Theater Aquarius musical incubator announces first production team
The National Center for New Musicals will provide guidance and consultation to Canadian composers, lyricists, book writers and theater artists behind five new musical productions. Her NCNM at Theater Aquarius presented the first group of five of her selected works. – Hamilton City Magazine
Kendrick Lamar drops song 'Euphoria' that disses Drake
K. Dot's response includes a surprising mention of New Ho King, a Chinese restaurant in Toronto. – Michael Saponara, Billboard
Drake vs. Everyone: What you need to know about the vast rap beef that never ends
The brawl now includes Kanye West, Rick Ross, and just about every other rapper over the age of 35. And what's going on with Drake's rhinoplasty? – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
Cindy Lee's “Diamond Jubilee” rewrites the rules of breakthrough
It's not even available on streaming services, but the Calgary DIY artist's album has exploded in popularity in a refreshingly organic way. – Rosie Long Decter, Billboard Canada
Exchange's local music production showcase has a lot to offer
Music industry professionals and artists packed into a sweltering room in the Exchange District for the inaugural Good + Plenty Producers Showcase, featuring the city's next generation of songwriters and producers. – Ben Waldman, Winnipeg Free Press
Do Taylor Swift's lyrics qualify as poetry?
We invited three Toronto poets to share their thoughts on her new album. This is a listening session of the Torture Poets Club, conducted by real poets. – Sarah Lane, Toronto Star
Beloved maestro Sir Andrew Davies had a long-standing relationship with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra.
The British conductor was a supporter of Bach, Elgar, and Tippett, but one of his most memorable moments on stage with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra was a classic-but-not-so-classical lilt. It was about a work. The maestro was serenaded by members of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir on his 75th birthday. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Hot Docs boss says 'future of the organization is at risk' over festival
Canada's largest documentary film festival continues to face financial uncertainty, staff exodus and concerns from new president who says survival depends on reimagining itself as a “leaner, meaner version” It will open on Thursday as the season continues. – Alex Nino Gesiu, Canadian Press
Classical Music: Opera is truly addictive.especially carmen
It's just like the good old days. His opera in Vancouver will be his fifth production, counting his 1875 blockbuster Carmen by Georges Bizet. – David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun
Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra turns 50, musicians reflect on its heritage
Toronto's premier training orchestra for youth will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a special concert Saturday at Roy Thomson Hall. – Joshua Chong, Toronto Star
Farewell to Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra's Gemma New
Her last two appearances as HPO Music Director are May 1st and May 4th. – Leonard Turnevicious, Hamilton Spectator
Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival announces 2024 lineup
The highly anticipated Fort Langley Jazz and Arts Festival has announced its full lineup in time for International Jazz Day (April 30). Highlights include a tribute to Duke Ellington by the 16-piece Fred Stride Jazz Orchestra. cool blues show. Featuring Miss Emily, Tom Lavin & the legendary powder blues band, Rock Estrin & the Nightcats. – Vicki Duong, Georgia Straight
International
Primary Wave Music acquires Neil Finn's publishing catalog
Through his work with Split Enz and Crowded House, Finn is widely regarded as one of the greatest modern songwriters in the game and is a member of the ARIA Hall of Fame. – Lars Brundle Billboard
'The working class can't afford that': The shocking truth about how much money bands make on tour
As Taylor Swift's tour earnings top $1 billion, musicians playing small venues face dire fees and frequent losses. Should the state intervene to save our live music scene? – Daniel Ray, The Guardian
Removals fail: Artists are seeing their music removed from DSPs due to streaming fraud they didn't commit.
On February 9, electronic artist Ben Jordan began receiving messages from fans asking why he had removed all his music from streaming platforms. Naturally, panic began. – Ari Herstand, Variety
Furious, funny, and potentially deadly: Hip Hop's 20 Greatest Diss Tracks – Ranked!
As Drake, Kendrick Lamar and others continue their high-profile acts, we unravel the most provocative and vicious attacks in rap history. – Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
Can a rap beef exist if no one can agree on what is being fought over?
J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Drake are at odds for no reason. None of the participants appear to be playing by the same rules, much less aiming for the same prize. – Sheldon Pierce, National Public Radio
“President Reagan gave us something to rap about”: How hip-hop has interacted with American politics
A new documentary, “Hip-Hop and the White House,'' looks back at how presidents from Reagan to Trump have rejected or embraced this genre of hip-hop. – Guardian
A2IM joins Congressman Maxwell Frost to introduce the Arts Creation Act to support new artists
Frost's bill would create a new federal grant program to support local creators and the arts-enabled industry and small business economy. – A2IM
Security guard shot dead outside Weeknd co-manager's LA mansion in apparent home invasion
A security guard was shot multiple times in an apparent home invasion outside the Los Angeles-area home of The Weeknd's co-owner and business partner, Amir “Cash” Esmailian. Esmailian is a key member of the Weeknd's team, led by longtime coach Wasim “Sal” Sliby. – Jem Aswad, Variety
If you stop listening to music, your life will change.
There are multiple reasons for an outage, so let's explain them all. – Mil Hornaert, Medium
Scooter Braun and the Twilight of the Music Manager
Colonel Tom Parker made Elvis an icon. Brian Epstein bled for the Beatles. But these days, this all-powerful backstage hustler is looking more and more like a relic of the past. – Andrew O’Hagan/The New Yorker
Sean Diddy Combs files motion to dismiss certain claims in sexual assault lawsuit
Lawyers for Sean “Diddy” Combs are pushing back against the lawsuit of the woman who accused him of sexual assault, filing a motion Friday to dismiss some claims that were not based on law at the time of the incident. – J. Landrum Jr., Associated Press
Ukrainian duo take to Eurovision Song Contest with message: 'We're still here'
Even in the midst of war, Ukraine still finds time to compete in the flashy, pop-inspired Eurovision Song Contest. The female duo from Ukraine that participated in the pan-continental music competition was rapper Alyona Alyona and singer Jerry Heil. – Associated Press
Criminal justice bill protests for the first time in 30 years
'We went from naive, hippie-like protesters to hardcore anarchists': government's attempt to ban raves leads to bizarre attacks on dance fans, squatters and 'new age' tourists It has been 30 years since we radicalized the Coalition. – Dorian Lynskey, The Guardian