The Ottawa and Canadian music industries recently descended on Ottawa for the Cranium Conference and Showcase. Here’s a look at what went down.
The world of music is a kaleidoscope of creativity encompassing different facets for artists to explore their skills and expertise, and organizations like the Cranium Arts Project provide spaces for artists to do just that, and more. Sunny season in the nation’s capital is off to an eventful start, with the Cranium Arts Project kicking off its annual Cranium Conference and Showcase, which took place from Thursday, May 2nd to Saturday May 4th. Did we mention that this event was free?
SHIFTER had the chance to attend the three-day music event that connected industry professionals with musicians, artists and different people making moves in the arts and entertainment business. The weekend featured informative panels with music professionals, networking sessions, and a two-part showcase featuring some of Ottawa’s great emerging talent. The weekend was extremely insightful and if you were looking for some information on music production, how to get your sounds placed in a TV show or movie, or even some advice on music law, the Cranium conference was the place to be.
Cranium jukebox lunch concert
The weekend was kicked off with calm and welcoming vibes, starting with the Cranium jukebox lunch concert hosted by the National Arts Centre, and featured a performance by Ottawa’s own Izzy Rose. No better way to start than with music and food, right? Following the lunch, was the opening cranium conference, during which attendees had the chance to meet the host and team, as well as hear the purpose and inspiration behind the 2024 conference.
Music Master Lab for emerging producers
The three-day music event was filled with amazing panels and performances, starting with the Music Master Lab, which was basically a live feedback session for select emerging producers, who got to play two to three song snippets for the expert panel. Moderated by City Fidelia, the panel featured Fya Man, who is a Grammy and Emmy award winning producer and songwriter, who’s credits include Kanye West, Jay-Z, Lil Durk, Lil Baby, and more. Talk about a repertoire! The panel also featured Lord Quest, another Grammy-nominated producer who’s produced songs for Schoolboy Q, Dom Kennedy and more. He is also the creative executive of Black Music at SOCAN. The panelists gave some expert tips on beat making, song production, networking and songwriting, then ended off with an open Q&A session, which gave a chance for some emerging producers and songwriters to learn from the prolific panelists.
Success In Sync
Another information-filled panel was the “Success in Sync” session, which covered the opportunities for music artist and producers to get into licensing their music for sync placements. Moderated by Kwende Kefentse, and featured Goldstripes, Michelle Allman, and Rochester as panelists, each expert has had recent success in sync and provided insight on the different rights involved in sync licensing. Rochester, a talented producer from the GTA, recently had some of his music placed in the most recent Spider Man movie, and Michelle Allman is the first Black woman to own a sync agency in the entire country, with liaisons based in the U.S., Asian and Spain.
Showcase features some of Ottawa’s finest
The most anticipated portion of the Cranium Conference was of course the showcase. The two-part show took place on the Friday and Saturday, and had musical vibes curated by Circa Beatz and DJ Mes. Both parts were hosted by Don Ayiti, who made the sure the crowd was engaged and most certainly entertained. All of the performers showed out and did tremendously well as they put on for the city, but the ones who stood out on Day One were Energyy and Country Club Pool Boy. Energyy definitely lives up to his name, as he opened the show with an electrifying performance that turned the crowd all the way up and set the tone for the rest of the night. Country Club Pool Boy, an indie RnB collab crew, ended the show with melodic vibes that had almost the entire audience up on their feet and singing along with them.
Accompanied by Nigerian-Canadian artist, Banggz and Rnb soulstress, Jhameema, they performed with the intention of shutting the house down. And they did.
Day Two of the showcase also honed a plethora of amazing performances, including Melo Griffith, who graced the stage with a uniquely creative set, keeping the audience on their toes. He went from performing by himself, to having his entire band join him on stage, leaving the crowd with mixed emotions… in a very good way. And Ottawa’s own Tianna Lee, gave the audience full production value, with dancers accompanying her sultry Rnb performance. Overall, the showcase did not disappoint and truly showed what the city’s creative scene has to offer.
The annual Cranium conference and showcase was a testament to the ever-changing landscape of the arts and entertainment industry, with industry professionals dropping gems and offering genuine advice to the emerging artists, producers, beat-makers and songwriters coming out of the nation’s capital. In a fast-paced industry where creativity and its certain aspects are undervalued, events like these serve as a reminder of the details and information that might be missed.
Be sure to follow the Cranium Arts Project on Instagram to follow up with them and all of their upcoming events!
