Front Row Insurance Brokers donates $4,000 to SOCAN Foundation

Story by Front Row Insurance | Tuesday January 26th, 2021

Front Row Insurance Brokers Inc. has donated $4,000 to the SOCAN Foundation to support the grants, awards and programs offered by the foundation to musicians.

“Of course, we were pleased to see so many SOCAN member musicians protect their valuable instruments online using our musical instrument insurance website,” said David Hamilton, President and CEO of Front Row Insurance Brokers. “However, we’re even more pleased to be able to make this donation to SOCAN Foundation now, given this is a challenging time for the music industry.”

“This generous gift from Front Row Insurance Brokers empowers SOCAN Foundation to foster Canadian music and its creation,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of SOCAN Foundation.

Front Row’s brokered online insurance for musical instruments is a good option for insuring musical instruments of all types, including studio equipment. Policies are available online in five minutes, 24/7, currently starting at $73 (subject to change), and cover theft, fire, and breakage, including while on an aircraft.

Note: Currently, Québec residents must purchase offline. Canadian residents can get a quote and purchase a policy online in just a few minutes, at https://musicians.frontrowinsurance.com.

Photo by courtesy of / courtoisie de Shane Gill

Video: The Breakdown – “How do I get signed to a label?”

Story by Howard Druckman | Tuesday January 26th, 2021

Words & Music is pleased to extend its helpful “how-to” series for our members, “The Breakdown,” into the realm of short, question-and-answer videos.

In this episode, former SOCAN A&R Representative Racquel Villagante talks with Shane Gill, the Head of  Music for Opposition, BBTV’s music division, which has built a name in the music industry working with clients Lyrical Lemonade, 21 Savage, Juice WRLD and more. Opposition helps music artists to succeed on their own terms, by growing their fanbases, mastering digital streaming, and monetizing their content. Opposition is uniquely positioned in the digital space, having access to BBTV’s massive video network, reach, scale, engagement, diverse range of content owners and digital influencers, and multiple revenue opportunities.

Our question this time is, “How do I get signed to a label?”

Apply now for 2021 TD Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship

Story by SOCAN Foundation / Fondation SOCAN | Wednesday January 20th, 2021

The SOCAN Foundation invites up-and-coming music creators (songwriters, producers, and composers) over the age of 18 to apply now to the TD Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship, a program that provides them with seed funding, mentorship, and the opportunity to participate in a progressive webinar series to hone their entrepreneurial skills, and provide them with the tools and resources required to turn their talent into a sustainable career.

Each participant in the program will receive:

  • A cash grant of up to $3,000, intended to defray start-up costs (such as those spent on marketing, business development, branding, etc.)
  • Mentorship by an industry professional.
  • Access to an exclusive webinar series led by industry professionals and experts, to fuel the entrepreneurial spirit of the participants.

For more information about the program and to apply, please visit www.creativeincubator.ca. The deadline to apply is March 1, 2021, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

“The Incubator for Creative Entrepreneurship is designed to nurture promising music creators, and to help them evolve their passion and ability into a viable profession,” said Charlie Wall-Andrews, Executive Director of the SOCAN Foundation.

The program is made possible with the generous support of TD.  “Music has the power to strengthen communities by connecting people.,” said Valerie Picher, Associate Vice-President, Community Relations, at TD Bank Group. “The incubator enables music creators from all backgrounds to acquire and extend the necessary skills to enhance music creation and hone their entrepreneurial talents, so music continues to enrich our lives, sustainably.”