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2024 South Coast Jazz & Blues Festival in Brantford & Norfolk County Announces Lineup And Tickets Onsale Now

The highly anticipated South Coast Jazz & Blues Festival is back for August 9–11, 2024, promising an unforgettable celebration of music and culture across Brantford and Simcoe. This year’s festival, supported in part by the City of Brantford, Norfolk County Economic Development and Ontario Creates, features an exciting lineup of world-renowned musicians and local talents.

Event Schedule:

August 9th @ Glenhyrst Gardens & Gallery, Brantford Presented in part by the City of Brantford

  • 7:00 pm: Branson Palanio Organ Trio
  • 8:15 pm: Johannes Linstead

August 11th @ Lynnwood Arts Centre, Simcoe Presented in part by Norfolk County Economic Development

  • 1:45 pm: Avery Raquel
  • 2:45 pm: James Wilson
  • 3:45 pm: Shannon Butcher with Michael Shand

Coming Worldwide Online Featuring:

  • Sammy Jackson
  • Mark Kelso
  • Carla Muller
  • Charu Suri
  • Mark Holmes of Platinum Blonde
  • The Jazz Exiles
  • David Griffin
  • And more!

Schedule subject to change.

Festival Highlights:

Branson Palanio Organ Trio: Hailing from Brantford, this jazz ensemble blends jazz, blues, funk, and soul, creating a vibrant atmosphere perfect for any occasion.

Johannes Linstead: A globally acclaimed guitarist, Linstead’s performances bring together diverse ethnic backgrounds with upbeat rumbas and emotional ballads, promising a musical journey like no other.

Avery Raquel: Billboard-charting singer-songwriter Avery Raquel brings her soulful mix of RnB, Soul, and Pop, with a hint of Jazz and Blues experiences, captivating audiences with her powerful vocal performances.

James Wilson: A Mohawk and French-Canadian singer-songwriter from Six Nations, Wilson’s music resonates with the influences of artists like Dave Matthews and Coldplay, offering a unique blend of heartfelt melodies and lyrics.

Shannon Butcher with Michael Shand: Celebrated Canadian singer Shannon Butcher, known for her joyful wit and warm energy, will perform alongside the versatile and genre-blending pianist Michael Shand.

Join us for a memorable celebration of music, culture, and community at the South Coast Jazz & Blues Festival 2024. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit our website or follow us on social media.

Join us on social media for the latest updates and engaging content:

  • Facebook & Twitter: @SouthCoastJazz1
  • Instagram & YouTube: @SouthCoastJazz

About South Coast Jazz: Founded by Juliann Kuchocki, South Coast Jazz has grown into an internationally acclaimed festival since its inception in 2014. The festival not only enriches the arts and culture community but also contributes significantly to the local economy through tourism and business.

Canada Black Music Archives Announces The Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour In Toronto

The Canada Black Music Archives (CBMA) is thrilled to announce the Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour. The CBMA presents an interactive tour that will allow for participants to explore shops, restaurants, art, and of course, the music.

This guided tour will begin at 2353 Dufferin St. (in front of St. Hilda’s Towers) and ends at Marlee Ave., offering an in-depth overview of historical landmarks along the way. Participants can explore sites like the Reggae Lane mural by Adrian Hayles, learn about important figures like Jimmy Wisdom, enjoy delicious Caribbean dishes, and immerse themselves with live music from local favourites.

The area known as ‘Little Jamaica’ stretches along Eglinton Avenue West from Marlee Avenue to Keele Street. With the influx of Caribbean immigrants between the 1960’s and 1980’s, it became home to many islanders. As the population grew they opened restaurants, record stores, beauty salons, barbershops, and recording studios.

In its prime, Eglinton was one of the largest producers of reggae music outside of Jamaica. The strip attracted the biggest names in the genre. Not only was it home for Reggae, but housed calypso, dub, ska, and rocksteady, among other music entities. Behind these genres were community greats like Leroy Sibbles, King Culture, Nana McLean, Jay Douglas, Jackie Mittoo, and more.

The Little Jamaica Music History Walking Tour will take a look behind the scenes at the impact these figures have had on the city and the country’s music landscape. For the remainder of the summer, tours will take place at least twice a month until September.

As an online digital repository, the Canada Black Music Archives aims to push the stories of Black musicians to the forefront. Through our extensive collection of photographs, music, interviews, and other historical documents, we are able to provide invaluable research and insight.

The people of Little Jamaica are resilient and nowhere near done telling their story. Join the CBMA in this educational tour and learn more about the many culturally significant contributions this enclave has to offer. Special thanks to the Black Business & Professional Association and the York-Eglinton BIA.

This project has been funded by the City of Toronto’s Main Street Innovation Fund, as part of the Government of Canada support through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario.

To book your tour visit here.

 

Watch This Expert Expert Explain The Hidden Crowd Engineering Behind Concerts

From music festival lines to concession stand menus at stadiums, nearly every square foot of major event venues are designed to prioritize safety and boost revenue. Crowd control is vital for all key stages at an event including arrivals, halftime and departures.

WSJ spoke with an expert on how to move tens of thousands of people through a major event to maximize profit and avoid disaster.

What Makes A Great Film Score?

Credit: Felix Mooneeram/Unsplash

A great film score enhances the storytelling and emotional impact of a movie. Here are some key elements that contribute to a remarkable film score:

1. Emotional Resonance

  • Connection to Characters and Plot: The music should reflect and amplify the emotions of the characters and the narrative. It should help the audience feel the highs and lows of the story.
  • Mood Setting: A well-composed score sets the mood and tone of a scene, whether it’s suspenseful, romantic, tragic, or joyful.

2. Memorable Themes

  • Leitmotifs: Recurring themes or motifs associated with characters, places, or ideas can make the score memorable and give it a sense of cohesion.
  • Melody and Harmony: Catchy and emotionally compelling melodies can make a score stand out and stay with the audience long after they leave the theater.

3. Integration with Visuals

  • Synchronization: The score should sync well with the visual elements of the film, accentuating actions, transitions, and key moments.
  • Supportive Role: The music should enhance the visuals without overpowering them. It should complement the dialogue and sound effects.

4. Variety and Adaptability

  • Dynamic Range: A great score can vary in intensity, tempo, and style to match the diverse scenes in a film.
  • Adaptation to Genre: The score should fit the genre of the film, whether it’s an epic, a comedy, a thriller, or a drama.

5. Technical Excellence

  • Quality of Composition: The composition should be technically sound, with a strong understanding of musical theory, orchestration, and instrumentation.
  • Performance and Recording: High-quality performances by musicians and top-notch recording and mixing can significantly enhance the impact of a score.

6. Innovation and Originality

  • Unique Sound: A distinctive and original score can set a film apart and make it memorable.
  • Creative Use of Instruments: Innovative use of traditional and non-traditional instruments can create a unique sonic landscape.

Examples of Great Film Scores

  • John Williams: Known for his work on “Star Wars,” “Indiana Jones,” and “Harry Potter,” Williams’ scores are iconic and instantly recognizable.
  • Hans Zimmer: His scores for “Inception,” “The Dark Knight,” and “Interstellar” are known for their powerful and immersive quality.
  • Ennio Morricone: His work on “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” and “Once Upon a Time in the West” are celebrated for their memorable themes and unique instrumentation.

Conclusion

A great film score is a blend of emotional resonance, memorable themes, visual integration, variety, technical excellence, and originality. It serves to elevate the storytelling and leave a lasting impression on the audience.

 

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Casio CT-S1-76 Brings 76 Keys, Premium Speaker System, Remote App Control to Popular Casiotone Portable Keyboard Series

Introducing the CT-S1-76 to the Casiotone lineup, building on the widespread success of the acclaimed CT-S1 61-key portable keyboard. This enhanced 76-key version boasts a premium stereo speaker system and remote control via the free Casio Music Space iOS & Android app, elevating the musical experience to new heights.

The CT-S1 became an instant hit with musicians due to its stylish, minimalist design, stunning sounds, and incredibly lightweight body. Furthermore, the CT-S1-76 is exceptionally affordable, making it an ideal option for music labs. Its compact size enables the inclusion of more keyboards and students in the classroom, enhancing the learning experience.

Weighing a mere 11.6 pounds, the CT-S1-76 builds on this formula, offering a great-sounding, ultraportable keyboard that is the lightest instrument in its class. The addition of 15 keys makes the CT-S1-76 ideally suited for beginners who want to learn more than just the basics of piano playing and for working musicians who need a highly capable yet featherlight instrument that is easy to carry to a gig.

The CT-S1-76 features a sleek, minimalist design with a fabric speaker net that enhances its clean aesthetic, ideal for focused practice and performance. It includes a convenient metronome button for keeping time and an easy one-button recorder for capturing ideas. When not using the included power supply, the CT-S1-76 can run for hours on 8 AA batteries for jamming on the go.

The instrument’s fidelity is thanks to Casio’s richly expressive AiX Sound Source that provides sound quality you’d expect from a keyboard costing much more. The CT-S1-76 offers a carefully curated list of 61 essential, high-quality tones—from a dynamic, expressive German concert grand piano placed in a virtual concert hall to meticulously sampled electric pianos, organs, strings, synths, pads and classic Casio tones derived from the company’s popular VL, VZ and CZ series. Advanced Tones enrich your playing with intricate layers that respond dynamically to your performance, while a range of effects, including Reverb, Chorus, Delay, DSP, and Master EQ offer endless creative potential. While the CT-S1 speakers (2.5W per side) are impressive, the powerful bass-reflex stereo speaker system with surround effect on the CT-S1-76 (6.5W per side) delivers even more punch and clarity throughout the entire volume range.

As with the CT-S1, the CT-S1-76 features full-size, box-style keys with touch response, and lightly textured simulated ebony and ivory keytops reminiscent of an acoustic piano.

The CT-S1-76 offers versatile connectivity options, including a class-compliant microUSB MIDI port for seamless connection to any PC, Mac, iOS, or Android device without the need for drivers. It also features a USB HOST port for the optional Bluetooth® adapter (WU-BT10), enabling wireless MIDI communication and transforming the keyboard into a Bluetooth speaker.

Users can connect to the Casio Music Space app via wired or wireless connection and can now use it to control the CT-S1-76’s various settings. The app also features digital musical scores, music teacher functionality, live performance simulation, and more. Additionally, players can easily attach a sustain pedal for enhanced expressiveness and utilize the headphone output for private practice.

“The Casiotone CT-S1-76 is the perfect musical companion for both beginners and experienced players seeking a lightweight keyboard with premium studio-grade tones,” remarks Stephen Schmidt, Vice President of Casio’s Electronic Musical Instruments Division. “It’s the ultimate keyboard that anyone can effortlessly pick up and play.”

The Casio CT-S1-76 comes in both black and white finishes, with an AC adapter and music rest included, and will ship in August at $349 MSRP. It will be available at music retailers nationwide, and CasioMusicGear.com

To learn more about Casio’s entire portfolio of electronic musical instruments, please visit www.CasioMusicGear.com.

Troye Sivan Is Announced As Rabanne Global Makeup Brand Ambassador

TROYE SIVAN RABANNE BY MARIA THORNFELDT & LOUISE THORNFELDT

Rabanne is renowned for its iconic ambassadors, who embody La Maison´s avant-garde spirit and reimagine it for each new generation. Today, that legacy continues as Rabanne proudly announces Troye Sivan as Global Makeup Brand Ambassador, just one year after La Maison launched its groundbreaking Beauty collection.

A GRAMMY-nominated singer, songwriter and actor, Troye has established himself as a global icon in the worlds of music, fashion and LGBTQIA+ representation. Along with standout roles in several Hollywood feature films, Troye has also worked on several high fashion collaborations and appeared on runways around the world.  With a combined social audience of 39 million, Troye is fiercely loyal and connected to his global network of supporters.

This collaboration with Rabanne follows the star’s iconic Rush video, in which he wore Rabanne; and his appearance at the SS24 Rabanne show wearing La Maison’s new season designs and makeup.

Having spent his childhood in Perth, Australia, Troye ́s superstar rise began with a pair of EPs – 2014’s TRXYE and Wild a year later. Since then, he has released his debut album Blue Neighbourhood, sophomore album Bloom, the 2020 EP In A Dream, and, most recently, his third studio album, Something To Give Each Other. As such, he has been hailed by TIME as “the perfect pop star” and received two GRAMMY nominations. He is also the recipient of six ARIA Awards, a Billboard Music Award, three MTV Europe Music awards and two GLAAD Media Award wins. “Revelation” his collaboration with Jónsi for BOY ERASED, was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Original Song – Motion Picture and shortlisted for an Oscar.

Troye recently completed the European leg of his SOMETHING TO GIVE EACH OTHER Tour which will continue around the world in the months to come.  This Fall, Troye will be touring the United States alongside Charli XCX for their co-headlining SWEAT Tour.

Troye will make his debut as a Rabanne Global Makeup ambassador in a new campaign for the NUDES: a next-generation beauty collection inspired by La Maison ́s iconic fashion fabrics, captured in innovative makeup textures that perfect the skin with camera-ready radiance. The campaign shot by Louise and Maria Thornfeldt, sees Troye appear in a makeup mood created by Rabanne Beauty Creative Director Diane Kendal. Taking the spotlight, Troye embodies the campaign’s manifesto that #NoFilterBeauty with timeless yet fresh looks designed to galvanize the next generation with greater self-empowerment as they uncover their real selves.

“I’ve always been attracted to Rabanne’s effortless vibe. I love to play and express myself, and I have actively worked over the years to unlearn any restrictions I put on myself when it comes to fashion and beauty. Something about Rabanne just feels very right to me personally, and their approach to fashion and beauty is aligned with mine,” says Troye Sivan, Rabanne Global Makeup Ambassador.

Mercury Studios Acquires Right To Distribute ‘Live From Abbey Road’ Series

Mercury Studios, Universal Music Group’s innovative and multi-faceted content studio, has today announced they have acquired the rights to distribute the iconic Live from Abbey Road series. Mercury will represent the classic series globally after a decade off-screen.

Live From Abbey Road revolutionized music television. Produced by Michael Gleason between 2006-2012, the hybrid performance/documentary format showcases many of the world’s most popular and culturally-influential acts within the iconic, intimate setting of Abbey Road studios (also home to some of the greatest recordings of all time). The show’s mix of live performance and interviews attracted an original global audience in over 100 countries, with a stellar mix of A-list, emerging, local and international guests. As true now as then, Live From Abbey Road offers a magical insight into the world of music and its makers.

Commenting on the news, Mercury Studios VP of Content Acquisitions, Amy Freshwater, said: “Recognition for the legendary Abbey Road Studios is global – and the world-class music and compositions recorded within those walls is unrivalled. Mercury are proud to partner on the re-release of one of the most famous showcases of artist versatility and quality; intimately united with a famous location once more.”

“Amy and her team at Mercury are trusted to deliver the very best in music television entertainment,” said Michael Gleason, owner and producer of Live from Abbey Road. “From Sheryl Crow, Red Hot Chilli Peppers and Counting Crows, to Ed Sheeran and the legendary David Gilmour, these performances showcase the magic made inside Abbey Road Studios. I’m delighted to see the series re-released to a global audience.”

Live from Abbey Road, produced under a license from Universal Music Group, the owner of Abbey Road Studios, marries the best in sound with the finest in film. Viewers will soon be able to experience the classic series again as Mercury roll out the collection for international sales after ten years off-screen.

Mercury Studios is a full-service production studio, focused on telling compelling stories through the lens of music. Current and recent projects include Oscar and BAFTA award nominated American Symphony, directed by Matthew Heineman for the Obamas’ Higher Ground Productions/Netflix, If These Walls Could Sing, directed by Mary McCartney for Disney+, My Life as a Rolling Stone for the BBC and MGM+, Shania Twain: Not Just A Girl for Netflix, This Town, a six-part series for the BBC from writer, creator, and executive producer Steven Knight, Linda Perry: Let it Die Here, which premiered at Tribeca Film Festival and the recently announced One to One: John & Yoko from Oscar and BAFTA award winning director, Kevin Macdonald. Mercury Studios also produced Sam Smith: Live at the Royal Albert Hall for BBC, Billie Eilish’s Overheated at the O2 London and Lang Lang Plays Disney for Disney+. Editorially independent, Mercury Studios is powered by Universal Music Group and represents the world’s leading catalog of music-related content, consisting of thousands of hours of premium music-driven film and television programming.

Live from Abbey Road Ltd. is a specialist studio formed by series producer and former MGM Studios board member Michael Gleason along with the late Apple Inc. board member Jerome York. The series is the first music performance series filmed in high definition while utilizing the advance sound recording only available at Abbey Road Studios. The production goal was to produce a series which looks like a movie and sounds like a record. With a production team including Directors Annabel Jankel and Matthew Amos, and co-producers Peter van Hooke and Fraser Kennedy, this vision was achieved by filming over 130 artists.

The Killers Receive SoundExchange Hall Of Fame Award

Photo (L-R): The Killers’ Ronnie Vannucci Jr. and Brandon Flowers receive SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award before their headlining set at last month’s Boston Calling festival. (Photo credit: Chris Phelps)

SoundExchange, the premier music tech organization powering the future of music, announced today that The Killers have been honored with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award, recognizing the band’s stature as one of the most streamed acts in the organization’s 21-year history.

“The Killers and SoundExchange have a parallel history, starting out in the early 2000s and taking the music industry by storm,” said Michael Huppe, President and CEO of SoundExchange. “The band’s debut album, Hot Fuss, made us all fans as it established their deep catalog of enduring hits like ‘Mr. Brightside’ and ‘Somebody Told Me’ that sound as fresh today as they did 20 years ago. We are honored to present The Killers with the SoundExchange Hall of Fame Award.”

Frontman Brandon Flowers and bassist Ronnie Vannucci Jr. received the SoundExchange Hall of Fame award before hitting the stage at the 11th annual Boston Calling music festival where group performed a headlining set to close out the three-day event. The Killers, who released their second greatest hits collection, Rebel Diamonds, in December 2023, are on tour in Europe through mid-July. The band returns to the U.S. for festival appearances at Lollapalooza and Outside Lands before kicking off an August Las Vegas residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Additional North American festival dates are on tap through September, followed by a Mexican tour in October.

The Killers are a Las Vegas-based four-piece who formed in 2002, featuring the talents of singer/keyboardist Brandon Flowers, drummer Ronnie Vannucci, guitarist Dave Keuning, and bassist Mark Stoermer. The band has received countless accolades for their artistic achievement, including multiple Grammy nominations, American Music Award nominations, MTV Video Music Awards, NME Awards, and more. Their first album, Hot Fuss, was released in 2004 to worldwide acclaim. The album contained the singles “Mr. Brightside” and “Somebody Told Me,” in addition to the anthemic song “All These Things That I’ve Done,” which has since been referenced by the likes of U2. The band toured for two years straight behind Hot Fuss, playing more than four-hundred shows, and eventually returned to Vegas to begin to work on the follow-up album with legendary producers Alan Moulder and Flood. The result, a love letter of sorts to their hometown entitled Sam’s Town, was released in 2006 and spent forty-two weeks on the Billboard Top 200. A b-sides collection entitled Sawdust was released in 2007, followed by their third studio album, Day & Age, which was released to widespread critical praise in 2008, anchored by massive single “Human.” The Killers released Battle Born in September 2012, which saw them expanding their world tour into countries they’ve never visited before, and finally were honored to perform at the world-renowned Wembley Stadium, one of the most monumental and significant shows of their career. After a decade of making music, in November 2013, The Killers released a “Best Of” collection, Direct Hits, which featured two incredible new songs alongside classics from the band’s revered catalog. The band, who have sold over 25 million albums worldwide, and headlined all the world’s top festivals (Coachella, Lollapalooza, Glastonbury), released their chart-topping album, Wonderful Wonderful, in September 2017. It garnered the band their first No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart the week of its release in the U.S., as well as topping the charts in the U.K., Mexico, and Australia. In 2020, The Killers released Imploding the Mirage in 2020; hailed by critics as one of the best records in the band’s already stellar catalog, the album was the band’s sixth consecutive number one in the U.K., and Brandon Flowers’ eighth U.K. number one overall, making the band the first international act to receive six consecutive #1’s in the United KingdomImploding The Mirage also went Top 10 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart, making it their sixth Top Ten album in America.  In 2021, The Killers released their eighth album, Pressure Machine, a quieter, character-driven document of life in small town America inspired by frontman Brandon Flowers’ upbringing in rural Utah.  In 2022, they embarked on their largest, sold-out tour to date, playing stadiums in North America and beyond. In late 2023, the group released Rebel Diamonds, a curated dive into an impressive catalog of songwriting and musicianship – one that has solidified the band as one of the most important voices in music over the last two decades. The album of highlights features 20 tracks, including the recently certified Diamond “Mr. Brightside,” along with other modern-day classics “When You Were Young,” “All These Things That I’ve Done,” “Human,” “Read My Mind” and more. They’ve announced a special Las Vegas Residency for summer 2024, performing their seminal album Hot Fuss in full for the first time ever to commemorate its 20-year anniversary.

BIC and Charlie Puth Hit the Right Creative Note During the Back-to School Season

BIC, a world leader in stationery, is teaming up with GRAMMY-nominated and multi-platinum singer, songwriter and producer Charlie Puth this back-to-school season to amplify BIC’s 4-Color Ballpoint Pen campaign ‘A pen for every side of you.’ The campaign empowers students and teachers to unleash their creativity by relating each color of BIC’s 4-Color Ballpoint Pen to various forms of self-expression.

The iconic BIC 4-Color Ballpoint Pen offers four great colors in one long-lasting pen – black, red, green, and blue – in multiple smooth and sleek barrel designs. Ideal for capturing self-expressive thoughts and song lyrics, doodling imaginative creations, color-coding school notes and more, the 4-Color Pen helps unleash creativity and passion through writing.

“Equipping students and teachers with tools that spark curiosity, creativity and help them envision a brighter future is just one part of BIC’s global commitment to education,” said BIC CEO Gonzalve Bich. “We’re thrilled to partner with Charlie Puth to encourage students to express themselves through writing and music this back-to-school season.”

“The BIC 4-Color Pen is my go-to for songwriting because I can click through ink colors to match the vibes of each lyric or line, or even how I may be feeling that day,” said Charlie Puth. “Since self-expression is so meaningful to me and my craft, I love partnering with BIC to encourage students to explore the beauty of creativity through writing, music and art – no matter their interests.”

BIC and Charlie Puth are hosting a back-to-school consumer sweepstakes for four consumers to win a special behind-the-scenes experience and private iHeartMedia concert with Charlie Puth on October 22, 2024 in New York City. For a chance to win, consumers can purchase eligible BIC writing products, including the BIC 4-Color Ballpoint Pen and other popular BIC classroom essentials, at participating retailers and upload or mail-in proof of purchase from now until September 30, 2024. Full sweepstakes rules here.

In preparation for back-to-school, throughout the summer, Charlie Puth and the 4-Color Ballpoint Pen will also appear across retail, social and digital platforms, PR, Creative, and a partnership with iHeartMedia – all culminating in the exclusive October event to drive brand awareness during the back-to-school purchase period. Paid media support will take place across TikTok, Instagram, paid search, and iHeart audio from July 8 through September.

The BIC 4-Color Ballpoint Pen is available on BIC.com, as well as at your favorite online and in-store retailers during the back-to-school season and beyond.

Conan O’Brien Surprises Jordan Schlansky With Rush Singer Geddy Lee

Jordan Schlansky has a very specific favorite mastering of “Tom Sawyer” – the song that opens the show – so Conan O’Brien surprises him with Geddy Lee, the lead singer of Rush, so he can ask some niche questions.