SOCAN honours Kevin Churko with his 17th No. 1 Song Award

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday November 5th, 2020

SOCAN presented producer, engineer, and “Mr. Fix-It for Hits” Kevin Churko with his 17th  No. 1 Song Award, for co-writing “A Little Bit Off,” performed by Five Finger Death Punch, which topped the Mediabase Active Rock chart in the U.S. for 3 weeks in July of 2020.

Churko also produced the song, which is published by Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd. Canada. SOCAN congratulates Kevin on his latest achievement! If you’d like to read more about his other chart-topping work with Five Finger Death Punch, Disturbed, and Papa Roach, click here.

Inaugural SOUND + VISION Virtual Sync Conference to be held Nov. 16-20, 2020

Story by Howard Druckman | Monday November 9th, 2020

The Guild of Music Supervisors Canada has announced the inaugural SOUND + VISION Virtual Sync Conference, to be held Nov. 16-20, 2020.

The guild invites songwriters, artists, agents, filmmakers, producers, directors, advertising executives, and anyone working in the “sound and vision” space, around the world, to join in for free virtual seminars. The daily panels and workshops will break down everything you wanted to learn about synchronizing music with onscreen productions in multiple media platforms.

Potential highlights so far include keynote interviews with filmmaker Charles Officer and screen composer Amanda Jones; a creative discussion of the Sony Pictures movie The Kid Detective, with executive producer and lead actor Adam Brody, alongside the film’s director, composer, picture editor, and music supervisor; a creative breakdown of a Doordash TV ad, with the  agency, artist Haviah Mighty, and the music supervisor; and a creative breakdown of the Netflix series Tiny Pretty Things, with showrunners, the composer, and the music supervisor.

The organizers suggest charitable donations from attendees, to go towards either Black Mental Health and/or Black Youth Helpline, with recommended donations of $2.00 to $5.00 per panel/workshop attended.

For more information, or to register, visit www.soundandvisioncanada.com.

Robert Bennett Joins SOCAN as Chief Financial Officer

Story by SOCAN | Thursday November 5th, 2020

SOCAN has announced the appointment of Robert Bennett as the company’s Chief Financial Officer.

Bennett most recently served as served as Lead Financial Officer, Capital Markets, Technology and Operations, BMO Financial Group, a role in which he oversaw multiple aspects of financial planning and forecasting, accounting and financial management, and the amalgamation of financial technology within operations functions.

Before joining BMO, Bennett served as Director of Finance with Edward Jones Canada and Chief Financial Officer with RBC Dexia Investor Services Trust.

“Robert Bennett’s more than 20 years of financial expertise will serve SOCAN well,” said SOCAN Interim CEO Jennifer Brown. “His impressive financial management, revenue reporting, and strategic financial planning experience make him an excellent addition to the executive team.”

“I am thrilled to join SOCAN to be part of a great team,” said Bennett. “It’s awesome to join an organization that is dedicated to music creators and music publishers.”

A certified Chartered Professional Accountant, he holds an Executive Master of Business Administration degree from Smith School of Business from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from from McGill University.

Fluent in English and French, in his spare time he’s been singing in choirs since the age of five, and is a keen fan of SOCAN members’ music.

Robert Bennett’s career with SOCAN begins on Nov. 9, 2020.