#VERYPRAIRIE
#SASKMUSICAWARDS
#BESTSASKALBUMS
DAN HAWIE
PROJECT & MARKETING MANAGER @ LAST GANG RECORDS
Sessions TBA
Dan Hawie is a marketing and project manager at Last Gang Records. He has worked several Grammy and JUNO Award-winning artists over the years at Dine Alone Records. Now at Last Gang/eOne, he is currently overseeing record cycles for Death From Above, Chromeo, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, Stars, Ryan Hemsworth, Rhye, Holy Fuck, No Warning, and more. https://lastgang.com
ANDREA WARNER
WRITER, CRITIC, BROADCASTER & PODCASTER
Sessions TBA
Andrea Warner is a writer, critic, broadcaster, and podcaster focusing on music, arts, pop culture, and feminism. She’s the author of Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography (Sept. 25, 2018, Greystone) as well as the acclaimed 2015 book, We Oughta Know: How Four Women Ruled the '90s and Changed Canadian Music (Eternal Cavalier Press). Andrea is an associate producer at CBC Music, a theatre critic at the Georgia Straight, and co-hosts the weekly podcast, Pop This!. Pop culture, art, and feminism make her happy. @_AndreaWarner
​
DUNCAN PICKARD
GREY RECORDS / NIGHTSHIRT / SASC
Sessions TBA
Duncan began promoting shows shortly before pursuing education as an audio engineer. Upon graduating from the Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon in 2012, Duncan started The Sound & Silence Collective (SASC) with other recent grads to help new artists develop and release music. Around this time Duncan began hosting house shows to make more space for underground and all ages music. Using knowledge from his experience with SASC, Duncan co-founded small run label, Grey Records, with Lenore Maier. Recently Duncan has co-founded Nightshirt, a music festival with the goal of fostering community and pairing new and young artists on bills with more established bands.
COLTON CRAWFORD
THE DEAD SOUTH
Music & Mental Health | 6:30PM Nov 29
Colton was born in Edmonton, AB and grew up in Prince Albert, SK. He started playing music at the age of 5, when his mom gave him regular piano lessons. He formed The Dead South in 2012 with his friends Nate Hilts, Scott Pringle, and Danny Kenyon. In late 2016 he stopped touring with the band due to road burnout and exhaustion, only to return in 2018. He currently lives in Regina, SK and continues to write and perform with The Dead South. http://thedeadsouth.com
MATT MAW
ARTIST MANAGER @ SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
An Artist Manager based downtown Toronto, Matt works alongside the Six Shooter Records team with clients including Tanya Tagaq, Whitehorse, The Jerry Cans & The Dead South. Prior to joining Six Shooter Record's management division, Matt was Label Manager at RPM Records, an independent, Indigenous owned + operated label based in Toronto. Since graduating from the Harris Institute, Matt has worked alongside organizations including; Arts & Crafts Productions + Field Trip, Vapor Music Group, Collective Concerts + TURF (Toronto Urban Roots Festival), HOME Music Co. (Label) and New Constellations (Festival/Tour).
CARLY BRADLEY
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER @
FOLK ON THE ROCKS
Sessions TBA
Carly Bradley’s a professional artistic director with complementary experience in production management who’s now venturing into the label side of the music industry with DevilDuck Canada. She’s lived all over Canada from Vancouver, BC to Pickle Lake, ON and is the Executive Producer of Yellowknife's Folk On The Rocks. https://www.folkontherocks.com
CARA TAYLOR, BSW, RSW
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATOR
Music & Mental Health | 6:30PM Nov 29
Cara Taylor is a mental health educator based out of Saskatoon. With a background in social work and counselling psychology, she seeks to grow communal knowledge of mental health & wellness by creating various learning opportunities.
NATHAN STEIN
A&R MANAGER @ ARTS & CRAFTS
Sessions TBA
Nathan brings respected expertise in scouting, signing and developing acts; having previously worked in artist management and A&R roles with Bedlam Music Management / Dine Alone Records and the Drake Hotel as Head Music Programmer. He has had a hand in signing and managing acts such as The Sheepdogs, Arkells, Monster Truck, as well as record deal signings like The Civil Wars, Lucy Rose, Ellevator, Liza Anne and Overcoats.
SPENCER SHEWEN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR @
RIVERFEST ELORA
Sessions TBA
Over the past 6 years as Artistic Director and Festival Manager at Riverfest Elora, Spencer has played an integral role in guiding the festival through a period of rapid growth. Riverfest Elora has come a long way from just 1000 patrons in 2013, to over 15,000 in 2018 and headliners that included The Flaming Lips, Carly Rae Jepsen, & Blue Rodeo.
In June of 2017, Spencer acted as Artistic Director and Project Manager for Waterstock - a one day "festival" in Erin, ON that doubled as a rally against the packaged water industry. Jim Cuddy, Oh Susanna, Reuben Bullock (Reuben & The Dark) and many other artists, donated their time and talents to the cause that saw over 5000 people take part in the day. https://riverfestelora.com
EEKWOL
ARTIST & MENTOR
Sessions TBA
Eekwol (Lindsay Knight) is an award-winning hip hop performing artist in Saskatoon, Treaty Six Territory, originally from Muskoday First Nation. Eekwol has been making music for years just recently releasing her 5th album titled, Good Kill. The single,”Pitiful feat. 2oolman” made it to the #1 spot on the National Aboriginal Music Countdown and charted in Sirius Radio and numerous college and community stations and streaming site playlists. For 2018, she has received a Canada Council grant to complete a concept project with fellow lyricist, T-Rhyme titled, For Women By Women which is to be released in the fall.
Eekwol uses her music and words to spread messages of resistance, revolution and keeping the language, land and culture alive for the next generations. Through her original sound she displays her activist roots by living and creating as a supporter of both Hip Hop and Indigenous culture and rights. She has recently completed her Indigenous Music focused Masters Degree at University of Saskatchewan, which she has taken along with her many years of dedication to hip hop and created something unique and astounding to give back to the community. Along with motherhood, music and academic work, Eekwol frequently works with young people across the country as a mentor and helper. She achieves this through performances, workshops, speaking events, conferences and programs.
LANA GAY
BROADCASTER @ INDIE88 TORONTO
Lana Gay is a music journalist, broadcaster and host on Indie88. She is fixated on independent music, the arts and digital media. She is a longstanding juror for both the Polaris Music Prize and Prism Prize and is dedicated to fostering gender equality in the music industry as a member of the Women in Music Canada board of directors and beyond. She is also an advocate for children’s literacy running A Good Book Drive Toronto.
Lana is proud to hail from Leamington, where she was raised on Motown music and Hungarian food (an underrated combo, really.)
She dreams of turning Bengough, SK's Popcorn Palace into an arts retreat centre for musicians.
2018 Panelists
DAN HAWIE
PROJECT & MARKETING MANAGER @ LAST GANG RECORDS
Dan Hawie is a marketing and project manager at Last Gang Records. He has worked several Grammy and JUNO Award-winning artists over the years at Dine Alone Records. Now at Last Gang/eOne, he is currently overseeing record cycles for Death From Above, Chromeo, Emily Haines & The Soft Skeleton, Stars, Ryan Hemsworth, Rhye, Holy F*ck, No Warning, and more. https://lastgang.com
ANDREA WARNER
WRITER, CRITIC, BROADCASTER & PODCASTER
Andrea Warner is a writer, critic, broadcaster, and podcaster focusing on music, arts, pop culture, and feminism. She’s the author of Buffy Sainte-Marie: The Authorized Biography (Sept. 25, 2018, Greystone) as well as the acclaimed 2015 book, We Oughta Know: How Four Women Ruled the '90s and Changed Canadian Music (Eternal Cavalier Press). Andrea is an associate producer at CBC Music, a theatre critic at the Georgia Straight, and co-hosts the weekly podcast, Pop This!. Pop culture, art, and feminism make her happy. @_AndreaWarner
​
DUNCAN PICKARD
GREY RECORDS / NIGHTSHIRT / SASC
Duncan began promoting shows shortly before pursuing education as an audio engineer. Upon graduating from the Recording Arts Institute of Saskatoon in 2012, Duncan started The Sound & Silence Collective (SASC) with other recent grads to help new artists develop and release music. Around this time Duncan began hosting house shows to make more space for underground and all ages music. Using knowledge from his experience with SASC, Duncan co-founded small run label, Grey Records, with Lenore Maier. Recently Duncan has co-founded Nightshirt, a music festival with the goal of fostering community and pairing new and young artists on bills with more established bands.
COLTON CRAWFORD
THE DEAD SOUTH
Music & Mental Health | 6:30PM Nov 29
Colton was born in Edmonton, AB and grew up in Prince Albert, SK. He started playing music at the age of 5, when his mom gave him regular piano lessons. He formed The Dead South in 2012 with his friends Nate Hilts, Scott Pringle, and Danny Kenyon. In late 2016 he stopped touring with the band due to road burnout and exhaustion, only to return in 2018. He currently lives in Regina, SK and continues to write and perform with The Dead South. http://thedeadsouth.com
MATT MAW
ARTIST MANAGER @ SIX SHOOTER RECORDS
An Artist Manager based downtown Toronto, Matt works alongside the Six Shooter Records team with clients including Tanya Tagaq, Whitehorse, The Jerry Cans & The Dead South. Prior to joining Six Shooter Record's management division, Matt was Label Manager at RPM Records, an independent, Indigenous owned + operated label based in Toronto. Since graduating from the Harris Institute, Matt has worked alongside organizations including; Arts & Crafts Productions + Field Trip, Vapor Music Group, Collective Concerts + TURF (Toronto Urban Roots Festival), HOME Music Co. (Label) and New Constellations (Festival/Tour).
CARLY BRADLEY
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER @
FOLK ON THE ROCKS
Carly Bradley’s a professional artistic director with complementary experience in production management who’s now venturing into the label side of the music industry with DevilDuck Canada. She’s lived all over Canada from Vancouver, BC to Pickle Lake, ON and is the Executive Producer of Yellowknife's Folk On The Rocks. https://www.folkontherocks.com
CARA TAYLOR, BSW, RSW
MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATOR
Music & Mental Health | 6:30PM Nov 29
Cara Taylor is a mental health educator based out of Saskatoon. With a background in social work and counselling psychology, she seeks to grow communal knowledge of mental health & wellness by creating various learning opportunities.
NATHAN STEIN
A&R MANAGER @ ARTS & CRAFTS
Nathan brings respected expertise in scouting, signing and developing acts; having previously worked in artist management and A&R roles with Bedlam Music Management / Dine Alone Records and the Drake Hotel as Head Music Programmer. He has had a hand in signing and managing acts such as The Sheepdogs, Arkells, Monster Truck, as well as record deal signings like The Civil Wars, Lucy Rose, Ellevator, Liza Anne and Overcoats.
SPENCER SHEWEN
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR @
RIVERFEST ELORA
Over the past 6 years as Artistic Director and Festival Manager at Riverfest Elora, Spencer has played an integral role in guiding the festival through a period of rapid growth. Riverfest Elora has come a long way from just 1000 patrons in 2013, to over 15,000 in 2018 and headliners that included The Flaming Lips, Carly Rae Jepsen, & Blue Rodeo.
In June of 2017, Spencer acted as Artistic Director and Project Manager for Waterstock - a one day "festival" in Erin, ON that doubled as a rally against the packaged water industry. Jim Cuddy, Oh Susanna, Reuben Bullock (Reuben & The Dark) and many other artists, donated their time and talents to the cause that saw over 5000 people take part in the day. https://riverfestelora.com
EEKWOL
ARTIST & MENTOR
Eekwol (Lindsay Knight) is an award-winning hip hop performing artist in Saskatoon, Treaty Six Territory, originally from Muskoday First Nation. Eekwol has been making music for years just recently releasing her 5th album titled, Good Kill. The single,”Pitiful feat. 2oolman” made it to the #1 spot on the National Aboriginal Music Countdown and charted in Sirius Radio and numerous college and community stations and streaming site playlists. For 2018, she has received a Canada Council grant to complete a concept project with fellow lyricist, T-Rhyme titled, For Women By Women which is to be released in the fall.
Eekwol uses her music and words to spread messages of resistance, revolution and keeping the language, land and culture alive for the next generations. Through her original sound she displays her activist roots by living and creating as a supporter of both Hip Hop and Indigenous culture and rights. She has recently completed her Indigenous Music focused Masters Degree at University of Saskatchewan, which she has taken along with her many years of dedication to hip hop and created something unique and astounding to give back to the community. Along with motherhood, music and academic work, Eekwol frequently works with young people across the country as a mentor and helper. She achieves this through performances, workshops, speaking events, conferences and programs.
LANA GAY
BROADCASTER @ INDIE88 TORONTO
Lana Gay is a music journalist, broadcaster and host on Indie88. She is fixated on independent music, the arts and digital media. She is a longstanding juror for both the Polaris Music Prize and Prism Prize and is dedicated to fostering gender equality in the music industry as a member of the Women in Music Canada board of directors and beyond. She is also an advocate for children’s literacy running A Good Book Drive Toronto.
Lana is proud to hail from Leamington, where she was raised on Motown music and Hungarian food (an underrated combo, really.)
She dreams of turning Bengough, SK's Popcorn Palace into an arts retreat centre for musicians.
Savhanna Joy Wilson (she/her/they) is a community organizer based in Saskatoon. She works as a freelance project manager and community development coordinator, plays as a bassist or vocalist (sometimes both), and organizes as Vice Chair of Girls Rock Saskatoon, and an Executive Board Member of the Girls Rock Camp Alliance, a global organization representing over 100 organizations from 14 different countries who use music and mentorship as a means to build community for folks who experience gender oppression. Savhanna also co-hosts Saskatchewan's only Feminist Talk Radio Program on CFCR in Saskatoon, and has a passion for intersectional feminism, anti-oppression, and using music as a tool for building and strengthening community solidarity.
PHOTO CREDIT: SAMUEL ENGELKING
MARNI WANDNER
PRESIDENT, SNEAK ATTACK MEDIA (NYC)
A creative strategist who quickly identifies and drives go-to-market strategies that challenge conventional thinking, Marni has been helping artists and brands position themselves as authentic and unforgettable for over a decade. As the VP of Digital Marketing at entertainment marketing agency The Syndicate, she leads the digital department in full-service creative strategy and social media, serving clients across entertainment, music, and lifestyle segments.
Before joining The Syndicate, Marni ran Sneak Attack Media, which she founded in 2006. The company was just acquired by The Syndicate in 2018, where it became the agency's digital marketing department.
TAO-MING LAU
AGENT/FOUNDER of BLUE CRANE CREATIVE AGENCY
Tao runs a new music booking agency called Blue Crane Agency, which seeks to prioritize women and artists of colour. Her roster currently includes Zaki Ibrahim, DJ NDN (from Tribe Called Red), Narcy, KALLITECHNIS, Too Attached, LIZA, and more incredible artists. She is a Board Director at Polaris Music Prize (Canada's equivalent to UK's Mercury Prize). She previously worked at The Billions Corporation, a Chicago-based live touring and music agency, and Universal Music Canada. She was also one of the music curators and festival programmers for Pride Toronto 2017 and was responsible for booking and bringing many queer and trans musicians from over the world from as far as Brasil to Canada. She's been attributed to assisting with the careers of Lido Pimienta, Tanika Charles, and Carly Rae Jepsen, has spoken at Pop Montreal, Women in Music Canada, Music Manitoba, and teaches the Touring Classin at Remix Academy (alumnae Jessie Reyez).From Vancouver originally, she is a proud queer woman of colour seeking to build industry infrastructure for marginalized artists.
MARVIN TONTIWACHWUTHIKUL CHAN
SAMURAI CHAMPS, ARTISTIC DIRECTOR at TRIFECTA ARTIST COLLECTIVE
AMY LEIGH
DIRECTOR, PUBLISHING & LICENSING AT ARTS & CRAFTS MUSIC
Amy Eligh began her career in Publishing at Casablanca Media / Red Brick Songs in the Copyright and Royalties department, before moving into Creative – where she successfully stationed herself for over a decade before moving to Arts & Crafts Music. Within her role as Director of Publishing & Licensing, Amy
pitches large-scale catalogue of songs for film, trailers, advertising, video games, and TV (US & Canada) as well as oversees the day to day within the department. In addition to pitching, Amy organizes showcases for clients / songwriters with TV networks, music supervisors, and advertisers. She also develops new writers,
arranges co-writing sessions, coordinates and hosts song-writing camps, and
scouts for talent. At Arts & Crafts Music, Amy works with Broken Social Scene, Timber Timbre,
Reuben and the Dark, Overcoats, Heartstreets, Ollie, Taylor Knox, and many
more. Amy is also on the Board of Directors for FACTOR and the Canadian
Music Publishers Association.
JÖRG TRESP
DEVIL DUCK RECORDS & MIDNIGHT MANGO BOOKING
AMANDA SCHWEERS
THE FELDMAN AGENCY
After a stint working on events, Amanda got her start in the music industry working in an
executive role for, Music BC. In 2009, Amanda joined the TFA team in Vancouver, where after working many years alongside Agent Rob Wright, she was promoted to be an Agent. Amanda also co-owns Amazing Factory Productions, a Vancouver-based film
company, which along with the band We Are The City, produced the award-winning feature film, Violent. Amanda has always been a passionate advocate of the BC music community, and continues her efforts consulting artists & industry members to help further their careers.
REBECCA SZYMKOW
PAQUIN ARTISTS AGENCY
Rebecca Szymkow is an Agent Associate and Operational Manager at Paquin Artists Agency. Rebecca combined her Arts and Cultural Management background with her passion of live music into a burgeoning career. Having been with the company for over five years, Rebecca specializes in artist development for the agency, and has begun building her career as an agent with artists including Mariel Buckley, Bad Animal, Little Miss Higgins and Lydia Ainsworth. Paquin Artists Agency has a diverse roster of over 200+ renowned artists spanning across all genres.
SAVHANNA WILSON
COMMUNITY ORGANIZER/ VICE CHAIR GRCS
Marvin Tontiwachwuthikul Chan, better known by his stage alter-ego Merv xx Gotti, is the singer of WCMA-nominated Canadian hip-hop/R&B duo, Samurai Champs, as well as Artistic Director of SK-based arts & cultural festival and artist collective, Trifecta.
With Samurai Champs, Marvin has toured internationally, and performed in festivals such as South by Southwest (SXSW) (Austin, TX), North by Northeast (NXNE) (Toronto, ON), The Great Escape (Brighton, UK), and Reeperbahn (Hamburg, GE).
As Artistic Director of Trifecta, Marvin has organized events such as Trifecta Music Festival, Trifecta Block Party, and Trifecta Concert Series. He also coordinates Trifecta Artist Collective, facilitating creative career development for artists such as LOA, VBRTR, and Tefrondon.
Marvin currently holds a BASc in Software Systems Engineering, and is completing his Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies, focusing on the cross-section between software engineering and creative technologies.
His thesis, The Application of Agile Software Development Methodologies towards Trifecta and the Independent Arts, was presented at the Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences 2018, as well as discussed in the VICE Noisey article, Meet The Student Using His Master’s Thesis To Unite His Local Music Scene. He continues his work in developing Trifecta and “The New Sound Of the Prairies”.
Jörg has been working in the music industry for more than 24 years. During this time, he has acted as a product and marketing manager for a major label, taught music business and has been running his own independent label, Devil Duck Records, for almost 15 years. Devil Duck is currently working with a number of international artists especially from Canada such as The Dead South, Shred Kelly, Yes We Mystic and Close Talker. Jörg specializes in artist development and booking with company Midnight Mango Hamburg.