Apply now for Vancouver International Film Festival AMP SOUNDOFF program

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday July 3rd, 2019

SOCAN members based in British Columbia can apply now to perform live at the third annual Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF) AMP (Audio Music Production) SOUNDOFF program, where up to six selected artists from across the musical spectrum will perform a single song each, live, to a panel of key international music supervisors on the hunt for their next discovery. Each artist will have an opportunity to receive feedback, learn more about songwriting for film and television, and gain valuable insight from the panel about getting their music placed onscreen. Artists can apply here, until 5:00 p.m. PST on July 19, 2019.

Supported by Music BC, SOUNDOFF provides an intimate platform for BC’s most promising musicians to focus on song placement and synchronization licensing in feature films, television, documentaries, and filmed media, while connecting with senior music supervisors and producers from around the globe. Since the launch of SOUNDOFF in 2017, more than 20 artists have participated in the program, including Chin Injeti, Harrison Brome, Emily Rowed, The Long Wall, Sam Lynch, Luca Fogale, Loig Morin and FIONN. Artists connect with senior music supervisors and producers at this expansive yet intimate gathering.

SOUNDOFF is a part of VIFF AMP, sponsored by SOCAN, which brings together local and international music supervisors, screen composers, and post-production experts to engage in panels, workshops and networking events exploring the essential role that music plays in film and television. Over the two-day summit, world-class experts will weigh in on subjects such as diversity in the music marketplace, the art of music supervision, and how music rights management victories around the world are benefiting songwriters and composers. VIFF AMP 2019 will be held Oct. 4-5 at The Pyatt Hall in the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra School of Music, at 843 Seymour St.

Photo by Grant W. Martin Photography, at the 2019 SOCAN Awards in Toronto/aux Prix SOCAN 2019 a Toronto.

Toronto to celebrate the life of Ralph Murphy on July 11, 2019

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday July 10th, 2019

Toronto is celebrating the life of Ralph Murphy on Thursday, July 11, 2019, at Louis Cifer Brew Works, at 417 Danforth Avenue. Hosted by Beverly Mahood, and running from 7:00 to 10:00 p.m., the evening will include performances by Jamie Warren, Patricia Conroy (a member of SOCAN’s Board of Directors), and more. Donations to the Unison Benevolent Fund will be accepted at the door, in celebration of Murphy’s life. All are welcome.

Murphy, one of the SOCAN family’s greatest friends, passed away in May of 2019 at the age of 75. He’d been writing songs, as he described it in a 2017 SOCAN Words & Music online magazine article, “since God wore short pants.” At the 2019 SOCAN Awards on April 1, we honoured Ralph with the Special Achievement Award for his generosity as a mentor to countless Canadian songwriters and music publishers.

The Nashville-based Murphy was a 2012 Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame inductee. He penned the No. 2 Jeannie C. Riley hit “Good Enough to Be Your Wife”; co-wrote the Crystal Gayle chart-topper “Half the Way”; co-wrote the Ronnie Milsap No. 1 hit “He Got You”; and enjoyed a No. 2 U.K. hit via Sir Cliff Richard, “21st Century Christmas.” He also had his tunes covered by Randy Travis, the late Don Williams, Ray Price, Shania Twain, Kathy Mattea, Little Texas, Brotherhood of Man, and Vanity Fare. His book, Murphy’s Laws of Songwriting: How to Write a Hit Song, has been endorsed by some of the art form’s most celebrated tunesmiths.

Photo by Brit Johnson

SOCAN hosts L.A. Canada Day 2019 reception

Story by Howard Druckman, with files from Racquel Villagante and Camille Mathews | Tuesday July 2nd, 2019

SOCAN presented sixth annual L.A. Family & Friends Canada Day party, in association with the Consulate General of Canada in Los Angeles, at the Sunset Marquis Hotel Pool Deck in Los Angeles, on June 26, 2019.

The reception, which ran from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m., drew more than 200 SOCAN members and key music industry representatives, with an event playlist custom-curated by our own A&R representative Aidan D’Aoust, and a life-sized Kawhi Leonard cut-out by the pool. The party also served as a one-year anniversary of the opening of our new SOCAN office in Los Angeles.

Eric Baptiste, Tyler Connolly, Christine Connolly, Rodney Murphy, SOCAN, Los Angeles, L.A., Canada Day, 2019

Left to right: SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste, Tyler Connolly, Christine Connolly, SOCAN Director, A&R, Rodney Murphy

Present at the event were SOCAN songwriter members LU KALA, Esthero, Brian West, DZL, Liza (who co-wrote the song “Complexities” on Daniel Caesar’s new album Case Study 01), Andy Stochansky, and Stephan Moccio, as well as Matthew Oppenheimer, of the Canadian consulate in Los Angeles.

The L.A. community of SOCAN screen composers was well represented, with Nathalie Bonin, Steve London, and Darren Fung at the party, along with Ari Wise and Kevin Estwick of the Core Music Agency, which represents audio-visual composers.

rica Grayson, Vivian Barclay, SOCAN, Los Angeles, L.A., Canada Day, 2019

Left to right: SOCAN Senior A&R Executive Erica Grayson; Vivian Barclay, General Manager of Warner-Chappell Music Publishing Canada

SOCAN publisher members were also in the house, including Vivian Barclay – the General Manager at Warner Chappell Music Publishing Canada, and also member of the SOCAN Board of Directors – and Donna Caseine, Executive Vice President, Creative  Reservoir Media.

Music industry representatives at the reception included Ivan Evidente (Director, A&R – Universal Music Canada), Tony Scudellari (Senior VP, Television Music, Sony), Daryl Berg (Vice President, Music Strategies and Licensing, Crown Media Family Networks), and reps from performing rights organizations ASCAP, BMI and GMR.

Attending for SOCAN were SOCAN CEO Eric Baptiste and President and Chair of the Board Marc Ouellette; Chief Membership and Business Development Officer Michael McCarty; Vice President, International Relations, Catharine Saxberg; Director, A&R, Rodney Murphy; Director, International Business Development & Compliance, Steven Ambers; Senior A&R Executive Erica Grayson; Executive Director, SOCAN Foundation, Charlie Wall-Andrews; and A&R Representatives Racquel Villagante and Camille Mathews.

After the reception, SOCAN hosted a dinner for some of our members at Cavatina.