CANADA'S MUSIC INCUBATOR AND NATIONAL MUSIC CENTRE ANNOUNCE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR ARTIST ENTREPRENEUR WEST

AE WEST PROGRAM RETURNS TO IN-PERSON SESSIONS AT STUDIO BELL IN THE FALL OF 2022

(April 28, 2022 – Toronto, ON and Calgary, AB) Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) and the National Music Centre (NMC) have announced a national call for submissions for AE West. This fall, the coveted artist development program will return to in-person sessions at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, and Western Canadian artists are invited to apply by Tuesday, June 28, 2022.

AE West (Artist Entrepreneur West) is a five-week creative entrepreneurship program designed to help emerging professional artists develop sustainable businesses and careers via customized mentorship, networking, and collaboration with music industry professionals. Since 2020, the program has been virtual but from October 31 to December 2, 2022, AE West will take place in-person at Studio Bell in Calgary.

"The AE West program is single-handedly responsible for instilling an immense sense of confidence in myself as an artist entrepreneur,” said Brandon Baker (aka Electric Religious), a Métis guitar-pop singer-songwriter and alumnus of the program. “The program opened so many doors to knowledge and industry members that would have taken me years and tens of thousands of dollars to access. The ongoing mentorship that I've accessed in the years that followed, and continue to do so to this day, is so important to me as a developing artist."

AE West is an extension of CMI’s highly regarded, Toronto-based Artist Entrepreneur program and represents a partnership between CMI, a national not-for profit organization, and NMC. The majority of costs for the program are offset thanks to the generous support of the TD Ready Commitment, Viewpoint Foundation, the Kanovsky Family Foundation, and the Government of Canada. Many notable artists have benefitted from the program, including 2022 Project WILD Top 12 Finalist Alex Hughes, 2021 WCMA-winning R&B artist Sebastian Gaskin, 2020 JUNO Award-winning soul-folk singer Celeigh Cardinal, and more.

“Throughout the pandemic, CMI found creative ways to support artists and managers across Canada through virtual programs," said Kate Buote, Programs Manager, CMI. “Now, after two years of online training, we’re ready and excited to reconnect with Western Canadian artists in-person and return to Calgary to utilize all that Studio Bell has to offer.”

“Over the past year, it’s been wonderful to safely welcome emerging artists back to Studio Bell,” said Adam Fox, Director of Programs, National Music Centre. “Getting a hands-on experience in our facility is what artist development at Studio Bell is all about. Whether its face-to-face mentorship in our classrooms, one-on-one workshops with producers in our world-class recording facilities, performing live on one of our stages, or building new audiences through NMC digital networks.”

Eligible artists must be 18 years old or over and actively writing, recording, releasing (or about to release) music, and performing live. Interviews will be conducted with appropriate candidates in July and August prior to program admission.

Interested, eligible artists can apply now at: canadasmusicincubator.com/aewest.

About AE West
Based on Canada’s Music Incubator’s long-running Artist Entrepreneur program, AE West is designed to help emerging artists and bands from all genres build their businesses and careers. Artists will work closely with Canada’s Music Incubator and the National Music Centre team of social media, marketing, management, promotion, publicity, funding, touring, songwriting and live performance experts. They will also be introduced to a wide range of active music industry professionals. Artists will also have ongoing access to mentors and resources post-program.

About Canada’s Music Incubator
Canada’s Music Incubator (CMI) is a Toronto-based national not-for-profit organization specializing in professional development, ongoing mentorship and live events for artists, managers, and music companies. Launched in 2012, CMI supports 1,000+ emerging music entrepreneurs, of all genres, in the development of long-term careers and sustainable businesses. CMI has provided 10,000+ hours of professional development programs and one-on-one mentorship combined. CMI Live works with private and community partners across the country curating paid performance opportunities for artists. To date, CMI Live has programmed 600+ shows and streams, paying $1.1 million directly to artists. CMI also advocates for music sector infrastructure development and creative entrepreneurship education in high schools. For more information, please visit canadasmusicincubator.com.

About National Music Centre | Centre National de Musique
The National Music Centre (NMC) has a mission to amplify the love, sharing, and understanding of music and is preserving and celebrating Canada’s music story inside its home at Studio Bell in the heart of the East Village in Mohkinstsis (Calgary) on Treaty 7 territory. A registered charity with programs that include exhibitions, artist development, performance, and education, NMC is inspiring a new generation of music lovers. For more information about NMC’s onsite activities, please visit studiobell.ca. To check out the NMC experience online, including video-on-demand performances, made-in-Canada stories, and highly entertaining educational content, visit amplify.nmc.ca.

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Media Contact:
Julijana Capone, Senior Publicist
National Music Centre
T. 403.543.5123 | C. 403.710.4758
julijana.capone@nmc.ca | @nmc_canada