We all want to limit health risks at home and in the communities that we visit on tour. As we consider the effects of COVID-19 on the live music industry and our individual roles, here are some considerations likely on ...

On the evening of Mar. 18, 2020, producer/songwriter Darryl Lahteenmaa of London, ON felt the need to do something to stay positive amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As one does, he logged on to Facebook and posted a picture overlaid with ...

With COVID-19 having shut down the spring and summer touring seasons, artists have been quick to get online and start performing the only way they can here in the era of avoiding human contact: live streaming.  Streaming a concert has ...

Canadian singer-songwriter Ember Swift has been living and working in Beijing for more than a decade and is now a veteran of weeks of isolation. She wrote this piece for us on how she’s coped as an artist.  You can ...

Everyone wants to be loved; maybe artists more than others.  We need that feedback, that visceral moment when our hearts seem to connect. We need to know we are appreciated and that someone gets us. It’s often the reason we ...

This winter I have had the privilege of teaching two songwriter courses in Wakefield and Chelsea, QC. The first group of students comprises seasoned performers, some of them accomplished songwriters who have performed at a regional level and have CDs ...

How would you like to spend 10-12 days in a cottage on a secluded island doing nothing but working on your art – and for nothing more than the cost of getting yourself there and feeding yourself? Well, you could ...

There are times when the creative light grows dim even for the most determined and dedicated songwriter. One may have the best intentions and be of good heart and yet the songs won’t come. It would seem as though the ...

We all experience loss.  It’s inevitable. We can’t escape it – lost money, lost opportunities, lost keys. But as an artist, how do you manage the loss of a beloved instrument? As a songwriter, it’s the guitar you wrote your ...

A few months ago I posted an article on the Roots Music Canada website entitled “A Brief history of Why Artists are no Longer Making a Living Making Music.” The topic was actually about the relationship between music and technology ...