Does TikTok have value for musicians?

Hats off to Amit Mehta for producing a new exciting and vibrant music fest in downtown Kitchener last month. In partnership with the DTK BIA and others, he presented the musical component of the Palette x Palate event – over 45 musical performances throughout the downtown from noon to 10 p.m. As we’ve come to expect from an event by Good Company, the performers were top-notch and a testament to the high calibre of artists that call Waterloo Region home. The audiences were large, diverse, energetic and truly engaged. It was a very inspiring memorable event!

In the last issue, I highlighted the opening of an amazing Kitchener music rehearsal facility, the JR Jam Space. I checked in with the owner recently to find, as expected, only a few spaces still available. You cannot get better as a band without rehearsing (trust me, I’ve tried!), so I urge you to consider booking a spot at the JR if getting better is a goal of your band. Check them out here.

TikTok oh, TikTok……what does it really mean?

I’m not sure we will ever really know but here are 2 competing articles about the platform’s value for musicians. One says the TikTok era is over for artists, the other says the platform holds tons of opportunities for artists.

Here are a couple of local folks doing their part to make the Kitchener music scene a vibey place. Very inspiring indeed!

If you are reading this newsletter, you can thank Jonnica Hill for being the original designer behind it. She came to the Music Office to complete her graduate certificate in Music Business from Humber and really left her mark. Lately, she has been channelling her passion for music into a pretty amazing music blog on Instagram! Check it out!

Jason Schneider is a well-known fixture on the local music scene. He has recently re-located back to KW from his sojourn in Toronto establishing himself as a national music journalist and publicist as well as an acclaimed Canadian music author of Whispering Pines: the Northern Roots of American Music, 3,000 Miles, The Longest Suicide and Have Not Been the Same: the CanRock Renaissance 1985-1995 (co-author). He is using his deep connections and musical taste to bring amazing songwriters to the intimate Yeti Café in a monthly series called Alone at the Microphone. Find out more here.

Sandra Henein

Sandra Henein is a national treasure recently honoured as a 2023 Rogers Oktoberfest Woman of the Year recipient. The breadth of her accomplishments in the music industry are legendary - Marketing Director for the Juno Awards, Canadian Talent Development Manager for CKBT 91.5 The Beat Radio, Manager of Sponsorship/Promotions/Events for Tribute Entertainment Media to name just a few. Check her LinkedIn page for a more fulsome listing.

Her latest headline-grabbing (in Billboard magazine!), ground-breaking event is the Grand River Black Music Festival and Conference June 14-16 right here in Kitchener! We are very fortunate she calls KW home and has many plans for activating our music scene!

A moving musical experience:

Sitting next to Lenny Kravitz (my Music Husband) at his private listening party for Baptism as he sang live with his tracks. You can't get more personal than that. Totally mind-blowing.

Favourite thing about Kitchener:

Our architectural landscape -our heritage buildings from the manufacturing era are gorgeous and tell many stories that define our region today.