Blog
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16 Bars Blog
Friday July 12
Seth Anderson
It’s been about a month since my last blog – honestly things have been such a whirlwind that finding a few quiet minutes to reflect has been tough! That said, it’s been great to be so busy and have so many exciting things happening in the Blue Willow universe. So, without further ado, here’s 16 Bars…
1. Music 4 Mental Health – we’re so thankful for all of the support from our community at this past week’s event supporting the Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre (AARC) – huge appreciation and thank you to Prairie Dog Brewing for hosting us and to all the artists who came out and played their hearts out.
2. AARC has had over 650 youth between 12 and 21 and their families graduate their program – they are entirely funded by private donations and have been supporting our community for over 30 years. It’s truly inspiring to see the work they are doing and how they are helping not just the youth, but families caught up in these situations.
3. About 20 years ago, I found a close family member of mine strung out on drugs and in a very bad situation. They were a youth at the time and fortunately, I was able to intervene and got them on a path toward recovery. I had no idea that organizations like AARC existed and luckily in our case things worked out but it would have been great to know there were options like this.
4. Our goal with Music 4 Mental Health is to amplify organizations in our community that are supporting mental health initiatives, which can mean a lot of things. At the end of the day, if there is a group of people working toward bettering the mental health of people in our communities – we want to connect and collaborate! It’s been a pleasure working with Breaking Free Foundation, Centre for Suicide Prevention, and AARC so far!
5. It was great to see so many familiar faces with the artist lineup – Matt & Jon, Keira Myer, Eric John, and Brother Bicker Band as well as some new faces with 0Stella & Kayla Williams joining us for the first time. We are always trying to connect artists to each other with the vents we do, sparking these connections can lead to some really inspiring & creative opportunities that may not have occurred otherwise!
6. Speaking of events connecting artists, our Canada Day showcase hosted by Kate Reid at Trolley 5 was such a blast! It was such a great opportunity to meet new people and hear some serious talent! More to come with these types of showcases starting with Kate Reid & Friends on August 15th at The Trop (more details coming soon!)
7. Random thought: I never in a million years would have thought my soon to be 13-year-old kid in 2024 would be as into Eminem as I was in 1999, but here we are.
8. Random thought continued… Fortnite’s business model fascinates me. The way they revolutionized gaming by providing the platform for free and selling add ons for skins (like Eminem & Metallica for example, two of the most recent ones my son has purchased) for all intents and purposes it’s a name, image, likeness licensing marketplace that creates way more revenue than the traditional console / game model ever would have – generating over $2M per day in micro transactions…
9. Last part of this random thought… My son tells me his Fortnite account is worth $11K USD based on the skins and special edition things he’s collected over the years… is that actually a thing??
10. In music news… Spotify overtook UMG for the largest market cap share after a strong 2Q. According to Yahoo Finance the music industry market cap is $217.5 Billion dollars in the first half of the year and the top 6 market share companies are: Spotify (28.7%), Universal Music Group (24.7%), Tencent Music (11.1%), Live Nation (10%), Warner Music Group (7.3%), and Sirius XM (5%)
11. After laying off ~1500 people at the end of 2023, Spotify has seen revenue increase by 20% in Q1 and improved profitability with over $1B in profit in Q1 along with a stronger than expected Q2 per yahoo finance.
12. Spotify has made some significant adjustments to their strategy over the last year including a major pivot on their podcast exclusivity – focusing more on distribution, increasing prices for users, adding more value to platform with audio books being free for paid users, and revamping their royalty fee structure.
13. According to Tech Xplore - Spotify paid out $9B in artists in 2023. 1,250 artists generated +$1M, 11.6k artists generated +$100,000, and 66k artists generated over $10,000 – these royalty payouts have tripled since 2017 and indie artists account for ~50% (or $4.5B in payouts per year)
14. Spotify estimates there are ~225,000 professionally aspiring artists on their platform right now (with an album or more of work uploaded)
15. All that to say… while it may feel impossible as an indie artist to make a wave in the ocean of streaming with giant companies such as Spotify… there are opportunities to do so and Spotify continues to evolve and grow as a business to stay relevant and competitive in the market. As a user, it can be frustrating to see more price increases but I watched a video the other day that had an interesting perspective… as consumers we pay for a bunch of different streaming services at $15-25 a month and each has a portion of movies that were ever made, vs. Streaming where for $10-$15 a month you can have access to basically every song ever made…
16. Songs I can’t stop listening to: She Burns Away – Briscoe, Tobey – Eminem (Feat. Big Sean & BabyTron), Wild – Ryan Lindsay
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Mac’s Musings
Mackenzie Walsh – June 21 2024
Always busy over here!
1.
Every month I look back to the
previous and think, wow we had a lot going on last month, and then the new
month gets going and I realize, we always have a lot going on. June is proving
to be another busy one over here. We are happy to support both Kate Reid and
Eric John in a few local shows, as well as a little out of town trip with Eric
and the band in Red Deer and Wainwright earlier this month. We have really been
busy planning and organizing 3 shows we have all in the span of a week at the
end of June, beginning of July and booking artists for our new partnership with
a local venue.
2.
SHOWS – as mentioned we have 3
shows coming up that have been keeping us busy. The first is a fun and exciting
songwriter’s circle happening at The Powderhorn Saloon in Bragg Creek on June
29th. The Saloon Sessions will bring together Eric John, Kate Reid,
Steve Jevne and Eden Taylor for an intimate song swap. It is the first of many
shows we hope to host in Bragg Creek, as that is home turf for both Seth and I.
Next up is our Canada Day showcase at Trolley 5 Brewery on, you guessed it,
Canada Day. Kate Reid will be hosting the day and doing a couple sets of her
own, and we have 7 local artists who will each perform 3 Canadian cover songs
and an original. There is a special guest who you haven’t heard yet kicking off
the event with the national anthem, you won’t want to miss it. Finally, July 6th
is our monthly installment of Music 4 Mental Health. Prairie Dog brewery will
play host to 6 local artists (solos, duos and full bands) the first Saturday of
stampede, expect a little bit of everything. Artists include Matt and Jon,
Keira Meyer, Ostella, Kayla Williams, Eric John and The Brother Bicker Band. Partial
proceeds of the event will go to raise funds and awareness for The Alberta
Adolescent Recovery Centre (AARC). This is an all ages show and seniors and
kids under 13 are FREE.
3.
VENUE PARTNERSHIP – We are
super excited to announce that we are now exclusive booking and promotional
partners with The Banquet Calgary. We have been busy securing artists for Live
Music Wednesdays at the University District and have already booked artists
until the end of September, we take over booking for Mahogany in September as
well. In addition to booking their Wednesday music, I have been busy planning an
awesome all female artist showcase for The Banquet University District coming
in August. I am really excited to share the details about this one so stay
tuned.
4.
Three new songs I like: Birds
of a Feather – Billie Eilish, Close to You – Gracie Abrams, Pink Skies – Zach
Bryan
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16 Bars Blog
Seth Anderson
June 7 24
- Had a chance to go out to Toronto this week and catch up with a few people - excited to see what grows from the seeds planted!
- I was inspired by an event I attended on Monday evening at the Don Arts Academy - it was games night hosted by Gavin Sheppard for the comedy community in Toronto, I loved how low key it was but also effective at bringing people together for an evening to connect. I’d love to come up with some similar ideas to bring people together in our community.
- Attended the west anthem report out last week at Mikey’s - how ironic that the host venue of the very report that highlights how important and lacking live music venues are, got news that day that they will be forced to close up shop at that location due to issues completely out of their control.
- There are many venues in our city that offer a great live music experience and several more that are trying to get in the game but the economics of it are tough.
- Having promoted / put on over 100 shows in various venues and locations across Canada over the last two years, I can say with absolute certainty that it is extremely hard to get people out to a show - unless they are immediate friends and family of the artists, regulars at the establishment or the act is an A-list artist, in general people are at best moderately interested and generally don’t show up, and when the entire business model for paying artists, sound techs, and content creators revolves around revenue coming in at the door and / or increased bar sales it’s often an impossible business case to make.
- I certainly don’t have all the answers on this topic, but I am committed to working with all parties - artists, venues, local businesses, and live music enthusiasts to find unique ways to bring more live music to the scene in the years ahead.
- Had a chance to catch up with Kairo McLean while I was in Toronto, the youngest Juno winner ever. I remember the first time I met Kairo last spring when he was 14, I asked him what he wanted out of his music career “to change the world”
- As Steve Jobs once said, “those who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do”
- A few conversations lately have me reflecting, what did you want to be when you were 14-15 years old? I wanted to be the GM of the Vancouver Canucks or play by play guy for the Canucks, it didn’t quite work out that way but I wouldn’t change a thing.
- Stampede is right around the corner, excited to have a bunch of gigs lined up for Kate Reid - if you haven’t seen her perform, she’s someone to get on your radar - her voice is unreal, captivating stage presence, & her band is amazing!
- A few transferable corporate skills to the music industry: building a good spreadsheet, knowing how to run an effective meeting, and negotiating terms and scope of work with vendors.
- The Blue Jays are now 3-5 in games I’ve attended at the Roger’s centre, was starting to think I was bad luck after several losses in a row but they picked up the W on Sunday - one thing to notice next time you attend a sporting event, music is everywhere, the whole time. Even when it’s not.
- One useful music industry tool I came across recently - Soundcharts - if you are an artist, manager, or label, this site aggregates all the artists information from streaming, radio, and social media platforms to give you a one stop view of how things are trending. If you are a date nerd like me, soundcharts is for you!
- Been podcasting like crazy lately - the goal is to put out a blue willow, music focused podcast very soon!
- One guest recently reminded me of the concept of JOMO - the joy of missing out. No matter what we decide to do with our time, there will always be an infinite amount of things we can’t / won’t be doing, being where you’re at with gratitude and embracing missing out on everything else is a great way to protect your inner-peace & energy.
- Songs I can’t stop listening to: been on a bit of a old hip hop vibe lately 😆 U not like me - 50 Cent, Leave Dat Boy Alone - D12, 100 Grandkids - Mac Miller
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Mac’s Musings
Mackenzie Walsh – May 29 2024
Calgary, a Music City!
1. This week, I was pleased to be
in attendance as West Anthem released its report on how to turn Calgary into a
music city. The report, Resonant Energies: A Music City Strategy for Calgary,
outlined key strategies on what Calgary needs to focus on to become a city that
supports the music industry as a whole and everyone who lives in and works in
it. A music city is defined as a community that has a vibrant music economy
that is actively promoted, but one of the points the report is trying to make
is that a music city can actually be an economic driver for other industries
too. It was a great presentation that will hopefully help all of us working in
music show the powers that be, (governments, funders, donors, investors) just
how serious we are and how important we are and that we need support to do it,
but it will be of the benefit of us all.
2. TERRIBLE news this week as we
heard that Mikey’s on 12th is set for imminent closure, this is the
venue that played host to the West Anthem report release yesterday. I was
talking to owner Mike Clark yesterday at the event, and he alluded to the fact
that something was coming down the pipe, but what a sad coincidence that this
happened the day after this report highlighted the need for more music venues
in Calgary. Now, we are losing another one. From Mike’s social pages today, “So
many great memories right from our beginnings at the Juke Joint…until
now…friends laughing, songs being sung, the multitudes of friendships made, and
the outstanding music made daily! From people starting their careers, to those
who are no longer with us, their place on stage and in the seats. It’s always
been my great pleasure to bring this magical place into being. We are all part
of a really, good thing.” This isn’t the end, Mikey, something is coming for
you!! Meantime, go visit Mikey’s soon, while you can.
3. On a brighter note, our artist
Lily Monaghan announced this week that she will be playing the Edmonton Folk
Festival (EFF). We are so proud of Lily. EFF is known to be THE folk fest to
land! Come check her and so many amazing artists out August 8-11. She is going
to be rubbing elbows with Black Pumas, Ben Howard, Wyatt C. Louis, and Leith
Ross… you guys… that’s so awesome.
4. This is your notice that the
YYC Music awards nominations are due FRIDAY, May 31st. Make sure you
submit if you are an artist and have released music this year before March 1st.
Also, get your tickets to attend the event, it is a wonderful ode to all the
amazing things happening in the Calgary music scene, and it’s a lot of fun too.
AND Stephanie Hutchinson and her committee work their butts off each year to
make it happen.
5. What’s on my playlist today: Anything but by Hozier, Come Close by Kayla Williams (check her out, Calgary artist), Highway Queen by Mt. Joy.g
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16 Bars Blog
May 23
Seth Anderson
1. Apple Music recently put out their top 100 albums of all time - a
fascinating list, my guess was Thriller would be number 1 and while it was
close, someone else snuck into the top spot.
2, My completely subjective, personal top 10 for favourite albums
(criteria: impactful to my life, quality of music, whole album listenability,
and just my gut feel)
3. Honourable mentions: Let Your Dim Light Shine - Soul Asylum, So Much For
The Afterglow - Everclear, Chocolate Starfish and the Hotdog Flavoured Water -
Limp Bizkit, Hangups - Goldfinger, Ready to Die - Notorious BIG
4. 10) In Between Dreams - Jack Johnson - Fave track: Better Together - I remember buying this CD soon after it came
out, and almost 20 years later it’s still a go to album for me whenever I am in
the mood for some chill vibes. Every track on this song hits me with a mix of
nostalgia and brings me to a happy place.
5. 9) the Sufferer & The Witness - Rise Against - Fave track: Injection - When I was about 20 I had this CD in my truck
(1990 ford F-150) and I have fond memories of driving back and forth to work
(in Kamloops BC) with the windows open, belting out each song word for word
(likely with many wrong lyrics lol)
6. 8) The Hurry & The Harm - City & Colour - Fave track: Paradise - This was hard as I’d say Little Hell has most
of the songs l like by City and Colour, but this album hit at an important
juncture of my life that was filled with exciting change. In particular, it was
when I first got an opportunity to be a manager and I was travelling around
North-East Alberta a lot, with this CD as the main soundtrack of that
era.)
7. 7) The Black Album - Jay-Z - Fave track: Moment of Clarity - When I was around 17 this CD served as my
alarm every morning - I liked the intro song because it eased into the song vs.
Most of the other CD’s I had that jumped right in. If you read that and have no
idea what the hell I’m talking about, there was a time when using a CD player
as an alarm was a pretty fancy feature lol. Anyway, I think this album is a
masterpiece from start to finish and is one of the greatest hip-hop albums of
all time.
8. 6) Second Helping - Lynyrd Skynyrd - Fave song: Need You - I am always amazed at how young these guys
were when they made this record. There’s a great documentary about the creation
of this album (I think on Netflix) that I found super interesting, specially
how they spent a summer living together in a house by the river and wrote the
album. I listened to this album a lot in 2019-2021 and it always brings a smile
to my face when it hits my algorithm.
9. 5) Get Rich or Die Trying - 50 Cent - Fave song: Many Men - This CD came out the year I graduated, it was
absolutely the soundtrack of that period of my life. What I always loved about
fifty was his storytelling, confidence, and in my opinion, his flow on this
record is amongst the best ever. The production on this record is also unreal,
peak Dre & Em..
10. 4) Blink-182 - Blink-182 - Fave song: Stockholm Syndrome - When I wasn’t listening to 50 & Em, most
of my listening was dedicated to Blink 182 - which I would also say is my
favourite concert experience to date. Seeing them at the Dome in 2001 in
Edgefest was so awesome. I feel like this album is their most complete project
to date, I could listen to it front to back all day and never get sick of
it.
11. 3) The Slim Shady LP - Eminem - Face track: Brain Damage - I could easily have picked any Eminem album,
but this one blew my adolescent brain when I first got the tape in grade 8.
While it probably wasn’t age appropriate lol, this album was one of the first
records I remember listening to on repeat, Em’s lyrics captivated me and for a
brief moment inspired me to try writing raps, that was short lived but since
then his music has been a cornerstone in my life.
12. 2) Appetite For Destruction - Guns N’ Roses - Fave song: Sweet Child O’ Mine - When I was a kid, I used to dress up as Axel
Rose and sing Sweet Child O’ Mine to my family, to this day this is still
talked about when I see extended family. I’ve owned this record in every
iteration, listened to it probably a million times, and think it’s the best
rock album, ever.
13. 1) Circles - Mac Miller - Fave track: Hands Me Down - When I decided to change my life around,
taking care of my health, quitting drinking, and working on being a better
person - this album was a huge inspiration for me. I would listen to it on
repeat when walking my dog, Blue. Mac’s lyrics spoke to me, almost as if he was
walking with me and really resonated with what I was going through. This album
is one of the most beautiful pieces of art I know of, it’s a damn shame he
passed before he had a chance to finish it but it will forever be one of my
favourite albums.
14. Thanks Mac for the inspiration for this weeks blog!!
15. Huge thank you to everyone who came out, supported, or played at
SCUBAFEST this past weekend - what an incredible weekend! —- I’m running out of
bars, also welcome to Blue Willow to Kate Reid —- BIG things ahead!!
16. Songs I can’t stop listening to: Tampa, FLA -
Babyjake, Numb - Kate Reid
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Mac’s
Musings
Mackenzie
Walsh –May 15 2024
Sun’s out buns out ( )( )
1. Thank you to
everything holy, the weather gods finally brought us SPRING. I know I am not
alone when I say that as soon as it’s sunny for an actual long day, with warm
feeling air and a light breeze, everything in me just feels better. I was
beginning to think I would be in a constant state of fake spring for the rest
of my life. It’s fitting that the warm weather came just in time for May long
weekend, although we all know that in Alberta, we could see all four seasons
over May long. What are you doing this weekend?
Come out to SCUBAFEST, a weekend-long music festival at Scuba Jay’s in
Kensington. We have 9 local independent artists – singer songwriter to full
bands – folk, rock, alternative, country, and blues. We are raising funds and
awareness for the Buddy Up Campaign through the Centre for Suicide Prevention.
The campaign aims to spark meaningful conversation about men’s mental health.
Tickets are $10 for one night or $25 for all 3, with an acoustic brunch and jam
capping everything off on Monday. Tix are available on our website, hope to see
you there!
2. You may remember a
few weeks back I was excited about the new Taylor Swift album – well it came
out and it did NOT disappoint. What a woman that Taylor is. She even added
another Era to her tour when it kicked off in Paris, there is no stopping her.
Anyway, I have been thinking about all the people who automatically don’t like
Taylor Swift, to the point of “hating” on her. I get it, music is subjective,
but to go so far as to hate on an artist and actively express it is just
cringe. This goes for all pop music haters really, it’s not a good look. If you
don’t like something just keep scrolling…
3. Another thing that’s
been on my mind is COLLABS! I LOVE a good collab. This is such a great way for you
to bring attention to your songs. Teaming up with an artist in your circle and
just going for it, you open yourself up to a whole new fan base. Some of my
fave collabs are Hozier and Noah Kahan, Post Malone and basically anyone, and
Maggie Rogers and Zach Bryan. Take inspiration. Recently blnk CADET and Lily
Monaghan teamed up at a show to do a cover of Creep by Radiohead and it was
amazing, they play SCUBAFEST together this Saturday, so maybe, if we are lucky,
we will get a repeat - but with a full band!
4. What’s on my playlist
today: Something new – The Prophecy, Taylor Swift (Tilly’s pick), Something
oldish – Michicant, Bon Iver, and a throwback – A Little Respect – Erasure.
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16 Bars Blog
Seth Anderson
May 8 2024
-
May is Mental Health Awareness month - As someone who has battled with mental health challenges over the years, I recognize the importance of this topic, and believe in the power of conversation to help break the stigma.
-
We (BWE) have decided as a team to keep going with the “Music 4 Mental Health” events every month, if you are or know of groups in Calgary that are supporting mental health initiatives that would be interested in collaborating on events - please let me know!
-
My personal top three methods for managing my mental health – 1. Walking: It sounds simple enough, but I have yet to encounter a problem that didn’t at least feel more manageable after a 5k walk. 2. Music: I have a playlist, album, or artist for pretty much any situation I am going through. When I think of the most challenging times of my life, I don’t know how I would have gotten through them without music. 3. Talking it out: Luckily for me, I’ve always had someone that I could talk through any situation with, my mom ingrained that it was ok to have deep, vulnerable, and open conversations from a young age and that’s a tool that has served me well (mostly lol).
-
My 2 cents on the Drake & Kendrick beef: so much energy wasted on hate and negativity… unfortunately that’s what sells.
-
Two of the most valuable traits I have observed in successful people (certainly not the only ones, but two that really stand out to me) are adaptability & perseverance
-
Last weekend, I saw both of those attributes on full display by an emerging artist that came to perform at the Horse Expo with our team - Keria Myer.
-
Keira is a 16 year old country artist who we recently met (shoutout to Mac for spotting her talent at the Alberta Country Music Awards) and she came down to play at our last event as part of the opening crew.
-
The following weekend, I was looking for an extra artist to come play at the show and offered it to her at the last minute. I told her it would likely be a 30 minute set on a small stage but if she was interested she was more than welcome to join us…
-
Not only did she jump at the opportunity, she ended up playing 4 sets that day on the small stage AND then filled in for another artist at the VIP event in front of a good 200 people, with no notice.
-
What impressed me most was that she never second guessed herself, in fact she doubled down by playing a song she had just learned the night before and completely held her own while playing with a couple more seasoned artists.
-
All that to say, keep an eye out for Keira - she’s dropping her first ever single “Dancing Around in Firelight” on Saturday May 11th
-
Speaking of resilient, adaptable people who are also dropping a new single this week - Marius Billgobenson, “A Little Bit of Honey”
-
I met Marius through my podcast, The BizDojo during the COVID lockdowns. There aren’t many people that I have met who have been through what he has, but what I find most inspiring about him as a human being is how much love he has for his fellow man despite all the horrible things he’s had to endure. If we all carried as much love in our hearts as Marius, the world would be an infinitely better place.
-
“Keep your eyes to sky, never glued to your shoes” Mac Miller
-
I generally cheer for the Oilers in the playoffs, given they have never played the Canucks since I have been watching, but this year… Go Canucks Go!
-
Songs I can’t stop listening to: Bang - Kate Reid, Flies - Carneyval & Benny Mayne, Needed You Now - Marina Joyce
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Mac’s Musings
Mackenzie Walsh – May 1 2024
Music is good for the soul!
1. With May finally upon us (and spring weather HOPEFULLY soon to follow), it’s time to talk about mental health. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time for us all to take check of our own well-being and the well-being of those around us. It’s easy to let things slip with our health among the hustle and bustle of daily life, routines, stress at work and home, late nights, and diverse family and relationship issues. What are you doing to find balance in your day to day and how are you checking-in with yourself to ensure you are feeling okay? I am not a health practitioner or counsellor but there are many resources out there for you to check out if you think you need a little help working on your mental health, a good first place to start is The Canadian Mental Health Association (cmha.ca). This is a reminder to check on your friends and family and make sure they are doing okay too.
2. Music is good for my mental health. There are countless scientific studies that prove listening to and playing music is just darn good for you. One study says music stimulates memories that wrap themselves around us; it increases levels of serotonin and endorphins, which in turn elevate mood and relieve depression. Why do you think Music Therapy is now a well-respected profession in modern society? So, whatever you are doing right now, if you can, pop in some buds or turn on your blue tooth speaker and listen to some music that inspires or calms you or just makes you smile. (See number 4 below for my mood boosters this week.)
3. Speaking of mental health, BWE has been teaming up with local mental health organizations to both raise awareness and money for important causes. In April our showcase, Music 4 Mental Health, raised much needed funds for The Breaking Free Foundation. Next up, we invite you to join us for Scuba Fest, a four-day music festival on May long weekend, supporting the Buddy Up Program with the CMHA Calgary chapter. The event runs May 17th to 20th at Scuba Jays in Kensington. Stay tuned to our Instagram for updates, tickets are already available on our website. It’s going to be a weekend jam-packed with awesome music and all for a good cause.
4. Mac’s mood boosting jams for the week – “Alive” – Bakar, “Find Your People” – Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors, “Pencil Full of Lead” – Paolo Nutini, “Give It Up” – KC & The Sunshine Band, and “We’re Here For A Good Time” – Trooper (a little can-con in there never hurt anyone). Happy first week of May, let’s make it a good one
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16 Bars Vol. III
Seth Anderson
- THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT AND SUPPORTED MUSIC 4 MENTAL HEALTH!
- It was so inspiring to see a full house of people to support a great cause - Breaking Free Foundation & all the amazing artists - Keira Myer, Matt Mason, Jon Domansky, Miles Tornberg , Eric Braun , Steve Jevne, Lily Monaghan , blnkCADET, Eric John, and Luc Roach - you were all amazing and we appreciate you so much!!
- We’ll be sharing more soon about how much we will be donating to Breaking Free Foundation, big thanks to Amber & Colin for coming down to M4MH and all your support, it was an absolute pleasure collaborating on this event.
- Big thanks to Jill & the team from “I’m Here With” magazine for coming out to M4MH - the pictures you took were amazing, looking forward to collaborating further!!
- May is shaping up to be our busiest month yet - our next showcase is going to be a whole weekend! (Announcement coming very soon!)
- We’ve got a networking and open mic happening on May 4th at Mucky Duck Pub in High River - there will be appies and a free beer for any artists who pull up!
- One of my favourite cover songs is Creep by Radiohead. I still think about the time Lukas Rossi covered it on the tv show Rockstar Supernova in 2006. At M4MH, Blnk Cadet & Lily Monaghan did a version that I’m going to remember for a long time!
- We’ve working on a release with one of our artists, song presales needing to go through iTunes in 2024 makes no sense to me… it’s a horrible user experience, complicated to explain, and impossible to track.
- Surely there must be a way with all the technology at our disposal to make it quick and easy for people to support artists, on their music streaming platform of choice…
- On that note… how do you qualify a successful release? In a music world where virtually everything is pay to play, with thousands upon thousands of songs being uploaded daily, and millions of amazing artists with unique stories - how do you define what good looks like?
- I love stats - so to my analytical brain, being able to measure pre sales & saves, streams, social media engagement are all potentially great indicators of a successful release. What are the numbers that are important to you as an artist?
- From the personal side, did you enjoy making it? Was the process enjoyable? Did you grow? Are you closer to your goals having gone through this experience?
- From my perspective, if you’re proud of what you created, enjoyed the process, and grew as a person / artist along the way - that’s what really matters.
- That said, deep diving and understanding the metrics, being able to translate tangible numbers into actions, and inform future strategies is how you can start to take things to the next level from a business perspective.
- In case you haven’t heard it recently, you’re awesome and you’ve got this, whatever this might be!
- Songs I can’t stop listening to: Somewhere Out There - blnkCADET, Let Go - Connor Price, Simple Life - Jonah Kest
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/16-bars-with-seth-5.png)
Mac’s Musings
Mackenzie Walsh – April 17 2024
Things that make you go, hmm…
1. Let’s talk about networking. I have been spending a lot of time networking lately and it had me thinking, what even is networking? In the traditional definition, networking is interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts. I used to think this meant attending specific events that were created just for the purpose of networking. Although there is a place for this, there is so much more you can do to get yourself out there. For artists the most valuable networking you can do is attending other artists shows. This may sound obvious, but for the number of shows BWE has put on, with multiple artists performing, you’d be surprised how many other artists were in attendance. If you can, attend shows, meet the artists, say hi to the ones you already know, talk to the promoter and the venue owner, this will get you more shows and opportunities. Oh, and if you are playing in a show with other artists on the bill – stay until the end!
2. If you have been following our socials you already know Music 4 Mental Health is THIS Saturday, April 20th, at Paradise Beverage Company. Tickets are selling out, which is awesome, so please, if you are attending, get your tickets on our website soon so you aren’t disappointed. This is a great fundraiser for The Breaking Free Foundation – helping trauma survivors with mental health support. Amber from the foundation will be on hand to provide more information about this important charity.
3. For those that have been living under a rock, Taylor Swift’s new album is being released THIS Friday! Titled The Tortured Poets Department, her 11th album has been secretly in the works for the past months, while she’s been touring, making a full-length concert movie, and starting a whirlwind romance with Travis Kelce. Love her or hate her, you can’t deny the influence Swift has on the music industry and pop culture in general. I have a 12-year-old daughter, so it was inevitable for me to jump on the love-her bandwagon, but it’s not only due to my daughter. Some food for thought about Taylor.
- She is a good songwriter, evidenced by her previous 10 albums, numerous Grammys, and not to mention her 11 songs with over 1 billion streams on Spotify (Cruel Summer is over 2 billion).
- She makes good music (see above), I know music is subjective, but tell that to her 100 million monthly listeners on Spotify, she holds the second spot after the Weeknd.
- She seems genuinely nice, which means a lot in today’s world. You don’t hear about crazy green room riders, or a diva attitude off-stage. Her personality seems to meet what she puts out there and there’s a lot to be said for that.
- She is a great role model for young/teen girls (and adult women for that matter). I am happy to listen to her music with my daughter in the room because her message is often about empowerment and standing up for the little guy, what’s not to admire about that?
So, there I said it – I’m team Taylor and I’m proud lol! Can’t wait for Friday.
4. Ok that’s enough ranting for today – Songs to listen to RIGHT NOW (If you aren’t already)
Worth It - Ray, Dirty Love - Mt. Joy and throwing it back old-school with Strange Currencies – R.E.M
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16 Bars With Seth
Seth Anderson - April 10 2024
- Based on the most recent IFPI Global Music Report music revenue grew by 10% globally to the highest level since 1999 with total revenue of $28.6 B.
- Combined, Canada & the US account for 40.9% of the global market share for music - Canada ranked as the 8th largest music market in the world with revenues growing by 12.2% year over year.
- 67.3% of global music revenue comes from streaming (approx. $19.3 B)
- Which begs the question, where does all the f****** money go?
- I’ve had the pleasure of meeting and working with some incredibly talented, smart, and hard working artists, but I’ve never met one that could pay rent with their streaming revenue.
- So all that said and based on the overall global revenue, consumer growth year over year, and knowing how much more I personally pay for Spotify than I did 3 years ago, it’s hard to connect the dots on what any of these global numbers mean to most artists.
- For the better part of the last two years, I have worked with and represented artists - trying to get fairly paid for shows, gain support from sponsors, and rallying the community to come to shows - all in the name of creating opportunity for artists to continue making their art and hopefully something resembling a living while doing it.
- Why do I do this work? What drives me to get up every morning and help others create and share their art?
- Truth is, I don’t entirely know but what I do know is that without music, I don’t know how I would have gotten through some of the tougher times in my life. There isn’t a time in my life that I don’t associate back to music in some way. Every day I listen to it, dissect it, wonder about it - it’s a central theme in my life that has provided colour on even the grayest of days.
- Helping artists be able to create their art, share it with people they may never have had the opportunity to share it with otherwise, and piece together tangible business plans has been some of the most fulfilling work of my life.
- But there are real and proven ways for emerging artists to leverage their art for commerce and tangible ways for us as consumers to support them.
- Did you know that in 1999 almost all music revenue came from physical sales (CD’s, Records, Cassettes etc.), now just 17.8% of revenue comes from physical sales but that number has jumped from $3.9 B in 2018 to $5.1 B in 2023.
- Why do I bring that up? In my estimation, the number one way we can help artists is by buying their physical albums, merch, and buying tickets / providing paid opportunities for artists to develop their craft.
- When was the last time you went to a local show? If you live in the Calgary area, every single day and night there is a plethora of live music options where you can support amazing artists.
- Here’s a few local IG accounts you can follow to start learning about the local scene: The Music Mile YYC , Stagehand, Music YYC, and of course Blue Willow Entertainment (I’d love to know any of your go-to music resources in Calgary or across Canada!)
- Can’t stop listening to right now: Young Fool - Sun Way Street, Never Been Better - Ben Abraham, Time With You - Eric John
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/16-bars-with-seth-2.png)
Mac's Musings
-
I am over the moon excited to have brought Lily Monaghan @lilymon_music on board with BWE. She is an incredibly talented musician and song-writer, plus an incredibly awesome human being, too. If you know her you know, and if you don't you soon will! BIG congrats to Lily and BWE for this!!
-
So, I tried to get tickets to Noah Kahan when they were up for sale a while back and failed. I was thinking about maybe going the re-sale route through stub-hub but then I saw an announcement from Ticketmaster. The site, along with the artist, had made it impossible to resell your tickets through a 3rd party, the only way to sell them was to offer them back to Ticketmaster and then they would try to resell at the regular price for you. I think this is brilliant! Ticketmaster has its flaws, trust me I know, but this is a big win in my books. Here's hoping I can snatch up some regular price resales to Hozier.
-
Let's talk award shows... I watched the Junos when they aired and although I was extremely proud of the Canadian talent that was being represented - big ups to the indigenous highlights - it was a bit discouraging to see the same five or so artists being nominated over and over again. Working in the music industry opens your eyes to some of these things, let's see if we can do better! Congrats to those who won and were nominated, even though it was a small selection of artists, they are all deserving.
-
Music 4 Mental Health - April 20th - Paradise Beverage Company - I am excited for this show, not only because of the immense talent we get to showcase, but also because it is giving back to a big cause - The Breaking Free Foundation, helping trauma survivors access the help they need. This will be a phenomenal show, with nine artists total on the bill, five new-to-us musicians sharing the first hour with all original songs. The four artists stacking the main event will not let you down, tickets are on the website bwemusic.art for $15 or you'll have to pay $20 at the door. Don't miss this one!
-
PR Pro Tip for today - This one may sound obvious, but you'd be surprised. When anyone reaches out to you through your socials or email ALWAYS respond as soon as you can. Never leave anyone hanging. I don't care if you aren't interested in the ask or are already booked or just don't think you have time, every person you meet will form an impression of you through every encounter they have with you. Make sure it's a good one!
-
My songs on repeat this week (besides the entire Introspection EP by Lily Monaghan) - Automobile by KALEO and Cardinal by Kacey Musgraves.
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/16-bars-with-seth.png)
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16 Bars Blog - Collection of Thoughts, Musings, Ideas, & Questions.
Seth Anderson - March 27 2024
1. I spent a day in the studio recently and was reminded just how much goes into just setting up to record - let alone the creative process, technical expertise, and hours upon hours of recording to get everything just right. All that to say - shout out to the sound engineers and producers out there that take care of all the little things so the magic can happen.
2. Special shout out to Kurtis Schultz for coming down and helping us get all set up for recording Eric John’s new record - “A Punch Of Colour”
3. Speaking of colours, my favourite is orange.
4. Did you know there is a company in Calgary that recycles hundreds of pounds of chop sticks per week and turns them into beautiful furniture & art? I had a chance to check out the Chop Value YYC warehouse last week and meet the team - really great people doing amazing work turning literal trash into treasure!
5. Ever struggled with mental health? Ya, me too. I’m looking forward to raising awareness and hopefully enough funds to get at least one person (+270 people currently on the wait list) off of The Breaking Free Foundation’s wait list to receive mental health support from trauma.
6. I recently had a chance to hop on the second act podcast with host Gord Kiteley - Gord’s a great guy who started his podcast around the time we started The Biz Dojo and we’ve interacted a few times over the years.
7. “Everything you need already exists in your universe, you just need to activate it” - RZA
8. Had an inspiring conversation with an artist this week and offered that quote from RZA, whenever I’m feeling like I can’t see the forest from the trees or unsure what the next move is, I harken back to that saying.
9. We recently launched the BWE artist membership program along with our key services - our goal is to be a trusted partner for artists through every step of the process - providing high level services and opportunities to artists looking to get to their next level.
10. Member #1 - Cheyanne Summer, an emerging Calgary artist by way of Kelowna. Her song “Circles” has been in my rotation for the last 6 months and I never get tired of it!
11. Spring & summer tour planning - we’re adding new gigs almost daily for Eric John, just added his single release show at The Attic on May 16th and a stop at The Velvet Olive in Red Deer on June 6th!
12. Catch us in Red Deer at the Horse Expo - April 26, 27, & 28 with Eric, Kate Reid, Lily Monaghan all playing multiple shows!
13. Recently binge-watched “The Gentlemen” on Netflix - I didn’t have high expectations but ended up really enjoying it.
14. Interesting to see the federal government has committed an additional $30 M into the Canadian live music scene - I’m curious what the real world impacts for the average artist will be?
15. Listened to a really interesting Broken Record podcast with Noah Kahan recently - loved his take on the creative process, specifically on how once he stopped trying to write songs for other people / what the industry… things really took off for him
16. Song I can’t stop streaming: Spotless - Zach Bryan & The Lumineers - Thanks Mac, you're the best playlister around!
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_4197.jpg)
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_4198.jpg)
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_4195.jpg)
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/16-bars-with-seth.png)
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/16-bars-with-seth-1.png)
16 Bars Blog - Collection of Thoughts, Musings, Ideas, & Questions.
Seth Anderson - March 27 2024
1. I spent a day in the studio recently and was reminded just how much goes into just setting up to record - let alone the creative process, technical expertise, and hours upon hours of recording to get everything just right. All that to say - shout out to the sound engineers and producers out there that take care of all the little things so the magic can happen.
2. Special shout out to Kurtis Schultz for coming down and helping us get all set up for recording Eric John’s new record - “A Punch Of Colour”
3. Speaking of colours, my favourite is orange.
4. Did you know there is a company in Calgary that recycles hundreds of pounds of chop sticks per week and turns them into beautiful furniture & art? I had a chance to check out the Chop Value YYC warehouse last week and meet the team - really great people doing amazing work turning literal trash into treasure!
5. Ever struggled with mental health? Ya, me too. I’m looking forward to raising awareness and hopefully enough funds to get at least one person (+270 people currently on the wait list) off of The Breaking Free Foundation’s wait list to receive mental health support from trauma.
6. I recently had a chance to hop on the second act podcast with host Gord Kiteley - Gord’s a great guy who started his podcast around the time we started The Biz Dojo and we’ve interacted a few times over the years.
7. “Everything you need already exists in your universe, you just need to activate it” - RZA
8. Had an inspiring conversation with an artist this week and offered that quote from RZA, whenever I’m feeling like I can’t see the forest from the trees or unsure what the next move is, I harken back to that saying.
9. We recently launched the BWE artist membership program along with our key services - our goal is to be a trusted partner for artists through every step of the process - providing high level services and opportunities to artists looking to get to their next level.
10. Member #1 - Cheyanne Summer, an emerging Calgary artist by way of Kelowna. Her song “Circles” has been in my rotation for the last 6 months and I never get tired of it!
11. Spring & summer tour planning - we’re adding new gigs almost daily for Eric John, just added his single release show at The Attic on May 16th and a stop at The Velvet Olive in Red Deer on June 6th!
12. Catch us in Red Deer at the Horse Expo - April 26, 27, & 28 with Eric, Kate Reid, Lily Monaghan all playing multiple shows!
13. Recently binge-watched “The Gentlemen” on Netflix - I didn’t have high expectations but ended up really enjoying it.
14. Interesting to see the federal government has committed an additional $30 M into the Canadian live music scene - I’m curious what the real world impacts for the average artist will be?
15. Listened to a really interesting Broken Record podcast with Noah Kahan recently - loved his take on the creative process, specifically on how once he stopped trying to write songs for other people / what the industry… things really took off for him
16. Song I can’t stop streaming: Spotless - Zach Bryan & The Lumineers - Thanks Mac, you're the best playlister around!
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_4197.jpg)
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_4198.jpg)
![](https://bluewillowentertainment.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IMG_4195.jpg)