Photo by Brad Ardley

Video Interview: Staying Home with Owen Pallett

Story by Howard Druckman | Wednesday August 26th, 2020

In the midst of social distancing to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, SOCAN continues to conduct video interviews with our members – now online via meeting apps – in our new video series, “Staying Home with…” Today, it’s Owen Pallett.

Owen Pallett won the very first Polaris Music Prize in 2006, for the Final Fantasy album He Poos Clouds. He’s been nominated for an Academy Award  for Best Original Score (for the Joaquin Phoenix/Amy Adams-starring movie Her), and performed the theme on the Oscars stage. And he’s created orchestral arrangements for Taylor Swift, Arcade Fire, REM, Haim, Linkin Park, and Frank Ocean, among many others.

But he thinks of these musical efforts as work-for-hire, and the artists as his clients, and half-jokingly compares himself to “a lazy plumber.” He also talks abut how such string composing and arranging differs from the process of working on his own music; his life under the COVID-19 lockdown; and how a breakup worked its way into his current album, Island.

SOCAN Leadership Updates: Trevor Jackson

Story by Howard Druckman | Thursday August 27th, 2020

In the midst of social distancing to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, SOCAN is continuing to operate at full capacity. To keep you posted about what we’re doing to adapt to the situation, and how we’re doing it, we present a series of SOCAN Leadership Updates – online video interviews with various SOCAN executives.

This time, SOCAN’s Vice-President of Information Technology, Trevor Jackson, discusses what future technology SOCAN might use to serve our members even better, and why SOCAN I.T. is a desirable workplace.

Photo by courtesy/courtoisie. Left to right/De gauche à droite : Michael Bernard Fitzgerald, Claytion Bellamy, Livy Jeanne

SOCAN, IASCA co-create six one-day song camps throughout Summer of 2020

Story by Howard Druckman, with files from/avec la collaboration de Racquel Villagante | Tuesday August 25th, 2020

Between June 18 and July 27, 2020, SOCAN and IASCA (the Irish Association of Songwriters, Composers & Authors) co-created six one-day, three-person song camps, partnering teams of Canadian and Irish songwriters online during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Since our members haven’t been able to travel internationally for co-writing trips, we’ve found an alternative way to facilitate global collaboration,” said SOCAN A&R Representative Racquel Villagante. “It’s heartening what we’ve been able to do in these strange and challenging times.”

“These camps have been the highlight of my quarantine season,” says IASCA’s Sinéad Troy, who co-curated the camps with her IASCA colleague Sheena Keane, and SOCAN’s Villagante. “Some have even brought me to tears.”

Several Canadian music industry players were involved in submitting SOCAN members from their rosters to participate in these camps, including Warner Chappell, Arts & Crafts, RGK Entertainment, and Cutcraft.

The participants were as follows:

Artist-Songwriter Top-Line Songwriter Producer-Songwriter Date
Luan Parle Aaron Allen Cian Boylan June 18
Mal Tuohy Clayton Bellamy Gavin Glass June 18
Mick Flannery Michael Bernard Fitzgerald ESCQ June 25
Eve Belle Livy Jeanne Phillip McGee July 2
Sorcha Richardson Ryan Chambers Marcus Paquin July 9
Steve Wall ——————– Daniel Ledwell July 27

 

“The SOCAN/ IASCA camp was so much fun!” said participant Livy Jeanne. “I think with the world feeling like it’s completely upside-down, being a part of the camp reminded me again how music is still a massive connector for everyone, especially creatives, in times that feel shaky. I loved being able to collaborate with two incredibly talented people on the other side of the world, and creating something that didn’t exist three hours prior. Thank you, SOCAN, for this awesome opportunity.”

“The SOCAN/IASCA song camp was an invaluable experience,” said participant Clayton Bellamy. “Not only did it expand my working relationships with other artists and producers, it developed new material which I was able to use for my upcoming project.”

“Thanks to SOCAN for including me,” said participant Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. “I loved my session from home. Often, co-writing requires a fair bit of travel, hotels, restaurants, and taxis, so it was nice to have a session at home, with writers from L.A. and Dublin. Mick Flannery and I played one of the same virtual festivals this year as well. It was good to connect this way.”