PHOTO GALLERY BELOW
At the inaugural Departure Conference and Festival, held May 6-11, 2025, in Toronto, SOCAN presented a Cookin’ Beats session where acclaimed producer Murda Beatz (Drake, Travi$ Scott, Nicki Minaj), known for his chart-topping hits, broke down his craft; and a songwriting masterclass where Chantal Kreviazuk (Drake, Christina Aguilera, Jennifer Lopez) offered an in-depth look at her career as a hit songsmith.
In another first, the SOCAN Songwriters Series delivered an exciting lineup to venues across the city. Highlights included the Black Music Songwriters Circle at El Mocambo, featuring stories, songwriting advice, and performances from AHI, Omega Mighty, Kalisway, DijahSB, and more; Producer Playback at The Rivoli, where Hill Kourkoutis, Kayla Diamond, and others dove deep into their creative process; and several other dynamic song circles at other venues, spotlighting talents like Nia Nadurata, Ralph, Mint Simon, Evan Redsky, Ryan Langdon, Kyla Charters, Leah Jane, and more.
On May 7, 2025, SOCAN also proudly received the Departure Honour for Industry Achievement, a recognition that comes as the organization celebrates an historic milestone: 100 years of championing Canadian songwriters, composers, and music publishers.
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- Murda Beatz (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- L-R/G-D : Houtan Hodania (SOCAN), Murda Beatz (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- Chantal Kreviazuk (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- L-R/G-D : Cameron Kennedy (SOCAN), Chantal Kreviazuk (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- AHI (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- DijahSB (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- Dallas Green (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- Jessie Reyez (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- L-R/G-D : Cameron Kennedy (SOCAN), Jennifer Brown (SOCAN) (Photo: Brad Ardley)
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- Evan Redsky (Photo: Tiana Feng)
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- Kyla Charter (Photo: Tiana Feng)
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- Mint Simon (Photo: Tiana Feng)
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- Hill Kourkoutis (Photo: Tiana Feng)
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- Haley McNeil (Photo: Tiana Feng)