January Music Meeting 2020

Manitoba Music Builds Connections at Seventh Annual Music Industry Gathering, Launches January 29 with Roundtable Discussion on Indigenous Perspectives on the Music Industry, Hosts Showcases of Live Local Music on January 30 and 31
 

Right in the middle of winter, Manitoba Music is bringing the music community together in Winnipeg for the seventh edition of January Music Meeting (JMM). Running January 29 to February 1, JMM is an industry conference with a DIY ethos focused on building connections for Manitoba’s music creators and companies.

JMM will host music industry pros from across Canada and beyond in a conference format that includes specialized and interactive training through presentations, discussion groups, networking mixers, and mentor meetings. Reps will converge in Winnipeg to discuss the state of the independent music industry and provide concrete advice on how to succeed in the constantly evolving music business. It’s a rare opportunity for locals to network with a cross section of tastemakers and experts while connecting with local artists and industry peers.

"So much work goes into a career in music. Creativity is at the core, but music entrepreneurs also need business skills, marketing know-how, project management, as well as vital connections to others in the music industry. January Music Meeting connects Manitoba’s hardworking music creators with industry innovators to build their businesses and navigate the industry on their own terms," says Manitoba Music's executive director Sean McManus.

Including this year, JMM has welcomed over 120 industry pros to plug into the Manitoba music scene since it launched. This year’s mentors include reps from Apple Music, BIGSOUND, CD Baby, Covey Law, First Date Touring, Indie Week, Jarjour Co, Manitoba Film & Music, MROC, Ocean Town Music, Pitblado LLP, Real Love Winnipeg, Sirius XM Canada Inc., Six Shooter Records, What's the Story, and ZYK Marketing. 

JMM will kick off January 29 with Indigenous Is Not a Genre: Indigenous Perspectives on the Music Industry, a round table discussion at The Forks’ South Aisle. This event will be a conversation, for a broad audience, about the music industry, from an Indigenous perspective with the direction of conversation moving towards Indigenous identity and labels within music, marketing, and presentation. This discussion will also touch on the role of ceremony, Elders, youth, women, men, children, two-spirit, family, community, and how the music industry can learn from this, as well as cultural appropriation, reconciliation, and the autonomy and identity among artists and industry professionals who identify as Indigenous and how this contributes to their music career. Presented with Indigenous Music West, speakers will include Alethea Beetson from the BIGSOUND festival in Australia, Chelsey Jodoin and Jaaji of Twin Flames, Curtis Running Rabbit-Lefthand of Indigenous Resilience in Music (IRIM), David McLeod of NCI FM, and artist manager Elaine Bomberry.

This year’s conference will cover a wide range of music industry topics and practical business building blocks during daytime sessions on January 30 and 31, including digital and marketing strategies, music copyright law, creating safe(s) spaces for artists, right and royalties, what we can learn from hip hop, planning a digital release, navigating U.S. Visa applications and border regulations, band agreements, live performance and touring strategies, and more.

On February 1, Manitoba Music will host reps from Apple Music for a special presentation and brunch to talk about how to get the most out of the service as an artist, manager, or independent label. The afternoon will continue with roundtable discussions and breakout groups for focused mentoring on music career fundamentals.

Manitoba Music will host two showcase events during this year’s JMM, connecting visiting mentors with the buzzworthy local live music scene for some music discovery. On January 30, Manitoba Music and Real Love Winnipeg will hit The Good Will Social Club for a special JMM edition of Real Love Thursdays featuring powerhouse pop/R&B act Roman Clarke, alt pop band Fowler, and indie popster Housepanther. The following night, Manitoba Music will take over Forth for a showcase featuring R&B singer/songwriter and guitarist Sebastian Gaskin, synthy R&B act Atlaas, and R&B/jazz/roots artist Kenzie Jane.

Registration for JMM is now open. All JMM events will take place at Manitoba Music (1-376 Donald St) unless otherwise listed. Space is limited and advance registration is strongly encouraged. For complete schedule and details, and to register, visit manitobamusic.com/jmm.

JMM is made possible by the generous support of the Province of Manitoba through Industry Services of Manitoba Education and Training, FACTOR through the financial support of the Government of Canada and Canada's private radio broadcasters, The Jim Pattison Broadcast Group, and The SOCAN Foundation.

January Music Meeting 2019 Highlights - Extended Cut from Looksmart Video on Vimeo.