R2i TuneUp Conference 2023

Registration

510min

WELCOMING ADDRESS

CMAOntario President Steve Kassay welcomes attendees as we kick off this year's educational series.

10min

Steve Kassay

After chasing the rock star dream, Steve moved from playing music to playing records.His career has taken him to various broadcast companies throughout Southern Ontario,on nationally syndicated live shows, in production, programming, on-air, MD & PD capacities. Now VP of Programming for Durham Radio, Steve manages operations forKX-96, KX-947, 94.9 The Rock, CKDO and wave.fm. […]

THE POWER OF PRODUCTION: HIT PRODUCERS TALK TRACKS

Great production is as essential to a song’s success as a great lyric and melody. It’s the result of a producer capturing the idea of the song perfectly and bringing it to life. Our brain trust of producers will explain how they help turn a song into a recording that’s more than the sum of its parts and how your favourite music is transitioned from demo to final mix.

MODERATOR: Rick Hutt

PARTICIPANTS:

Jeff Dalziel

Mitch Merritt

Colin Linden

70min

Rick Hutt

Jeff Dalziel

Jeff Dalziel is a Multi-Platinum and award-winning Canadian record producer, Sony/ATV songwriter, and musician. He has produced and co-written music for labels and artists such as Warner Music Canada, Sony Music Canada, Slaight Music, Wax Records, Open Road Recordings, Coalition Music, Arts & Crafts, The Washboard Union, Jessica Mitchell, Dan Davidson, Ryan Langdon, River Town […]

Mitch Merrett

Songwriter. Guitar Player. Producer. Artist Manager and Label Representative for MDM Recordings. It’s been a journey for Merrett to say the least. He’s spent time in nearly every sector of the music industry for over 20 years and in a lot of ways, he’s still finding fresh licks, new artists and chasing new entrepreneurial avenues. […]

Colin Linden

Colin Linden’s tale is the stuff of legend, the kind told in the Coen brothers’ O Brother Where Art Thou or Inside Llewyn Davis, both of which featured his guitar playing on the soundtracks. That film would begin with an 11-year-old meeting his musical idol Howlin’ Wolf at a matinee show in his native Toronto, […]

MENTORPOINT: One-on-One Mentoring Sessions

Meet one-on-one in coveted face-to-face time with speakers and leaders in the music industry. Sign up for private 20-minute consultations with professionals of your choice through a CMAOntario meeting planner to discuss ideas and seek knowledge from someone who’s been there.

240mins

HOW TO MAKE IT IN THE NEW MUSIC BUSINESS

Success in the music industry today isn’t measured the same way as it was 10 years ago. Artists are doing more for themselves and making returns on their creative investments without the traditional trappings of a record deal. In this session, experts from diverse areas of the business will weigh in on different aspects of the industry and offer eye-opening insights on building a more profitable career – from mastering the digital landscape, to conquering social media, embracing authentic fan connections and more.

MODERATOR: Samantha Pickard

PARTICIPANTS:

Mike Denney

Ron Kitchener

Mark Schroor

Erik Fintelman

65mins

Samantha Pickard

Samantha Pickard brings an international outlook to Strut Entertainment and a vast understanding of the Canadian and Australian music industries. A 33 year entertainment industry veteran Samantha has executed hundreds of public relations campaign, marketing campaigns and events including G’Day Toronto for Tourism Australia, the Rolling Stones 50 Years Tour, Walk Off The Earth, the […]

Mike Denney

A fervent champion of the Canadian music industry, Mike Denney is ever keen to share his expertise, creativity and knowledge with the award winning artists he proudly works with, and to the industry as a whole. Denney founded MDM Recordings Inc. in 2008, and the multi-award winning full service independent label and management company boasts […]

Ron Kitchener

Ron Kitchener, Founder and CEO of RGK Entertainment Group Inc., is a pillar in the Canadian music business. Having managed the careers of multi-platinum, GRAMMY, and JUNO award winning artists, Ron surrounds himself with a team of passionate professionals who push boundaries to inspire an artist’s development to attain tier-one status. Kitchener himself has been […]

Mark Schroor

Mark Schroor is the kind of guy that’s gonna wear a shirt full of holes to a business meeting. He’s a walking advertisement for thinking differently. Different is good. Enthusiastic, passionate, a big idea guy, and a big heart guy. Mark’s a champion for what he believes in. On stage, in the studio, or in […]

Erik Fintelman

A co-founder of Workshop Music Group, Erik Fintelman is the unofficial captain of the red team, making sure the crazy ideas we come up with go through a good and healthy ‘reality check’ phase. Does he wear a hat shaped as stop sign and crush dreams for fun ? Only on Mondays. Kidding. Kind of. […]

AGM LUNCH (lunch included)

This is your association and the opinion of every member counts. Join us in shaping the future of your CMAOntario at the 2023 Annual General Meeting. The AGM offers the opportunity to network with fellow members, engage with the association’s goals, progress, and possibilities, hear the visions of your association’s leaders, and have a direct impact on the direction of the association.

Speakers:

Steve Kassay, President, CMAOntario

Adam Clark, Treasurer, CMAOntario

Brian Allen, Secretary, CMAOntario

60min

Steve Kassay

After chasing the rock star dream, Steve moved from playing music to playing records.His career has taken him to various broadcast companies throughout Southern Ontario,on nationally syndicated live shows, in production, programming, on-air, MD & PD capacities. Now VP of Programming for Durham Radio, Steve manages operations forKX-96, KX-947, 94.9 The Rock, CKDO and wave.fm. […]

Adam Clark

A Kingston native, Adam went to Toronto to attend Ryerson University (now Toronto Metropolitan) to pursue a career in accounting. While he remained an introvert during his formative young adulthood, Adam quickly fell in love with the live music scene, compelled to seize any and every opportunity to lose himself with the crowd regardless of […]

Brian Allen

A veteran of the business, Brian was a member and principal songwriter for the band Toronto in the ‘80s, logging 4 platinum albums. Following the band’s breakup, Brian saw success as a co-writer of “What About Love” which propelled Heart to a 10 million seller. Attic Records recruited Brian as head of A&R, a post […]

OLD ROOTS, NEW ROUTES

With modern country bleeding into the pop, rock and even hip-hop landscape, the genre’s vital roots have also pushed the boundaries and taken on their own stylistic shift. The rise of streaming services has given the genre accessibility and mainstream visibility. Panellists will examine today’s description of a Roots artist, discuss the most effective exposure platforms and consider how to capitalize on the momentum.

MODERATOR: Shane Guse

PARTICIPANTS:

Scotty Kipfer

Callie McCullough

The Redhill Valleys

65mins

Shane Guse

Shane Guse has been a top call musician on stage, radio, television, in recording studios and beyond for over 25 years.   Shane has been awarded seven Canadian Country Music Awards in the musician categories, has over 25 CCMA nominations, and was inducted into the CCMA Musicians Hall of Honour in 2017.   As a […]

Scotty Kipfer

Scotty Kipfer has enjoyed a 20+ year career in Country Music spanning many facets of the industry. He spent time in radio, artist development, management, and various record label roles until he felt the pull to dedicate himself fully to the creative process. In 2015, he shifted his focus from the business side of music […]

Callie McCullough

A modern songwriter inspired by timeless bluegrass and old-school country music, Callie McCullough has chased her unique muse for years, making contemporary roots music that nods to the legends who came before her. It’s a sound anchored by intimate ballads and McCullough’s gorgeous voice, whose Alison Krauss-worthy tone and Dolly Parton-sized beauty stand in contrast […]

The Redhill Valleys

Chelsea McWilliams and Tim Allard are members of Hamilton’s The Redhill Valleys, who have garnered numerous CMAO nominations for Roots group of the year, and are mainstays on Sirius XM’s North Americana, Top Of The Country, and Tom Petty Radio. Drawing on their shared love of classic folk, rock and roll, country, and soul music, […]

SO YESTERDAY: WHY IS RADIO STILL IMPORTANT?

The past decade has seen a shift in audio consumption and streaming has revolutionized the music business. Despite the change, radio remains an important vehicle for new artists to be discovered and established artists to stay relevant. In this session, professionals from radio and promotion will discuss getting programmers’ attention, considerations for airplay, influence of streams, demographics, and more.

MODERATOR: Anya Wilson

PARTICIPANTS:

Dani Strong - Taylor Entertainment

Jon Pole - MBC (My Broadcasting Corp/Country 89)

Wendy Boomer - Rogers

Jeff Leake - SiriusXM

60min

Anya Wilson

For 50 years, Anya Wilson has helped mould the substance of publicity and radio promotion for the music industry. Originally based in London, England, Anya began ‘The Acme Plug Co’ in the late 1960’s representing such artists as the late Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, T-Rex, The Kinks, The Who, The Stranglers, The Jam, and Sir […]

Dani Strong

Dani Strong is a multi award-winning songwriter, touring artist and founder of Taylor Entertainment. Dani has over 2 decades  of experience with touring, recording, educating, writing and releasing music – and there’s no doubt she has learned many of  the “DOs” and definitely the “Do NOTs” of the Canadian Music industry. Married to Canadian rock drummer, […]

Jon Pole

Jon Pole is a highly accomplished media executive and radio personality, currently serving as the President and Co-Founder of My Broadcasting Corp. With over 30 years of experience in the industry, Jon has established himself as a visionary leader with a deep understanding of the evolving landscape of radio and media. Prior to his role […]

Wendy Boomer

Jeff Leake

DEMORAMA: A LIVE FEEDBACK SESSION

A perennial favourite, the Demorama Listening Session provides you with the captive audience you’ve always wanted. Here, seasoned music professionals will play and review selected recordings from the CMAOntario audience, share their reactions to your work and discuss what makes a strong first impression and why.

MODERATOR: Brian Allen

PARTICIPANTS:

Dwave Thomson

Jeff Dalziel

Mitch Merritt

60min

Brian Allen

A veteran of the business, Brian was a member and principal songwriter for the band Toronto in the ‘80s, logging 4 platinum albums. Following the band’s breakup, Brian saw success as a co-writer of “What About Love” which propelled Heart to a 10 million seller. Attic Records recruited Brian as head of A&R, a post […]

Dave ‘Dwave’ Thomson

David ‘Dwave’ Thomson is a songwriter producer from Niagara Falls, ON, currently living in Nashville. Having started his career as one half of the pop duo Wave he’s now writing for artists like Lady A (Champagne Night) and Trisha Yearwood (Workin’ On Whiskey) along with such other notable artists as High Valley, Autumn Hill, Lights, […]

Jeff Dalziel

Jeff Dalziel is a Multi-Platinum and award-winning Canadian record producer, Sony/ATV songwriter, and musician. He has produced and co-written music for labels and artists such as Warner Music Canada, Sony Music Canada, Slaight Music, Wax Records, Open Road Recordings, Coalition Music, Arts & Crafts, The Washboard Union, Jessica Mitchell, Dan Davidson, Ryan Langdon, River Town […]

Mitch Merrett

Songwriter. Guitar Player. Producer. Artist Manager and Label Representative for MDM Recordings. It’s been a journey for Merrett to say the least. He’s spent time in nearly every sector of the music industry for over 20 years and in a lot of ways, he’s still finding fresh licks, new artists and chasing new entrepreneurial avenues. […]