Business

Business, Canada, Education, Hip-Hop, Marshall "Eminem" Mathers, Songwriter, Spoken Word, Technology, Voice February 20, 2021

‘To be a rapper, you really have to be genuine’ – Duane Gibson on motivation, perseverance and connecting with youth

Nick Krewen Special To the Star “Stay driven.” For 20 years, that message has been the underlying theme of Toronto hip-hop veteran Duane “D.O.” Gibson’s presentations at over 1000 schools across Canada.  Offering four programs that focus on the topics of anti-bullying, self-confidence, leadership, peer pressure, literature and Black history, to name a few, Gibson estimates he’s delivered more than 2500 of his empowering speeches and workshops to hundreds of…

Alt. Rock, Americana, Americana, Business, Canada, Culinary, Flute, Folk, Guitar, JUNO, Kathleen Edwards, Pop, Rock, Songwriter, Toronto, Voice August 13, 2020

After a divorce and depression drove her away from the music business, Kathleen Edwards is back with an album of confessional songs

Nick Krewen  Special to the Star Sometimes to move forward, you have to take a few steps back. Or stop completely. For singer-songwriter Kathleen Edwards, who releases Total Freedom her first album since 2012’s Voyageur, on Friday (August 14), the latter move was her answer to a decade of the non-stop rinse-recycle-repeat music industry treadmill that took its toll. In 2011, her marriage to local producer and Blue Rodeo guitarist…

Business, Canada, Toronto June 5, 2020

City extends ‘lifeline’ to Toronto music venue owners

Nick Krewen Special to the Star The cavalry has arrived in the nick of time for Toronto music venue owners. On May 28, Toronto City Council passed a proposal that enables property owners to claim a 50 per cent property tax break on sites that primarily operate as a live music venue, with the assumption that they’ll pass that savings on to their tenants. With COVID-19 protective measures bringing live…

Alberta, British Columbia, Business, Canada, Education, Events, Halifax, Hamilton, Manitoba, Montréal, Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Saskatchewan, Stratford, Toronto, Vancouver May 13, 2020

Editorial: Why streaming services should rescue musicians

Nick Krewen Special to the Star Spotify, YouTube and streaming services in general: It’s time to step up. For way, way too long — Spotify, it’s been 14 years for you and 15 for YouTube — you have ridden on the backs of recording artists, musicians and songwriters that have provided you with content and, in turn, billions of dollars in profits, without offering them much in return. How much…

Alberta, British Columbia, Business, Canada, Events, Festivals, Halifax, Hamilton, Manitoba, Montréal, Music Industry (Trade), Newfoundland, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Québec, Saskatchewan, Stratford, Toronto, Vancouver May 9, 2020

What is the future of live concerts in Canada?

Nick Krewen Special to the Star There seems to be a light at the end of the pandemic-stricken concert tunnel. As reported by several publications, Michael Rapino, President and CEO of Live Nation Entertainment, during a first quarter earnings call with shareholders on May 7, indicates that his company is gearing up for concert ticket sales “in the third and fourth quarters for 2021 at full scale.” While it seems…