thank everyone who voted to make Leah the national CCMA Spotlight Contest winner (I hope I got it right this time…). For the past three years, the CCMA has offered the CMAO and the other provincial associations the chance to send an […]

On July 14th, the Country Music Association of Ontario held its Annual General Meeting. While there were six seats up for election, eight candidates were in the running. Elected to the Board were Bruce Good, Cadence Grace, Brian Hetherman, Craig Parks, Samantha Pickard and Randy Stark. They join Brian Allen, Sam Arraj, Wendell Ferguson, Cathie Faint, and Amanda Power. On July 29th, the new Board met and held the election for the Executive of the organization. The Executive for the 2014-15 fiscal year is: Sam Arraj, President; Randy Stark, 1st Vice President; Bruce Good, 2nd Vice President and Craig Parks, Secretary-Treasurer. “I am excited to be re-elected as President and look forward to working with the Board of Directors to produce a successful conference this […]

This month on Behind the Board, we visit Cadence Grace – a powerhouse of a Board member, a gal who can juggle more things in the air than most people would believe possible, head up committees, write up articles, design and execute graphics, manage web-sites and mail-outs, and is more computer savvy than the rest of the board combined. She’s fluent in basic, java script, linux, and can even swear in fortran. On top of all this she’s also running a successful music career by writing for radio and the movies and still finds time for performing with a new three-girl super-group, Runaway Angel . Whew! When does she have time for being a CMAO Board member? Personally, I don’t know… but every time she’s […]

I’ve had the opportunity to interview country artists from Canada and the States (and beyond) for the last 5 years. It’s something that has never lost its thrill or appeal to me. Learning why artists make music – and how they go about making music – is something I’ve always been interested in. There are several subjects that come up on the show that are worth highlighting here. Country music has songs that impact its listeners’ lives. These are the kinds of songs that help us get through a tough time, or let us know we’re not alone. It might be Beverley Mahood’s “Hope and Gasoline”, or Emerson Drive’s “The Extra Mile”, or Michelle Wright’s “Strong.” These songs make a personal connection with listeners – […]