SYDNEY, N.S. — He may be one of Cape Breton’s busiest musicians but Jordan Musycsyn always finds time to go to Nova Scotia Music Week each year.
“It’s a good time,” Musycsyn said in a recent phone interview. “It’s a reunion of sorts for a really cool community of musicians to hang out and have some jams and network. It’s one of my favourite events.”
Musicians like Musycsyn will descend on Truro for the annual Nova Scotia Music Week conference and festival, Thursday to Sunday.
“It’s not stressful but you get stuff done,” said Musycsyn, who plans to meet with festival bookers and other industry professionals during the four-day event.
“The goal of Music Week would be to showcase all of the amazing Nova Scotian talent we have here in Nova Scotia,” said Grace Russell, events and marketing manager for Music Nova Scotia which runs the event. “We bring in a number of delegates from around the world. There’s a whole showcase component and a lot of artists who are on stage over the weekend and there is a big local audience as well as an international audience. In addition to all the showcases we also do an education component so we have one-on-one meetings and conference sessions and networking events.”
Delegates from around the world are expected to attend the events which will showcase and highlight more than 100 Nova Scotian musical acts from a variety of genres. The 2019 conference will focus on the intersection between mental, financial and professional health. A variety of panels will touch on business psychology, mental health management, strategies to do better business while taking better care, making room for creative growth, leadership, stress management, and how to achieve personal and professional balance.
One of the highlights of the event will be the full two days of the basic training program, offering delegates the chance to learn about such subjects as marketing, accounting, royalties, social media and so on.
Russell said there will also be a number of Cape Breton artists taking part in the weekend’s events and performing.
“We can’t have a music festivals without Cape Bretoners,” Russell said.
Dozens of showcases will feature talent from across the province including many from Cape Breton such as Musycsyn, Town Heroes, Villages, Gillian Head and Dan Doiron. A highlight of the weekend will be the 10th Anniversary Gordie Sampson Songcamp Show at the Marigold Cultural Centre, Saturday at 2 p.m.
“Gordie is actually coming to Truro and they’re going to do a song camp at the Marigold on Saturday afternoon at two and it will be Gordie and a number of people who have attended songcamp over the past 10 years,” said Russell about the Cape Breton-born but now Nashville-based songwriter, who’s been presenting a songwriting camp in Cape Breton during the summers.
The Gordie Sampson Songcamp is being presented by CBMIC (Cape Breton Music Industry Cooperative), which will also be hosting a welcome reception.
Those hoping to attend the events can buy a wristband for $60 which will get you in to see all your favourite bands all weekend long. There are also Friday and Saturday night showcase passes available for $35 each. The Rose Cousins concert and the 10th anniversary Gordie Sampson Songcamp Show tickets are available for $30 each. If you also want to attend the receptions, conference sessions, late night stage, all showcasing and use the festival shuttle service, a full delegate pass is $150. If you’re only going for one day, day passes that get you into everything are available for $79. See https://nsmw.ca/tickets/ for more information.
