Newsletter

Set Saturday January 25 aside in your calendar if you want to learn how to turn a talent into a career. Canada’s own Michelle Wright will be our featured guest. Michelle who performed on our inaugural awards show last May and who recently released the single ‘Strong” off her album of the same name, will be in Ontario doing charity work for World Vision Canada. Michelle is their honourary spokesperson of that organization. Michelle has always been one who gives back and she has graciously agreed to take part in our January Seminar to be held in Barrie at the Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, 107 Dunlop Street East. You’ll soon hear the announcements on our presenting radio station (CICX) KICX-106 radio and if you’re a […]

Dear members: The CMAO is pleased and honoured to have Slaight Music on board for the second straight year as the CMAO awards presenting sponsor. Their leadership and commitment to the country music community is instrumental in the successes of the CMAO awards show and many country music artists. As a reminder, the 2014 CMAO awards show will be held on May 26, 2014 at the Markham Theatre. The event will be spectacular and extremely entertaining. Tickets are now on sale; visit  www.cmaontario.ca for details. It is important that the country music community continues to support this event, so if you don’t have time to attend, share the news with your friends and family. With Ontario’s ever-changing economy due to globalization, the arts are playing a […]

Every month we feature a member of the Board of Directors so you can get to know the people working on your behalf here at the CMAO. This month’s featured Director is none other than Santa Claus. At this time of year, he hasn’t got much time to come to meetings as he’s busy cooking up something big for everyone. But rest assured, his leadership abilities and extensive experience are in constant demand at the CMAO. He only makes one public appearance a year, and that will be later this month. Look for him on the evening of the 24th. He’s the one Director that tries to meet each member personally. Here’s a brief bio of his accomplishments: Originally one of the “Kringle Singers” he’s […]

by Stephanie Brooks For 32 years, Larry Delaney was the co-founder and editor/publisher of Ottawa-based Canadian industry publication Country Music News. He was recognized for his work with the publication by being an 11-time recipient of the CCMA’s Country Music Person of the Year, an inductee (as an Industry Builder) in the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame (1989), and the CCMA’s Hall Of Honour (1996), as well as being awarded with the CCMA’s Hank Smith Award Of Excellence in 2012. Here, he discusses his career triumphs, the state of the industry today and his current venture. Stephanie Brooks (SB): Why was Country Music News originally established? Larry Delaney (LD): Back in the mid-to-late ‘70s, the only “print” coverage for the Canadian country music industry and artists was […]

In The Country with Dave Woods I’ll let my first article for the CMAO newsletter serve as an introduction. I host an online radio show called In The Country. Broadcasting since March of 2009 from Ontario, the show airs live twice weekly – with plenty of podcasts available if you’ve missed any! I’ve interviewed hundreds of the biggest names and rising stars in Country music from Canada and around the world. And of course, many of those guests have been Ontario Country artists. I love having the opportunity for longer form interviews (30 to 60 minutes) to allow the artists to share stories and insight into what drives them to make music. One of the main answers seems to be: they have no choice. The […]

Join local Toronto duo The Lovelocks (Ali Raney -fiddle, vocals, and Zoe Neuman – guitar, vocals) as they celebrate the release of their debut EP on Thursday, February 13th, 2014, 8pm, at Revival Bar (783 College Street, Toronto). Recently signed to MDM Recordings/Universal Canada, The Lovelocks are best described as The Dixie Chicks go Lumineering with a Mumford & Sons-ian alt-country approach to soaring vocals, sweet harmonies and sultry strings. Woven together with beautiful harmonies and a desire to create music that gives voice to both the bitter and sweet in life, keep your eyes peeled on these rising stars! Says Pete Walker, KX96FM On-Air Host and Music Director: “Peppy, perky and harmonious – what more could anyone want? In a perfect world, we’d all be infected […]

Excerpt #5 from “Winning The Music Game” by Brian Allen The Three Phases of Self-Development The 3 phases of self-development that most successful career artists navigate are remarkably similar. The first stage is called FREEDOM, because the majority of people embark on their journey with an abundance of dreams but little skill to develop them. Therefore, they are not limited by anything other than their imagination to make a choice as to whether they want to commit to following their dreams or not. Remember the old saying “ignorance is bliss”? Remember the first notes you played? The world of music is fresh, exciting – a new land waiting to be explored. As musicians, we have all struggled to learn how to play our favourite songs […]

Ottawa’s Kira Isabella continues her meteoric rise in country music with a new record deal. The 20 year old “little girl with the big voice” has achieved another benchmark in her career with a signing to Nashville’s HitShop Records. Kira started singing at age 7 and hasn’t looked back since. One of the youngest artists signed to Sony Music Entertainment here in Canada back in 2009, she’s scored major airplay with her hits, “Love Me Like That” and “A Little More Work”. Those hits and the resultant public acceptance have translated into award nominations and wins. In 2012, she walked away with the Rising Star award at the CCMA’s. In May of 2013 she won the CMAO’s Female Artist of the Year at the inaugural […]

This month, we begin a new monthly newsletter feature called “Patrice’s Pick” by Patrice Whiffen. Each month we will feature a new interview or video by Patrice in which she shares the screen with great Ontario artists you know and love. We’ve started our own CMAO Youtube channel, so subscribe now to keep up to date on all the content we will be sharing with you this year! http://www.youtube.com/thecmaontario 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 music, Patrice currently works with radio stations across Ontario to bring listeners the newest […]