Education

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…

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…

Alt. Rock, Canada, Composer, Education, Guitar, Hamilton, JUNO, Perspective, Songwriter, The Tragically Hip, Voice March 25, 2020

Sarah Harmer and friends won a long environmental fight. Now she has to do it again

Nick Krewen Special to the Star Sarah Harmer is about to go back to the drawing board, and she’s not happy about it. The Burlington, Ontario born singer, songwriter and activist is currently promoting Are You Gone, her first album in 10 years. Looming on her mind, however, is a fight she’s about to take up with a community that she’s already won once. Despite the Ontario Municipal Board denying…

Arranger, Canada, Composer, Education, Indie pop, Pop, Producer, R&B, Songwriter, Soul, Therapeutic, Toronto, Voice February 19, 2020

From opera trainee to sex worker to Juno-nominated artist: Storry’s tale isn’t ordinary

Nick Krewen Special to the Star   There aren’t many concept albums about working in the sex industry, but Storry is no ordinary singer and songwriter. So, when the Juno Award-nominated, Toronto-born, Mississauga-based artist debuts the performance of her new 11-song, R&B-flavoured album CH III: The Come Up at the Lula Lounge on February 20, it will come from a position of triumph. However, the adversity that Storry surmounted has…

Aubrey "Drake" Graham, Canada, Children's Music, Country, Education, Grammy, Nashville, Pop, Songwriter, Taylor Swift, Toronto, United States August 26, 2019

Regent Park School of Music is glad to have a friend in Taylor Swift

By Nick Krewen Special to the Star August 26, 2019 The Regent Park School of Music has discovered that it’s nice to have a friend in high places – especially if that friend is named Taylor Swift. It turns out that several Regent Park School of Music students between the ages of nine and 18 appear on the Nashville-based Swift’s latest album Lover, released last Friday: specifically on the sample…