Joel Blechinger
The Carillon (University of Regina)

REGINA (CUP) ”“ SaskMusic, the non-profit corporation responsible for representing, promoting and developing the music industry of Saskatchewan, announced on Sept. 8 the permanent and immediate cancellation of six of its grant programs.

The decision was made following the Saskatchewan Arts Board’s rejection of an application for funding submitted by SaskMusic.

Earlier this year, SaskMusic announced that it was in the final stages of a funding transition from SaskCulture to the Arts Board. Along with this announcement came the suspension of the Sept. 15 grant deadline for the September 2009 to August 2010 fiscal year.

The suspensions came after uncertainty about the levels of funding the organization would receive from the Arts Board following its recent funding shift. With the Arts Board’s rejection, SaskMusic was forced to cancel its programs centered on demo sound recording, marketing initiatives, one-on-one mentorship, tour support, travel and networking support, as well as change the suspension of the showcase travel support program to a cancellation.

Mitch Lysak, of Saskatoon-based indie-rock band Volcanoless in Canada, believes the cancellations are bad news. SaskMusic is an invaluable resource to artists like him.

“Of course, (touring and recording) costs major money that’s just not around from playing local shows,” said Lysak. “Once you reach that level, you do need the financial assistance to make anything happen, whether it’s making a CD or getting out there, getting the van together and putting some gas in it.”

Volcanoless in Canada has previously received support from SaskMusic through three of the six cancelled programs. Other bands including Ray Bell, Rah Rah, Sylvie, Geronimo and Jeffrey Straker have all made use of the various grant programs.

SaskMusic claims that demand for the grant programs has always outstripped available funding.

J.P. Ellson, chief operating officer of SaskMusic, echoes Lysak’s sentiments.

“The programs that we had were crucial, in our minds, to the career development of Saskatchewan recording artists”¦. Most Saskatchewan artists that are still in Saskatchewan over the last two years have received support from us through one of those programs,” said Ellson.

Additionally, Ellson states that the $800,000 pilot project Culture on the Go, a collaborative effort between the government’s Ministry of Tourism, Parks, Culture and Sport and the Arts Board, has not provided marketing support for SaskMusic.

“Without having support for marketing activity, there still will be, and always will be, great Saskatchewan talent and product created. The problem will be that we can’t get it outside of Saskatchewan,” he said.

Despite the funding rejection, Ellson said he still believes there’s a place for his organization to do good.

“We hope and we try to provide assistance to artists through our knowledge and expertise and we will continue to do that. And we continue to advocate for marketing support, as we believe it’s a crucial part of the spectrum. Failing which, if you’re not going to do that, why are you doing any of it?”

Ellson also said that live performances hold more importance now more than ever as a revenue stream for bands and artists, a sentiment shared by Lysak.

“Most of the grant money that we’ve gotten for tour support has just been gas money to get out to these big sectors where there are interested agents and label people that want to hear our music,” he said. “The programs no longer existing is a huge disadvantage. It basically brings that disadvantage back on us as artists.

“Now if we do want to stay in Saskatchewan — where we were born, where we were raised — we pretty much have to spend a whole lot more money just to get to an industry where we can make money. This forces us to have to look outside as opposed to being able to do it here.”

When contacted, the Saskatchewan Arts Board stated that it was not its policy to comment on specific funding applications.